Kuldeep Nayar opposes Vedant University in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Oct 12 (UNI) Eminent journalist Kuldeep Nayar today vehemently opposed the establishment of Rs 15,000 crores Vedant University on the Puri- Konark marine drive in Orissa by Anil Agarwal Foundation.

Mr Nayar, addressing the activists of Rastriya Yuva Sangathan and Navanirman Samitee sitting on dharna for last 18 days protesting the POSCO Steel project in Paradip, said under no circumstances, the University should be allowed to operate in Orissa.

He urged the activists to oppose the proposal tooth and nail saying that such a project would in no way benefit the people of the state.

'' Nowhere in the world an University has come up over an area of 10,000 acres,'' he said and alleged that the sole purpose of grabbing such a vast prime land on the Puri-Konark marine drive by the Anil Agarwal Foundantion was to promote five star hotels and tourist resorts in the name of the University.

Mr Nayar said the Orissa government has proposed to move a bill in the coming Assembly session to facilitate the establishment of the Vedant University in the state.

This move has to be stalled and the MLAs who would support the bill in the Assembly should be socially boycotted by the people of Orissa.

He said thousands of people who had been living in the Puri-Konark marine drive for decades would be displaced and deprive of any compensation for the land under their possession as most of the land to be acquired for the project belonged to the Jagannath Temple.

Vedant Alumina Limited Managing Director Anil Agarwal has proposed to set up a world class multi-disciplinary University, first of its kind in the country, with an investment of Rs 15,000 crores.

The Orissa government had already signed a MoU in this regard with the Anil Agarwal Foundation on July 19 and promised to provide 8000 acre of land for the purpose.

The state government had also proposed to pass a specific legislation in the Assembly to provide complete administrative autonomy to the Vedant University and create an allied infrastructure, including an expressway, to connect the University with the Biju Pattnaik Airport in Bhubaneswar.

Mr Agarwal had announced an endowment of one billion US Dollar for setting up of the University which would start enrolling students from 2008.

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