"No proposal received from Bengal govt for RRU campus": MoS Home Nityanand Rai in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi, July 29
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday said that no proposal has been received from the West Bengal government regarding the establishment of a campus of the Rashtriya Raksha University in the state, while highlighting the Centre's measures to address urban flooding in Kolkata and other major cities.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Rai said that the decision to establish new campuses of the Rashtriya Raksha University across the country is based on the institutional requirements of various campuses and the availability of infrastructure for the university.
"No proposal has been received from the state government regarding the establishment of a Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) campus in West Bengal. The decision to establish new campuses for the Rashtriya Raksha University in the country is based on the institutional requirements for various campuses and availability of infrastructure for the university," Rai said in Parliament.
"However, the RRU is undertaking training programs on cybercrime investigation for West Bengal Police officers at the Kolkata Police Academy," the MoS Home said.
The reply came in response to a query on whether the government had received any demand or proposal to establish an RRU campus in West Bengal, given the state's strategic importance and its international borders with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, and whether the Centre had any plans to set up such a campus.
Further, on measures to tackle urban flooding, Rai said the Fifteenth Finance Commission, in its report, recommended an allocation of Rs. 500 crore each from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) for Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata to prepare integrated solutions for flood management.
It also recommended an allocation of Rs 250 crore each for Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune for preventing urban flooding.
The Central Government has approved proposals for these seven cities under the Urban Flood Risk Management Programme (UFRMP), with a total financial outlay of Rs. 3,075.65 crore, including Rs. 2,482.62 crore as the central share from the NDMF.
The projects and activities under the programme include structural as well as non-structural interventions aimed at reducing the risk of urban floods in these cities, including Hyderabad.
As per the approval, funds are to be released in three instalments of 30 per cent, 40 per cent and 30 per cent of the total approved amount.
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to make any obstruction or insult to the national song 'Vande Mataram' a criminal offence during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 11:00 am on July 30.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally some focus on urban flooding! As a Bangalorean, we've suffered enough during monsoons. ₹250 crore per city is a good start, but corruption in these projects is rampant. Hope the central share is monitored strictly. And on RRU campus, why is Bengal dragging its feet? They should grab this opportunity.
Interesting that the RRU is still training West Bengal Police at Kolkata Police Academy. That shows cooperation exists at operational level despite political differences. The urban flood funds are crucial—Kolkata's drainage system is from British era, needs urgent upgrade. Hope states utilize this properly.
Appreciate the flood management funds for 7 cities, but what about cities like Guwahati, Patna, or Lucknow? They get flooded every year! Urban flooding is not just a metro problem. Also, RRU campus should be set up quickly—our border areas need specialized training. Centre and state must sit together.
The Vande Mataram bill passage was overshadowed—what a pity. Anyway, on RRU, West Bengal not sending proposal is strange. Maybe they want to avoid central intrusion? But security should be above politics. And ₹3075 crore for 7 cities' flood management—good step, but execution is key. Let's see if Bengal gets its share.
I'm from Australia, and we have similar debates about federal vs state security funding. The RRU campus issue seems like a missed opportunity for West Bengal. Cybercrime training for Kolkata Police is good, but a full campus would provide long-term benefits. On flooding, the instalment-based release
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