In his first visit to the Utkal University here to attend its Annual Day function held here on Thursday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that the State Government has sanctioned more than Rs 100 crore for infrastructural development of the university. He said the Government has decided to spend Rs 32 crore on a project to convert the university campus into a smart, energy-efficient and eco-friendly campus similar to major universities of the world.
He also announced that a Rural Vocational Training Centre would be established at a cost of Rs 15 crore at Chandikhol, which would act as a rural campus of the university. "The focus of the training centre will be on modern techniques for better employability of Odia youths," he said. The Chief Minister said his Government is planning to set up a chair in the name of legendary educationist Dr Pranakrushna Parija in Biotechnology and to set up a centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Training in the name of former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
On students' demands for development of the university, he said, "I am aware of the demands presented by the Students' Union. I assure them that the Government will consider these demands with a sympathetic attitude." Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda said his department would sanction fund for installation of a statue of scientist Pranakrushna Parija in the university premises.
Among others, Higher Education Minister Dr Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, Panchayati Raj and law Minister Dr Arun Kumar Sahoo, Civil Supplies and Technical Education Minister Sanjay Dasburma, Bhubaneswar MP Dr Prasanna Patsani, MlA Priyadarshi Mishra, BMC Mayor Anant Narayan Jena and Utkal University Students' Union president Rajesh Raj Swain spoke on the occasion.