HP governor urges public representatives to help troubled Gorakhpur university, new V-C assures action

Rajya Sabha MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal has offered his assistance, new V-C Poonam Tandon says cleanliness, issues faced by women students will be her priority after she takes charge.

Gate leading to administrative block of DDUGU | Shikha Salaria | ThePrint

Lucknow: Himachal Pradesh Governor and former Gorakhpur Urban MLA Shiv Pratap Shukla has urged public representatives to help the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University (DDUGU), which has been plagued with infrastructural problems. 

Shukla, an alumnus of the university, who was the minister for prisons under the Kalyan Singh-led BJP government between 1996 and 1998, told ThePrint he had given Rs 2.79 crore from his parliamentary fund for the construction of a hostel in 2019, when he was an MP in Rajya Sabha. The hostel was inaugurated in 2021, he said.

ThePrint had reported about the problems plaguing Gorakhpur University — including poor infrastructure and sanitation facilities. The state university was accredited  ‘A++’ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) — a grade usually reserved for the country’s top educational institutions — in January.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath represents Gorakhpur Urban — the seat under which the university falls — in the Uttar Pradesh assembly. 

Speaking to ThePrint, Shukla said the university’s alumni meets can be turned into a platform to engage with students as well as faculty.     

“Being an alumnus of the university and a former member of parliament from the state, I felt that I should help the university in whatever way I can. Naturally, other public representatives should also come forward to help the varsity,” he said.

He added: “When the university was named after Pandit Deendayal Upadhayaya, I was a part of the UP government (in 1997). I feel all public representatives should gather at the annual alumni meet which can become a platform to engage.”

A three-time union minister, Shukla was a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh from 2016 to 2022 and was appointed the governor of Himachal Pradesh earlier this year. 

More help forthcoming

The DDUGU has 2 lakh students — mostly from eastern UP and neighbouring Bihar. ThePrint had earlier reported that protests at the university over its alleged 400 percent fee hike turned violent last month. 

Rajya Sabha MP and former Gorakhpur Urban MLA Radha Mohan Das Agrawal also offered help to the university. Sharing ThePrint’s report on microblogging site X, Agrawal, who represented Gorakhpur Urban from 2002 to 2022, offered to provide funds from his Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme if the problems at the university continued.   

First instituted in 1993, the MPLAD scheme allows MPs to contribute to developmental work in their constituencies.   

@_poonamtandon जी , मैं इस आर्टिकल की लेखिका को नहीं जानता हूं। लेकिन इन्होने जो कुछ लिखा है , अगर सही है तो हम अपने MPLAD से हर प्रकार का आर्थिक सहयोग देने के लिए तैयार हैं । https://t.co/tkiZXyC5rW

— Dr.Radha mohan das agrawal (@AgrawalRMD) August 28, 2023

“If what is mentioned in the article is correct, I’m ready to provide financial support from MPLAD funds” he wrote in the post. 

He later told ThePrint that he was willing to give Rs 5 crore from his MPLAD funds “provided the university gave him a logical project”. 

“I have read ThePrint’s report and marked the same to the new V-C. If the V-C feels that financial help is required, I’ve said I’m ready to help. It is up to the V-C to study the needs of the university,” he said over the phone.

Poonam Tandon, who will take over from the university’s current vice-chancellor Rajesh Singh after the latter’s tenure ends on 4 September, told ThePrint that she would make cleanliness issues at the university — as well as lack of doors in washrooms — her priority. Issues related to women students would especially take precedence, she added.

“Nobody has spoken to me directly and I’m yet to take charge as V-C,” she told ThePrint over phone. “But our governor (Anandiben Patel) has a lot of plans for students, especially those belonging to the backward and SC community. If someone wants to extend help, we would extend our thanks to the person.”

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)