Naveen, shun myopic vision !

Tathya.in, April 11, 2007

Bhubaneswar:11/April/2007
Globe trotter Naveen Patnaik has been dubbed as a man with myopic vision.

The Non Resident Oriyas (NRO) have pointed out to the chief minister, who has seen the world during his adolescent period to broaden his mental frame beyond Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

Leading the pack Professor Chitta Baral of Arizona State University said while we lend all kudos for his initiative to set up NISER, IIIT, Ravenshaw Unitary University, Vedanta University, Ravi Shankar University and several other centers for higher learning in the state but the decision to place all these institutions in and around Bhubaneswar smacks of a narrow vision.

Prof.Baral appealed the chief minister (CM) to adopt mid way correction and pursue the multi-campus KBK University and KBK Medical college along with similar facilities in Baripada and Balasore.

He said that upgrading UCE Burla to an engineering and Science University at par with Bengal Engineering and Science University and Cochin University of Science and Technology will go a long way to serve the students of the state.

Prof.Baral also pointed him out to make sure that the recently established universities across Orissa such as North Orissa , Fakirmohan , BPUT, Utkal University of Culture and Ravenshaw Unitary University all get the "Funded by UGC" tag at the earliest so that they can get more and sustained UGC funding.

He advised CM to appoint a professional to the rank of vice chancellor of Orissa University system to pursue the job needed get the above tag and receive outside funding for the universities.

While Prof.Baral has asked Naveen to rope in both private and public sector participation to set up Centers of Higher Learning another vigilant NRO Sandip K Dasverma expressed serious reservation over the decision of the state government to upgrade the Capital Hospital to the status of a Medical college.

Being a veteran Cuttacki, Dasverma presently staying at Richland in USA said that he is at loss over setting up another medical college at Bhubaneswar just 20 km ahead, while the SCB Medical college is languishing due to funds shortage and infrastructure lacunae.

More than that neither the North Orissa districts from Balasore to Sundargarh have any medical facility worth the name nor South Orissa beyond Berhampur has a hospital of good standard, Dasverma added.

And these are distances of 300 km up and yet this Government builds another medical college and hospital at Bhubaneswar, where another two private Medical colleges are coming up.

While making pungent remarks he said with such friends Orissa does not need any enemies, do we?, he asked.

Dasverma dubbed all the talk of KBK development as bunkum.

Else I would guess this medical college would have gone to Jeypore or Koraput, is not it?

He repeated his quiz.

Earlier joining the issue Digambara Patra, who co-ordinates the study in Japan and US and a fellow in Waseda University of Tokyo lamented over the poor standards in various colleges of Koraput, Balangir and Kalahandi due to bureaucratic callousness.

Dr.Patra also drew the point to set up the multi-campus university in KBK region, which will go a long way to improve lop sided educational infrastructure in the state.