Gauhati University clarifies guest house project, denies VIP facility claim

A CORRESPONDENT

AZARA: Gauhati University has clarified that the construction of a new dining hall at its Guest House is aimed solely at strengthening common guest facilities to meet the growing requirements of the University’s expanding academic and administrative activities.

In an official statement, the University said its guest house regularly accommodates a wide range of visitors, including members of selection committees, external examiners, viva voce experts, visiting faculty, resource persons, alumni, parents, students, delegates and guests attending academic, administrative and cultural programmes.

The University noted that the existing dining hall has become inadequate due to the rising number of guests. It further stated that the kitchen, store and staff accommodation at the Guest House have deteriorated over the years and require urgent upgradation.

To address these requirements, the University Construction Committee approved the construction of a new dining hall along with a modern kitchen, store and staff accommodation.

Clarifying the controversy over the use of the term ‘VIP dining hall’ in the tender documents, the University said the expression was inadvertently included in one of the documents during the tender preparation process.

According to the statement, the term was only an unofficial internal reference historically used for visiting professors, experts and other dignitaries staying at the Guest House and did not indicate the actual scope or purpose of the project.

The University stated that the error was corrected in the Letter of Intent issued on June 24, 2026, where the project was correctly described as the construction of a dining hall at the Gauhati University Guest House. It also said an explanation had been sought from the Superintending Engineer (In-Charge) of the Engineering Department regarding the inadvertent use of the incorrect terminology in the initial tender document.

Also Read: AASU Slams Gauhati University’s Rs 2.08-Crore VIP Guest House Plan Amid Financial Crisis