MP govt waives premium pre-condition for Urdu varsity

Bhopal, Sept 19: Madhya Pradesh government, facing the risk of losing the centre of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University over delay in exemption of land charges, has waived the premium it had sought to impose and allotted land to the national university on a token annual lease of Re 1.

The decision came ahead of the Assembly elections which are due by year-end and amid concerns over the model code of conduct coming into force once the schedule for elections is announced.

The Cabinet in meeting held last evening under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan cleared the proposal levying a token lease of Re 1 on the 6.44 acres of plot at Peepalner village near here.

The market price of the land is said to be in the tune of Rs 14 crore, sources said. "Maulana Azad National Urdu University is a central university. We have cleared the proposal on receipt of their application for the purpose.

The decision came ahead of the Assembly elections which are due by year-end.

The land allotment is cleared for the promotion of Urdu," Higher Education Minister Laxmikant Sharma said today.

The national varsity, based in Hyderabad, has 13 regional and sub-regional centres. The Bhopal centre and its College of Teacher Education currently function from rented premises.

The varsity had allotted the land in last December but was asked to pay a premium of Rs. 13.75 crores and Rs. 27.5 lakh as annual rent. The university then applied for a waiver, as has been granted to other central institutions.

Welcoming the development, the University Director Mohammed Ahsan told an agency that a large section of society will benefit due to the decision.

The University is currently running courses in ITI, polytechnic, B.ED and M.ED and aims at opening schools for girls and colleges, he said.

While no fee is charged for its ITI and polytechnic courses, the MANUU charges Rs 4,500 as annual fee for the B.Ed course.

PTI