The official said that the CM is likely to write a letter to the Centre in this regard. "The state government will provide all the requisite infrastructure and support for the purpose. However, the central government will have to take certain steps to facilitate this move," he added.

He further said that the Centre will have to make an amendment in the IIT Act for inclusion of the IIT Patna in its ambit. It will also have to constitute a governing body for the IIT Patna and appoint a director, he added. "The Bihar government will extend total support towards setting up of the director's office as well as making the IIT Patna functional on the lines of support provided by the government of Assam in the case of IIT Guwahati," the official said. The IIT Guwahati became functional on a temporary infrastructure long before its own buildings were complete.

The Union government has okayed proposals regarding the setting up of IITs in Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. The government of Bihar intends to acquire 500 acres of land in Bihta, around 30 km away from Patna, for the establishment of the IIT Patna.

The science and technology department maintained that the procurement of land was in an advanced stage and that the work on preparation of a hydrological profile of the site, as desired by some members of the site selection committee, is also in progress.

A team of experts headed by Prof Goyal of IIT Roorkee has already surveyed the proposed site at Bihta and sought hydrological data of the area from any competent agency like the state water resources department.