A college with two rooms, half a dozen students
Set up some five years ago by J&K government in old city, Government Degree College Bagh-i-Dilawar Khan has failed to attract students for their admissions in the College.
As per the official figures, the college was sanctioned at the cost of Rs 11.45 crore in the year 2011 out of state plan. However, the college has failed to serve the purpose- attracting students for their enrollment over the past five years of its establishment.
The College is functioning from two rooms of MP Higher Secondary School with half a dozen students and a dozen teachers. Unlike other colleges, the scene at this college remains different with empty classrooms as the college has no students.
“The student enrollment has decreased over the past years in this college,” an official said wishing not to be named.
Besides, its failure to attract students, the Higher Education Department (HED) spends recurring grants for the college to the tune of around Rs 4 crore every year.
“This college was announced by NC lead coalition government after due to lobbying by MLA Khanyar who got this college approved to please his vote bank. The college was approved without keeping in view the feasibility and other parameters,” an official said.
As per the official figures, the HED annually utilises an amount around of Rs 10.24 lakh for the teaching and non-teaching faculty engaged on academic arrangement in the College.
“Besides this monthly salary of each permanent faculty member is above Rs 50,000 and department has appointed around three to four permanent faculty members here. The fund utilization on this college is a total waste,” said an official of the planning department in HED.
The HED annually engages five Lecturers including one Librarian and one Assistant Lecturer for the colleges. The department pays an amount of Rs 18000 per month per lecturer while as Rs 12000 is paid as monthly wages to the one Assistant Lecturer engaged on academic arrangement in the college.
“The strength of sanctioned posts in the college is 21 including 10 posts for teaching faculty,” a senior official in HED said.
In this college, the Principal’s office, staff room and non-teaching staff are chocked in one single room. The classes are conducted in one separate room.
“We manage all this within this limited space. We are provided with this space only and we are making use of it,” says a faculty member wishing not to be identified.
He said the college failed to attract the students as they didn’t see any attraction in the college. “This college can only grow if the department will provide separate accommodation for it,” he said,
A building worth Rs 11.45 crore is under construction for the college, adjacently located to Gandhi Memorial College for which an amount of Rs 2.40 crore has been already released.
“Normal allocation of land for establishment of a college is 50 kanals, however, the land allocated for this college is only eight Kanals,” a top official said.
Given the poor performance of the college over the past many years, the then minister for education on September 8 of 2015 had ordered closure of fresh admissions in the college from the current academic session.
“But that was a verbal order and the college continued with its academic session for next two years,” a faculty member said.
As per the official documents, the JK Project Construction Corporation (PCC) – the executing agency for construction of the building has completed the plinth level and columns have been raised as well.
“The construction is going on at snail’s pace which has added to the poor show displayed by the college authorities,” a top official said.
KV Correspondent
