Posted on: June  28, 2007

Ranchi, June 27: The state government seems to have blessed BIT, Mesra, while the institution’s counterpart in Sindri is complaining of a raw deal.

Not only did the chief minister today direct BIT, Mesra, to start engineering courses at its proposed Deoghar extension centre from this academic session, it has also asked the institution to use government buildings on temporary basis.

Science and technology minister Chandra Prakash Choudhary told The Telegraph that BIT, Mesra, has been asked to admit at least 100 students. “It might take some time for BIT, Mesra, to come up with the extension centre,” he said, explaining why the government offered its buildings.

The government had released about Rs 15 crore for the Deoghar centre.

However, another reputed government engineering college in the state, the BIT in Sindri, seems to have been left in the lurch.

Director of the Sindri institution S.K. Singh said they are unable to maintain their 500-acre campus due to paucity of funds.

“Our lab instruments, infrastructure and libraries are obsolete and outdated. But we still manage to place all students in our 10 undergraduate and 5 postgraduate departments. We have plans to start MBA and MCA but are unable to do so due to many reasons,” said Singh.

On the issue of funds from the government, he said: “We do get about Rs 10 crore annually, but that is spent on salary and other staff expenses.”

To add to the woes, the government has not extended the retirement age of the staff from 60 to 62.

“Four senior professors have retired. Only five are left to teach 3,000 undergraduate and about 800 postgraduate students. Another professor is due to retire on July 31,” said the director.

If that was not enough, under a World Bank-sponsored project, the Mesra college was given the lion’s share, about Rs 20 crore, while BIT, Sindri, got Rs 12.3 crore.

But the science and technology minister said though BIT, Mesra, is a deemed university, it is only getting its due as per an agreement.

As per the deal, the institute is supposed to fill 50 per cent seats from the state quota.

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