Sakhigopal: The process for establishment of the much awaited Odia University at Satyabadi in Puri district moved a step further with authorities recently surveying the land purchased by the state government for the project.
Senior engineers of Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation Limited (OB&CC) Saturday surveyed the land purchased for the project. OB&CC executive engineer Sundar Madhab Padhi, assistant executive engineer Girija Nayak and Satyabadi assistant revenue inspector Khitish Kumar Nayak surveyed the land with reference from the map.
“Our engineers have surveyed the land allocated for the proposed Odia University. A portion of the land is under encroachment. The issue would be discussed with the senior officials of the state government. Now, soil testing is being done for the construction work,” OB&CC sources said.
The heritage cabinet of the state government, formed to propagate and preserve the heritage and culture of Odisha and enrich Odia language in 2017, had decided to set up the university at Satyabadi where Satyabadi Vana Vidyalaya had been established by the famous Panchasakha – Pandit Gopabandhu Das, Acharya Harihar Das, Pandit Nilakantha Das, Krupasindhu Mishra and Godavarish Mishra.
The proposed university would offer postgraduate courses in Odia language and promote research.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the proposed university at Satyabadi ‘Bakulabana’ on the occasion of Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das’s 141st birth anniversary October 9, 2018.
It was then decided that the university would be set up on the land of Satyabadi Gopinath Deb for which 28.74 acre land at Phula Alasha mouza was earmarked.
Since the owner of the land is Satyabadi Gopinath Deb, the state government had applied before the Endowment Commission to buy the land. The application was made in accordance with Section-19 of Odisha Hindu Endowments Act. But the residents of Satyabadi opposed the move as Bakulabana has been deeply associated with rituals of Sakhi Gopal temple and Srimandir in Puri. They had requested the Puri Collector to save Bakuklabana.
Subsequently, a meeting was convened and it was decided that Bakulabana would be excluded from the original layout and the university would be set up on the remaining 9.60 acres of land.
The Higher Education department had purchased the land from Satyabadi Gopinath Dev temple trust at a cost of Rs 11, 33, 58,000 in 2019, sources said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had approved a design for the university in February this year. The design was prepared by the Works department. The state government has engaged the OB&CC to carry out the construction work for the university.
PNN