BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to submit a proposal to the Centre for sanction of a university township project in Odisha.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union budget 2026-27 had proposed five integrated university townships in the country near major industrial corridors. These hubs would aim to fuse higher education, research, skilling and residential ecosystems near major industrial corridors.
Though the funding pattern of the project is yet to be finalised, sources said, it is likely to be 60:40 between the Centre and state. States will have to proceed through a challenge route to win a project. The competition would be over land offerings and lucrative policy frameworks for securing the central backing.
Official sources said Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Koraput are being considered for implementation of the ambitious project. This was discussed at a high-level meeting presided by chief secretary Anu Garg on Saturday. The meeting was attended by development commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh and other senior officials.
Secretary of Higher Education department Aravind Agarwal made a presentation on the project and its possible implementation in Odisha. The department has been asked to coordinate with other departments and district administrations to assess the availability of suitable land and other requirements before preparing a detailed proposal for the project.
Though the Centre is yet to announce a formal guideline on the project, it is likely to be implemented through a special purpose vehicle (SPV). The SPV will be chiefly responsible for planning, managing and maintaining the township’s common infrastructure and services.
The meeting discussed the possibility of establishing a university in mining and allied disciplines in view of the rich mineral resources of the state.
Official sources said the meeting discussed the criteria for selecting the site, including the distance from industrial and logistic corridors and availability of 1,000 acre of contiguous land.
