Inquiry into delay in AICTE approval to PMEC demanded

BRAHMAPUR: Brahmapur Nagarika Manch (BNM), a civil society organisation, has demanded parity in the matter of AICTE approval to technical colleges in the State and an inquiry into delay in granting the approval to the Parala Maharaja Engineering College (PMEC) in Brahmapur.

BNM member and former Deputy Speaker of Odisha Legislative Assembly Ram Chandra Panda has written a letter to the Union Minister of Human Resources Development in this regard. In his letter, Panda said the PMEC and the Government College of Engineering in Bhawanipatna, established by the State Government in 2009 for development of technical education in backward regions, failed to get necessary approval from the AICTE.

Panda stated that the colleges have sound infrastructure with good hostel facilities like PMEC where 37 teaching staffs were engaged with an intake capacity of 63 in each of four departments which are not available in many colleges including some private ones, but why the AICTE is delaying to give approval to the colleges, he questioned.

“I am told that advisor of AICTE has informed to the regional office at Calcutta to process the application of the above college for 2012 - 13. The regional office has not taken any concrete steps so far to process the matter creating uncertainty in the minds of the students and their parents,” said Panda.

BNM member Panda quoting the public perception said that some private institutions with lesser infrastructure have been approved by AICTE, while there is delay in case of the Government colleges, not because of merit obviously for other reasons.