if at all a second campus is to be opened it should start at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi

Central Varsity to be set up in Koraput only

The Pioneer, 9th May, 2009

PNS Bhubaneswar

Succumbing to the tremendous pressure from the intelligentsia of the State, Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Orissa (CUO) Prof Surabhi Banerjee has changed her stance. She said here on Thursday that the campus of the new university would be opened at Koraput only. Prof Banerjee met Naveen Patnaik here to apprise him of the developments on the university. Clearly defensive, she said the campus would be opened at Koraput and classes would start in August. In next June and July, the process would be on to arrange facility for classes and faculty, she said over her mobile. During the meeting with Chief Minister, she made it clear that the campus would be established at Koraput. She said there seemed to be some misgivings about a second campus in Bhubaneswar. All-out efforts are being made to start the campus at Koraput, she added. When Prof Banerjee’s move to set up a second campus first in the capital city was exposed in the media, a leading non-resident Oriya (NRO), Sandip Dasverma, questioned the decision in strong terms. Outraged over the decision, he demanded action against the people behind the move. NROs, led by Digamabara Patra, created huge stir at both State and at national levels. Prof Patra wrote letters on the issue to the Prime Minister, Union Human Resources Development Minister and State Chief Minister. More than 100 students, teachers, educationists and members of the civil society demanded immediate action in this regard by sending e-mails. All of them demanded that if at all a second campus is to be opened it should start at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) was flooded with e-mails from all parts of the world, and the mandarins were worried over the matter. Principal Secretary to CM, Bijay Kumar Patnaik, took up the matter seriously. And Prof Banerjee was summoned to clarify the factual position. Secretary of the Higher Education Department Madhu Sudan Padhi did not buy the idea of a second campus of the CUO in Bhubaneswar before starting the original campus at Koraput. He asked Prof Banerjee to make arrangements for the campus at Koraput. And sources said some buildings have been located for starting the original campus at Koraput.