Funds to be raised at book fair for Malda University

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Jan. 7: Resource mobilising committee for the proposed Malda University will seek donations from the intellectuals and the common people at the book fair to be held on the Malda college ground on 11 January. Noted writer, Sunil Ganguly, will inaugurate the book fair tomorrow. Donation would be collected to build infrastructure of the proposed university which has been named as the Gour Bango Viswavidyalaya, considering the historical importance of the ruins of Gour, which was the ancient capital of Bengal. The state Assembly has approved of the university bill and the name of the university and has published a gazette notification on 5 December, 2007. The resource mobilising committee has been raising funds for over three months and has already collected over Rs 60 lakh, the committee members said. They have raised funds from the primary school children and teachers to others where primary going students donated Rs. 3 each. The committee has been organising a fund raising programme at the block level and even at the gram panchayat levels. The local administration and the committee have not yet earmarked the land for the Gour Bango Viswavidyalaya in Malda town and its outskirts. Initially, it was decided, that the university would be set up on a farmland of the Malda agriculture department over a plot of 30 acres. The administration has sent a proposal to the government for its consideration, if lands are not available here. It may be noted that the local committee for the university has held a convention here for seeking suggestions and proposals for available lands. Various participants, including college teachers, member of the Assembly and the ministers of the four districts of Malda, North and South Dinajpur and partly Murshidabad have proposed to set up the university outside the Malda town. Speakers of various districts, except Malda, had proposed to select the land for the proposed university along the NH-34 in the interest of the students for better communication.