Calcutta, Feb. 12  :    Calcutta, Feb. 12 :  Nearly 20 colleges in the city and a dozen from the districts have been asked by the state government to seek accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Committee (NAAC) on Tuesday. Among the colleges identified in the first phase are Ashutosh, Scottish Church, Surendranath, Basanti Devi, Vidyasagar and Dinabandhu Andrews. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has made it obligatory for all universities and government-funded colleges to acquire NAAC accreditation to avail of government funds. Presidency College, Maulana Azad, Bethune, Brabourne and Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration, run by the state higher education department, will be short-listed in the second phase, sources said. The state government's move to direct nearly 35 colleges to seek accreditation is aimed at getting an official approval from the UGC about infrastructure standards. 'A high rating will indicate superior infrastructure which, in turn, will give the state government enough ground to introduce post-graduate courses,' sources added. Refuting the allegations, Nirmalya Banerjee, senior official of the West Bengal Higher Education Council, said: 'Many of the colleges selected have excellent infrastructure and there is no reason why they should not get a high rating.' NAAC officials will visit the city on February 20, to meet principals of the selected colleges. Considering the rising demand for post-graduation seats, the move to introduce such courses in Maulana Azad and Dinabandhu Andrews colleges met with stiff opposition last year. According to university teachers, under-graduate colleges lack infrastructure and teachers to run post-graduate courses.