The Jalpaiguri district administration and the state PWD will draw up a detailed project report (DPR) for an animal and fishery sciences college — the first such institution in north Bengal — at Ramsai, Maynaguri block.

The project was pending for over four years because of an “exorbitant cost estimate”.

Moumita Godara Basu, the district magistrate, said she instructed the PWD executive engineer in Jalpaiguri to prepare a DPR with a proper cost estimate. “We got communication from Nabanna, and accordingly, the PWD has been asked to prepare the DPR. Once it reaches us, we will forward it to the state for approval of the project,” she said.

She said land was available on the campus of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Ramsai.

The new institute, sources said, will function under the West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences in Belgachhia of Calcutta.

Sources said around five years back, Anantadeb Adhikari, then Trinamul MLA of Maynaguri, requested chief minister Mamata Banerjee to set up the college in Ramsai.

Mamata assented to the proposal. In 2018, the PWD estimated its cost at Rs 253.92 crore.Mamata found the estimate too high and the project came to a halt then.

“The chief minister was disgruntled and questioned why so much money was required for building a college. Then, the project came to a halt,” said a source in the state government.

Eventually, after more than four years, the state has decided to take up the project again.

Adhikari, a former MLA who is now the civic chairman of Maynaguri municipality, has welcomed the decision.

“I have no inkling why the PWD came up with such an exorbitant estimate then. Land is already available with the state government and all it has to spend on is on construction. It is good that the ball has started rolling and we hope work commences soon on the site,” he said.