BHUBANESWAR: Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Monday asked vice-chancellors of all state universities to take proactive measures to protect their campus land from encroachment, stressing that safeguarding institutional assets was essential for the long-term growth and development of higher educational institutions.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the two-day V-C conference at Lok Bhavan here, the Governor said, “The government will do its part in reclaiming encroached land, but it is equally the responsibility of institutions to ensure that no further encroachment takes place.”

Kambhampati further encouraged universities to utilise available rooftop spaces for solar power generation and meet a part of their electricity requirements through clean energy sources.

He also suggested the universities to explore CSR funding and adopt the RESCO model, under which third-party developers finance, install, own and maintain solar power systems, eliminating the need for significant upfront investment by institutions.

Kambhampati called upon institutions to explore carbon credit mechanisms as a potential source of additional revenue while contributing to environmental conservation.

On skill development, the Governor advised institutions lacking adequate infrastructure to collaborate with Skill Development Institutes (SDIs) to leverage their existing facilities.

Higher Education minister Suryabanshi Suraj assured that the state government will proactively act on the Governor’s suggestions. “Skill development infrastructure across higher educational institutions would be expanded,” he said.