With tardy land acquisition delaying the establishment of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bhubaneswar, Chief Secretary BK Patnaik has directed Khurda district administration as well as Revenue and Disaster Management Department to complete the process soon.The State Government had approved allotment of 935 acre in Jatni (Khurda) and Kanas (Puri) tehsils for the IIT campus and advance possession has been given for 517 acre so far.
While boundary wall measuring 14 km has already been erected, raising the boundary for another 5 km has hit road-block for non-acquisition of land. The Chief Secretary asked the district administration and revenue officials to take possession of the balance acquired land by end of June and hand it over to the institute through IDCO.
The Works Department has been asked to take up widening of road by June while CESU was directed to stay in readiness to construct permanent dedicated power supply line to the campus.
Of total land of 935 acres identified for the campus, government land is around 708 acre which includes 153 acre forest land. Patnaik also directed Khurda Collector to identify equal revenue land for compensatory plantation. In case revenue land is not available, degraded forest land can be identified for the purpose as per provisions of the law, he said. Director, IIT, Bhubaneswar Madhusudan Chakraborty said a science park is being planned within the campus and work will start once land is handed over.
The meeting also discussed progress of the 150 feet wide two-lane road from NH-5 to IIT campus, diversion of Khudupur-Taraboi road and Jatani-Tirumala road, provision of water supply of three million gallons per day. It has also been decided that a police outpost will be set up near the campus.
Director, NISER, TK Chandrashekar, who was present in the meeting, informed that the institute will move to new campus by December. The Housing and Urban Development Department has been asked to ensure temporary water supply to new NISER campus till permanent water supply system from Naraj is put in place.