Pucca road to be built between IISER and Rangeilunda airstrip

A pucca road will be constructed between the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Berhampur, near Laudigaon to the airstrip at Rangeilunda in Odisha's Ganjam district.
A preliminary survey for the proposed 11-km road project was conducted recently by engineers of the works department, officials said.
The pucca road will be constructed for quick commuting (within 10 minutes) of the scientists to the institute, said Odisha's Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahy, who has also joined the preliminary survey exercise.
The Minister has asked the engineers to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the road. The government has also proposed to upgrade the airstrip at Rangeilunda to an airport, official sources said.

At least three small culverts are needed to be constructed over water bodies for the proposed road, said executive engineer, Berhampur, Binay Padhi.
There is no need for acquisition of private land for the road, he said.

The government has allotted 200 acres at Laudigaon near Gopalpur for construction of the permanent campus of the IISER Berhampur. Construction of the pucca road is necessary as the government has assured the Centre to provide all necessary infrastructure to the institute, officials said.
The institute started functioning from the current year on its temporary campus in the ITI Berhampur with 60 students taking admission.

Union cabinet on October 27 had approved for operationalisation of the institute on the temporary campus for initial three years from 2016-17 to 2018-19 involving a cost of Rs 152.77-crore, official sources said.
Meanwhile, Forum for Ganjam, an umbrella organisation of some intellectuals, activists, members of political parties and academics, urged the government to appoint a permanent director for the IISER Berhampur.