Appreciating demand for 5 technical colleges by Vedanata in Kalahandi

To
Shri Bhakta Charan Das, Member of Parliament

CC
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Honorable Prime Minister of India
Smt. Sonia Gandhi, UPA chairperson
Mr. Naveen Patnaik, Honorable chief minister of Odisha
Congress Party Leaders
MPs from Orissa

Dear Shri Das,
I really appreciate for your demand to establish five technical colleges in Kalahandi by Vedanta as reported in the Pioneer dated 19 Sept 2009.

http://kalahandia. blogspot. com/2009/ 09/good-initiati ve-bhakta- babu-mp-demands. html

In fact comprising five technical colleges in medicine, engineering, polytechnique, ITI etc that your have rightly demanded and few other courses in science, law, arts, management, pharmacy etc a real national standard University could be estalished by Vedanta in Kalahandi towards local development program.

When a company along with its sister organization, Anil Agrawal Foundation, is willing to invest Rs 15,000 to establish a world class institution somewhere else, it should not be difficult for the same company to invest Rs 1,000 crore to establish a national standard University under UGC act of Govt. of India in a locality, especially where it has mining and business interest, towards local development program. It is also giving wrong message to common people of India when Vedanta is unable to establish a national standard institution in Kalahandi, the region where it is mining and bringing environmental and tribal rehabilitation issues and particualrly the same region is well known for backwardness in the nation, but planning for a world class institution in another place. Though we welcome Vedanta's industrialization in the region, it would be good for Vedanta to prove its social responsiblity in higher education in a backward place like Kalahandi towards local development program before starting a world class institution somewhere else.

We had proposed a state University by Vedanta earlier as attached file to the state Govt and not received any thing from them. However, the draft proposal can be modified if you along with state and central Governments are willing to pursue a complete new national standard real Univesity by Vedanta in Kalahandi comprising five technical colleges that you have suggested and adding few other courses in science, management, law, arts, pharmacy etc, those are important for development of backward Kalahandi and Nuapada region.

We also urge honorable Prime Minister Dr. Singh, Smt Sonia Gandhi, Chief minister of Orissa Mr. Patnaik, union minister of human resource development Mr. Sibal and other political leaders to take appropriate steps to convience Vedanta or VAL to establish a national standard University in Kalahandi by collaborating with UGC in PPP mode before establising a world class institution somewhere else.

Again we and many other people strongly extend our support and appreciate your initiative in this regard.

Thank you and best regards