Bajali: A section of residents in Assam’s Pathsala, along with several local organisations, has raised strong demands for the establishment of a medical college and an engineering college in the town following the relocation of Bhattadev University to Medhikuchi in Bhawanipur.
Bhattadev University, which was upgraded from the historic Bajali College in 2019, had long been regarded as the educational backbone of Pathsala and a key source of the town’s economic and cultural identity.
Locals allege that the relocation of the university has disrupted access to higher education and adversely affected the local economy, besides weakening the deep emotional bond people shared with the institution.
Residents recalled that Pathsala was once known as an educational town, attracting students from different areas to pursue higher studies.
While they welcomed the upgradation of Bajali College into Bhattadev University, many expressed strong disagreement over its relocation to another place.
Several organisations and residents have appealed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, urging them to consider setting up a medical college and an engineering college in Pathsala to ensure balanced regional development and renewed educational opportunities for students in the region.
Locals stated that the demand is not merely infrastructural but also symbolic, aimed at preserving Pathsala’s long-standing identity as an important educational hub of the region.
Meanwhile, the authorities stated that a section of departments will shift to the new campus at Bhawanipur, while some departments will continue to remain at the old campus.