Ron Duarah
KAJOLGAON (KOKRAJHAR), Feb 8 – Assam today got its largest Private Investment (PI) in the form of a private university project in the BTC area. The project is being implemented by the Kolkata - based Camellia Group and would house all facilities like Engineering College, Law College, Management College, Science College etc., under a common banner to be known as "Chirang Knowledge City".
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today laid the foundation stone of Chirang Knowledge City here on the last day of the celebration of the first triennial conference of the Bodoland Peoples Progressive Front (BPPF) – Hagrama faction. The ceremonial foundation laying was attended by Hagrama Mahilary and senior BPPF (H) leaders as well as Minister of State for Health, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of State for Forest & Environment, Rockybul Hussain,
Minister for P&RD and Transport Chandan Brahma, and Minister for Agriculture, Pramila Rani Brahma among others. The Chief Minister lauded the BTC leadership for taking this unique step for enhancement of education in the state.
The Knowledge City project which is first of its kind in the entire North East was conceptualized by Bodoland Infrastructure Development Company Limited (BIDC), a joint venture of BTC and IL&FS, which would cater to around 15,000 students in the next five years. According to BIDC sources, the Camellia Group of Kolkata was selected as the successful developer after a transparent bidding process. The Group intends to set up an Engineering college with eight different streams, a Management Institute offering MBA and BBA, a Law Institute with 5 and 3 year courses and a Bio- technology Institute in the first phase.
Chairman of the Camellia Group, N R Dutta informed that the Camellia is running around nine colleges of Engineering and Management across the Eastern India is well equipped to take up the project. The University project would be able to give distant education facilities to all their units across the country.
Kampa Borgoyari, deputy chief of BTC said the project would place the Bodoland Territorial Council on the educational map of the country and that this is a part of BTC's vision of creating a model autonomous council. He added that this is the fourth PPP (public private participation) project in the BTC with the association of IL&FS after Champamati Hydropower project (4 MW), Rupahi & Pahumara Hydro Electric Project (2.5 MW), and the Agro Hub & Logistic Center here. All these projects are under various stages of implementation. Borgoyari also informed that to facilitate the Knowledge City project, BTC has offered a grant of Rs 5 crores to the selected developer for common infrastructure facilities. It was also informed that 15% seats would be reserved for Students from within the BTC area.
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