Calcutta, Oct. 25: The government wants to set up a state body on the lines of the central University Grants Commission to ensure that colleges get funds purely on the basis of their performance and that they are utilised.

Higher education institutions seeking funds from the state would have to show to the government their specific needs and prove the necessity of the allocation. The commission will also act as a watchdog to ensure proper utilisation of the funds allocated to 10 universities and over 340 undergraduate colleges in the state.

If the plan is implemented, the government will first provide the funds earmarked for higher education to the state commission, the way the Centre allots money to the UGC. “We (the state government) are allocating huge funds every year for higher education. The new commission will definitely ensure better utilisation of the funds,” higher education minister Satyasadhan Chakraborty said.

The funding of every institution will depend on how best it had utilised the assistance in the previous year. Under the present system, the institutions obtained the funds directly from the government and there was no system of submitting utilisation reports.

Officials in the education department said the move is aimed at raising the performance level of the colleges.

Members of the West Bengal Council for Higher Education suggested at a meeting last week that the government begin work on the proposal as soon as possible.

Chakraborty, also the chairman of the council, today said: “We have to first strengthen the council infrastructure. Only then we will be able to set up the proposed commission.”

The setting of the commission was discussed at a meeting between senior officials of the state council and UGC officials in Delhi last week.

Officials said the proposed commission will be attached to the higher education council, now the principle state body for framing higher education policies.

They added that there is already a provision in the higher education council act saying there should be a separate unit to oversee funding.

Subimal Sen, the council vice-chairman, said it has made a string of proposals to the UGC to strengthen the state body. “We can set up the proposed commission only after getting a clearance from the Centre as we will need a lot of money.”