Imphal, August 11: Revenue Minister Elangbam Birmani today informed the House that the State Government would be handing over all the land reserved for the Central Agriculture University at Iroisemba after a proper demarcation within September 15.The Revenue Minister informed this while replying to a call attention motion moved by Keishamthong Assembly Constituency MLA L Ibomcha Singh, who raised the question on the basis of a report published in The Sangai Express on July 24 last which said that the University has been facing lot of difficulties due to lack of adequate land for expansion of its activities.

While contending that he himself had taken up initiative for setting up the University in the State while he was the Agriculture Minister, the Revenue Minister said that the State Government has reserved a total 331.97 acres of land for expanding the complex of the university.

This included 44 acres of the former Manipur Agriculture College and another 287.97 acres of land of the university.

He asserted that he came to know that these large tract of land have been lying idle only towards the beginning of June this year.

It has also been learnt that the university has been encountering various problems in its functioning due to lack of adequate land after the matter was highlighted by the Vice Chancellor and Dean of the university, he added.

At this point, MLA L Ibomcha quipped in to express his displeasure that the Minister came to know about the problems of the university only after it became known that the university might be shifted to Shillong due to failure on the part of the State Government to provide sufficient land for its functioning.

Ibomcha also reminded that there had been instances in the past, while he was the Law Secretary, that the then VC had requested the Government over and over again for allotment of the required land.

Unfazed by the outburst, the Revenue Minister continued and said that some portion of the land of the university had been encroached upon and dag chitha have been issued in the names of 55 persons.

The Minister reiterated that the Govt has taken up all measures for handing over the land to the university.

The land demarcation had been delayed due to water logging.