Jammu, Apr 08: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has stated that there is currently no proposal for the establishment of a new degree college in Bunjwah, a remote area in the Inderwal constituency of district Kishtwar. This was revealed in response to a starred question raised by MLA Payare Lal Sharma in the legislative assembly.
In his query, the MLA had sought to know whether the government has any provision for sanctioning new degree colleges, particularly in Bunjwah, which remains one of the most educationally backward areas in the region.
Replying to Starred Question, the Minister In-charge of the Higher Education Department said that the establishment of new degree colleges involves significant capital investment — including staffing and infrastructure — and a considerable portion of land. At present, the department is focused on meeting the infrastructural needs of 50 new colleges already sanctioned under Government Order No. 48-HE of 2019 dated 05.02.2019 and Government Order No. 106-HE of 2019 dated 01.03.2019.
The Minister further informed that while the department continues to receive requests from various constituencies for new colleges — including demands raised by several lawmakers — these are being considered as per the established norms. However, there is presently no sanctioned proposal for a degree college in Bunjwah.
“As and when the process for establishing new degree colleges is initiated, the request from the member will be duly examined on its merits,” the reply stated.
Currently, students from the Bunjwah area are pursuing higher education at nearby institutions such as Government Degree College (GDC) Thathri in Doda and GDC Kishtwar.
