Mangaluru: Over 13 years after it was sanctioned, the govt Women’s First Grade College in Puttur continues to function without a permanent building, with students and staff alleging prolonged official apathy and repeated delays in completing its new building at Bolwar.The college, which caters to more than 524 students, is currently operating from an old taluk office building used as a temporary facility for nearly a decade. Lecturers and students said the structure is ill-suited for academic use, with inadequate ventilation, makeshift washrooms, and poor basic amenities. They also said classrooms are affected by dust and heat, particularly during the summer months.The institution was allotted 1.53 acres at Bolwar for construction. The foundation stone was laid in March 2023 for a project estimated at Rs 8 crore, with July 2025 set as the completion deadline. With the deadline now past and the building still incomplete, the delay has become a flashpoint for students, who said the lack of a proper campus is affecting learning conditions and safety.A lecturer at the college said arrangements in the current premises remained temporary across facilities, including sanitation, and that the slow pace of construction has left students facing the consequences. Students also said the existing building is in the process of being handed over to the taluk hospital, adding urgency to the need for relocation. They said that ongoing work in and around the current premises disrupted classes due to noise and pollution.Student protests were held recently over the inconvenience, and the agitation also led to the suspension of the college principal.Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai said that the project was delayed due to legal hurdles and political disputes. He has now set a fresh deadline of one month, stating that the Karnataka Housing Board, which is executing the work at Bolwar, is expected to complete it by the end of March and the building will be inaugurated then. Rai said Rs 7 crore was earmarked for the project and that there is a plan to introduce a BSc course from the next academic year.
