Dharwad BRTS runs into wall of protests

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) which has been mired in controversy, is facing public ire for proposing to set up a bus terminal at the century-old Teachers' Training College of Women (TCW) in Dharwad.

Academics, students and general public have taken a serious exception to the proposal which seeks to set up the terminal on the premises of TCW adjacent to Azad Park near Alur Venkatrao Circle.

Those opposing the proposal claim that the institute is a knowledge hub and has been training the 'would be' teachers in their hundreds for the last 118 years and taking away a portion of the land belonging to the institute would affect its development plans.

Academics have questioned the very objective of the officials in proposing the bus terminal inside the institute premises. They are of the opi- nion that the campus is ideally located for academic activities. The campus also has a hostel for women trainees. A bus terminus in the campus would hamper the free movement of the girl students in the campus, they claimed.

This institute is located on a 10-acre land and houses numerous buildings. A bus terminal is proposed to be set up on more than two acres. In the process, some of the existing buildings will also be demolished if the government gives the green signal for the proposed project, they said.

As per a survey conducted by a national agency, the training institute building which has completed 100 years of service is tagged as a Heritage Building. The INTACH society has conducted a survey of this building and has given a report of this traditional structure.

According to the report given by other national agency, this location is best suited for academic activities and have opposed allotment of the land for any other purpose.

The New Delhi-based NCERT has recommended upgrade of the TCW. Pre-teachers training and serving teachers training institutes would come up on the premises.

The College Development Committee members headed by its chairman and former MLA Chandrakanth Bellad held a meeting and urged the government to reconsider its decision of allotting land to set up bus terminal in the institute premises.

The members in the meeting said post-Independence, emphasis was given to imparting education to the women in a bid to empower them. They have submitted a memorandum to minister for primary and secondary education Kimmane Ratnakar to exert pressure on the government and protect the institute.

They have warned of staging indefinite agitation, if the government fails to fulfill their demand.