Jajpur/Bhadrak: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday inaugurated Utkal University’s first rural campus at the Bhairabananda Autonomous College premises in Chandikhole during a day’s visit to Jajpur district.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the new campus online during a playground event in Sunguda panchayat.
Among others, Higher Education minister Ananta Das, Badachana MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy, Higher Education secretary Bishnupada Sethi, Council of Higher Education vice-chairman Prof Ashok Kumar Das, Utkal University vice-chancellor Prof Soumendra Mohan Patnaik, Utkal University PG Council chairman Prof Brahmananda Satpathy, registrar Dayanidhi Nayak and OSD of the rural campus Prof Jagneswar Dandapat were present.
According to Utkal University’s College Development Council director Prof Santosh Tripathy, initially, two courses, Master in Public Health and MBA in Rural Management, will be taught at the campus. There will be 24 seats each for the two courses.
While the government has sanctioned Rs 2.20 crore to run the temporary campus, Rs 11 crore was sanctioned for the university’s permanent campus, construction of which has started in Sia panchayat. The campus will be completed by 2020.
The chief minister also inaugurated five projects worth Rs 109 crore, including a high-level bridge over the Badagenguti river on Badachana-Balichandrapur road, another high-level bridge over the Sanagenduti river on Sukadeipur-Tihakaranda road, a SC and ST hostel of Dhananjaya Vidyapeeth for 100 students at Baisimouza, a freedom fighter memorial at Badachana and a new District Audit Office building at Chandikhole.
The chief minister also laid the foundation stone of eight projects worth Rs 43.49 crore, which includes the development of Bandalo-Endarapada road and Lalitgiri-Udayagiri-Ratnagiri road, strengthening of Sanagenguti river embankment, a new grid sub-station at Balichandrapur and a high-level bridge over Sanagenguti river on the Bhubanapur-Jagannathpur road.
The chief minister later left for Bhadrak district and inaugurated 16 projects worth over Rs 396 crore, including the upgraded Bhadrak-Chandbali road; a 132/33 KV grid station at Paikarapur; a 33/11 KV sub-station at Gadi and Mato; a new power grid station at Chandbali; a marine fish pre-processing centre and a skill development centre at Dhamara; a mini-stadium at Chandbali; a newly constructed building of Pantha Nivas and a District Tourism Office and government polytechnic institute in Bhadrak town.
Naveen also laid the foundation stone of 19 projects worth over Rs 1,180 crore, including a mega drinking water supply project for Chandbali, Basudevpur, Tihidi and Dhamnagar blocks; construction of the Jamujhadi-Basudevpur-Dhamara road; a bridge over the Genguti river on Gobindpur-Nandapur road and another bridge over the Salandi river on the Barasar-Hengupati road; construction of roads for eight new routes; drinking water project in Raipur and Mahulia panchayats; a new building of the tehsil office at Chandbali and a new circuit house building in Bhadrak town.
