On Thursday the state Assembly adopted a resolution insisting that CUB be shifted to Motihari in East Champaran district from where Mahatma Gandhi launched his movement against indigo planters.

Here it is interesting to note that that the Bihar Assembly resolution was proposed by Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary.

Though earlier media reports had suggested that the Ministry of Human Resources Development may ask for land left vacant by the shifting of the Army Service Corps to Bangalore Kapil Sibal’s letter to the state government talks about acquiring another land of defence ministry in Gaya district. This land is in Panchanpur village on Gaya-Tekari road. During the World War-II this land was used as a military camp and there was an airstrip too on it. But it has been left unused since then.

Political observers are of the view that Sibal’s move has put the state government in defensive. Nitish has repeatedly been stating that acquiring land for industries, power plants and educational institutions is very difficult task in Bihar, where the land is fertile. He gave this argument even on the issue of acquiring land for the NIT, Patna. Now that the state government has no such burden the authorities are feeling relaxed. However, it is for the political reason that the issue is being kept alive.

Sibal's Feb 15 letter said: "You had expressed your difficulties in acquiring land proximate to an urban location. Keeping this in mind, I approached my colleague A K Antony, the minister for defence ... The defence ministry has been kind to identify land at Panchanpur. I am informed the land is proximate to the Gaya international airport. The land has been inspected and recommended by a Site Selection Committee. While the formal transfer of land is yet to take place, I thought it fit to keep you apprised of these developments.”

Now Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is arguing that he would write to A K Antony against the unilateral transfer of army land for setting up the CUB.

Nitish on Thursday said if at all the land has to be transferred, the state government should get it. “The land in Gaya was acquired by the state and handed over to the defence during World War II. Now that the defence ministry has no need for the land, it should automatically be reverted to the state.”

Sources expressed surprise over the Nitish government’s stand on the issue as the fact is that the land has been left unused for the last so many decades yet no state government, even this one, ever demanded it back.

It needs to be mentioned that the Site Selection Committee set up by the Union government had already rejected the land offered by the state government in Motihari on the plea that it is waterlogged and situated in the flood-prone area and lacks proper road, air and rail connectivities.

Sources also said that after all central universities are opened by the Centre, and not the state government, so it should have its final say. It is now not even demanding land from Bihar. So instead of criticizing Sibal the state government should be thankful to him.

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