The Trinamul Congress-affiliated Primary, Higher Secondary and College Teachers’ Associations on Wednesday took out a joint rally, thanking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for announcing a separate university for the district, along with three other new universities, in the state.

The rally which witnessed participation of hundreds of teachers from different schools and colleges, along with dignitaries from various fields, started from the Alipurduar Indoor stadium and concluded at the Alipurduar Choupathi.

Earlier on 28 February, the state government, in the Bidhan Sabha conference, had announced setting up four new universities in the state. A university to be established in Alipurduar district was also included in the list, it is learnt.

Meanwhile, the move has already invited a debate concerning the site for the proposed university. A number of people, along with Alipurduar MLA Sourav Chakraborty, ruling party leaders and professors associated with different colleges in the district, have raised their voice, demanding establishment of the university at the Alipurduar college campus.

A written report regarding commencement of classes in the university at the Alipurduar College has already been submitted to the Alipurduar District magistrate on Tuesday.

The Principal of Alipurduar College, Jyoti Bikash Nath said, “The Alipurduar College is spread across 23 acres of land and a newly-built building is yet to be inaugurated.

There are sufficient hostels in the campus and all other facilities needed to run a university are present in our college campus.” “The department of higher education, if required, shall start the university classes at our college accommodation now,” added Mr Nath.

The Dooars lobby of the ruling party, meanwhile, demanded the university be set up in the Dooars. “This new university should be a model university and to have this ‘model university’ stature, the university should be set up at the tribal populated backward Dooars areas.

District headquarters-oriented development is not always acceptable,” said the Trinamul Congress Leader, Manna Lal Jain. According to Alipurduar District Magistrate, Devi Prasad Karnam, a team representing the department of Higher Education may visit the area on 9 March to survey the land for the proposed university.

“We will be showing them the government land available in the district for setting up the university. We will also take them to the Alipurduar College campus for an inspection. The government will finally decide how and where the university will start functioning,” Mr Karnam added.