Even after almost seven years since it received the Union Cabinet nod and land allotment by the state government, the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) campus at Gandhinagar in Gujarat is yet to become a reality, thanks to the bureaucratic logjam.
Experts are miffed over inordinate delay in construction of NIPER campus in Gandhinagar as they feel that the delay in the completion of construction work is leading to the lapse of funds and further increase in the over all expenditure. There is a hue and cry among the experts that even after the contract is awarded to a PSUs for the construction of new campuses, there has been a long delay in the completion of work, reflecting incompetency on the part of the government agency to handle the work in a transparent manner.
It is understood that the government has invested close to Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 crore for the same with demand for funds increasing as the work on campus get pushed on further.
Interestingly, the Union Cabinet had granted in-principle approval for setting up of six new NIPERs way back in 2007 and commencement of classes with the help of mentor Institutes. The only condition was that the land for new NIPERs had to be given by the State Governments free of cost. The NIPER Ahmedabad, housed in the reputed institute B V Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development (PERD) Centre had commenced its operations from the academic year 2007-08. As required, the Gujarat government had allotted land in Gandhinagar for building campuses where the construction works were awarded to the agencies.
However, sources inform that in spite of getting cabinets nod in 2007 and allotment of the land, the construction of dedicated campus for NIPER in Gandhinagar is still stuck due to bureaucratic logjam.
Meanwhile, Representatives from the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) headed by secretary Aradhana Johri, recently came to Gujarat to assess the development of the upcoming campus for NIPER in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
However, a source associated from the Department stressed that there is a progress and that the process is going on in a natural pace as measures are taken to ensure best NIPER campus in the country. It is understood that once it is completed the NIPER will be mother of all NIPERs in the country, model of which will be replicated across.