The locals of Surkhet have demanded that the university cancel its decision and organize the senate meeting in Surkhet, where the varsity´s head office is based. [break]
Earlier, the university had decided to organize the senate meeting in Kathmandu on September 23, citing the busy schedule of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai. The meeting will be chaired by PM Bhattarai in his capacity as the chancellor of the university.
The University Board consists of 27 members including education minister as vice chancellor, member of National Planning Commission, chairman of the University Grant Commission among others.
Prime minister Bhattarai in his visit to Jumla on Sunday said that due to the technical reason the meeting had to be held in Kathmand“." It would have been proper to hold the meeting in the central office of the university. However, due to technical reasons the meeting has to be held in the capita”," Bhattarai told media persons.
The chairman of the main committee formed at the local level for the establishment of the university Bhusan Kumar Manandhar said“ "It is really a matter of shame to hold meeting related to development of Surkhet in Kathmandu. It is also an insult to the sentiments of the local peopl”," he said. The meeting will discuss and approve the policy and annual budget for the university.
The local leaders of the political parties have said that the Kathmandu meeting will not represent the actual reality of the Surkhet and the vision of the people in the Mid-western region.
Meanwhile, student unions have announced a series of protest programs, demanding that the meeting of the university be held in Surkhet. Five student unions active in Surkhet have decided to shut down all educational institutions in the district on Friday.“
"If the meeting is held in Kathmandu, it will hurt the sentiment of all those people who fought for years for the establishment of a regional university in Surkh”t," said Bhusan Kumar Manandhar, who was also the coordinator of a struggle committee formed exert pressure on the government to pass the bill on establishment of Midwestern University. The committee has also decided to send a memorandum to the VC of the university in this regard.
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