No IIT for Karnataka Belgaum not in picture

In the recent past there were headlines running that an IIT was to be set up in Karnataka and local MLA’s had done various meetings and sent memorandum to human resource development minister Mr.Kapil Sibbal. HRD minister has formally rejected demands for an IIT in Karnataka during the XIth Five Year Plan, snubbing lobbying from top leaders across party lines seeking the institute in their fiefs.

After a very messy affair where in all Political parties tried to get the IIT to their constituency by heavily lobbying with the HRD minister has not worked out. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily had put in their stakes pitching for an IIT in their Lok Sabha constituencies. Chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa sent a letter for an IIT in the northern part of Karnataka (not sure whether he insisted for Belgaum or Dharwad).

Sibal has argued in his letter to Moily that all funds allocated to the HRD ministry under the XIth plan for starting new IITs had been earmarked for the eight promised institutes. So, it will not be possible for the ministry to start an IIT in Karnataka during the current plan, Sibal is learnt to have written.

Sibbal has put a lid on the campaign for an IIT in Belgaum. What went wrong only Mr.Sibbal can tell? But it seems too much lobbying must have caused this and one more dream remains a dream.

Source: Telegraph

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Labels: belgaum, hrd, iit, Karnataka, minister, no, sibbal