Chitwan, January 1

The long-standing dispute between Agriculture and Forestry University and Triubhuvan University has left students in the lurch.

Stating that AAFU and TU’s admission of students at Hetauda Forestry Campus had created confusion, Agriculture and Forestry University urged TU to halt the admission process. Organising a press meet in Bharatpur today, AAFU requested TU to stop the enrolment process.

TU had earlier signed an agreement with AAFU to not enrol students in the forestry campus. AAFU said TU’s act had left the students and teachers puzzled.

AAFU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Ishwari Prasad Dhakal said the TU moved ahead with the admission process though the Prime Minister, chancellor and vice chancellor of TU had written a letter asking it to halt the process.

While AAFU has already admitted students at the Forestry Campus, TU has issued a public notice for the entrance examination scheduled for January 9. As per the notice, form distribution and submission are under way.

VC Dhakal said enrolment by both TU and AAFU had complicated the process of property handover, integration of staff, and management of educational programmes.

AAFU Registrar Professor Dr Suryakant Ghimire said TU’s move had violated the agreement between two varsities.

TU’s Vice Chancellor Professor Tirtharaj Khaniya had written to Dean of Institute of Forestry Science, Pokhara, Chiranjibi Upadhyay, directing the latter to halt the admission process at Hetauda Forestry Campus a few weeks ago.

Upadhaya, however, said he had not received any letter sent by Khaniya regarding the decision to halt the enrolment process.

TU has been admitting 80 students every year to the Forestry Campus. The government had established Agriculture and Forestry University after issuing AAFU Act-2067.

The act envisioned integration of the Institute of Agriculture and Livestock Science Rampur, Rampur Agriculture Campus in Chitwan and Hetauda Forestry Campus, and establish Agriculture and Forestry University on the premises of Institute of Agriculture and Livestock and Rampur Agriculture Campus.

However, TU has been reluctant to handover its property to AAFU saying that the government should set up separate infrastructure for the new varsity.