IIT Palakkad to begin classes this academic year

Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy today announced IIT Palakkad will start classes this academic year operating from a temporary facility.  

The state government had given its nod to acquire 500 acres for constructing a permanent campus.

Inaugurating the chief minister mass contact programme at Palakkad, Chandy announced 16 projects for Palakkad district. The announced projects include setting up an IIT, a Medical College hospital, Cyber Park at Pattambi and drinking water projects. All of them would be completed within an year, he said.

The state gave its administrative nod for release of Rs 360 crore for the proposed medical college. Its construction would be completed within two years and a cancer treatment research centre would also be started. Out of the 100 seats in the MBBS batch, 70 seats would be reserved for students belonging to scheduled tribes.

It is proposed the Kuttipuram-Kumbidi-Tritala-Pattambi-Shornur road would be constructed by spending Rs 120 crore under the annuity scheme. Chandy said Rs 25.3 crore had been sanctioned to construct six new link by passes from Palakkad town.

A special agricultural development project would be implemented at Attappadi, for which, Rs 10.28 crore has been sanctioned for the same in which tribal people  from 192 settlements will undertake farming. It has also been decided to set up Cyber Park at Pattambi.

Sanction has been given for the revised estimate of Rs 9.35 crore for Chitoor- Tathamangalam drinking water project. Kuzhalmantham- Kannadi- Tenkurissi drinking water project will be commissioned within a year. Steps have been taken to get the Central assistance  of Rs 7.5 crore  for the project. Rs 10 crore  have been sanctioned for the second phase works of Anakkara- Pattithara drinking water project.

Solar electricity will be used to light up 13  SC/ST settlements for which Rs 4.85 crore has been sanctioned. The aim is to bring electricity before March of next year, CM said. Green triangle tourism circuit will be set up. ‘Organic Palakkad’ project will also be implemented. The aim is to make the district the first organic district in India.