Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik today resigned from the post of the president of Vedanta University project. He reportedly forwarded his resignation letter to Anil Agarwal Foundation, a philanthropic unit set up by Vedanta Resources’ chairman Anil Agarwal.
Patnaik had been appointed as the president of the proposed Vedanta University project on April 29, 2015. However, after his resignation the fate of the university hangs in balance.
"It is true that I have resigned from Vedanta and I will move out of the office after completion of my notice period. Since last two years I have done my best for establishment of the university, but I found lack of interest from Anil Agrawal Foundation. So, for me staying here for long is a waste of time," said Patnaik.
"There are many barriers for establishing a university, acquisition of land is one of them. But it does not mean that we will wait for the order of the Supreme Court for its establishment. If we wait for it, the foreign universities or institutions ready for collaboration with us will lose their patience and think the university is not serious about its promise. University is not an industry that demands land for establishment. A university can be started in a rented building and can be shifted later on after the land problem is solved." he added.
“Commitment is must for establishment of a university and many a times it is financial. If we talk with any foreign university for establishment of various centres and are unable to do it, they will have a bad impression not only towards the foundation but also towards Odisha and India. I had informed the chairman of Vedanta that if we do not start it in an alternate place than we will lose our face. But I saw that he is not showing interest towards the university, so I decided to quit," Patnaik said further.
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