Bhubaneswar, July 15: The Gangadhar Meher University in Sambalpur will have a modern auditorium that will be able to accommodate 1,115 people.

The foundation stone for the project, to be funded by the Western Odisha Development Council, was laid recently.

The varsity's deputy registrar U.C. Pati said the council would fund the project the cost of which has been pegged at Rs 11.5 crore. Already, a sum of Rs 5 crore has been sanctioned and the remaining amount would be disbursed in two phases.The public works department will execute the project. The tender for the construction of the auditorium will be floated shortly. "The auditorium will have 900 seats on the ground floor and 215 seats in the balcony. It will be a multipurpose auditorium and centrally air-conditioned. It will be equipped with all modern facilities," said Pati.

A parking place will be constructed near the auditorium, and a fountain will also be installed in its front.

Set up in 1944 and upgraded to a university in 2015, the Gangadhar Meher College (University) does not have any separate auditorium for organising functions or meetings. The events are organised in the varsity's lecture galleries, which can accommodate only 300 to 350 people.