Malda, May 28: The Bengal higher education department has asked Malda College to earmark 4,000 square feet of office space for Gourbanga University.

That things are in motion to run the university from the current session itself is evident from a meeting chaired by higher education minister Sudarshan Roy Chowdhury and attended by the university vice-chancellor, Surabhi Banerjee, in Calcutta on May 20.

District CPM leader and environment minister Sailen Sarkar, who was present at the meeting, said Rs 15 crore was sanctioned by the government for the university.

People of the district have already raised Rs 1.5 crore for the varsity.

“With land and funds in place, a meeting of the university council will be convened in the office of the higher education department in Calcutta on May 30,” Sarkar said.

The members of the council comprise educationists from Malda, North and South Dinajpur. According to the minister, there are 15 members in the university council.

“The meeting is crucial as it will address several key issues like the appointment of a registrar for Gourbanga University with the consent of the vice-chancellor,” said the minister.

Sarkar said Banerjee was planning to visit Malda on May 31 to see the land on which the university building would be constructed. “She wants to have the university functional as soon as possible,” he said.

Till the time the new building comes up, the university will function from the campus of Malda College.

The public works department has already started constructing a perimeter wall around the 25-acre plot of land located by the side of NH34. The wall is being constructed at a cost of Rs 1 crore.

“The vice-chancellor will convene a meeting on May 31 in Malda to discuss a probable date for the university to start functioning,” Sarkar said.

The minister said the services of Tapas Chatterjee, a former registrar of North Bengal University, had been solicited for setting up the university.

“Chatterjee, who has the vast experience of working at the North Bengal University as an administrator, is eagerly helping us. When I had approached Chatterjee and requested him to be on our side during this crucial period, he agreed to it,” said Sarkar.

The courses that the university will offer at the post-graduate level are yet to be decided.

Sarkar said the courses would be finalised after taking into account the needs of the region.