Latest News | Institute Named After Gopinath Munde Seeks Release of Pending Funds from Government
Get latest articles and stories on Latest News at LatestLY. The administration of a rural education and research institute named after BJP stalwart late Gopinath Munde has sought release of pending funds of around Rs 275 crore from the Maharashtra government to improve its infrastructure and appoint permanent faculty members to efficiently run its different courses.
Aurangabad, Sep 14 (PTI) The administration of a rural education and research institute named after BJP stalwart late Gopinath Munde has sought release of pending funds of around Rs 275 crore from the Maharashtra government to improve its infrastructure and appoint permanent faculty members to efficiently run its different courses.
Establishment of the Aurangabad-based institute and allocation of an amount of Rs 279 crore for it was announced by the state government in 2016 when the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP dispensation was in office. The announcement was made during a special cabinet meeting held in Aurangabad, the biggest city of the Marathwada region in central Maharashtra.
However, till date the Gopinathrao Munde National Institute of Rural Development and Research has actually received only Rs 4.40 crore from the government, an official of the institute said.
Establishment of the institute was announced two years after Munde, who was the Rural Development Minister in the first Narendra Modi cabinet, died in New Delhi in a road accident in 2014.
"A sum of Rs 12 crore was initially sanctioned for the institute. However, the institute has so far received only Rs 4.40 crore of the sanctioned amount -- Rs 3.60 crore in 2019-2020, Rs 70 lakh in 2016-2018 and Rs 10 lakh in 2018-19," the official told PTI.
The institute operates from within the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University premises.
Prof BK Sakhale, in-charge director of the institute, said, "We don't have our own building. But we are now shifting to the Sanskrit Department of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. We have a staff of 16 on clock hour basis and fixed pay. Our institute provides master's degrees in socio-culture and political aspects, rural banking and industry, conservation of biodiversity and rural technology subjects."
"We also offer six diploma and five certificate courses. We need at least a staff of eight permanent teachers to run these courses as the number of admissions is increasing. Several projects, like having our own building and hostel, are pending for want of funds," Sakhale said.
Besides running courses, the institute also undertakes analysis of the impact of government schemes implemented in different parts of the Marathwada region, he said.
University Management Council member Gajanan Sanap said pending funds should be released for the institute immediately.
"If we want to bring glory to the institute and want it to work efficiently, pending funds should released forthwith. Along with this, sanction for new posts should be given and the institute should not work with an acting in-charge. (Deputy CM) Devendra Fadnavis and (cabinet minister) Chandrakant Patil are guardians of this institute and they should look into these issues," said Sanap.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)