BHUBANESWAR:The second phase financial aid under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) has been released by the State Government.
The State Government on Wednesday sanctioned Rs 20 crore for Utkal University, Berhampur University and Sambalpur University for construction of new hostels, academic buildings and new blocks in the second phase of RUSA.
Under the new scheme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), five universities and 21 colleges of the State will receive funds for infrastructure development.
Utkal University has received Rs 10 crore for construction of two new 300-bed hostels for girls and boys, an academic block and a foreign language centre. Five languages - Japanese, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian- will be taught at the language centre.
Similarly, Sambalpur University got Rs 5 crore for setting up two hostels for research scholars, construction of new academic blocks of Science and Social Science departments and extension of the library and administrative building. Another Rs 5 crore was sanctioned for Berhampur University, which will be used for construction of a hostel for girl students and extension of library building besides the academic block.
Earlier this year, it was decided by the Ministry to provide infrastructure grants of Rs 100 crore to Utkal University, Sambalpur University, Berhampur University, Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) and Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT). Each of the universities will get Rs 20 crore in a phased manner. In the first phase, the Ministry had sanctioned a total of Rs 12.50 crore with each of these universities getting Rs 2.50 crore under infrastructure head.
As far as the colleges are concerned, it was decided that 21 degree colleges in as many districts will be provided funds of Rs 2 crore each for infrastructure development and Rs 1 crore each was sanctioned in January. Currently, the Ministry has provided Rs 25 lakh each to colleges taking the total amount to Rs 5.25 crore.
The largest scheme of its kind, RUSA will be funded by the Centre and the State Government in the ratio of 65:35 as per the demands of institutes concerned based on their proposals in a four-year process. The State will get a fund of Rs 154.8 crore for 2015-16 academic year.