Orissa MP writes to Sibal for a National University

Merinews, Nov 4, 2009
Member of Parliament Bhakta Charan Das has written to Union Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal to establish a National University in Kalahandi in the state of Orissa on the occasion of the Foundation Day of Kalahandi.

ON THE occasion of the Foundation Day of Kalahandi, Member of Parliament Bhakta Charan Das wrote to Union Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal to establish a National University in Kalahandi in the state of Orissa. He mentioned a separate district in the name of Kalahandi was formed in Orissa province on November 1, 1949, after the landmass of Kalahandi joined with the Indian Dominion on January 1, 1948, with its merger with Orissa. In last two decades, Kalahandi became well known in India for its backwardness, poverty and illiteracy. Higher education entered into this landmass only in 1960, with the establishment of the present Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna.


Since 1990, people of Kalahandi have been struggling to get a university. During 1998-99, the people voiced for a Central University at Kalahandi and several appeals to the Centre and the state and number of peaceful demonstrations took place for the cause of a Central University in Kalahandi. Their dream, however, dashed on the ground, when the government of Orissa allotted land for the said university at Koraput in 2008, which was inaugurated by Sibal recently. This action of Orissa government has considerably injured the emotion of Kalahandi people. Request of Kalahandi people to HRD Ministry during 2008 and in early part of 2009, for reconsideration of Kalahandi site- Karlapada (eight hundred acers of government land near Utkela air trip, Kesinga railway station and NH, No- 201) for the said Central University was ignored.

With this backdrop, he appealed to the MHRD to allot a National University for Kalahandi as a special package just like the KBK Yojana launched by former Prime Minister, P V Narasingha Rao in 1996, to alleviate the poverty of Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput districts of Orissa. The said Yojana has ameliorated the economic lot of the people and special package – National University will definitely sharpen the consciousness of the people in general and would give a boost to the talent of next generation. Two universities (Central University at Koraput and National University at Kalahandi) in KBK zone will certainly bring rich dividends for the people and the backward KBK would march forward towards India 2020.

It is to be noted that people from Kalahandi and non-resident Indians have been continuously asking to establish a National or Central University in Kalahandi since past decades. Many memorandum, open letters, protest letters and emails have been submitted to the Prime Minister, minister of HRD and President of India on this matter. Similar protest in Jammu and Kashmir had forced to establish two Central Universitites in the state of Jammu and Kashmir by the MHRD. However, Central government has not yet listened to the demand of Kalahandi people for a National or Central University.