Raipur: The Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) on Thursday agreed to give 250 acres to the state government to set up the Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University (CSVTU).

The Bhilai plant, the flagship unit of public sector Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and India's largest steel plant in the public sector, is based 30 km west of state capital Raipur.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the land transfer was signed by S.K. Kujur, state's technical education secretary, and P.K. Agrawal, the BSP's executive director. Chief Minister Raman Singh was present on the occasion.

The state government established the CSVTU through an Act passed by the Chhattisgarh assembly on January 21, 2005 to ensure systematic, efficient and quality education in engineering and technological subjects. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of the university on April 30, 2005.

According to the MoU, the plant would provide Rs.500 million ($12.76 million) besides the land to the state government for developing infrastructure for the university.

The state government would reserve 50 percent of the seats in postgraduate studies in certain courses such as steel technique and material handling for SAIL employees while a few seats would be reserved for SAIL employees' children in other courses. IANS