BHUBANESWAR: The Centre has issued an ultimatum to the state government asking it to utilise the funds allocated for establishment of model degree colleges by the year-end failing which it will have to refund balance Rs 18 crore.
Higher Education department officials said works of three model degree colleges in the state is yet to start as the district administrations concerned have failed to finalise land for the project.
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Ministry of Human Resource Development under its Model Degree College (MDC) scheme had sanctioned Rs 6 crore each for Balangir, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Koraput and Kandhamal districts under Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA 2.0) for the establishment of MDCs.
Accordingly, the higher education department in June 2018 had asked regional director of education (RDE) and district administrations to identify 5 to 10 acres of land.
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While the project work is in progress in Dhenkanal, Gajapati and Kalahandi, it is yet to take off in Balangir, Koraput and Kandhamal as the land is yet to be identified. Eight model degree colleges have already been set up in the first phase.
Meanwhile, higher education secretary Saswat Mishra has asked collectors of these districts to personally look into the matter to ensure immediate identification of land and timely completion of the project.
Mishra, in his letter to the collectors, has also clarified that if the project work is not initiated in time, the districts will be deprived of the model degree colleges.