Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly opposes outsourcing Cotton University's properties, issues diktat to authority

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma vehemently on May 15 opposed the idea of outsourcing Cotton University's properties. 

He has issued a directive to the university authorities to halt such activities. 

Sarma emphasised that Cotton College University embodies the rich legacy of Cotton College. 

He affirmed that the Assam Government would not permit the outsourcing of the university's properties to any private entities or organizations. 

He further instructed the university authorities to immediately cease any such ongoing endeavours.

Himanta Biswa Sarma on his X handle wrote, "Cotton College University carries the rich legacy of Cotton College. The Assam Government will not allow outsourcing its properties to any private individuals or organizations. The University authority must stop any such exercise immediately."

This comes after the Cotton University allegedly mulled to lease out varsity land to generate revenue and a panel has been set up to look for ‘space allocations within the university premises.

As per reports, the decision to lease out the land within the varsity was taken on March 8, 2024, in the 34th Executive Council Meeting where a Standing Committee was constituted to look after space allocation in university premises to outside parties for generation of revenue.

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Meanwhile reacting to the news, the Registrar of Cotton University in a press release stated- "It is unfortunate that a notification issued by the authorities of Cotton University recently has led to controversy and concern about proposed modes of facilitation and services for the student community. The notification centred around the constitution of a Standing Committee intended to evaluate and scrutinize the prospects and possibilities of bringing in a few parties to cater to student and academic needs. However, the news circulated on May 14, 2024 by a section of the media regarding the institution's land, extrapolating from the content of the notification, have been misreported and are false and baseless. The institution and its stakeholders reiterate that they have no intention of causing confusion or any form of alarm in the minds of the public regarding the integrity and well-being of Cotton University."

Cotton College was established in 1901 by Sir Henry Stedman Cotton, Chief Commissioner of the former British province of Assam.

It was the oldest institute of higher education in Assam and all of Northeast India.

Cotton College became a constituent college of Gauhati University in 1948, and then of Cotton College State University when it was established in 2011, by an Act (Act XIX of 2011) of the Assam Government.

The Cotton University Act, of 2017, was enacted to resolve problems between the college and the university.