Ranchi, Dec. 8: Chaibasa and Ramgarh’s new engineering colleges may operate on a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with the science and technology department currently working out modalities.
Former chief minister Madhu Koda laid the foundations of Government Engineering College in Chaibasa and Government Engineering College in Ramgarh in 2007. Going by the state’s standards, construction of these colleges has been completed in record time — less than three years.
Initially, it was perceived that these colleges would be fully state-managed. But the latest move to run these colleges on a PPP model may stir up a hornet’s nest.
After the state government mooted the idea of PPP, it already received proposals from over two dozen industrial houses and educational societies. Prominent among them were Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Jindal South-West Steel, Usha Martin Limited, Everonn, Techno India Limited, Dr D.Y. Patil Vidya Pratishtan Society, Pailan Group Institutions, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services and Abhijit Group.
“Once rural polls are over, we will hold a meeting to carefully examine the bids and find out which organisation will best serve our interests. For example, the Abhijit Group has offered 50 per cent concession in tuition fees for Jharkhand students. Several organisations have offered to take care of infrastructure development on their own. We have to carefully analyse which option is the best,” said a senior official of the science and technology department.
Speaking exclusively to The Telegraph, state science and technology minister Chandra Prakash Choudhary said that he would prefer joining hands with organisations with expertise in running engineering colleges that boast sound placement records. “It may be argued that industrial houses with an important stake in Jharkhand can easily recruit graduates from these colleges. But, we also need to see if the students get decent placements elsewhere,” he added.
“BIT, Sindri, was earlier a centre of academic excellence in the country and gave a tough challenge to the IITs. But, today we are finding it difficult to fill vacant faculty posts at the institute. The chief minister too is of the view that the government should curtail its direct involvement in every field to evolve smooth mechanisms of overall development. The rest depends upon cabinet approval,” said Choudhary.
The minister said college buildings and government formalities were almost complete. If colleges were handed over to private parties with proper state monitoring, then appointment of faculty members and purchase of equipment would be over without a hitch, he added.
Mechanical, civil, communication, electrical and electronic engineering courses will be offered at the colleges.
