Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4: The shifting of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology’s camp office to Rourkela has raked up fresh controversies.

While the protest against the shift refuses to die, questions are now being raised about the very origin of the office at Gandamunda in Bhubaneswar, which was established in April 2008. The varsity had then entered into an MoU with the state industries to establish a central placement cell in Bhubaneswar for all the technical graduates of the state.

The purpose of the cell was to have a common platform on which companies and organisations could be invited and arrangements made for campus recruitments. This cell was also supposed to double up as a faculty-training centre during the non-recruitment season. According to the MoU (a copy of which is available with The Telegraph), the state government agreed to provide five acres to the university at Gandamunda.

The land was provided with an existing building for which Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) had paid rent.

Although the ownership of the land continued to remain with the government, the varsity was given the rights to construct buildings for their own work.

The MoU, which was initially valid for 25 years, stated that the agreement could be terminated through mutual consent after the amount with respect to the assets created by the BPUT was be paid back by the industries department.

Although four years have passed, the central placement cell has not seen any placement activities.

Instead, it was turned into a camp office, where several issues regarding mistakes, omissions in certificates and mark sheets were required to be addressed.

With students pouring in with complaints, the purpose behind setting up the office was overlooked. After a year or two, the OJEE office shifted to the cell and the very purpose of the cell failed.

Student organisations, who are up in arms against the shifting of the camp office, have now raised questions about the money being collected by the varsity towards placements.

“Every year, the varsity collects Rs 3,500 from each student for placements. This has been continuing ever since the formation of the varsity. As there have been no placements, where has all the money gone,” said President of the BPUT students’ union Bijay Basantia. The union has filed a right to information application seeking details about where the placement fee collected so far has gone.

“They have no right to play with the future of students. Hundreds of BTech students are unemployed. While the deteriorating standard of education in institutes under the varsity is to be blamed, the delay is holding the final semester exams ruins the remaining chances,” said vice-president of the union Samapta Mohanty.

The BPUT officials were unavailable for comments