Bhubaneswar: Odisha government is planning to set up second campus of Rama Devi Women's University at premier educational institution Utkal University here.

In this regard, the Higher Education department has written to Utkal University authorities to allot 30 acre land on its premises.

A four-member committee headed by Utkal University Vice Chancellor Prof. Soumendra Mohan Patnaik has been constituted to identify 30 acre at the varsity for setting up RD Women's University, only women's varsity of Odisha. The panel comprises of RD Women's University's VC, Higher Education Additional Secretary and an official in the General Administration (GA) department as the members.

The committee has been asked to submit the report by February 15.

However, the students at Utkal University opposed the move for land allotment to RD Women’s varsity at their campus following the notification by the Higher Education department. They warned of deadly consequences if an inch of land is provided for setting of second campus of RD Women's University at Utkal varsity.

Notably, the Higher Education department in 2016 had proposed the Utkal University to provide land for setting up the second campus of RD Women's University. Following students' protest the then VC Prof Ashok Das rejected the proposal to allot land from its campus. Later, Khordha district administration had identified 30 acre land at Daspur for the project.