ROURKELA: After the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, Rourkela is the most important city of Odisha and a hub of technical education. Yet the demand of the residents and students for a university has not been fulfilled.
The demand for a university at Rourkela was renewed after the state government, a few days back announced to upgrade Vikram Deb College in Koraput into a university. Sources said degree college students of Rourkela city and rest of Sundagarh district have been suffering as they have to visit Sambalpur University (SU) around 180 km away over various issues. Over two decades back, the demand for opening a branch of SU in the city was overlooked.
Social activist Ved Prakash Tiwari (58) sharing his bitter experience said he completed his LLB from Rourkela Law College under SU in 1985. For his final law certificate he was twice forced to visit the SU campus where he found the staff non-responsive. “I stopped pursing it and still have not received my law degree,” he said.
An affiliating university at Rourkela named after former chief minister Biju Patnaik will cater to around 40-50 existing colleges in Sundargarh and Deogarh districts. It would also pave way for opening of more colleges in rural pockets. Tiwari said the SU website states the territorial jurisdiction of SU covers Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Bargarh, Boudh and Athamallik sub-division of Angul. At present, the university is overburdened with 196 affiliated colleges and additionally catering to colleges of Sonepur, Nuapada, Balangir and Kalahandi districts, he added.
An alumnus of Government Autonomous College, Rourkela (GACR) Bishnu Mohanty said the GACR set up in 1961 is one of the key colleges in western Odisha and most appropriate institute to be upgraded into a full-fledged university.
However, sources said GACR with a student strength of around 3,300 and 21 PG departments does not have enough space. Former president of Rourkela Congress Biren Senapati said his party has long been seeking an affiliating university either at GACR or nearby Kuanrmunda.