Bhubaneswar, Feb. 5: The department of technical education has decided to focus more on infrastructure development for the 2013-14 academic calendar, and has stipulated the quantum of financial assistance to technical universities, engineering colleges, polytechnics, ITIs and skill development centres.

The institutes will be asked to plug the gaps in infrastructure through construction of workshops, laboratories, hostels, compound walls, campus beautification drives, special repairs, renovation of existing buildings, water supply and sanitation work. The expenses for these projects would be met from the state government’s budget.

While Rs 46 crore has peen proposed for the technical universities and engineering colleges, Rs 15 crore has been set aside for polytechnics. For skill training centres, Rs 340 crore would be allocated, and Rs 35 crore for skill development programmes.

Senior officers of the department said the institutes and construction agencies under it have been asked to prioritise ongoing projects and present proposals for new activities at soon as possible.

“We were looking after the construction activities of the Odisha police housing corporation, which has been delayed. The Centre is pressing hard for utilisation certificates following which we would get new projects,” said an official.

The department is also thinking of implementing salaries according to the pay scale of the All-India Council of Technical Education for officials under the Odisha technical education and training service cadre.

Besides, the department has also directed for e-learning facility at the VSS University of Technology at Burla near Sambalpur.

On the other hand, the vice-chancellor of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology has been asked to immediately shift to the new varsity building in Rourkela.