The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to open a new degree college Kotla Behr in Kangra district and make it functional by August 15 next.
Quashing the orders of the government to denotify the Kotla Behr in Kangra, issued on March 2, 2013, a division bench of High Court consisting of Justice Rajeev Sharma and Justice Sureshwar Thakur observed that the government has resorted to a pick-and-choose policy in opening 14 new government colleges.
The bench directed the government to open the college by August 15 next.
The previous BJP government had notified eight colleges on June 23, 2013 but the Congress government which returned to power in December 25, 2012 cancelled the notification on March 2, 2013 but later decided to open seven out of these colleges and left out Kotla Behr College.
"No justification has been given why seven colleges were re-opened on the same facts which were applicable to college at Kotla Behr. Thus, there is arbitrariness and unreasonableness in the decision-making process for opening of the new college at Kotla Behr," the bench said.
