AHMEDABAD: In a show of solidarity, Gujarat University (GU) has decided to take a token amount of Rs 1 lakh from state government for using its
ground for 20 days during Vibrant Gujarat Navratri festivities this year.
The daily rent of university ground comes to around Rs 51,000, amounting to Rs 10 lakh for the duration of the event. This move is likely to prompt protest from syndicate members who had opposed last year as well when GU had acted in similar manner.
“The event is not being organized for generating charity for the poor. It is a platform of interaction for rich and affluent industrialists and NRIs,” said a syndicate member. Students are also irked over the fact that invitation cards of this event mention GU ground as that of Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC). “I’ve registered strong protest with the government, urging it to mention the name of university in the invitation and asked government not to make this mistake again next year,” said GU vice-chancellor Parimal Trivedi.
About the issue of token fee, Trivedi cited cooperative attitude towards the government. “Had the function belonged to any NGO or private organization, GU would have charged it Rs 51,000 per day. But as this event belongs to the government, we have to be reasonable,” he said.
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