BHUBANESWAR: The state government has requested the vice-chancellor of Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Rourkela to initiate necessary steps for establishment of two new engineering colleges in Paradip and Balangir.

The Skill Development and Technical Education (SDTE) department on Friday communicated to the University in this regard, urging the vice-chancellor to assess the teaching and non-teaching manpower requirement for proper functioning of the two technical institutions and furnish the same at the earliest for necessary action at its end.

The two institutions have initially been proposed to offer four undergraduate programme of four-year duration, each with an annual intake of 60 students per programme, in accordance with the AICTE norms.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced establishment of these two engineering colleges during the Budget this year. Apart from these two colleges, the state government has also asked all the district administrations to identify five acres of suitable government land on priority for construction of schools under the Godavarish Mishra Adarsh Prathamika Vidyalaya scheme.

In the first phase, the government has decided to set up 118 model primary schools across all 30 districts under the scheme. Around 2,200 schools have been proposed to be set up at gram panchayat-level over the next four years with an investment of Rs 12,000 crore.