Other States - Orissa   

Demand for Central varsity

Special Correspondent

Naveen writes letter to Prime Minister

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding setting up of a Central University in the backward Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region of the State.

As the Central Government was in the process of introducing a bill in this regard, the Chief Minister has urged the Prime Minister to consider Orissa case, sources in Mr. Patnaik’s office said. Justifying his demand for a Central University in the KBK area, Mr. Patnaik said 38 per cent of the State’s total population comprised Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The Scheduled Tribe population alone constituted 22 per cent, he added.

Stating that the 48 per cent people in the State were living below the poverty line, Mr. Patnaik said setting up of a Central University in the KBK region would go a long way in fulfilling the need for such an institution in the region.

While helping the SC and ST population in the region, a Central University in KBK will also facilitate human resource development in those backward districts by way of providing higher education to the students and creating opportunities for research in various fields, he said.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that he had discussed the need for such a university in KBK region during his meeting with Union Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh in New Delhi last month.

Mentioning about the Centre’s recent decision to set up a Central University at Amarkantaka in Madhya Pradesh, the Chief Minister said that Orissa’s genuine demand in this regard had been ignored.

The Chief Minister further appealed to the Prime Minister to consider the case of Orissa in view of the demand of its people for a Central University in the KBK region.

Although the State has several universities, the KBK region, which is infamous for its backwardness, does not have a single university so far.

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