The future of the Vedanta University project in Puri has turned further uncertain after former Odisha Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik resigning as the president of the project.
Though the Vedanta company had expected a lot from Patnaik, his resignation has proved that he failed to arrange land for the project.
"Yes, I have resigned as the president of the proposed Vedanta University. My service is now under notice period. It will expire after the notice period," Patnaik told reporters here.
"I had tried my best for establishment of the Vedanta University. We formed collaboration with different foreign universities. But there was not much interest from the project’s promoters," Patnaik said, adding that land is a major hurdle for establishment of Vedanta University.
The Anil Agarwal Foundation is the promoter of the proposed ‘world-class university.
Patnaik, however, said activities relating to the project should not stop due to unavailability of land immediately. "The university is not an industry. It can be started from rented houses also," he said.
The project is also entangled in a legal battle over land acquisition after the Orissa High Court termed the land acquisition made for it as illegal.
The Vedanta Foundation had on July 19, 2006 signed an MoU with the State Government to set up the university. The State Government confirmed availability of 8,000 acres of land and made notifications to acquire of 6,137.90 acres covering 18 villages along the Puri-Konark marine drive. The Government had also acquired 4,004.48 acres and handed it over to the Vedanta Foundation.
However, the people opposing the project filed a Public Interest litigation in the High Court, which rejected the Government's land acquisition. The Vedanta Foundation in December 2010 filed a Special leave Petition (SlP) in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s verdict.
The apex court in 2012 ordered status quo on the land acquisition. The case is now pending in the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Patnaik’s resignation fuelled speculation about his plan to plunge into politics, but he was quick to reply in the negative. “As I always say that I am not interested in politics and so this time too. I want to live the way I like,” he said.