SAMBALPUR The Sambalpur unit of BJD slammed the Centre for its stepmotherly attitude to the VSSUT, Burla that was the first Engineering College of the State after independence and a university now.
 
Talking to the media, former MLA Dr Raseswari Panigrahi said, "I have written to the Centre for financial assistance under inclusive education and community partnership (IECP) scheme. But the Central Government did nothing for the institute."
 
"The Central Government did not pay any heed to our request, rather it upgraded an engineering college at Sipur in West Bengal," Dr Panigrahi added.
 
Hence, the State Government converted the VSSUT to a university to bring it at par with others in the country. And the recent grant of Rs 2,000 crore will boost its development further, she said.
 
Higher Education Minister Er Rohit Pujari said that with huge funds from State Government, there could be remarkable infrastructural development of VSSUT and the students could get education of IIT standard from here. "The VSSUT will be turned to be an institute of world standard very soon only at the initiative of the Naveen Patnaik Government," Er Pujari boasted.
 
District BJD president Siddhart Das highly praised the decision of the State Cabinet for huge fund to VSSUT as it was required to cater to the various needs of 10,000 students. Land acquisition for further expansion of the university would begin very soon, Das informed. All other office bearers of BJD were present to thank the CM for the huge grant.