AU wants its premises back from IIIT-A

ALLAHABAD'S INDIAN Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-A) owes around Rs 50 lakh to Allahabad University (AU) as rent for the rooms and space that the Deemed University occupies in AU's Nehru Science Complex. AU officials have now begun renewed efforts to realise the arrears and get the IIIT-A to vacate its premises so that some of the proposed new departments envisioned in AU's expansion plans can be accommodated in their place.

ALLAHABAD'S INDIAN Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-A) owes around Rs 50 lakh to Allahabad University (AU) as rent for the rooms and space that the Deemed University occupies in AU's Nehru Science Complex.

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AU officials have now begun renewed efforts to realise the arrears and get the IIIT-A to vacate its premises so that some of the proposed new departments envisioned in AU's expansion plans can be accommodated in their place.

Sources inform that AU rented 10 rooms and two toilets located on the ground floor of the Nehru Science Complex to IIIT-A following signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the then AU Vice-Chancellor Prof CL Khetrapal and IIIT-A Society's Prof AR Verma on May 22, 1999.

As per the agreement, IIIT-A was to pay Rs 14 lakh annually as rent for the rooms. IIIT-A was to also pay electricity bills on its own and had agreed to let whatever fitments it installed for computers and airconditioners in their place when it vacated the complex after two years.

In 2001, as per fresh arrangements, following IIIT-A's desperate need for more space, AU agreed to further also rent portions of the first floor of the Complex too to IIIT-A for an additional annual rent of Rs 10 lakh.

Sources now inform that despite AU official's all efforts IIIT-A has not vacated the complex and also not paid the rent to the varsity.

Sources say, IIIT-A has not paid rent from June 2005 for the ground floor and has paid just Rs 7,00770 (seven lakh seven hundred and seventy) for the first floor as rent from December 2001 to May 2003. Electricity bills too have been paid only till March 2006.

A report in this regard was prepared and submitted to the VC by the then Finance Officer somewhere in March-April 2006.

AU has formed a two-member committee headed by Dean (Science) Prof Hari Prakash and Prof AK Srivastava as member to look into the issue.

The matter also came up for discussion during the Planning and Development Board meeting that took place on August 28, 2006.

During the meeting, members were informed that the then AU VC Prof CL Khetrapal as well as former member of IIIT-A Governing Body Prof MGK Menon have been contacted in this regard.

As per fresh initiative, AU Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajen Harshe and Dean (Science) Prof Hari Prakash are now going to meet IIIT-A Director Dr MD Tiwari to pursue the matter further.

However, co-ordination seems to be a problem at AU in efforts to get its premises vacated.

On being contacted, Prof Hari Prakash was unable to provide any information regarding outstanding dues, conditions of the MoU between AU and IIIT-A as well as any other details of action actually initiated in this regard.

"Secretary of the Planning and Development Board Prof JN Bhargava will be able to tell you about steps taken. I had asked for a copy of the MoU from the Registrar quite some time back but it has not been made available to me till date," Prof Hari Parkash said.

Prof JN Bhargava, on his part, conceded that efforts are on to get IIIT-A to clear the dues and vacate the premises. "However, only members of the committee formed under Prof Hari Prakash will be able to tell as to where the things stand exactly," he said.

Despite repeated efforts, IIIT-A Director Dr MD Tiwari could not be contacted for his comments.