The New Indian Express in a story mentions, According to sources, the idea to split the university and move the new campus to Hassan is the brainchild of PWD Minister HD Revanna. The proposal to split VTU and construct one more technical university at Hassan was announced by the Chief Minister in the state budget.
The state government’s proposal to split Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), headquartered in Belagavi, has come under fire from many quarters, including elected representatives, who question the very logic of the move.
According to sources close to Higher Education Minister G T Devegowda, Revanna expressed his desire to construct a technical varsity at Hassan and name it after his father former PM H D Deve Gowda. Gowda is Hassan MP and Revanna is the district minister.
“The VTU bifurcation and setting up of a new university was the idea of Revanna. He discussed this with minister for Higher Education,” said a source close to G T Devegowda.
When contacted, minister Devegowda said, “Yes, the minister had discussed about setting up of a new technical varsity at Hassan with me.” However, he clarified that before adding this in the budget, there was no proposal sent from the higher education department to the CM’s office. Repeated attempts to reach Revanna went unanswered.
CM Kumaraswamy had expressed his helplessness before the North Karnataka MLAs who met him recently and submitted a memorandum urging him to stop the bifurcation.
