UVCE Facelift: Is BU playing spoilsport?

The century old University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering campus has been undergoing renovation after it received Rs 25 crore from the then chief minister Siddaramaiah and its alumni pooled in money. But the mechanical engineering block needs a total revamp and as per revised estimates Rs 83 crore is required for the purpose. The Bangalore University has been dragging its feet over sanctioning the amount, P. Kumaran reports.

Bangalore University (Jnanbharathi campus) is yet again in the controversy that has brewed strong within the university and the university’s very own University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), a centenary college. A group of syndicate members and Bangalore University faculty associations have raised their voice against the vice chancellor himself for allowing the funds to flow from the university account head to the UVCE’s mechanical building block construction.

The UVCE, a centenary campus, was passed recently in the Assembly session to become a campus along the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) model and become a university of its own. After getting passed in the Assembly, it is now with the Governor to get an official nod. Only then will the UVCE become a university.

Meanwhile, the UVCE has churned out several prestigious alumni, and it is for a fact that Sir M Visvesvaraya himself taught in the campus. It also boasts of a rich cultural and educational heritage in the city.

Over the last four years, the campus has been undergoing renovation after it attained the age of 100 years what with the then chief minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah allocating Rs. 25 crore to redo its otherwise dilapidated condition. Post release of those funds, other organisations including the alumni of the campus poured in money that swelled the amount to Rs. 35-45 crore, resulting in every classroom in the campus undergoing renovation.

“The mechanical block is outside the main campus and towards the left of the main road. This block was in a bad state and machines were not in a proper condition. It needed a full revamp. The estimated budget for renovating the mechanical block was initially Rs. 50 crore odd, which later went up to Rs. 83 crore. Bangalore University, the parent university for UVCE, has to give the difference,” said a senior official in the campus.

What is the hiccup now?

The principal of UVCE Professor HN Ramesh has submitted details of the revenue generated by the UVCE through fees from students, which he has submitted to the VC of the university Professor KR Venugopal. The principal has submitted a letter (a copy of which is in the possession of News Trail) that states Rs. 61 crore have been deposited in the university’s bank account over the last 3-4 years.

A problem cropped up when the VC of the university wanted the syndicate members to approve transfer of the funds to the UVCE account for construction of the mechanical block building.

A syndicate member alleged, “The VC should not have brought up the issue of funds transfer at a special syndicate that he called up, for it did not have the required quorum of seven members, completely comprising of syndicate members. He immediately called for a meeting and took the concurrence of whoever to transfer the funds.”

Recently, syndicate members of the university staged a protest in the university, alleging that the VC had misappropriated funds. They demanded that the special syndicate meeting held on January 18 at the BU campus be nullified.

There are letters from syndicate members and the faculty association (copies with News Trail) that question the VC on what basis he approved transfer of the funds to the UVCE account for construction when the university itself does not have enough funds to sustain in the coming years.

News Trail also accessed the syndicate meeting proceedings held on January 18, which have been removed from the public domain after the syndicate protested the issue.

In the syndicate proceedings, the VC, Professor KR Venugopal informed the syndicate that the Government of Karnataka had approved the estimated budget of Rs. 83 crore, which include the furniture and machines, and the government asked the university to fund it. Venugopal also said that civil works of the building sanctioned to be given to the engineering division of the Department of Health and Family Welfare. The government has released an order (copy of the order with NT) to this effect.

Venugopal informed the syndicate that Rs. 20 crore have been earmarked for this year from the university fund along with an additional Rs. 9 crore, making it a total of Rs. 29 crore, which has to be given this year.

Subsequently, every year from fees collected by the UVCE, the BU has to fund construction of the