HC stays shifting of varsity campus

BENGALURU: The state government’s decision to shift Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) to Ramanagara has been put on hold as the High Court stayed the process. A bench headed by Justice A S Bopanna was hearing a petition by senate and syndicate members Pradeep, Sadanand, Shivasharan and Sunil Raj.

The petition had challenged the State Cabinet decision directing the university to transfer `400 crore to the government to start the construction work. In the petition, they said that despite the senate and syndicate objecting to the Cabinet decision, the government insisted that the university release the amount.

Advocate Ravishankar said, “With the stay, the process of shifting the campus is halted. We have briefed the court about the whole episode of shifting the campus since 2007.”

In 2007-08, the JD(S)-BJP government took the decision to shift RGUHS to Ramanagara. When the government began land acquisition process, farmers filed a case. Recently, the farmers agreed to the government rates.

The government issued an order, directing the university to release `400 crore for construction of the campus. The university opposed it, saying it would go for a global tender.

“The government directed us to go with the company that won the bid in 2008. But,

when we are paying, why should we go with that company? The syndicate and senate have decided to go for a global tender and we have conveyed this to the government. Even after that, we were getting notices from the government insisting on release of funds,” an official of RGUHS explained.