Bhubaneswar: The state government is planning to set up the second campus of Rama Devi Women's University at the Utkal varsity here.

The higher education department has written to the Utkal University authorities to allot a 30 acres on its campus for the project.

However, the Utkal students are not ready to share their campus with the women's varsity.

A four-member committee, headed by Utkal University vice-chancellor Soumendra Mohan Patnaik, has been formed to identify 30 acres at the varsity for setting up the new campus of the women's varsity.

The panel has the vice-chancellor of Rama Devi Women's University, additional secretary of the higher education department and an official in the general administration department as its members.

The committee has been asked to submit its report by February 15.

However, the students of Utkal University opposed the move for land allotment to the women's varsity on their campus following the notification by the higher education department.

The students, under various youth organisations, staged demonstrations and gave a memorandum to the vice-chancellor regarding the issue."We do not want to disturb the ambience of the varsity because of any outside influence. I think a decision needs to be taken in this regard at the earliest," said Soumya Ranjan Jena, a student leader.

In 2016, the higher education department had asked the Utkal University to provide land for setting up the second campus of the Rama Devi Women's University.

Following protests by the students, the then vice-chancellor, Ashok Das, had rejected the proposal to allot land to the women's varsity.

The protesters had blocked the main gate by burning tyres.

They shouted slogans against the state government and flaunted placards saying "Stop planning to divide Utkal campus".

Later, the Khurdha district administration had identified 30 acres at Daspur for the project. Sources said it had been decided to set up the second campus of the Rama Devi Women's University at Daspur on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, but the decision was later changed citing the distance and security concerns.

"We will take a decision shortly after talking to the students. We will resolve the matter peacefully without hassles," said a senior official of the higher education department.