A meeting of Committee on Government Assurances was held today under the chairmanship of MLA, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen to examine the action taken report on assurances pertaining to Higher Education Department.Legislators, Mr. Zahoor Ahmed Mir and Mr. Kamal Arora attended the meeting.Besides Commissioner/Secretary, Higher Education Department, Ms. Sarita Chouhan, Director RUSA, Mr. Tariq Ahmed, MD and General Manager of JKPCC were also present in the meeting.The Committee was informed that the Central Government identified 11 educationally backward districts in 2008 and accordingly 11 model degree colleges were sanctioned for the State at the unit cost of Rs. 8 Crore per college to be share between the centre and State Governments on 50-50 basis. The 11 model degree colleges have been established at D.H Pora, Chrar-i-Sharief, Tangmarg, Marwah, Zanskar, Mahanpur, Kupwara, Nobra, Surankote, Kalakote and Sarh Bagga Mahore.
The Committee was also informed that the forest land measuring 17 hectares has been acquired for establishment of the Kupwara Campus of the University of Kashmir at Wuyan, Kupwara against a total compensation of Rs. 2.10 crore which stands already released. One academic building has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.90 crore under PMRP.It was also informed in the meeting that under State sector one degree college at Pampore has already been made functional from the academic session 2011-12 and requisite infrastructure has been created.The members gave suggestion for further improving the functioning of Higher Education department.