Addressing a press conference here yesterday, West Bengal Finance Minister Dr Asim Dasgupta said the state government had already sanctioned Rs 50 crore initially for the construction of the first phase of buildings for the university at Nilgunge area where 24 acres of land were acquired for the purpose.

The legislation for the formation of the new university had been passed last year and Professor Kishalay Thakur was appointed as its Vice-Chancellor.

The university would start admitting students from September this year.

The minister also informed that three colleges - Vivekananda Centenary College at Khardah, Sri Chaitanya College at Habra and Dinabandhu College at Bangaon - have been upgraded by the university for conducting post-graduate courses in anthropology.

Besides, the colleges in the North 24 Parganas district where some post-graduate courses were conducted under the Calcutta University would now be conducted under the new university, he said.

''High standards of education will be maintained at the university while at the same time ensuring that students of poor sections would also be benefitted,'' Dr Dasgupta said.

The first phase of construction of buildings at the main campus of the university would completed by January next year to start classes of various disciplines.