March 20: Gauhati University (GU) has decided to keep the ongoing crisis in the backburner for the time being and push vigorously for development schemes.

GU vice-chancellor G.N. Talukdar has submitted a comprehensive development project, including setting up an international hostel and study centre for foreign students, to the University Grants Commission (UGC) in Delhi.

?Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently wrote to chief minister Tarun Gogoi disclosing Delhi?s plan of giving special attention towards fast and effective improvement in the higher education sector of the Northeast. The university is trying to take advantage of the plan and hence we have submitted the project,? the vice-chancellor said.

Though Talukdar declined to elaborate on the plan, sources said the UGC has already moved the proposal to the Prime Minister?s office to sanction the GU project before the end of the current financial year.

Funds will be provided to the GU under the 10th five-year plan.

?The main thrust of the comprehensive project is fast development of infrastructure so that the GU can face the challenges that have emerged before it. The university is eyeing foreign students and for this, we have to create all facilities. Being the premier university of the region, the GU will be able to attract students from neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan,? a senior professor said.

On the other hand, a delegation of the GU Teachers Association (GUTA) is planning to leave for Delhi in the first week of April to place the demand for according central university status to the GU before the Prime Minister.

J.C. Kalita, secretary of the GUTA, said the association is in constant touch with Delhi to get an appointment with the Prime Minister before Rongali Bihu.

?We are receiving favourable feedback that our demand for central university status would be granted by Manmohan Singh. There have been reports that the Prime Minister had even conveyed his eagerness to personally involve himself in clearing the projects for overall development of the GU,? he said.

The GUTA is also chalking out a comprehensive report highlighting the unique selling points (USPs) of the university for which it deserves the central university status.

The UGC has already agreed to execute a 14-point plan and programme for fast overall development of the GU.

The GU has submitted the comprehensive project at a time when the university is passing through a critical phase in its history. The GU was rocked by a series of scams and lack of accountability has brought a bad name to the premier institution of higher education.

?But things have to be improved. We simply cannot sit and think about what went wrong in the past. We will have to plan for a bright future,? Kalita said.