Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Dr. Digambara Patra seeks University and Wagon Factory in Kalahandi

www.odishanewstoday.com, March 6, 2011

News Desk: Dr. Digambara Patra has sought early establishment of the Wagon Factory in Kalahandi. He also requested the government to convert the Bhawanipatna College into a University.

He urged the Chief Minister of Odisha and other relevant authorities to take necessary action so that growth and development takes the centrestage in Kalahandi. Here's what Dr. Patra has to say:

"It is astonishing how politics is being made against Kalahandi, a backward region in Koshal, for any new establishment coming to the region. It was for an engineering college in 1980s, then for a central university in 2000s and now for a Wagon Factory in 2010s.

Based on geography and accessibility Kalahandi region deserves a University since a long time. Late Biju Panaik had once promised to consider for a University in Kalahandi in due time.

The distance between Utkal University and Berhampur University is much shorter and better accessible than the distance between Bhawanipatna and any other University in the state including recently established Central University of Orissa at Koraput in KBK.

In last few months both the Higher Education Minister Dr Mishra and Chief Minister of Odisha Mr Patnaik separately visited Khallikote College and announced to make it a University soon.

Although Chief Minister Mr. Patnaik visited recently to Govt. Autonomous College Bhawanipatna on Feb 28, 2011, he did not announce to upgrade it to a State University despite there was a strong local speculation and expectation from the students.

The higher education task force in its report has recommended for up gradation of Govt. Autonomous College Bhawanipatna (GACB) to a state (affiliated) University and Khallikote College (KC) to a Unitary University.  In the page 68 of the report it has also mentioned to finance up gradation of GACB in the year 2010-11 whereas in page 66 it mentions to start financing Khallikote College in the year 2012-2017. Thus, GACB should be made University before KC.

Beside that as per the convenience of students and faculties affiliated University in KBK is more urgent than a Unitary University for an Autonomous College in a stone through distance from an existing state University.

GACB has got Potential Center of Excellence by UGC much before than KC.Unfortunately, politics is spoiling the chance of Kalahandi’s development every time as there is no rationality in state Government judgment for the above.

A big question is why the state Government has sent the proposal for Wagon Factory in Ganjam instead of Kalahandi if there was no ill motivation when railway budget 2010-11 clearly mentions Bhubaneswar/Kalahandi for the same?

As per the news report Wagon Factory proposal in Kulti near Asansol in Bardhaman of West Bengal needs just 20-30 acres of land, privately railway ministry has also mentioned requirement of 30-40 acres of land for the same, in that respect why 500 acres of land in Ganjam is being proposed by the state Government and sent to Railway minister?

Was it just to divert the attention to favour a particular region, so that once site is identified by using 500 acres of land tag, it could be easily established in 50 acres in Ganjam?

There is plenty of sites having 30 -50 acres of Government non-forest and unused land near to railway lines in Kalahandi. In fact there are many sites where 500 acres of land can be allotted. If state Government was serious for the site in Kalahandi, the land requirement could be easily fulfilled.

As per information, the district administration in Kalahandi was never asked to find out the land requirement for the proposed Wagon Factory, than how could the land in Ganjam be identified before that?

When state Government is diverting forest land for mining and other industries against the local people’s will, it is strange why such thing is not possible in Kalahandi for a public sector less polluting Wagon Factory when local people are very much interested.

To our knowledge there are plenty of lands, more than 500 acres each, in Narla, Kesinga, Lanjigarh road, Jaring etc near the railway tracks, some of this lands are by name shake forest land as in reality they are no more forests, which can be easily used for establishing such a factory. More than 180 acres of non-forest Government unused land is also available near Sardar Medical College in Jaring adjacent to railway track.

On the other hand state Govt. is directly encouraging forest land having dense trees for Vedanta in the same Kalahandi district.

Whether forest or non-forest land, if the Government was serious for Kalahandi, land could be easily found and it is absolutely illogical to say land cannot be found for Wagon Factory in Kalahandi.

Railway ministry is even kind enough to express in the parliament on March 3, 2011 (Samaja, March 4, 2011) that if land is allotted in Kalahandi by the state Government, then it may establish second Wagon Factory in Kalahandi in the state.

In this respect if state Government does not send a new proposal for Kalahandi, the ill motivation of the state Government against Kalahandi will clearly be exposed.

I request you to kindly consider upgradation of GACB immediately to a state University and send another proposal to railway ministry identifying land for Wagon Factory in Kalahandi."

Dr. Digambara Patra is the Assistant Professor Department of Chemistry at the American University of Beirut.

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