SHIMLA: Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has announced that work for permanent campuses of Central University, Kangra at Dehra and Dharamshala would start within the next two to three months.During the previous UPA regime, the Central University had started functioning in January 2010 but politics over setting up of campuses either at Dehra or Dharamshala, had delayed selection of land and its construction.Thakur said the varsity was allotted to the state many years back and now the government would identify suitable site to start the construction of its permanent campus. He said all shortcomings in the project have been removed and work would start within three months.The state government had announced all possible assistance to expedite work to set up campuses at Dharamshala and Dehra, for which land measuring over 300 hectares has been identified at Dharamshala. Of this, over 270 hectares is forest land and over 20 hectares is government land. The government has decided to seek transfer of forest land in favour of the proposed campus.Similarly, the Centre has agreed in principle to divert 81.79 hectares of forest land to establish the varsity’s south campus at Dehra. He said 34 hectares of non-forest land had already been transferred for the purpose.The 11th plan provided for the establishment of 16 new Central Universities, and accordingly, the Central Universities Act 2009 received the Presidential assent on March 20, 2009. The Central University became functional with the assumption of charge by the first vice chancellor on January 20, 2010.However, it has since been running from a temporary campus at Shahpur in Kangra district.

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