Minister Ashok Singhal lays foundation of RUSA-funded Rs 1.60-crore building at Gurucharan College

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: Minister of Urban Development & Irrigation and also Guardian of Cachar, Ashok Singhal, laid the foundation stone of Rs 1.60-crore building funded by RUSA (Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) at the Gurucharan College ground here on Sunday.

The foundation stone was laid in the presence of MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) Dipayan Paul and Kaushik Rai; president of the governing body, Jyoti Lal Chowdhury; Principal Dr Bibhash Deb and Coordinator of RUSA, Chandan Paul Choudhury. Also present on the occasion were teachers of all the departments and Engineer Bijoy Krishna Hathibarua of Housefed – the executing agency.

The building will be constructed on the open vast field of the premier 86-year-old College. It is dedicated to the memory of Bishnu Charan Dey, one of the founder members.

The Minister was briefed by the RUSA Coordinator about the more than eight decades of journey of the College since its foundation that was laid way back in 1935. During its very formative stage under the British Rule, some citizens of this town, which was then a cantonment, decided to set up a college in this remote part of the Northeast. It was, in fact, the dream of Kiran Sashi Nag — a widow, and desires of the people to give a concrete shape to it. Kiran Sashi donated Rs 10,000; and wished that the college be named after her husband, Gurucharan Nag.

Among those who moved heaven and earth to mobilise resources was Bishnu Charan Dey, pointed out Paul Choudhury. It was a great day to name the new building after Bishnu Charan Dey, said Principal Dr Bibhash Deb. He added that the heritage building would not undergo any further structural changes.

The College with around 5,000 students, 25 faculties, five research centres and 125 teachers stand in need of more accommodation. The new building will house some departments.

After going round some faculties, Ashok Singhal asked MLA Dipayan Chakraborty to chalk out a vision document of the College after holding a review meeting with the Principal, teachers and HoDs (Heads of Departments) and in a month he would visit for a threadbare discussion to explore the possibility of making the third oldest institution as the centre of excellence of higher education.

He advised the College authority to involve the alma mater's alumni for pulling up academic and financial resources instead of depending on the government. The Minister and the MLAs were accorded warm felicitation.

Also Read: Minister Ashok Singhal Reviews Developmental Works in BTR, Kokrajhar