KOLLAM: The dedicated building for the University Institute of Technology (UIT), a network of regional centres under the University of Kerala offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, in Poruvazhy panchayat remains incomplete, with only the first phase of construction having commenced.
Now, after five years of the stalled work, authorities plan to relocate UIT to Sasthamcotta following a court order to vacate the panchayat building where it has operated for the past nine years. The primary cause of the delay in construction is a lack of funds. In 2017, 49 cents of land were allocated for the project, and a contract was awarded in 2020 to build a two-storey structure with six classrooms and additional facilities, with an estimated cost of Rs 75 lakh funded through the MLA fund. However, progress was interrupted when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Although the contract was extended, work resumed only to be halted again due to a fund crunch, leaving the project unfinished. The UIT centre was initially intended to be established in Sasthamcotta taluk in 2012.
Kunnathur MLA Kovur Kunjumon noted that the UIT will be relocated to a private building in Sasthamcotta. He confirmed holding discussions with the UIT officials, who agreed to the new arrangement. “A private party has now offered space in their building, and the UIT will be moved there within a few days,” Kunjumon added.