Chennai, Jun 28 (IANS): AIADMK leader and former minister, C.Ve. Shanmugham said that there is a concerted effort on the part of the DMK government to scuttle the formation of the "Jayalalithaa University " at Villupuram. He said that at the fag end of the previous government, a Vice-Chancellor was appointed for the University.

He said that the previous AIADMK government had announced the formation of the university and land has been identified for it at Villupuram. The AIADMK leader who is also the Villupuram district secretary of the party said that the university was announced following the bifurcation of Thiruvalluvar University in Vellore.

He said that the area of the jurisdiction of the new university was already finalized and a 70-acre land was identified at Semmedu in Villupuram for the campus.

He said that a conspiracy is underway to prevent the formation of the university and that the DMK is trying to settle political scores and charged that the government is trying to sabotage the higher education available for the poor and downtrodden for the districts of Cuddalore, Villupuram and Kallukuruchi.

The former Minister said, "It is not a question of who evolved the formation of the university but the aim of ensuring higher education to students should not be disturbed at any cost."

Shanmugham said, "I do not know whether the Minister for Higher education, K. Ponmudi who is from Villupuram district, was aware of such a move to sabotage the formation of the university."

The AIADMK leader also charged that the Secretary of Higher Education D. Karthikeyan, who was shifted from the Highways and Minor Ports Department, indulged in such a plan to prevent the formation of the University.

He called upon the DMK government to immediately intervene and ensure the formation of the university at the earliest.