Andhra University pins high hopes on RUSA funds

Visakhapatnam: Andhra University, which has its hopes pinned on funds appropriated under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme, is yet to receive the amount released. Officials of the university have submitted proposals and deta-iled project reports for works amounting to Rs 20 crore, to the state government.

The Union government has released Rs 5 crore, and the rest of the amount will be sanctioned subject to submission of utilisation certificates.

However, the released funds seem to be stuck with the state government. The University is waiting to receive the funds so that it may begin the development works.

The infrastructure that will be developed with the help of these funds inclu-des new hostels and a new building for the Computer Sciences department. The funds will be used to purchase equipment to set up e-classrooms in each department, to renovate laboratories in Science, Engineering and Pharmacy colleges, and to re-purpose old hostels. Old buildings such as the Zoology, Chemistry, and Physics departments, and the Arts College will also be refurbished.

Prof. G. Nageswara Rao, the vice-chancellor of AU, says that funds will be used to introduce new infrastructure, and to renovate and re-purpose hostels, classrooms, and labs.

“We will get a total of Rs 20 crore through the Rusa funds. Those funds alone may not be sufficient for all the works, so we have earmarked some funds from the University’s annual budget as well. A 500-bed capacity hostel for girls, a library and a 24-hour reading room will come up on campus. Another new hostel will be constructed at the AU Women’s Engineering College,” he said.

The V-C said the renovation will be given as much importance as the development of new infrastructure.

“We hope the funds will be available to the university very soon. The funds will contribute in a major way to the development of washrooms, ladies waiting halls, new classrooms, safe drinking water facilities, and 35 e-classrooms,” he said.