Minister for Industries and Commerce, Chander Parkash Ganga Tuesday convened a meeting to discuss issues regarding the opening of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) campus and the development of infrastructure for the institute’s permanent campus in Srinagar.
Commissioner/Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Shailendra Kumar, Director/In-charge NIFT Srinagar, Dr. Vijaya Deshmukh, Managing Director SIDCO, Jasvinder Dua, and other concerned officers were present in the meeting.The meeting discussed several issues, including those related to the infrastructure and security at the proposed temporary campus at Rangreth until the permanent campus of the institute comes up.On the occasion, the Minister directed for the temporary campus of the institute in Srinagar to be made functional from July 31 for the current academic session. Pertinently, due to the law and order situation in Srinagar last year, the courses for the J&K students were started from the Jodhpur NIFT campus.
During the meeting, instructions were also issued to SIDCO, the executing agency for the project, for expediting the ongoing work besides completion of allotment of pending contracts for the permanent campus.The meeting was informed that NIFT Srinagar has already been allotted 133 kanals of land at Industrial Estate Ompura in Budgam and that the work on the project will start soon.It was also given out that the state domicile candidates will get a 35% reservation in the admissions.Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the opening of a NIFT campus in Srinagar will enhance the scope of textile and handicrafts sectors in the State, adding that it will make them go at par with the rest of the country besides boosting the entrepreneurship in fashion textile sector in the State.Pertinently, the project, including the establishment of the permanent campus and the running of the temporary campus, has been sanctioned at a total cost of Rs. 325.36 crore, including Rs. 257.89 crore as central share and Rs 67.47 crore as State share.