Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik attended a series of programmes during his visit to Sambalpur district on Sunday and the VSSUT in particular, on the occasion of celebration of its Dimond Jubilee Year.
About 60 year back, the varsity was started as the first engineering college of the State in Burla named as University College of Engineering (UCE) Burla under the Utkal University.
In the VSSUT campus, Chief Minister Patnaik inaugurated the Biju Patnaik e-learning Centre to provide ultramodern facility for the students in the field of technical education.
The imposing building has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 10.5 crore. VSSUT Public Relations Cell chairman PC Swain said the two storied building has six halls. While two have a capacity to accommodate 2,000 people, the rest four halls have a capacity to accommodate 200 to 250. It will enable the institution to organise six programmes at a time, including seminar, workshops and classes etc. The alumni of the premier institution first contributed funds for the project. later, the State Government contributed fund.
The Chief Minister also announced that an incubation and entrepreneur development centre would operate in the VSSUT from this academic session. “It will pave the way for the students to give shape to their ideas and inquisitiveness. Apart from the students of VSSUT, the students of other institutions will also be benefitted after the centre becomes operational,” Patnaik said.
On the historic occasion of completion of 60 years, the Chief Minister also announced that all steps would be taken for the smooth maintenance of the primer institution and convert it to a leading institution nationally.
The Chief Minister laid foundation stone for a boys hostel, a new academic block and a multi-purpose administrative block-cum-amphitheatre during the occasion.
As many as 35 distinguished alumni were felicitated. The VSSUT Vice Chancellor expressed gratitude for the enormous support provided by the State Government in the last few years.
Patnaik also inaugurated the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Sambalpur University. “A good institution should help create an appetite among the students for lifelong learning. Universities and all other educational institution
should be places, where learning should take place with joy,” he told.
The Chief Minister later inaugurated the Post Office Passport Seva Kendra in Sambalpur head post office in the presence of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmedra Pradhan. Before the inauguration, Patnaik attended a State level camp for distribution of aids, appliances and loans to the differentially abled persons. Around 2,049 differently abled beneficiaries got assistance.