‘Land available; establish model college in K’handi’

The Pioneer, April 21, 2012
Non Resident Odia (NRO) Prof Digambara Patra of American University of Beirut, Lebanon, whose home district is Kalahandi, has expressed grave concerns over the move to shift a Central Government-sponsored model college from the district.
It may be noted here that the Union Government will set up 374 model colleges in educationally backward districts across the nation of which 18 districts from Odisha including, Boudh, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Kandhamal, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Subarnapur, Koraput, Deogarh, Bargarh, Angul, Kalahandi, Balangir,Nayagarh, Rayagada, Keonjhar, Ganjam, and Dhenkanal will get one college each.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Union HRD Minister, the Odisha Chief Minster, the Leader of Opposition in State Assembly and the Odisha MPs, Prof Patra has urged them to consider with priority on establishing the college in Kalahandi as the district is tribal dominated and educationally backward, where the literacy rate as per 2011 census is 60 per cent against the State average rate of 73 per cent and national average rate of 74 per cent.
Rubbishing the ground that the district has not 10 acres of Government land for which the college will be shifted elsewhere, Patra said in Kalahandi, there are many sites where the required land is available.
“As per my knowledge, Icchapur village near Bhawanipatna has 45 acres of Government land, let alone 100 of acres of land in Thumul Rampur and 10 acres near Jaring. Even, we can privately arrange 10 acres of land in my home town Dharamgarh if a chance is given for the project,” Patra said in the letter.