Kalahandi Central Univ; high in demand

Tathya, 21st April, 2008
Bhawanipatna:21/April/2008

Non Resident Oriyas (NRO) from various parts of the world are demanding for a Central University at Bhawanipatna. Bhawanipatna is the district headquarters of Kalahandi district, which is the epicenter of KBK zone. KBK(Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) is the most backward areas of the state.
After the Government of India announced to set up 2 Central Universities (CU) in Orissa, officials and planners are busy in finding sites in the urban areas of the state, which are in a much developed condition. But no body is thinking about the rural and remote areas of Orissa, lamented leading NRO Digambara Patra. Dr.Patra teaches at the American University of Beirut. He feels in the current scenario no importance was given to the rural and remote area in technical and higher education.
Unfortunately many in our political and administrative circles do not have a complete idea of backward place like KBK region in Orissa, which is reflected in their very poor judgment while establishing national institutes, echoed Madhusmita Panda, another NRO from Lebanon. . Ms. Panda said the Central University in the North-eastern states which are inaccessible, hilly and extremist torn areas have done quite fine. NERIST in Arunachal Pradesh http://www.nerist.ac.in/ is doing quite well. When IIT Guwahati was established many academicians were thinking nobody would go to teach there. Today it is one of the best technical institutes employing the best brains across India as its faculties, said she.
Lingaraj Patra from Tokyo equally concerned for the worst backward region, said unless a chance is provided to areas in KBK, and keep saying that the central university there will not get faculty, how will they ever get out of their backwardness. Two decades ago Assam was inaccessible; today it’s a destination for higher education because of IIT and central universities for the whole nation. Detailing out the facilities, Mr.Patra said the Kalahandi in fact has many advantages for establishing a CU. It is epicenter to all the KBK districts. It’s the only district which has a border with five other KBK districts and additionally with other backward Boudh and Phulbani districts and district of Chhatisgarh.
It is well connected by road through NH201 and connects Visakhapattanam, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Berhampur and all the District’s head quarters of KBK, Boudh and Phulbani districts. The Kesinga railway station is located within 26 Km of its reach and the direct railway link to Bhawanipatna via Lanjigarh is almost complete. Raipur airport is directly linked by road and located about 220 km. Raipur has daily air connectivity to most of the major cities in India. Moreover, an aerodrome at Utkela is hardly 12 Km away from the college campus.
It has plenty of available land for a CU .To start with Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna is one of the best colleges in KBK region imparting teaching up to P.G.classes, said Ms.Panda. The achievements of the college are: the status of Potentiality for Excellence by the U.G.C. It is one of the three colleges in Orissa to have been honored with this award in the first phase. No other college of KBK district has received such rare distinction by the University Grants Commission of India.
To start the university at present the built up area of Govt College Bhawanipatna campus is 60 acres of land and towards its north-east more than 100 acres of land are there lying vacant, revealed Mr.Patra. So from various point of view, Bhwanipatna is the most suitable place for a Central University and all of them demand to set up the institution immediately.