DO IT NOW !

CM's intervention needed to build classrooms

 

COOCH BEHAR, Feb. 2: Uttar Banga Unnayan Parshad (UBUP) had extended a fund of Rs 1.12-crore for adding classrooms in Cooch Behar Polytechnic, Thakur Panchanan Mahila Mahavidyalaya and Acharya Brajendra Nath Seal College in Cooch Behar. The district administration of Cooch Behar entrusted the public works department (construction board) to complete the job. But, the ever-practiced work culture prevented them to start the work. At last, the chief minister has to intervene with his 'do-it-now' magic wand and then the ball started rolling.

 

Sources said, the PWD (Construction Board) division had demanded the allotted fund in advance to start the construction work. The district administration asked them to start the work and assured handing over the fund to them after commencement of work. But, the PWD (CB) division reportedly denied doing so. Intervention of state public works minister was also sought to end the impasse but that too failed to yield any result. For this reason the work had to be left postponed for more than a year. At last, the problem was conveyed to the chief minister who is also the chairman of the UBUP.

 

When asked about the matter, the district planning officer Mr Sunil Agarwala admitted that the chief minister's intervention was needed to make the things straight. He said, "The stalemate is now over. Tenders are being called to launch the construction of classrooms in the three educational institutions." The work may commence very soon, he hoped.

 

Sources in PWD (Construction Board) in Cooch Behar too said that the problems related to the construction of classrooms in three colleges were melting down. The matter is now under process and the work may begin soon, a senior official hoped.

 

However, the officer-in-charge of ABN Seal College (the lone government college in Cooch Behar district), Dr Nilay Roy was not found hopeful enough over the recent development. Due to lack of classrooms in this college the students of post-graduate courses are suffering. "We are feeling disappointed because we are still in dark about the date of commencement of the delayed work", he said. The college needs no promise but classrooms, said Mr Roy. []