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Land identified for IIT dug up by stone-quarry mafia

Colossal loss: The proposed site of IIT at Arugul near Jatni that has been dug at different places by stone-quarry mafia.

BHUBANESWAR: Naveen Patnaik government lobbied with the Centre on a campaign mode for establishment of an Indian Institute of Technology in the State.

But when it came to facilitating the setting up of IIT, the piece of land identified for the institute at Arugul near Jatni was allegedly left to the mercy of stone-quarry mafia to dig up as deep as they could.

These anti-social elements allegedly carried out excavation operation in broad daylight with no one from the administration coming forward to stop them.

When IIT authorities recently visited the proposed site, which is about 20 km from the present campus, they had no word to describe the extent of damage caused by the stone-quarry mafias.

A number of large pits had come up while top soil, which was essential for building a green campus, was missing.

Things have come to such a pass that as per a preliminary assessment, authorities of Bhubaneswar would require over Rs. 10 crore to undo the damage.

Sources alleged that looting of laterite stone pieces, which are used for construction walls, of this magnitude would not have been possible without the knowledge of local police.

The police finally swung into action when IIT, Bhubaneswar filed a complaint with Jatni Police Station. About eight persons were caught while quarrying stones recently.

The State government has identified 935 acres, mostly government land, at Argul for IIT-B. However, legal transfer of ownership of the land is yet to be completed in favour of IIT-B. Construction of six km of total 19 km-long boundary wall has been completed.

The IIT-B that commenced its academic session from July 2008 does not have a single campus and is operating from eight locations in the Capital City with main administrative and academic facilities at IIT KGP Extension Centre in Bhubaneswar.

The IIT-B is currently has B.Tech courses in civil, electrical, and mechanical while PhD programme in civil, electrical, and mechanical, physics, chemistry, mathematics and humanities.

The student strength of the institute is 360.

When IIT-B got all financial approval, the permanent campus was proposed to be readied by 2012. As per a recent review meeting held in the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the deadline was extended to 2013.

But going by the present pace, the campus is all set to be delayed by two years.

As of now Kolkata-based Consulting Engineers Service India Private Limited which was awarded to prepare campus planning, has only submitted roads and layout of campus.

Besides all procedural delays, the law and order situation has become a headache for IIT authorities.

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