Panel for suspending operations of Pookode dairy sciences college
KOZHIKODE: An expert committee constituted by the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) has recommended suspending the operations of the College of Dairy Science and Technology at Pookode in Wayanad district. The committee put forward the recommendation as the varsity has not been able to put in place the required infrastructure facilities for the college even two years after the setting up of the institution.
The college offers BTech degree in dairy technology from 2015 onwards. The setting up of the college was hailed as a major initiative which would contribute to the development of the dairy sector of Wayanad, which is one of the leading producer of milk in the state. The meeting of the Board of Management (BoM)of the varsity scheduled to be held next week will take a final decision in this regard.
The varsity had earlier reduced the student strength of the BTech dairy technology course from 40 to 20 this academic year.
The expert committee constituted by the BoM has now recommended shifting the existing 60 students of the centre to the Centre of Dairy Sciences and Technology of the varsity at Mannuthy .
The construction of the headquarters of KVASU and related infrastructure for the colleges at Pookode had been hit after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) restrained all construction works at the project site in December 2014.
NGT in its interim order restrained the varsity from carrying out any construction activities in the 100 acre campus saying that as per the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act and the Kerala Private Forest Act 1971, it was illegal to use forest land for non-forestry purposes.
“Despite the best efforts made by the varsity , we have not been able to set up the required infrastructure for the college at Pookode including the dairy plant.
The expert committee has recommended shifting the existing students of the college to the Mannuthy campus in view of meeting the academic requirements of the students. However, we plan to establish the college at Pookode itself, once the current procedural difficulties are sorted out,” said KVASU registrar Joseph Mathew.
Though the previous UDF government had earmarked Rs 4 crore to purchase alternate land of around 10 acres in Vythiri village for constructing varsity buildings following the NGT order, the implementation of the project has not progressed much.
SOURCE: DAIRY NEWS OF INDIA