Srinagar: The Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) is taking steps to implement its long awaited action to finalize sites for the establishment of two central universities in Kashmir and Jammu divisions.

A Central Site Selection Team of the Ministry is scheduled to visit the state around December 20 to give a final consent to the state government which has identified three such sites each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions for the purpose while the team would shortlist the site.

After the state was granted a Central University in January 2009, political pressure from the Jammu region led to the establishment of separate universities for the two divisions.

According to the sources, the government had identified three sites in Ganderbal district, near here, which is the home constituency of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

However, the final location would be given a green signal only after the central team’s visit.

The HRD Ministry has set the standard area for the establishment of the Central University by around 5000 kanals.

But none of the three sites identified in Ganderbal district has the standard size.

It is however, expected that two sites in and around the Tulamulla area in Ganderbal would be either interlinked or conjoined to make the standard size.

These sites include an area of 2,900 kanals near Tulamulla, which needs to be conjoined with Rakh-e-Rabtar or Tulamulla extension.

With the addition of around 2,000 kanals of adjacent private land near the patch of 2,100 kanals of government land at Rakh-e-Rabtar would settle the issue, came a suggestion from an official.

In that case the state government would have to purchase the land to make it available for the central university.

The government has finally zeroed in on Ganderbal district though some other sites had earlier been considered elsewhere in the valley.

These included a site at Ompora in Budgam district (Central Kashmir), Sopore area of Baramulla district (north Kashmir) and some sites in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.