Odisha govt approves proposal to upgrade engineering college to varsity

Odisha government has approved a proposal to upgrade the College of Engineering and Technology (CET), Bhubaneswar to a non-affiliating university to facilitate research and higher studies.

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Saturday decided to upgrade the College of Engineering and Technology (CET), Bhubaneswar to a non-affiliating university to facilitate research and higher studies there. A proposal in this regard was approved by the state cabinet. The government gave its nod to the enactment of the Odisha University of Technology and Research Bill, 2021.

Once the bill gets passed by the state assembly, the CET will be renamed as Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR), Bhubaneswar, Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra said. The CET authorities will be able to offer graduate and post-graduate courses, PhD and research in the field of engineering, science and technology after the degradation process is completed.

The institute will also provide opportunities for improving the employability of students through entrepreneurial training and specialised skill development programmes, he said.

The cabinet also approved 15 other proposals of various departments. A proposal to allot Narangarh Khondalite block to the state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd on lease for the development of Puri as a world heritage city got the go-ahead at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

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The development project in the coastal city has been taken up under the Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture (ABADHA) scheme. The cabinet also gave its nod for a proposal to waive royalty in respect of Khondalite minerals extracted from the reserved mines to ensure smooth implementation of the projects under the ABADHA scheme, the chief secretary said.

Several drinking water projects across districts were also approved in the meeting, he said. The state cabinet also gave green signal to a project for widening of Duduka-Gopalpur-Toparia road in Sundargarh and a proposal to upgrade the Odisha State Wide Area Network (OSWAN) programme which will come up at a cost of Rs 332 crore, he added.

PTI