Varanasi: For the all-round development of the city, environmental sustainability and further improvement of civic amenities, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) will now work jointly.Both the institutions also reached a consensus on the comprehensive and planned development of the city. During the high-level talks held between municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal and BHU Vice-Chancellor Prof Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, an agreement was reached on the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions soon.According to the municipal commissioner, an important aspect of this partnership is academic coordination as well. Now every year, 50 university students will get the opportunity for an internship at the VMC through which they will be able to learn the nuances of urban planning and social entrepreneurship. Along with this, beautification of BHU’s outer areas, such as the Malviya Gate to Dafi corridor and laying of a new drainage line to prevent waterlogging in Kandwa will be taken up on priority. Within the university campus as well, the civic body will provide its services for cleanliness management and control of stray animals, which will directly benefit thousands of students and employees.The VMC developed the city’s largest Miyawaki urban forest in the Domri area. Under the agreement, BHU’s renowned botanists will actively cooperate in the maintenance of these plants. The scientific team will inspect Domri from time to time and provide technical suggestions and guidelines for the proper growth of the plants. During the talks, the long-standing deadlock between VMC and BHU over property tax is now completely resolved.VMC gave the university concessions on some old dues, in return for which BHU agreed to pay the remaining outstanding amount in instalments.
