Monday, November 19, 2012

Urgency in taking action for Regional campus of IGNTU in Kalahandi

Date: Nov 16, 2012

Dear Honorable Chief Minister Mr. Patnaik and Chief Secretary Mr Patnaik,
Kindly recall my earlier letter dated on Aug 10, 2012 regarding establishment of regional campus of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Amarkantak in Kalahandi.
As I pointed out in my earlier letter, IGNTU Amarkantak has already made it clear that it has received proposal from MHRD to establish such a campus in Kalahandi but still waiting for the response of their letter dated 27-04-2010 from the Odisha state Government. Copy of the information obtained through RTI was submitted to you in my earlier communication.
Addl. District Magistrate Kalahandi had informed to the F.A.-cum-Addl. Secretary to Government, Department of Higher Education of Odisha Government citing availability of the suitable Govt. land in Thuamul Rampur for the same purpose on 12.10.2010. The copy of the letter was also submitted for your examination in my earlier communication.
Recently we learned from the state media (The New Indian Express, Bhubaneswar, Oct 12, 2012) that “the State Government has yet again sought information from the Kalahandi administration on whether the identified 300 acres is free of cost, presence of an approach road connecting either the State or National Highway, electrical connectivity and drinking water facilities in the identified land. In a directive to the Kalahandi Collector last week, the Director of ST & SC Development Department, S K Popli, had sought the details at the earliest.
To my knowledge there are many sites in Kalahandi which have more than 300 acres of land having well connection to SH or NH, access to electricity and drinking water facilities.
It must also be noted that when state Govt. is spending tens of cores of rupees to facilitate road, electricity and drinking water for an establishment of a national institute like IIT near to the state capital, it will be very unjustified and unfortunate if the state Govt. can’t replicate a similar situation while establishing an IGNTU campus in Kalahandi when the mass tribal population in the state is benefited in higher education.
In fact Odisha has a greater responsibility for tribal community as it houses 62 different kinds of tribal groups and at least ONE out of every FIVE people in Odisha is a tribal.
Even Andhra Pradesh state Govt. where ONE out of FIFTEEN people is a tribal, has already taken pro-active initiative to indentify land for a similar IGNTU campus in their respective state for the benefit of tribal.
When honorable CM is taking personally active interest for the development of specially KBK region and tribal people, it is astounding that a new opportunity in the form of IGNTU regional campus in Kalahandi for the advantage of mass tribal population of the state is being nauseatingly disregarded.
The recklessness of state Govt., particularly Higher Education Department is well evident as no response has been given by the state Govt. to the IGNTU Amarkantak even after exceeding of more than two years since the original letter (dated on 12.10.2010) from IGNTU Amarkantak was received.
I anticipate the state Govt. will not delay further and right away recommend the identified land in Kalahandi to the IGNTU at Amarkantak and MHRD to establish the regional campus of IGNTU at Kalahandi as quickly as possible for the benefit of tribal in Odisha.
Thank you and best regards


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