Thursday, October 12, 2006

 

Burla College alumni demand IIT status

Burla College alumni demand IIT status for alma mater
Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar

Even as the oldest engineering college of the State, University Engineering College, Burla is celebrating its golden jubilee on Saturday (October 14) which will be inaugurated by Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, it continues to be plagued by plethora of problems.

In the last five decades the college has produced more than 13,000 technocrats but it reels under shortage of faculty as it has only 62 against a requirement of 160.

Granted the academy of autonomy status by UGC and due accreditation by AICTE the college reportedly gets an annual grant of just Rs five crore which goes mostly in salary and pension, against Rs 100-120 crore for IITs and Rs 40-50 crore for NITs.

According to the general secretary of the alumni association of the college Sridhar Behera, the body has mobilised funds to provide some badly needed infrastructure for the college but individual efforts would not cure all the problems unless there is adequate Govt attention, he felt.

Expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister for recommending UCE, Burla to HRD Ministry for IIT status, Behera said the college should at least get the IIEST status being considered by the Centre for five engineering colleges in the country. The association also demanded that the Chief Minister press HRD for Rs 40 crore as wasbeing given to Jadavpur Engineering College, Kolkata and give 300-acre land to the college which is presently illegally occupied by squatters.

Other demands placed by the association include NOC for society registration be given so that the college can be registered under the Society Registration Act which would clear the way for its claim to a deemed university status.

The alumni association has also demanded 2-acres in Bhubaneswar for an extension centre of the college and a plot for the 3,000 members.

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