New pvt univs in limbo as files gather dust in edu min's office

CHANDIGARH: With education minister Geeta Bhukkal sitting over files for the past about one month, the much hyped initiative to promote the concept of private universities in Haryana has hit a roadblock.
With this, the wait for thousands of students, seeking admission to various specialized courses in IT, tourism, education and science and medicine is likely to be longer, sources said.Though officials in higher education department refused to comment, it is learned that files in respect of three such universities were lying at the minister's office.
Enquiries revealed that a committee headed by chief secretary Urvashi Gulati had given a go ahead to town and country planning department to issue a letters of intent (LoI) to managements of three private universities so that they can start new sessions by April/May 2012.
In December last, the committee had cleared the cases of three universities for issue of LoI after final approval by the minister. The universities were to be promoted by former MDU VC J D Gupta's son Pranav Gupta, who also heads a phrama major in the region, management of Manglam University and another private university.
Sources said that files are held up as the minister wanted to have a one-to-one meeting with representatives of managements. While efforts to contact Geeta Bhukkal, who is on an inauguration spree with chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, failed, S S Prasad, financial commissioner/principal secretary, higher education, expressed inability to comment. "How can I share this information? I don't talk like this," he said.
In June, 2006, Haryana cabinet had approved setting up of private universities in the state. Since then, only six such universities have been set up, sources said.