Bhubaneswar, Dec 20: The construction work of a new hostel at the Odisha Agricultural and Technical University (OUAT) campus has begun. Meanwhile, the construction work of two new hostels for female students will begin very soon. Additionally, the renovation of five existing hostels is currently underway. As the number of students, especially female students, continues to increase, the OUAT administration has undertaken this initiative to address the rising demand for accommodation.
The two new hostels will exclusively house female students, and they will be constructed with support from the state's Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Department, as well as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Another hostel will be designated solely for male students. All hostels will be built with modern facilities.
Each hostel will have Wi-Fi access, e-libraries, and a canteen. Recently, the OUAT administration met with Odisha's Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister, Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo, to discuss the progress of these projects. Renovation and construction of the hostels are expected to be completed by March next year, as the state government has prioritized this development.
In addition to Bhubaneswar, all OUAT campuses in Sambalpur, Chipilima, Berhampur, and Bhawanipatna will be equipped with full Wi-Fi coverage. OUAT has partnered with TCIIL (Telecommunications and Consultants India Limited) from New Delhi to implement this.
Currently, there are around 6,000 students enrolled at OUAT, with about 53% of them being female. Presently, the university has 7 hostels for male students and 10 hostels for female students. Due to the growing number of students, the university has proposed complete renovation of the 10 female hostels, and the state government has accepted the proposal. Since 2021, the Odisha Bij and Construction Corporation Limited has been entrusted with this work.
As part of the first phase of renovations, five hostels—Sarada Devi, Srujanika-10, Malati Devi, Ramadevi, and Kuntalakamari—have been completed. Renovation work is ongoing for the remaining two female hostels. Additionally, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Department is constructing a 200-bed hostel on the OUAT campus. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research will also build a hostel near Bharatpur.
A five-story specialized student hostel is also under construction near the College of Basic Sciences and the Jhadadeshwari Temple on the main road. This hostel will have five rooms and multiple levels, following the guidelines set by the nearby airport authorities. Furthermore, the Golden Jubilee Complex has been equipped with full Wi-Fi connectivity, as confirmed by OUAT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Prabhat Kumar Raul.
