Maharashtra: Anand Niketan College seeks management transfer over safety, funding issues

CHANDRAPUR: The management of the Chandrapur-based Anand Niketan College, founded in 1964 by noted social worker Baba Amte, has decided to transfer its administration to a private institution, in view of repairs and campus reconstruction requiring about Rs 111 crore, officials said.

The Anand Niketan College of Science, Arts and Commerce, located at Warora in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, was founded by Baba Amte on June 20, 1964.

It currently has more than 2,500 students and 100 staff members, as per the management, which emphasised that it has never considered shutting down the college.

By entrusting the college to a private partner, the management aims to preserve the institution's legacy of serving socio-economically and physically challenged students while continuing its broader mission of social upliftment, the officials said.

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College building with structural deterioration

According to the Maharogi Seva Samiti, which manages the institution, the college building-constructed in the early 1960s-suffered structural deterioration due to outdated construction methods, termite damage, and soil conditions. Cracks appeared in the late 1980s, requiring external support to prevent collapse.

Expert engineers inspected the building in 2008 and concluded that reliable repairs were not possible due to extensive damage. Eighteen years later, reliance on temporary fixes poses serious risks, it said. Controlled explosions in coal mines within a 25-km radius have caused tremors for the past three years, further endangering the already weakened structure, the management claimed.

Despite extensive efforts to raise funds through alumni, donors, and CSR initiatives, raising Rs 111 crore needed for a modern and safe campus has proven impossible, it said.

Maharogi Seva Samiti

The Maharogi Seva Samiti also provides extensive social services, including free healthcare, nutrition, and rehabilitation for leprosy patients, orphans, and destitute women. These services cost approximately Rs 30 crore annually, and inflation has further strained resources, it noted.

Given these constraints, the Samiti views the transfer of college administration as a necessary step to ensure educational continuity and operational stability. Currently, four institutions have expressed interest in taking over the administration, a trustee said, adding that no final decision has been made yet.