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G.K. Nair

KOCHI, May 9

DESPITE having adequate infrastructure facilities, lack of staff and funds have ensured that the lone agriculture college in the Malabar region, at Padannakad - near Neeleswaram - in Kasaragod district, is a victim of total neglect.

Speaking to Business Line, a highly-placed source at Kerala Agriculture University (KAU), under which the college falls, said: "It has excellent infrastructure facilities in terms of buildings, laboratories and equipment, which were set up with an investment of around Rs 10 crore in 1998.''

But they could be used only partially for want of adequate number of scientists, teachers and funds, he added.

In fact, the college was set up in the underdeveloped region of northern Kerala with the objective of developing the agriculture sector in the area through research, training and extension work.

It has all the facilities for imparting post-graduate education, research and development and yet, no such activities were being undertaken here, the source said.

The main reasons were inadequate strength of scientists and teachers and paucity of funds. As against the required strength of 60 scientists, there are only 22.

Teachers were also not available in required numbers, as they were not being posted to the college, compared to 160 scientists at the college in Vellayani and 135 at Thrissur.

The funds allocation, which used to be Rs 2 crore, has been reduced to less than Rs 1 crore now.

Currently, only 112 students have enrolled for the B.Sc (Agriculture) course in four batches. No sanction had been given for commencing post-graduate courses.

According to the source, most of the scientists and teachers posted to this college do not report because of the distance involved and the rural atmosphere.

The college has a 27-hectare farm which is not being fully utilised for want of irrigation facilities. "If such facilities are made available, the land could be productively utilised and the return from the farming would meet part of the college's expenditure.''

Much of the wasteland available in the State is in this region.

The total such area is estimated at 22,000 hectares, still lying unutilised.

The development of the wasteland would be possible by initiating programmes through the college.

Its research and development wing could identify suitable crops, keeping in mind the climatic and soil conditions prevailing in the area.

Also, research could be undertaken on how to improve and increase the productivity of the existing crops, the source said.

"But all this requires adequate manpower and financial assistance."

A pointer to the neglect of this prestigious establishment is the fact that 12 flats in the campus are lying incomplete for the past two years even after 80 per cent of the work has been completed, he added.

The source also said that the University posted scientists and teachers to the college every year.

"But they use political influence to get the transfer orders cancelled. Unless the Government takes a firm stand on this issue, the problems cannot be solved."

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