Opposing the initiation of construction of a residential school site at Punjabi University, students under the banner of the Save Land Action Committee will meet Punjab governor Shivraj V Patil, who is also a university Chancellor. They will exhort him to immediately pass the order to stop the construction.
One of the members of the action committee, Satpal Bagga said despite repeated representations, the university along with state government had failed to take serious notice of the issue, completely ignoring the demand of faculty members and students to shift residential adarsh school to some other place.
The cash-strapped university had courted a controversy following the decision by the syndicate of the university to hand over 5.6 acre of prime land to the state government free of cost for opening of a special school. The market value of the land has been estimated at nearly Rs 100 crore.
The state government has decided to open six Adarsh residential schools across the state, especially for the students with more than 80% marks in their matriculation examination. After the schools are set up, the government is likely to hand over the schools to private parties.
"Moreover, there is no need for opening new school on public-private partnership on the university campus as it is already running a model school within its premises. If the government shows interest for the education of rural students, it can think of expansion and upgradation of earlier school", he said.
Sumeet Shammi, activist of the All- India Students' federation, said the university Chancellor would be apprised of the acute shortage of space in the campus for the construction of new department and much needed hostels, especially for girl students and research scholars.
"Moreover, there is no need for opening new school on public-private partnership on the university campus as it is already running a model school within its premises. If the government shows interest for the education of rural students, it can think of expansion and upgradation of earlier school", he said.
Sumeet Shammi, activist of the All- India Students' federation, said the university Chancellor would be apprised of the acute shortage of space in the campus for the construction of new department and much needed hostels, especially for girl students and research scholars.
"The departments of Hindi, Sanskrit, social science, forensic sciences, biotech and math do not have their own buildings, while girl students are forced to accommodate with four students in a cubical rooms due to acute shortage of hostels", he said.
He added that 'nukar' meetings will be also held with university students and faculty members to gather support for their campaign to save prime land of the university.