Gangadhar Meher College, Sambalpur to get unitary varsity status

Following is a report from the expressbuzz.com:

BERHAMPUR: The State Government has decided to elevate Khallikote Autonomous College here and Gangadhar Meher College at Sambalpur to unitary university status, said Higher Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra here today.

A government appointed task force on higher education reforms had suggested upgrading these two premier autonomous colleges to university status, the Minister said while addressing a function of the Students’ Union of Khallikote College.

Mishra however stressed the need to develop necessary infrastructure facilities before the second oldest college of the State was declared a unitary university.

While at least 50 acre was required, Khallikote Autonomous College had only 16.74 acres of land in its possession.

“There is a proposal to get another 2.50 acres from transport departments garage adjoining the college”, he said.

The Minister asked the local MLAs to locate another 50 acres in the town for the college’s expansion. He also assured the students to fill up the vacant posts soon. Around 50 out of 90 posts of teaching staff are vacant in the 132-yearold college, where over 3,600 students are pursuing studies in 19 different departments, 15 of them having post-graduate departments.

The proposal for a foot bridge from KKC to Junior college is under consideration and funds have been released for renovation of Jhansirani ladies hostel, Swami Vivekananda boys hostel of the college.

Among others, Berhampur MP Sidhant Mohapatra, MLAs EC Choupatnaik, P Panigrahy, BMC Mayor SS Dash and BDA chairman Kailash Rana spoke.