New Delhi, March 30: Three of India’s oldest varsities, including Calcutta University, are virtually grovelling before the Centre for funds they were promised two years ago.

Calcutta University, Mumbai University and Madras University, set up by the British as centres of excellence in 1857, were each promised Rs 100 crore in 2006 to coincide with their 150-year celebrations.

The celebrations are over but the money meant for the universities to develop centres of research in nanotechnology remains largely in the Centre’s pocket.

Gripped by fresh fears that the money may not reach them at all, the universities have now pleaded with the Centre to release the funds, if not at one go, then at least in regular instalments.

The assistance was announced with a proviso that the universities will use up the money by 2009, setting up self-financing institutes and infrastructure.

With a year to go for the deadline, the three universities have each been handed out only Rs 15 crore of the promised Rs 100 crore.

“The funds may lapse after 2009 and we may never receive most of the amount,” a Calcutta University official said.

The concern is shared by senior officials at the three universities and it has been communicated in a letter to the human resource development ministry.

In the letter, the universities have asked for at least Rs 5 crore to be released soon as projects lined up based on the expectation of Rs 100 crore are being held up.

Finance minister P. Chidambaram had announced the aid on February 28, 2006. “Within days of the announcement, we had drawn up a list of expenditure. If the Centre is the parent, we are the child promised, but then denied, his ice cream,” a Mumbai University official said.

Each of the three universities was to develop research facilities for specific areas of nanotechnology. Under the collaborative effort, Calcutta University will concentrate on nano-chemical materials, Madras on nano-biometrics and Mumbai on nano-nuclear materials. Calcutta University plans to build its centre at its Salt Lake campus.

Officials at the central ministry, however, claimed that the universities themselves were to blame for the slow release of funds. “The funds are released in stages to monitor how the universities are using the money. The released Rs 15 crore has not been used in a completely satisfactory manner,” an official said without explaining what the alleged shortcomings were.

A parliamentary standing committee had visited Calcutta University in January to study how the released funds were used. In addition to the Rs 15 crore, each university has received Rs 30 crore from the University Grants Commission.