Thiruvananthapuram: The APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University has zeroed in on Vilappilsala to set up its headquarters.
The site of the Vilappilsala solid waste treatment plant that was remaining closed for the past six years was earlier found suitable by the government for housing the headquarters.
However, the university officials were not pleased with the site. Following, this, it was decided to establish the headquarters in another site in Vilappilsala itself.
Kattakada legislator I.B. Sathish under whose constituency Vilapilsala comes told Deccan Chronicle that the decision to establish the university at Vilapilsala was taken at a meeting called by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The plan is to acquire at least 50 acres of land near the erstwhile Vilapilsala plant, said Mr Sathish.
The university came into existence on May 21, 2014 and is now functioning from the campus of the College of Engineering, Trivandrum.
Acording to section 3 (6) of the Act governing the university, the headquarters should be located in Thiruvananthapuram. For getting UGC funding for the university and affiliated colleges, the KTU should obtain 12 (B) status. For this, a campus with at least five departments should be established in an area of 50 to 100 acres. The present plan is to set up a residential campus with world-class facilities. A total of 210 institutions, including 153 engineering colleges, 23 MBA colleges, 25 MCA colleges and eight architecture colleges in the state are affiliated to the university.
