Education Minister Taba Tedir on Sunday made a fervent appeal to the people who have illegally encroached on the premises of Rajiv Gandhi Government Polytechnic (RGGP) to voluntarily return the land to the institute. He made the appeal after being informed by the officials of the institute that trespassing and encroachment have become a major concern for them. RGGP is the lone government polytechnic institute in the capital. It has the potential to grow big in the future; therefore every effort should be made to save its land.
Encroachment on educational institutions should be treated as a serious crime, and strong action should be taken against encroachers. It is unfortunate that some of the major educational institutions of the capital region, like Rajiv Gandhi University, the NERIST, RGGP, Dera Natung Government College, etc, are all facing the threat of encroachment. Huge chunks of land have been grabbed by the land sharks. The nefarious activities of the land grabbers are hurting the growth of these educational institutions. The state government should conduct a survey of all the major educational institutions based in the capital complex. The Papum Pare and the capital complex administrations should be entrusted to conduct the survey in collaboration with the land management department. After conducting proper mapping, the boundaries should be properly demarcated and compound walls should be constructed to protect these institutions. Also, the people of the capital region should treat these educational institutions as their own properties and make every effort to protect them.