Despite the passage of over a decade, the higher education department is yet to complete construction of buildings for about 18 degree colleges functioning from makeshift arrangements since their establishment.
These colleges were set up under various centrally-sponsoredschemes during 2008 and 2010. One of the colleges was announced under stateplan in 2011.
“These colleges lack basic facilities so they couldn’tattract students,” an official said.
He said that given the slow pace of work by executingagencies, the department had decided to shift at least 12 colleges frommakeshift buildings to their permanent campuses in 2018.
“But we couldn’t meet the deadline due to laxity ofexecuting agencies,” the official said, adding there is no dearth of funds butthe slow pace of work by R&B department and the JKPCC was delaying thecompletion.
The official said the department has unofficially shiftedstudents of three colleges to their permanent campuses because the buildingshave not been official taken over from the executing agencies.
“The buildings are bare, yet to be equipped with the basicfacilities like electricity, drinking water facility and plumbing,” he said.
The colleges where students have been unofficially shiftedwithout formal inauguration are the Government Degree College (GDC) DH Pora,GDC Utrasoo in Anantnag, GDC Tanghdar and GDC Gurez.
While existing colleges crave basic facilities, the administrationhas announced new 52 colleges in the state.
Degree College Bagh-e-Dilawar Khan in Khanyar is one suchcollege, which is functioning from four rooms of MP Higher Secondary School.The college was approved under the state plan in 2011.
The Womens’ College Kupwara operates from a governmentmiddle school from the past more than 10 years.
Secretary highereducation department Talat Parvez Ruhella said he has scheduled a meeting withthe department to take stock of the under-construction college buildings.
“I will get the details about all such colleges,” he said.