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Bhagalpur district administration woke up from its slumber and geared up for the land acquisition process for the proposed central varsity in the name of Vikramshila Buddha Mahavihara somewhere near the ancient world University.

District land acquisition officer, Bhagalpur has asked additional register of Kahalgaon sub-division to arrange the rate chart of the lands which were identified for acquisition there. Sources claimed that within a week the chart of rates of the lands would be available. The land rates would be sent to center by the state government for releasing funds so that private lands could be purchased for the proposed varsity.

Sources claimed such seriousness shown by local administration would be very fruitful in the establishment of the proposed central varsity because much delay of nearly two year has already done.

Proposed varsity : would reintroduce ancient academic environment.

Narendra Modi government in 2015 announced a central University at Bhagalpur  in the name of the ancient seat of learning, Vikramshila Buddha Mahavihara. The proposed central varsity required 500 acres of land and the state government was asked for arranging land immediately so that the work for the proposed varsity could be started. But since no such big chunk of government land is available at Kahalgaon, the process was delayed. However, observers blamed state government which always remains hostile towards Vikramshila affairs.

It is to be noted here that Raviranjan Kumar Gupta, additional register of Kahalgaon sub-division managed to identify three plots, each measuring nearly 500 acres near the half-excavated ruins of the ancient Vikramshila Buddha Mahavihara and already sent proposals for acquisition to district headquarters.

In the follow up action, additional deputy collector, Bhagalpur, Harishankar Prasad has asked the district land acquisition officer for evaluating the cost of the lands.

Sources said that last year the state government (via Bhagalpur district administration) had sent one such proposal of land to human resource development department, New Delhi  but the proposal was rejected. The department instructed Bihar government to send at least three separate proposals with different locations.

Proposed varsity would also protect such heritages.

District magistrate, Bhagalpur, Adesh Titarmare with the directive from state headquarters, asked his subordinates here to identify separate plots for the proposed central varsity.

The source further disclosed that among the three separate proposal 263.71 acres land at Sangeet Baita, 60 acres at Nandagola, and 70 acres under Antichak Mouja, while in second proposal 217 acres at Ekdara, 84 acres at Sangeet Baita and 197 acres at Parashuramchak and in the third proposal, 321 acres at Kishandaspur and 178 acres in its adjourning Moujas have been shown.

Jitendra Prasad Sha, district land acquisition officer said for evaluating the cost of the above mentioned  lands , registry office at Kahalgaon was requested. The office was asked to eventuate the minimum value rate (MVR) of the lands and send the report earlier so that it could be sent to the  human resource development department, New Delhi.

It is to be noted here that due to lack of seriousness of local administration, Bihar industrial area development authority (BIADA) failed to utilize its lands for the establishment of the proposed industrial areas including food park, cement factories etc at Kahalgaon. The land owners who sold out their lands BIADA earlier demanded additional money for their lands when the industrialization process was initiated and big investors like Star cement, Kaventer and other finally left the place in 2011-12 mainly due to land problems.

“Bhagalpur earlier missed the bus for development and local administration remained mute spectator when the big investors even after their huge investments, left the place. This should not be repeated in the case of the proposed central varsity and for that the local administration as well as the state government should be honest in Vikramshila affairs at least ,” said many here.

seriousness in land acquisition would help to counter land problem for the proposed central varsity.