BERHAMPUR/KORAPUT/SAMBALPUR/JHARSUGUDA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the permanent campus of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Berhampur at Laudigaon in Ganjam’s Rangeilunda block through video-conferencing on Tuesday.
The permanent campus of IISER has an academic building, hostels, canteen, community centre, dispensaries and residential complexes for lecturers and staff. It also has tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, cricket pitch and a stadium.
On the occasion, the PM dedicated 15 of the 29 buildings constructed on the new campus. Director of IISER, Berhampur Ashok Kumar Ganguli said, “The institute is making great strides in various branches, primarily in science and mathematics. In future, we also hope to open departments of computer science and humanities.” The IISER was functioning on the transit campus of ITI, Berhampur since 2016-17.
On the day, PM Modi virtually inaugurated several development projects on the campus of Central University of Odisha (CUO), Koraput. The PM laid the foundation stone for two administrative buildings, as many hostel buildings and other infrastructure projects of the university worth `129 crore.
Vice-chancellor Chakradhar Tripathi said the Central government recently sanctioned `480 crore for construction of auditoriums, indoor stadiums, laboratories and research centre at the university.
In Sambalpur, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated India’s first Skill India Centre (SIC) at Majhipali on Tuesday.
Addressing the event, Pradhan said the centre is equipped with best-in-class infrastructure, cutting-edge technologies and modern facilities. “Aligning with the PM Modi’s vision of empowering youths with new-age skills, we have inaugurated India’s first Skill India Centre at Sambalpur. The centre will equip a vast majority of the young populace with employable skills in demand-driven trades.”
The union minister also flagged off Sambalpur-Darshan Nagar Astha Special train which aims to offer devotees direct connectivity to Ayodhya. He unveiled postage stamps of Bhima Bhoi and Gangadhar Meher besides six stamps dedicated to the cultural history of western Odisha.
During the programme, Pradhan inaugurated new post offices in five districts including Sambalpur and Jharsuguda. He visited the heritage building of the British-era Jharsuguda head post office. The union minister also inaugurated a library at Jharsuguda.
