Odisha Govt Plans To Hand Over Technical Institutions to Private Owners, Says BJP

Bhubaneswar: BJP on Thursday accused the Odisha government of planning to hand over its institutions of technical education to private owners at the cost of the intertest of the students.

Speaking at a presser in Bhubaneswar, BJP MLA and Opposition party chief whip Mohan Majhi alleged that the government was planning to privatise the Government Engineering College (GEC) in Keonjhar, CITE in Bhubaneswar and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology in Sarang.

“Around 1,500 students are presently studying in 7 different departments of GEC in Keonjhar. While the government has already spent Rs 140 crore for its infrastructure development, around Rs 70 crore from district mineral fund has been used for procurement of laboratory equipment and other accessories. The government must explain why it plans to privatise the college,” Majhi said.

He also alleged that the ministers and BJD leaders had pocketed huge amount through unfair means by allocating works for transformation of schools and colleges worth hundreds of crores of rupees to contractors from South India.

Stating that the ruling party was attempting to get funds from private players in education sector through this move to meet its expenses in coming elections, the BJP leader warned the government to desist from such plans. He also threatened that his party will resort to mass agitation if the government fails to take any step in this regard.