‘Tapsikhata Biswabidyalaya Sthapan Committee,’ a committee of locals who have come forward united with their demand of establishment of the proposed university for the district at Tapsikhata Paschim Shalbari village on Thursday called for a mass convention demanding the same.

The convention will be held at Shalbari school ground on Friday, they claimed. Representatives from all political parties, social organisations, school and colleges situated under the Alipurdar block-1 have been invited to attend the convention.

The state government earlier on 28 February has announced to set up four new universities in the state at the Bidhan Sabha meet.

A university to be set in Alipurduar district was also included in the list of the announcement, it is learnt.

A two-member team of the state higher education department comprising the Vice-Chancellor of Netajee Subhas Open University, Subha Shankar Sarkar and the Special Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Shiladitya Basu Roy had visited some plots of land on 9 March for setting up the university in the district.

The team first visited the government land at Tapsikhata Paschim Shalbari village under Alipurduar block-1 and then went to Parokata village under Alipurduar block-2 to visit the government land available there.

The team then visited the Alipurduar college campus where a number of professors from the district demanded to start functioning of the university on the same day from the Alipurduar College itself.

The visit in the meantime has evoked mixed opinions regarding the selection of site for the university, it is learnt.

A group of people living in Alipurduar block-1 meanwhile on 17 March have formed a committee, ‘Tapsikhata Biswabidyalaya Sthapan Committee’ to achieve their demand of setting up of the university at Tapsikhata.

Earlier on 15 March the villagers had served a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Mamata Banarjee on the same demand, it is learnt.

“We will organise strong movements to reach our goal. Tapsikhata Pashim Shalbari village is the most suitable place to set up the proposed university. We want the university to be established in the village,” said the secretary of the ‘Tapsikhata Biswabidyalaya Sthapan Committee,’ Aprajit Pandey The Alipuduar District Magistrate, Devi Prasad Karnam said, “The government will take the final decision to where the university will be established. A team of the department of higher education has already visited all the plots available for setting up the university in the district.”