Sunday, Aug 29, 2010
The project is to be taken up at a cost of Rs. 9 crore

• A 70-acre land has been identified for establishing the centre at Chikkaluvara
• Work for the Rs. 4 crore science centre will start next month

Madikeri: Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University T. Shivashankaramurthy said here on Saturday that a full-fledged postgraduate centre for Mangalore University in Kodagu, involving Rs. 9 crore, would become functional at Chikkaluvara village in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu district in three years.

He was speaking to presspersons here after conducting a syndicate meeting of the university at the Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa (FMKMC) College, a constituent college of the Mangalore University. A 70-acre land had been identified for establishing the postgraduate centre at Chikkaluvara. Works for construction of the compound has been going on. Of the Rs. 9 crore, a science centre would come up first at the site involving Rs. 4 crore for which the works would start next month. The State Government had already released Rs. 1.5 crore for the purpose, Prof. Shivashankaramurthy said. The science block was expected to be over within one year and the two postgraduate courses relating to science would be shifted from the FMKMC College. Similarly, the postgraduate centre for the Arts wing would also be taken up soon after opening of the science centre.

A proposal to take over another 35 acres of land adjoining the 70 acres would also be made to the State Government, he added.

On asked whether the FMKMC College would cede lands from within its 32-acre premises here to the District Administration to set up a science park as requested by the Administration, Prof. Shivashankaramurthy said that as per the rules lands belonging to any University could not be handed over to any other department. The Department of Education had clarified the matter to the Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu district, he said.