GUWAHATI: Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi on Thursday visited the Government College of Art and Crafts campus at Basistha in Guwahati following prolong demand of the students to address several problems. The governor has assured the students to fulfill their demands at the shortest possible time.Among others, the shortage of teaching staff and encroachment of college lands have been the major problems.The governor asked the additional chief secretary, cultural affairs V B Pyarelal to do the needful for the overhaul of the academic and infrastructural atmosphere of the college.He also asked V B Pyarelal for filling up all the vacant faculty positions in the college besides asking for infrastructural development including renovation of the existing infrastructure.Apart from that, Jagdish Mukhi asked the vice-chancellor of Gauhati University Mridul Hazarika to take all necessary action to reduce the duration of Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) course from the existing five years to four years keeping it at par with the other universities.Further, the governor asked the VC to ensure that the examinations of BFA degree course for College of Art and Craft are held in time and results are also declared on time.Interacting to the students, the governor extended his wishes for their academic endeavour and assured them that he would do everything possible to restore the pride and prestige associated with the college.Rudrankur Hazarika, general secretary of the students' body of the college said that they have been suffering for long time and the consecutive state governments had never paid any attention to the cry of the students."There have been a number of problems which included lack of teaching staff. We were even arrested when we went to submit memorandum to the chief minister. Apart from that around seven bighas of land which belong to the college has been encroached by illegal settlers. We want all these issues to be addressed," Hazarika said.He also said that there has been no appointment in faculty since 2008 even after retirements of the teachers. At present there are only five teaching staff and 12 posts are lying vacant. The number of students is 180.The Government College of Art and Crafts is a distinguished institute for visual art training and imparts education in the field of fine arts which is the pioneer institute of the kind in the entire northeast.

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