Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) Permanent Campus Still a Far Cry

Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) Permanent Campus Still a Far Cry

* Since its foundation in 2011, only three diploma courses are taught at the temporary site

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Aug 19: It is a matter of serious concern that the permanent campus of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) in Sivasagar has not come up at the proposed site even after the lapse of almost seven years since its foundation. This is despite the fact that the Lok Sabha Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas has raised the issue a number of times on the floor of Lok Sabha and called for measures to expedite the process.

Only a portion of the permanent campus has been constructed by CPWD. The standing committee in its latest report to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recommended the execution of the revised DPR within a time-bound schedule. It further sought allocation of the required funds to complete the pending work so that full academic activities could commence on the permanent campus of RGIPT.

The revised DPR envisages the project cost at Rs 880.10 crore. Of the amount, while Rs 396.32 crore comes under the head of Capital expenditure, Rs 483.78 crore is earmarked under the Corpus/Endowment fund. The Government has already sent the concept paper to the Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure) for ‘in-principle’ approval of the project. According to sources, the entire project is proceeding at snail’s progress as the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is yet to get nod from the Ministry concerned.

The foundation stone of this institute of national importance was laid by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the presence of then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at the Matak Gohain site on Dhai Ali Road in Sivasagar way back on February 19, 2011. In fact, classes were also supposed to commence from the later part of that year.

However, the academic session started only from the academic year 2017-18 with three diploma courses on Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Pipeline Engineering. Altogether 120 students enrolled for the courses with 30 students in each discipline. RGIPT is presently functioning from its temporary campus at Sibsagar Commerce College.

The mandate of RGIPT centre at Sivasagar is to set up a centre to cater to the requirements of blue collar technicians, especially in the upstream area for meeting the current gap in skill set and the anticipated demand in view of future expansion plans.

In view of the promising mandate of the institute, conscious circles have called for measures to expedite the full-fledged functioning of RGIPT from its permanent campus.

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