GU in soup over use of convention centre
Collector issues notice to varsity for putting centre to commercial use, says Ahmedabad Education Trust had given the land on which centre stands strictly for educational use
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, November 25, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20121125201211250438427784290b11e/GU-in-soup-over-use-of-convention-centre.html
Gujarat University has landed in a controversy yet again. Ahmedabad District Collector recently issued a notice to the varsity for using the convention centre for non-educational purposes, a deviation from the purpose with which it was donated land by Ahmedabad Education Trust in 1957.
Earlier this year, the varsity raised many eyebrows by giving away its swanky convention centre, spread over 2,50,000 sq feet, to a private agency for a paltry annual fee of Rs 7.5 crore. The decision was taken by the syndicate following a tender process. The idea was that the university would get a certain amount every year while the party that was awarded the contract would take care of getting business for the huge centre, he said.
Last year, the state government paid Rs 30 lakh to the GU to hire the convention centre as venue for CM’s Sadbhavna fast to shut protests from the Congress that criticised the then vice-chancellor Parimal Trivedi for of fering the venue for free, saying it was a matter of pride. The convention centre was rented out for as many as 28 commercial events, including the Sadbhavna fast, between January and December, 2011.
The university earned Rs 6.4 crore in rent from the companies that organised these events, some of which were Gems and Jewellery Show, GIHED award show, tours and travels fair, Gujarat photo video trade fair, exhibition of colour chemicals manufacturing products by China Dyestuff Industry Association.
Former GU vice chancellor Parimal Trivedi said, “The convention centre project was initiated by former VC AU Patel. I had only ensured the completion. While it may seem that we are using it for commercial purpose, one cannot deny the fact that the income earned out of renting out the convention centre is being used for the welfare of students and improving the infrastructure of the varsity.
There are so many trusts that use their land for setting up selffinanced courses. Would you call that commercial or educational?” Registrar Arvind Bhandari said, “Yes, we have been issued a notice from the collector regarding use of convention centre and the ground.
The notice states that while the convention centre is meant to be used for educational purpose, it was being used for commercial events. A prior permission to use the centre for commercial purpose was not taken by the varsity, says the notice.”
He added, “We are preparing a reply to the notice. Our officers as well as the officials at the collectorate are busy with election preparations. Hence a reply will be furnished only after the polls.”
GU Vice-Chancellor Adesh Pal said, “Following the notice, we are looking into the procedure adopted for issuing the tender on the basis of which we had zeroed in on the private agency. A reply will be filed after a three-member committee submits its report.”
Incidentally, in a reply to an RTI application by Mirror in February this year, the estate department had revealed that the university had earned as much as Rs 6.41 crore by letting out the centre for only 28 events in 2011.
Though the reply showed inconsistency in rentals charged from various parties over the years, the university earned more than Rs 2.5 crore by letting it out for 11 events whereas the revenue in 2009 was Rs 1.43 crore from nine events, making the cumulative earning of Rs 10.41 crore since 2009. All this without any publicity and marketing for the convention centre where only the exhibition hall was functional.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, November 25, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20121125201211250438427784290b11e/GU-in-soup-over-use-of-convention-centre.html
Gujarat University has landed in a controversy yet again. Ahmedabad District Collector recently issued a notice to the varsity for using the convention centre for non-educational purposes, a deviation from the purpose with which it was donated land by Ahmedabad Education Trust in 1957.
Earlier this year, the varsity raised many eyebrows by giving away its swanky convention centre, spread over 2,50,000 sq feet, to a private agency for a paltry annual fee of Rs 7.5 crore. The decision was taken by the syndicate following a tender process. The idea was that the university would get a certain amount every year while the party that was awarded the contract would take care of getting business for the huge centre, he said.
Last year, the state government paid Rs 30 lakh to the GU to hire the convention centre as venue for CM’s Sadbhavna fast to shut protests from the Congress that criticised the then vice-chancellor Parimal Trivedi for of fering the venue for free, saying it was a matter of pride. The convention centre was rented out for as many as 28 commercial events, including the Sadbhavna fast, between January and December, 2011.
The university earned Rs 6.4 crore in rent from the companies that organised these events, some of which were Gems and Jewellery Show, GIHED award show, tours and travels fair, Gujarat photo video trade fair, exhibition of colour chemicals manufacturing products by China Dyestuff Industry Association.
Former GU vice chancellor Parimal Trivedi said, “The convention centre project was initiated by former VC AU Patel. I had only ensured the completion. While it may seem that we are using it for commercial purpose, one cannot deny the fact that the income earned out of renting out the convention centre is being used for the welfare of students and improving the infrastructure of the varsity.
There are so many trusts that use their land for setting up selffinanced courses. Would you call that commercial or educational?” Registrar Arvind Bhandari said, “Yes, we have been issued a notice from the collector regarding use of convention centre and the ground.
The notice states that while the convention centre is meant to be used for educational purpose, it was being used for commercial events. A prior permission to use the centre for commercial purpose was not taken by the varsity, says the notice.”
He added, “We are preparing a reply to the notice. Our officers as well as the officials at the collectorate are busy with election preparations. Hence a reply will be furnished only after the polls.”
GU Vice-Chancellor Adesh Pal said, “Following the notice, we are looking into the procedure adopted for issuing the tender on the basis of which we had zeroed in on the private agency. A reply will be filed after a three-member committee submits its report.”
Incidentally, in a reply to an RTI application by Mirror in February this year, the estate department had revealed that the university had earned as much as Rs 6.41 crore by letting out the centre for only 28 events in 2011.
Though the reply showed inconsistency in rentals charged from various parties over the years, the university earned more than Rs 2.5 crore by letting it out for 11 events whereas the revenue in 2009 was Rs 1.43 crore from nine events, making the cumulative earning of Rs 10.41 crore since 2009. All this without any publicity and marketing for the convention centre where only the exhibition hall was functional.
