Clamour rises for agricultural college at Brahmavara

Udupi: Karavali Krishi College Horata Samithi, Brahmavara, has urged the government to start an agriculture college in Brahmavara as the existing diploma course has ceased this academic year. Pramod Mandarthi of the Samithi said the delegation has met the local MLAs, and the MLAs have said that they will raise the matter in the next assembly session. Pramod Mandarthi said that Udupi district in-charge Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar has also been approached, and a positive response is expected from the government through the agriculture minister.

Pramod Mandarthi said former CM B S Yediyurappa sanctioned through his government in 2010 an agriculture college in Brahmavara, but nothing moved in that direction, and it is an unfortunate situation for the people of the coastal region.

He added that at the Zonal Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station (ZAHRS), located in Brahmavara, there is ample space of 350 acres to build a full-fledged agriculture college, hostel for boys and girls, library, laboratory, computer science lab, sports stadium, and a field to conduct practical experiments.

Though the agricultural diploma college is currently on the premises of ZAHRS, admission was not conducted for the first-year diploma course, indicating that the diploma course will cease to exist in the next academic year. Students from the region will be devoid of opportunities to pursue agricultural courses and conduct research in future if agriculture colleges are not started, Pramod Mandarthi said.