PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday laid foundation stones and launched commencement of construction works for the proposed buildings of the Bihar Animal Science University (BASU) in the university campus in the state capital here. The proposed buildings would be constructed at the cost of Rs 889.26 crores.
Addressing the foundation laying function, organized in the auditorium of Dashrath Manjhi Institute of Labour and Employment Studies, Nitish further asked the officials of the building construction department (BCD) to pay special attention to ensure quality in the construction works.
He further asked the BCD minister Ashok Choudhary to ensure that the construction works of all the buildings are executed in a planned manner and they all are completed before the stipulated time limit.
Nitish said when the state government established the BASU exclusively for study of animal sciences, there was no animal science university in any state of the country. BASU was the first animal science university in the country. “Now, we are hearing that some people are working to open similar animal science universities at some places,” Nitish said.
“Some people say no work is happening in Bihar. But the fact is that we have done many good works which other states follow. It is another matter that our works do not get limelight,” Nitish said.
Large number of students and almost all faculty members were attending the foundation laying function. When the CM, in his speech, was talking about the facilities and incentives being provided to the students to motivate them to take admission in the different streams of the animal sciences, some of the students raised voices from the audience and complained that they were still not getting Rs 6,000 per annum for stationeries.
To this, the CM expressed utter surprise and asked the officials present on the dais as to why Rs 6,000 per annum was not being paid to the students despite clearance from the state government.
Nitish further thanked the students for informing him about the non-payment of Rs 6000 per annum to each student and he asked the officials to ensure early payment of this amount among the students.
Speaking on the occasion, the BCD minister Ashok Choudhary said as per the CM’s directives, the BASU’s all buildings would be equipped with modern technology and latest equipment and its premises would be a state-of-the-art campus just like the iconic Sardar Patel Bhawan, which now houses the state’s police headquarters.
Deputy CM-cum-Animal and fish resources department minister Tarkishor Prasad, Agriculture-cum-Animal and Fish resources department’s secretary N Sarvana Kumar, BCD secretary Kumar Ravi and the BASU vice chancellor Rameshwar Singh also addressed the function.
The BASU was established in 2016 through the Bihar Animal Sciences University Act, 2016, which was passed as a Bill by Bihar Legislature in August 2016 and notified later in the same month. The university was formed by transferring two colleges, the Bihar Veterinary College and the Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Dairy Technology, from the Bihar Agricultural University, as well as six other institutes transferred from the Bihar Agricultural University and the Rajendra Agricultural University.
The university became operational in June 2017 with the appointment of its first vice-chancellor Dr Rameshwar Singh. Dr Singh is still serving as its vice-chancellor.
