BHUBANESWAR: The proposed Odia University at Satyabadi in Puri is being planned to be another architectural marvel in the State after Odisha Krushi Bhawan which was recently shortlisted for the prestigious World Architecture Festival Award 2019. Additional Secretary, Higher Education, Jayant Narayan Sarangi informed The Express that the Government has decided to construct the university building as an architectural heritage. “The building will be built in line with the Krushi Bhawan. Sand stones and traditional materials will be used for construction,” he said.
Sarangi said the Public Works department has been asked to engage architectures to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) of the university to give it the aesthetic look. Construction work on the project will start as soon as the plan is readied, he added. The Higher Education department recently acquired 9.60 acre land at Satyabadi from Sri Sri Satyabadi Gopinath Dev Temple for the much awaited project that had been conceived five years back. The department on Saturday asked the Tehsildar of Satyabadi to hand over the possession of the land to it at the earliest.
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 will offer post-graduate courses in Odia language and promote research.
The Government had previously planned to set up the university on 25 acre land. The project, however, had been delayed due to land acquisition hurdles. The Higher Education officials said land acquisition will take place in a phased manner as per requirement.
The Krushi Bhawan, spread over 1.3 lakh sq ft area in the Capital is the headquarters of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment department. Designed for sustainability, the `70 crore administrative building features an expressive combination of traditional materials and vernacular narratives.