PM and Soniya likely to visit Malda on March 16

   Foundation stone laying of GKCIET on the cards 

Malda, March 3: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with other VIPs will reach Malda on  March 16 to attend the foundation laying ceremony of Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering and Technology (GKCIET). Officers of Special Protection Group (SPG) have already started preparations for the purpose.

Chairman of GKCIET governing body AN Khan Choudhury today said, “We have been informed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that Dr Singh and Gandhi would reach Malda by a chopper of the Air force on March 16 at around 11 am. After the foundation stone is laid they would fly back to New Delhi.”

Superintendent of police (SP), Malda Prasun Banerjee also said, “I have received a primary information from the SPG that the PM is likely to visit Malda on  March 16. An event management group today went to the spot where the foundation stone laying ceremony would be held.”

Meanwhile, preparations have already been started in full swing about the proposed visit of the PM and the UPA Chairperson. It has been learnt from sources that Union Human Resources Development (HRD) minister Pallam Raju, Health and Family Planning minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Minority Affairs minister Rahman Khan would also be present in the programme.

Khan Choudhury informed that the Governor MK Narayan, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the education minister Bratya Bose would also be invited in the programme.

Union government’s undertaking National Building Construction Corporation Limited (NBCCL) would organize the foundation stone laying ceremony as learnt from the sources. NBCCL has also been assigned for constructing the GKCIET building. The construction of the boundary wall is almost complete by now.

Khan Choudhury also informed that the Union government had already sanctioned Rs 452 crore for GKCIET and Rs 140 crore had already been released. “58 faculty posts have been approved by the HRD ministry but owing to lack of building only 22 appointments including the faculty and non teaching sections have been made so far,” he informed today.

“Four streams computer application, food processing, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering with 35 students in each stream have already been introduced. Primarily, a building near Laxmipur under English Bazaar block has been hired and the yearly rent of Rs 50 lakh would be paid by the HRD ministry,” Khan Choudhury said.

“I have proposed setting up an education hub surrounding the GKCIET to the PM and the proposal has been sent to the Union HRD and health ministries,” he said. “A medical education and nursing training college and a law college have been proposed around the GKCIET,” Khan Choudhury informed claiming that 300 bigha land have been taken up at Narayanpur of Old Malda for GKCIET. The mutation has also been complete, he unformed.