IIM-T to spend Rs.300 cr in first phase of campus construction

Indian Institute of Management–Tiruchirapalli (IIM-T) intends to spend Rs.300 crore in the first phase for construction of academic block, hostels, and quarters for faculty and staff, on the 192 acres of land along Tiruchi-Pudukottai highway allotted to it by the State government.

A state-of-the-art campus will come up at the site. “The Institute will be a symbol of pride for the State of Tamil Nadu,” IIM-T Director Prafulla Agnihotri said. The IIM-T, which now functions on the premises of National Institute of Technology–Tiruchi, is hopeful of moving to the permanent campus by 2014. The campus will have excellent infrastructure with all modern amenities, Dr. Agnihotri said.

The IIM-T has already begun fencing the compound and the main works are expected to commence soon after Bharathidasan University hands over to the Institute a 22-acre portion that it took back subsequently after the initial allotment.

According to University sources, the land was taken back during the DMK regime since a water-yielding borewell was located there.

Since the land that would form a substantial part of the frontage for the IIM-T was taken back without its knowledge, the Institute had sought the support of the district administration to retrieve it.

At a meeting of the IIM-T Director Prafulla Agnihotri and the University Registrar T.Ramaswamy convened by the District Collector Jayashree Muralidharan earlier this year, the Institute expressed its readiness to bear the cost of sustaining the same extent of water supply to the university, after taking possession of the land.

Though the university has not made up its mind as yet to hand over the land, and has constituted a Syndicate Sub-Committee to explore scope to retain it by all means, the district administration has indicated that it would have a final say in getting the 22 acre portion in the frontage transferred to the IIM-T.