Jamshedpur: The Rs 140-crore lecture hall complex of Adityapur-based National Institute of Technology (NIT) that will house smart classrooms and new faculty chambers will debut in February next year.

On Wednesday, officials of the tech cradle said work was being done on a war-footing to complete the multi-crore project that will give a big boost to infrastructure development.

"The smart classrooms, each having a seating capacity of 120 students, along with the lecture hall and 150 faculty chambers will become functional in February. The number of smart classrooms will be around six to eight. Each room will be equipped with a large touchscreen LED display panel, computers, specialised software, audience response technology, assistive listening devices, networking, and high-end audio-visual facilities," said Shailendra Singh, dean (academics) of NIT.

According to Singh, the four-storey AC complex will also have a canteen at its basement. The project is executed by Bokaro-based infrastructure development firm Kamla Aditya Constructions. Out of the Rs 140 crore, Rs 68 crore is being spent for civil construction work while the rest will be utilised for the installation of a central AC system and electrical fittings.

NIT officials said the new classrooms and faculty chambers were a must as the tech cradle was also hosting the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) courses for the last two years.

IIIT was supposed to begin in Ranchi but in the absence of a permanent campus it could not kick off in the capital.

Students are happy with the development.

"The smart classrooms, with Wi-Fi and projectors, and the refurbished faculty chambers will give a major impetus to our institute," said Nishant Kumar, a third-year BTech student.

NIT, one of 30 under the Union HRD ministry, was first established as a Regional Institute of Technology in 1960 at Adityapur in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district. It was upgraded to a national institute in December 2002 and conferred the status of a deemed university.