Uttarakhand unveils policy for private universities

Processing fee to set up varsity & land requirement cut

The Uttarakhand government has unveiled a promotion policy for private universities, offering them sops.

A meeting of the state cabinet, held at the secretariat here Tuesday evening, approved the policy. The meeting was presided over by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat. Under the policy, the government has drastically reduced the processing fee required to set up a university from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. Besides, the government has reduced the size of the minimum land requirement. "As there is a shortage of land in Uttarakhand, the government has reduced the minimum size of land where a private university can be set up to 5 acres from 7.5 acres," Uttarkhand Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar said.

The government will provide basic infrastructure facilities such as roads, electricity and water.

In another decision, the government decided to revise the land circle rates in Dehradun every year, instead of once in three years. Circle rates in the rest of the 12 districts will also be revised from September 1, Kumar said. By revising circle rates every year, the government can hope to earn additional revenue of Rs 200 crore every year.

A controversy involving circle rates is already on in the state. Hero MotoCorp was slapped a penalty of Rs 111 crore for alleged irregularities in the registration of its Haridwar manufacturing plant. It is alleged the rate was calculated at 2006 circle rates though the registration of the 214-acre industrial plot was done in February this year.