Chief minister Tarun Gogoi shakes hands with B.K. Birla at the inauguration of the Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti School building in the city on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, April 24: The Birlas are “examining the possibility” of setting up a private engineering college in Assam, patriarch B.K. Birla said today.

Birla and his wife Sarala were in town for the inauguration of a new building of Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti, a school set up by the B.K. Birla Group at Amingaon in 2004.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi appealed to the industrialist to set up a technical institute on the lines of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science at Pilani, which he described as being on a par with the IITs. Birla said after the inauguration of the school building that he was considering it already.

A state government official said Birla actually “committed Rs 10 crore” during his 10-minute conversation with education minister Ripun Bora.

He said the industrialist also placed a formal request for 50 bighas of land for a technical institute.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Gogoi said his government had been according top priority to education. “I request Birlaji to set up high-quality institutions for higher and technical education in Assam. The state government will support all such ventures.”

The chief minister said students would surely not go outside the state for higher education if the best of facilities were made available here. “We want private players to take the lead here, as they have done in the western and southern states of the country. We would like the corporate sector to play a role in the development of the state, particularly in agriculture and education.”

Repeating what he has said on many occasions, Gogoi assured potential investors of his government’s encouragement and help in investing in the state, particularly in education. “The atmosphere to make investments is perfect in Assam. If any businessman fails in Assam, I am sure he will not succeed anywhere,” he added.

The chief minister outlined the potential of investments in cement plants and downstream gas-cracker units during his conversation with Birla.

“He also encouraged Birla to pick up a stake in the power sector, which the government is throwing open for private participation. The industrialist sounded positive and assured the chief minister that he would return with a team of executives for a more focused and longer visit to assess the possibilities,” the government official said.