Cuttack, March 17: The Odisha Private Engineering College Association has urged the state government to hold back its decision to introduce any new course or increase the seat intake at government institutes without following the All India Council of Technical Education's regulation.

Approval of the National Board of Accreditation and the council is mandatory for any institute to open a new branch or increase the intake capacity of any branch. The state government is going ahead with its move when no government engineering college in the state has such accreditation or approval.

'The government is expected to give a level-playing field. Technical education in the state can only grow with same rules for government and private engineering colleges and government, private and deemed universities,' association secretary Binod Dash said today. 'We strongly oppose this discriminatory attitude and expect the government to follow the council's regulation in case of both government and private colleges,' Dash said.

'If government colleges are allowed to increase their seats without the National Board of Accreditation's approval, same may be allowed in case of private engineering colleges,' he said.

The government had decided to increase the number of engineering seats in at least six government institutes. At least 1,035 seats would be added in the BTech, MTech, MSc and the integrated dual courses. Admissions to these enhanced courses will start from this academic year.

Accusing the government of showing 'step motherly attitude', he said: 'Seats have been lying vacant in various private engineering colleges for the past six years. The government does not give the opportunity to fill up the vacant seats but is allowing its engineering colleges to increase their intake capacity.'

Moreover, with the present intake capacity, the government colleges do not have the required infrastructure and also lack the required faculty members.

In such a situation, enhancement of seats will only degrade the quality of education, the association argued, while urging to come up with the required set-up and faculty for each course and then go for seat enhancement. The association has made the demand before the department of employment, technical education and training.

Authorities said the government had decided to increase seats at College of Engineering and Technology in Bhubaneswar, Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology at Sarang, Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology at Burla, Parala Maharaja Engineering College in Berhampur, Government Engineering College in Kalahandi and Government School of Engineering in Keonjhar.

An official said the department had written to the council to accord approval to the proposals. The department has also urged it to relax the mandatory norms of the National Board of Accreditation for introduction of new courses for the current academic year.