Koraput/Kandhamal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones for model degree colleges in six districts of Odisha including Koraput and Kandhamal districts, through a video conferencing from Jammu & Kashmir on Sunday. The colleges will be set up under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) at an estimated cost of Rs 12 crore each.
An event was organised on the occasion at Koraput Government College where the students interacted and discussed various issues with the PM.
“We were happy that a tribal-dominated place like Koraput is being recognised by the Centre. We were also excited that we got the opportunity to ask questions to the Prime Minister,” said a student of Koraput, Subhalakshmi Satapathy.
Koraput MP Jhina Hikaka, Koraput District Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy, Pottangi MLA Prafulla Kumar Pangi and State Planning Board member Iswar Panigrahi were also present during the programme.
“I welcome the proposal to establish a model degree college in Koraput but such colleges in two or three districts or States will not help boost educational system in the country. In order to develop education, more numbers of model degree colleges are required,” said Hikaka.
The PM also laid the foundation stone for a model college at K. Nuagaon in Kandhamal district. Modi interacted with the students at Gandhi Smriti Bhavan in Phulbani through video-conferencing.
A student of Kandhamal said, “The Prime Minister inaugurated a model degree college at K Nuagaon in Kandhamal district. The step will encourage the students to take up higher studies. Many students do not get the opportunity to study in good colleges due to limited number of seats. The model college here will address that problem.”
Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Kandhamal, Basant Kumar Sahu said, “Once the college starts functioning, I hope the students of the district will be imparted quality education.”
Apart from these two districts, Modi also laid foundation stones for four more model colleges in Kalahandi, Bolangir, Gajapati and Dhenkanal.