Berhampur varsity gets Rs 20 crore for post-Phailin repair work

The state government on Thursday sanctioned Rs 20 crore for repair and restoration of Berhampur University (BU). Higher education minister Pradip Kumar Panigrahi announced it at an interactive meeting on post-Phailin management at the university in presence of governor and chancellor S C Jamir.

"The funds would also be used for setting up an e-library and a language laboratory for development of communication skills of students," said Panigrahi. The university was severely affected by Phailin, which hit Odisha coast near Gopalpur on October 12 last year.

Around 35% repair works have been completed so far, university officials said. The varsity is yet to take up restoration of law, home science and commerce departments, central library, computer centre, science laboratories, sports council, hostels, staff quarters, Lingaraj Law College, the only constitute college of the university, and the deer park. "We could not take up the repair work because of paucity of funds," said vice-chancellor Deepak Kumar Behera.

The government had provided Rs 3 crore to the university for post-Phailin relief work, while public works department engineers had calculated the total expenditure at Rs 6.63 crore, official sources said. "We have to complete the repair work before the new session," the VC added. Panigrahi said funds would not be a hurdle in the development of the varsity. He urged the authorities to re-design courses and make them job-oriented.

While the governor inaugurated post-Phailin plantation drive and two new hostels for girls on the campus, the minister laid the foundation stone of a new administrative building. Initially, we will plant 7,500 plants on the campus," said divisional forest officer, Berhampur, S S Mishra.Source: ToI