COIMBATORE: BJP’s Coimbatore district unit has condemned reports that Bharathiar University’s management has approved the transfer of 196.22 acres of university land to TIDCO for setting up industries.In a statement on Friday, Coimbatore city district BJP president J Ramesh Kumar said land acquired for Bharathiar University should be used only for education and research. He recalled that around 925.84 acres were acquired for the university between 1978 and 1986. He said the Tamil Nadu govt had initiated steps to provide Rs 164.28 crore to resolve the long-pending compensation issue for original landowners.Against this backdrop, he pointed to information suggesting that 196.22 acres would be handed over to state govt, with a portion proposed for the forest department and the remaining land to be used through TIDCO for “non-polluting” technology and manufacturing industries.Kumar said the BJP had not opposed use of university land for the growth of educational institutions, including Anna University, as it fell within an educational purpose. However, he argued that diverting land acquired for education to industrial use through TIDCO would alter the original objective. He demanded that any govt order enabling such transfer be withdrawn immediately.He also flagged concerns that the proposed land parcel reportedly includes elephant movement corridors and said environmental and wildlife protection must be fully ensured.Kumar warned that if govt proceeds, the BJP in Coimbatore would launch a legal public interest campaign, mobilising farmers, educators, environmentalists and the public.Resolutions were passed at the Bharathiar University Syndicate meeting held on Jan 31 and the empowered committee meeting on Feb 2 to use the amount paid by TIDCO for the land to compensate those who had given land to the university. A higher education department order issued based on these resolutions on April 14 (when DMK was in power) states that 196 acres of Bharathiar University land will be handed over to TIDCO for non-polluting industries, while 77 acres near Marudamalai will be reserved as an elephant corridor. The order surfaced recently in court.
