Sambalpur: Despite promises from the District Collector to provide land and assurances from the Revenue Minister that land allotment would happen soon, the transfer process of Gangadhar Meher Higher Secondary School (GM Junior College) remains stalled after more than eight years. Though the proposal to establish a new campus in Professor Colony, separate from the university campus, began in 2017, the land acquisition has yet to be completed.
Currently, the school lacks adequate academic infrastructure in proportion to the student population. Delays in setting up the new campus have pushed the future of over 2,200 students into uncertainty. The present campus accommodates students from Arts, Commerce, Science, and Vocational streams, but there is a severe shortage of faculty and supporting facilities.
Classes are being held in just 11 rooms, including the university building. In some cases, over 120 students are cramped into a single hall. If the university organizes any event in these rooms, regular classes are suspended. The school is heavily dependent on the university’s auditorium and utility center for cultural, sports, and other departmental programs.
Since the Junior College was separated from the university and brought under the Higher Secondary Education Council in 2017, no concrete steps like land acquisition or handover have progressed. In November last year, the District Collector Siddheshwar Baliram Boda had written to the Municipal Corporation to initiate the necessary processes. However, the project continues to face delays due to various reasons.
The matter has been brought to the attention of Sambalpur Municipal Commissioner Vedbhushan, who acknowledged that multiple issues are causing the delay.
Besides the academic block, there is also a requirement for an auditorium, hostel, sports ground, and other infrastructure. The government land in Professor Colony and adjacent land under the Endowment Department is reportedly insufficient for setting up the new college campus. As a result, other potential locations in the city are being considered. Two to four possible sites are under review, and the college administration has informed the district authorities accordingly. A final decision on the new site will be taken soon after assessing all aspects.
The process to establish a new GM Higher Secondary School campus separately had already started, including preliminary steps like land identification in Professor Colony. However, despite repeated demands, the administration has delayed handing over the land.
Chairman Nirmal Chandra Kuldeep stated that both the university and the higher secondary school require proper facilities and development, making the transfer and establishment of a new campus an urgent need. However, the process remains stuck at the administrative level. Once the land is acquired, construction work is supposed to begin—but for now, everything remains stalled at the initial stage.