SAMBALPUR: THE proposal of the second campus of Gangadhar Meher University (GMU) has taken a step further with a team of expert of Rajasthan recently visiting the land identified at Badasinghari on the outskirts of the city for survey and zoning.
The university had got the advance possession of 46.820-acre land on May 18 during the nationwide lockdown. Subsequently, it requested the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for conducting the survey before proceeding for preparation of the master plan.
“Though a survey was conducted in December last by another team, we were not satisfied with their work. So we had requested the CPWD for another round of survey. A week ago the CPWD sent a team from Rajasthan,” Deputy Registrar of GMU, Uma Charan Pati said.
The team demarcated the land and conducted a primary survey. It has secured necessary inputs required for zoning and a report is expected from them. It will provide a tentative layout for planning the construction on the land, Pati added.
GMU wanted to start work on the second campus with the boundary wall but learnt that the Rashtriya Uchachatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) fund sanctioned for the varsity in the first phase cannot be used for construction of the new campus. Now a second proposal has been sent to the Government for sanctioning additional funds for the boundary wall. Since a delay due to the Covid crisis is anticipated, the varsity is looking at alternatives.
However, official sources informed that the institution will get a grant of Rs 27.5 crore more in the second phase from RUSA which will be utilised for construction of buildings at Basantpur alone. As per the primary master plan for the new campus, the varsity will construct an academic block and staff quarters in the first phase. Subsequently, eight departments including four existing and four new departments will be shifted first to the new campus.