Date:06/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/06/stories/2008080654430300.htm

Kerala

Priority for higher education: Kodiyeri

Special Correspondent

Medical university likely to come up in Thrissur
Research activities to be encouraged, says Kodiyeri

THALASSERY: Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that ensuring more facilities in the State’s higher education sector is a priority for the government.

Inaugurating the third phase of Kannur University’s development works on its Thalassery Campus at Palayad here on Monday, Mr. Balakrishnan said that the government was planning to set up a medical university in Thrissur. The proposal for starting a technical university had also been raised.

The Minister said that the government had decided to give scholarships to financially weak students going for higher education. Also, the government would encourage research activities in the State.

Lack of land

Referring to the problem of lack of land being experienced by Kannur University, the Minister said that the university’s development depended on the general infrastructural development of the Malabar region.

“Kannur University requires more land for its development, but where is the land?” he asked. Shortage of land and difficulty in acquiring available land were hampering many development projects in the State.

Proposals for inter-departmental transfer of land for government projects often triggered stiff opposition from heads of government departments.

If vacant land was available here the government would direct the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra), which had been entrusted with acquiring vacant land for developmental purposes, to acquire it for the university’s development, the Minister promised.

Road development

Mr. Balakrishnan said that the government had decided to complete all the proposed bypasses in the State in three years as the National Highway passing through the Malabar region still remained the worst among the highways.

Steps were now on to complete the acquisition of land for the proposed Thalassery-Mahe bypass.

The Minister inaugurated the second floor of the Academic Block, women’s hostel, canteen and laboratory of the Department of Life Sciences on the campus.

Vice-Chancellor P. Chandramohan presided over the function.