PALAKKAD:The declaration by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Tuesday that land for the IIT will be handed over to the Union Human Resource Ministry this year is proof enough of the seriousness evinced by the state government in making the institute a reality within the tenure of the present government.
Eventhough five IITs were sanctioned in the first interim budget of the NDA Government, it was Palakkad IIT which has got off the block. It is the state government which has to provide land for the premier institute.
M B Rajesh MP said that the Union Human Resource Ministry has informed that classes will begin by August 3.
The 120 students in the four streams of Mechanical, Civil, Electronics and ElectricalEngineering will be drawn from the JEEAdvanced list. An MoU has already been signed between IIT Chennai, which is the mentor institute and Ahalia group of educational institutions for beginning classes at the temporary campus in Kozhipara for a period of three years.
The temporary campus which has a 55,700 square feet building also houses a men’s hostel with 53 rooms and a women’s hostel with 73 rooms. More than a dozen quarters for the teaching staff have also been arranged.
The interview for the post of faculty was conducted on Monday by a team from IIT Chennai. It is proposed to acquire 400 acres of land from private individuals in Pudussery West village which includes 33 acres of forest land.
The survey and preparation of the sketch are over. The Revenue Department will provide the Forest Department with 33 acres of land in Pudussery central village or in some other place, which will be contiguous to the forests, in lieu of the land acquired for the IIT.
