Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday announced Rs 25 crore for development of the Rajendra College here, which has been declared as an affiliating university, while speaking at the concluding day of Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the institution.
Paying rich tributes to former Maharaja late Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo, who set up the college in 1944, Patnaik hoped that the institution would be a Centre of Excellence soon.
For the development of science and technology, a Science Park would be set up here, announced Patnaik.
The Chief Minister attended the function on the concluding day of Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Rajendra College in spite of the death of Sonny Mehta, husband of his sister Gita Mehta, on the day.
‘Sambad’ editor Soumya Ranjan Patnaik described Naveen as a modern-day Gopabndhu Das for having decided to attend the meeting despite the death of his sister's husband.
Soumya Patnaik, who joined as a guest, further said that the Rajendra College is feeling proud for its alumni like present Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy and senior IPS officer Arun Sarangi. Let this institution continue to produce such brilliant students in the days to come, he added.
Among others, Asit Tripathy, Additional Director in Biju Patnaik State Police Academy Arun Sarangi, Women and Child Development Minister Tukuni Sahu also spoke at the function.
On the occasion, four distinguished students of the college, Tripathy, Sarangi, Sabyasachi Mahapatra and Pranati Mishra were felicitated by the Chief Minister.