COVID-19 impact: Odisha colleges asked to adopt austerity measures

Bhubaneswar: In view of the economic downturn due to the COVID-19 situation, Odisha Higher Education Department has asked government degree colleges across the state not to submit any new infrastructure development project for administrative approval.

“Government Colleges are hereby advised not to submit any new infrastructure development project for administrative approval of the Higher Education Department except bare minimum repair/maintenance work of urgent nature,” the department said in a letter to all principals of the government degree colleges.

The colleges should pursue and ensure that infrastructure projects for which administrative approval has already been accorded by the department are taken up and completed in time by the executing agencies, the letter added.

The Finance Department had recently issued detailed guidelines for adoption of expenditure rationalization measures in the wake of the economic downturn due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.