Bhubaneswar: In response to growing concerns over LPG availability, the Odisha Higher Education Department has directed strict monitoring of cooking gas supply to all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the state, particularly for hostels and mess facilities.
In an official letter, Dr Sujata Subhadarshini Nayak, Joint Secretary to the Government, instructed all Regional Directors of Education in Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Jeypore, and Sambalpur to take immediate steps.
The directive comes in pursuance of discussions held during the 2nd meeting of the State Crisis Management Group and observations made by the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Higher Education Department.
“In pursuance of the discussions held in the 2nd meeting of the State Crisis Management Group and the observations of Commissioner-cum-Secretary. Higher Education Department it has been decided that the supply of LPG to Higher Educational Institutions (HEls), particularly for hostels, needs to be closely monitored”, read the letter.
The department has asked Regional Directors to issue necessary instructions to all HEIs under their jurisdiction regarding the prevailing scarcity of LPG supply. They have also been directed to establish and widely publicize a departmental helpline number for institutions to report issues related to LPG shortage.
Regional Directors must ensure proper monitoring and timely redressal of all complaints received from the colleges and universities.
Additionally, the government has emphasized that all Higher Educational Institutions should switch over to Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections wherever the facility is available, without any further delay.
The Higher Education Department has sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the implementation of these instructions from all Regional Directors by June 30, 2026.
This proactive measure is aimed at preventing any disruption in hostel mess operations and minimizing difficulties faced by students due to cooking fuel shortages.
