BJP ups ante on IIM further, Now Chhina demands IIM to not to be shifted from Amritsar

Amritsar, June 9 (Dharmendera Singh Rataul) – The Alliance partner in state government Bhartitya Janata Party (BJP) seems in no mood to let itself down on the issue of establishing the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in the city. After the BJP Minister Anil Joshi, now BJP state vice president Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina has appealed chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to arrange land for the national institute of higher learning in `holy city’.

Chhina stated that plenty of land was available for the IIM to be set up and in no way the project should be shifted out of the city. He said the IIM was announced by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on the floor of the parliament and any drifting away from the project by state government will not be in accordance to the trust level needed between the Centre and the state.

Chhina said non-availability of land can be the ground for move to shift away the project to elsewhere as it was earmarked for the `holy city’ alone. He said if the state government is serious it can develop Amritsar as a `education hub’ by creating institutes of higher learning and research and chief minister must take personal interest in making the project a success.

He said earlier a Central University was announce for Amritsar but the same was shifted to Bathinda which was resented and any another move to shift away IIM would face a lot of backlash from the general public. He said apart from number of places, the site of Amritsar Central Jail which is being shifted away to Fatahpur, could be utilized for the project as the site is near to the city and well connected by the road network with Airport also in the vicinity.