OSRTC land transferred to Khallikote Autonomous College

Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patra handing over
the Record of Rights of the land to the principal of
Khallikote Autonomous College for its expansion in Berhampur

Around two acres of land of the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) was officially handed over to more than 125-year-old Khallikote Autonomous College in the city at a function held on the college campus on Friday. It was almost a five-decade-old demand fulfilled. Revenue officials handed over the patta of these two acres of OSRTC land to the principal of the Khallikote Autonomous College, Surendranath Behera. State Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patra, Sub-Collector Ajit Mishra, Mayor Siba Shankar Das, Berhampur teshildar Satrughna Kar, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy, and Berhampur MLA R.C.C. Patnaik, State secretariat member of the CPI (M) and member of governing body of the autonomous college Ali Kishore Patnaik, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) secretary Bikram Panda were present.

Students and dignitaries of the city present at the function cheered when the formal land transfer was announced. Speakers at the function thanked the Chief Minister for the transfer.

It may be noted that since past several decades demand for transfer of land of the OSRTC adjacent to the college was taken up by students and citizens of the city, irrespective of their party affiliation.

But they were not satisfied with transfer of the land. During the function there was a demand for transfer of total 4.029 acres of the OSRTC to the college. At present a portion of the land has been handed over to the college. Mr. Patnaik, whose memorandum to the Chief Minister in 2008 regarding the matter had played major catalyst in the process of transfer of the land, said now the State government should take steps so that the rest 2.029 acres of land of the OSRTC gets transferred to the college as soon as possible. He also demanded immediate release of funds for construction of buildings on the land that was handed over the college. Mr. Panda termed the transfer of land as a victory of longstanding united effort for which people of the city got together forgetting their differences. The State Revenue Minister reiterated that the State government was making efforts to transform the autonomous college into a deemed university.

Source: The Hindu