Mizoram higher and technical education minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana on Thursday said that the government would be unable to finance the creation of infrastructure for the southern campus of Mizoram University (MZU) in south Mizoram’s Lunglei town.
The minister informed the state assembly that the Centre has wanted the state government to arrange necessary funds for the creation of infrastructure for the university campus.
“It is like impossible for the state government to finance the opening of MZU southern campus as desired by the Centre,” Lalthangliana said while replying to a question from C. Lalsawivunga of opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM).
He said that the Centre had in 2020 approved the establishment of MZU southern campus in Lunglei and also asked the state government to acquire land for the campus and the MZU, which is a Central University, to arrange necessary funds for the creation of infrastructures.
The Cenre had not told the state government about self-financing of the campus at that time, he said.
According to the minister, the state government has already acquired land for the campus and the land lease certificate has been already handed over to the MZU.
He said that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the MZU was already submitted to Centre for the establishment of the university campus.
Lalthangliana also said that an Engineering College building in Lunglei’s Pukpui has been arranged temporarily to be used as the campus until the permanent campus is established.
Although it has been planned to commence classes for the campus from the 2020-2021 academic session, it could not be done due to infrastructural issues, he added.
MZU southern campus is the long standing demand of the people of southern Mizoram districts.
Earlier in May, Union Minister of State for Education and External Affairs Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh during his visit to the northeastern state had said that the Centre would take measures for the establishment of the campus.
Singh had also said that he was aware of the difficulties faced by the state government in establishing the university campus.