BHOPAL: The identification of properties belonging to state higher education department has begun with appointment of nodal officer Alok Nigam for the purpose.
Earlier, an order was issued by the department appointing RK Vijay as the nodal officer. Amending the old order, the department has issued new order deputing Nigam, who was posted as Officer on Special Duty.
The nodal officer will gather information from colleges across the state, which have properties that hold commercial value and can be used for revenue generation. Nodal officer will then identify the properties for pilot projects.
State government has started a programme wherein government properties can be used for revenue generation. For department of higher education, a proposal was made where properties belonging to colleges were to be used for commercial purposes considering the fact that commercial activities should not hinder education and teaching in premises.
Part of the sports grounds were proposed to be leased out for commercial ventures. Moreover, the spaces near boundaries in colleges located on prime locations were also to be leased out for commercial activities. Various revenue models were discussed including PPP model for this purpose.
The revenue generated through this exercise will be used for upgrading facilities in colleges.
