Jyoti Vihar invites private org. to open high school

( file photo)

Hanging up the UGC proposal of setting a central school for more than a year, the Sambalpur University has now invited a private educational organization to start an English medium high school inside the university campus. This has created sharp reaction among the locals and university staff as it would be difficult for them to effort the costly education of the private organization.
“The syndicate had approved the proposal of UGC to set up a central school in the university campus during March 2008. To take up the matter seriously a committee was also formed. But unfortunately the proposal was not materialized. So now we have moved to invite Xavier to set up a high school”, the registrar of the Sambalpur University Dr. SS Rath told. However he could not give any reason why the proposal was not materialized. “I can not say as I was not posted by that time. My predecessor would answer this”, Dr. Rath told.
Sources said, UGC had sent proposal to set up two central schools in Sambalpur and Berhampur university campus during 2008. Berhampur University authority taking immediate step began the school from 2008-09 academic years. But Sambalpur University did not take proper step immediately. The proposal was placed before the syndicate in April and as per the decision a committee was set up comprising Prof AK Panda, Prof DK Behera and Prof Sukdev Nayak to fellow up the matter. The committee was finally prepared a detailed report on the proposal that was sent only in the month of June. ‘Though a positive report was sent to the UGC to set up the central school in the campus but no body took the issue seriously to pursue the matter with the UGC ’, a senior office staff of the university told.
On the other hand the University claimed to have talked with the educationists and eminent persons of the locality before taking such a decision. “We have talked with corporate houses and eminent personalities before taking such a decision to invite the Xavier organization”, the registrar Dr. Rath told.
On the other hand the university has decided to lease out 10 acres of land inside the campus to the private organization to construct school building. “But how the university would lease out the land to a private organization when the university has got the land from the government on lease basis. This is illegal”, opined a legal expert.