The university had made a Rs 128 crore allocation in this year’s budget for the makeover plan, which includes construction of new buildings as well as renovation or extension of the existing structures and landscaping. The revised budget, however, has suggested a Rs19-crore reduction of the construction cost of new buildings. Extension and landscaping will also be delayed, as the UoP was apparently unaware that the development plan had to be presented before the Pune Municipal Corporation prior to starting work.

Jadhav said that in the last 60 years, the UoP had never gone to the PMC for approval of any development plan. “But to develop this land, we need the PMC’s permission. We have now made a concrete development plan and will submit it to the PMC this week,” he said. While answering a query on the triple connectivity project raised by senate member Balasaheb Agarkar, Jadhav said that ten locations in the university campus would be connected on an experimental basis by December 2008. The new deadline is June 2009. “We will connect 135 colleges in a phased manner by June 2009,” said Jadhav.

Delay after delay
June 2008: Deadline for the detailed plan for construction of new building
November 2008: Actual submission
November 2007: Triple Connectivity Project to be made workable
December 2008: Extended deadline
January 1, 2009: Initial deadline for V-C to shift office in main building
February 10, 2009: New deadline