RD Women’s Varsity Campus Row: Govt Forms Extended Committee

Bhubaneswar: With tension prevailing in Vani Vihar over the proposed second campus of Rama Devi Women’s University inside the premises of in Utkal University, the Odisha government on Tuesday formed an extended committee which will submit a report in this regard before March 15.

“An extended committee has been formed to decide the location for the second campus of Rama Devi Women’s University. The committee has been asked to submit a report to this effect before March 15. The government will take a decision on the basis of the report of the committee,” Higher Education Minister Ananta Das told the media after presiding over a high-level review meeting at the State Secretariat here.

The committee has Director, Higher Education, Khurda district collector and vice-chancellors of Utkal University and Rama Devi Women’s University as members.

Vice Chancellor of Utkal University Dr Soumendra Mohan Patnaik on Monday had said that there is not enough land in the University for the second campus of Rama Devi Women’s University due to limited land. Besides, the university has not enough land as a number of construction works inside the university premises will be taken up very soon, he said after a meeting with the stakeholders.

Protesting the decision of the state government, hundreds of students of Utkal University, supported by the University staff and teachers, had staged a road blockade on National Highway-5 near Vani Vihar Square on February 1.