PURI: The move of the Puri Konark Development Authority (PKDA) to take over land of the SCS (Autonomous) College and establish a park on it has sparked a major controversy with students, academics and alumni up in arms against the urban planning body.
Recently, the PKDA had applied to the Puri Sadar tehsildar to transfer the land measuring over nine acre to the Housing and Urban Development department to establish a park on it.
Convenor of alumni council Sukant Pradhan on Monday, said the State Government had allocated a piece of land in Sidhamahavir area in 1944 for development of the college.
The staff quarters of the college have been built on the land and plans are afoot to set up its second campus on it.
Student alumni council members Chittaranjan Mohanty, Madhusudan Mishra, Rajan Das and former president of Puri Bar Association Premananda Mohanty submitted a letter to the Collector to ensure the land is not taken away from the college in the greater interest of students.