Project In Utkal University In Bhubaneswar Meant For Students, Not For Public; BSCL Clarifies After Protest

Bhubaneswar: Amid allegation land has been allotted for development of public facilities on Vani Vihar campus of Utkal University, the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) has come out with a clarification.

The BSCL clarified that the projects it is going to execute on the university campus in the state capital involved natural treatment of wastewater from drain no. 4 and development of open space near the drainage channel.

The clarification came after some students staged a demonstration alleging that the university authorities have allotted 20 acres of land to BSCL on the campus for development of public facilities.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP activists held a protest on Friday accusing the university authorities of having given a no-objection certificate (NoC) to BSCL for development of a community centre, a park and food stalls on the campus.

Rejecting the allegation, BSCL managing director Balwant Singh told TOI that the NOC from the university authorities has been obtained for development of a wastewater treatment plant for drain no. 4, which runs through the campus.

While the project will help treat wastewater from the drain, the BSCL will also develop more green and open spaces on the campus for the use of students, Singh said, adding that the BSCL will not develop any kind of facilities for general public on the campus.

Stating that encroachment is a major problem faced by the university, he said the encroachment problem of the university can also be tackled through our projects near the drainage channel,” the BSCL MD said.

The NOC provided by the university to BSCL back in April also supported the clarification given by Singh.

Meanwhile, the student wing of state Congress also protested the NOC given by the university for the project.

Addressing a press meet, state Chhatra Congress president Yasir Nawaz said not an inch of land will be allowed to be used by any kind of project on the Vani Vihar campus.

Alleging that the state government and the university authority have conspired to give away land for the project, he said the student community would not allow any move to reduce the area of the Vani Vihar campus.