Punjab govt to set up rural university: Education Minister

Chandigarh, June 27 (UNI) The prestigious Guru Gobind Singh Rural University project was under the active consideration of the Punjab government and had not been abandoned, Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur assured the Vidhan Sabha here today.

''The basic aim behind setting up this University at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district was to bridge the gap between the rural and urban students'', she said while replying to a querry by Jeet Mohinder Singh (Cong) during Question Hour in the assembly.

Pointing out that this University would cater to the rural youth, the Minister said 66 per cent of the population in the state was confined to the rural areas. According to a survey conducted by Punjabi University, Patiala, only five per cent of the rural students in the state get to the higher classes, she added.

Referring to the present status of the project, she said that though it had been cleared by the Cabinet on December 15 last year, an Ordinance was yet to be issued.

In reply to another question by Balbir Singh Batth (Cong), Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal informed the House that 77 motorised carts (ghurukhas), matadors and autorickshaws had been challaned in the last fiscal year by the Enforcement Officers of the Transport department for over loading school children.

Meanwhile, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmapura assured the assembly that the government had no proposal to take over the control of the village elementary schools currently under the contril of the Zila Parishads. He was replying to a question by Jeet Mohinder Singh of the Congress.

UNI