Kerala Veterinary University in disarray without full-time Vice-chancellor

KOCHI: The Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University (KVASU) is slipping into inertia and disarray in the absence of a full-time vice-chancellor to take care of its development needs and other issues. The main campus at Pookode, Wayanad, which has been hit badly, is also caught up in environmental issues and cases in the Kerala High Court and the National Green Tribunal. These have stalled its developmental aspirations due to green concerns.

The Union government had sanctioned Rs 100 crore for the university in the 2012-13 Budget after the approval by the economic finance committee. While tardy progress has been made in the implementation of the projects worth '70 crore in satellite centres at Mannuthi, Thiruvazhamkunnu, Thumboormuzhi and Kolahalamedu, the '30-crore project for the academic block-II building at Pookode is stalled due to the cases after Rs 4 crore was spent on the project. A sum of Rs 5 crore which was given by the previous government to find an alternative site for the project had lapsed after it was not spent by the deadline of September 30.

Since the project is stuck, the efforts to set up three new research schools and research labs have not borne fruit, according to varsity sources. Meanwhile, it is learnt that there are moves to close down the Dairy Sciences College at Pookode under the varsity and one batch of Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences (BVSc) course at the veterinary college there. These will result in around 50 faculty members becoming redundant who will turn protected staff and the government will have to give salary to them for doing no work which will cause huge loss to the state exchequer, sources said.