Sambalpur: Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sambalpur will soon have a permanent campus. An agreement to this effect was signed Thursday between IIM Director Prof MP Jaiswal and NBCC General Manager AK Shome.
The construction of permanent buildings and other facilities is expected to take off soon as Rs 401 crore has been sanctioned by the Centre.
The plan is to complete the designing of buildings within six months and to start civil works in next 24 months. The entire campus will be kept pollution-free.
Sources said battery-operated vehicles will be provided for movement inside the IIM campus and outside vehicles will not be allowed to enter.
Miniature models reflecting Odisha’s heritage like the Black Pagoda (Sun Temple, Konark) and the art and cultural traditions of western Odisha will be displayed inside the campus, Director Jaiswal said.
The proposal to establish an IIM in Sambalpur was finalised after lengthy debates all over the state. Initially, the IIM functioned from a temporary building and could be regarded as a premier institution in east India, he added.
Students who passed out from here last year are now occupying high positions in renowned organisations.
Construction of the IIM’s administrative building, conference hall, classrooms, community centre, gymnasium, library, students’ hostels, staff quarters and compound wall will be taken up in the first phase, he added.
PNN