Sambalpur, Nov. 23: A zone-wise review meeting of the principals of Plus Two and Plus Three government and private colleges from Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Boudh and Kishorenagar was held at the Government Women’s College here today.

Discussions to improve the performance of students in all-India competitive exams occupied centre stage at the meeting. Secretary of higher education department Chandra Shekhar Kumar said special coaching classes and regular standard improvement tests would be conducted for the students.

He also stressed on improving library facilities, remedial classes for academically weaker students and applying for grants from the University Grants Commission for development of the colleges in this part of Odisha.

Director of higher education B.P. Nanda, joint secretary of the department Anirudha Rout, state consultant P.C. Acharya, and regional director (Sambalpur) of higher education Rajalakshmi Mishra also addressed the 170 principals who attended the zonal conference today.

In another development, the department has started issuing showcause notices to those principals who had skipped the conference for their respective zones that was conducted earlier. They have been asked to explain as to “what prevented you from attending such an important meeting and prompted you to manifest such casual attitude”.

In case the principals do not specify reasons for their absence within the given date, the department would initiate disciplinary action against them for their “abject indifference” and “brazen defiance”, said a source in the higher education department.