Bhubaneswar:26/June/2007
The Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh has once again came to support Orissa with an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Dr.Singh said that “there will be an IIT in Orissa”. The Prime Minister’s commitment came during a meeting with J B Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition (LOP) of Orissa. JB met Dr.Singh on June 23 at New Delhi. Speaking to tathya.in JB disclosed the information. According to Mr.Patnaik , the PM was categorical about Orissa and said “I am aware of the demands for an IIT in the state and it will be set there”. PM’s assurance came in the face of the resistance of Arjun Singh, the Minister Human Resources Development (HRD) to support Orissa with institutions of higher learning. Dr.Singh said as per his promise, funding for National Institute Science Education and Research (NISER) is finalized. He said that Rs.800 crore is being funded to NISER, which is being approved by the Union Cabinet. The PM said that Orissa is included in all the Flag Ship Programs of the UPA Government at the Centre. On the demand to include Cuttack in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Dr.Singh not only assured but has asked the Ministry of Urban Development (MUD) to prepare plan accordingly. Connecting the broad gauge railway line from Gunupur to Theruvali, Dr.Singh asked the railway authorities to include it in the expansion plan of the Ministry of Railways (MoR). The Naupada-Gunupur railline is being converted to broad gauge but the MoR dubbling Gunupur-Theruvali, a poor economic returns line has shelved the expansion project. Mr.Patnaik said that Dr.Singh has given assurance in this regard to take up the expansion work up to Theruvali.
June 26th, 2007
(Update: See the PIB report http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=24647 where the cabinet approval of 4 new NIDs is mentioned.)
Pioneer reports that the CM met minister Kamal Nath about getting one of the four proposed National Institute of Design (that are to be established during the 11th plan and that are part of the recent National design policy) to Orissa. Following is an excerpt from that report.
Later, Patnaik met Union Minister of Commerce and Industries Kamal Nath. The discussions centred around the proposal of the State Government for setting up a new National Institute of Design (NID) in Bhubaneswar in light of the National Design Policy 2007, which envisages four new National Institute of Design in different regions of the country during the 11 th Plan period. Kamal Nath stated that Bhubaneswar has been short-listed as one of the possible locations for setting up of a new NID and the proposal of the Orissa Government would be considered seriously.
Following is an excerpt on the same topic from the Statesman:
Mr Patnaik met the Central minister in Delhi today and raised the matter saying Bhubaneswar ought to be one of the four new NID’s that were being proposed in the country. He assured Mr Nath that the state will provide necessary infrastructure and even identify institute of university to partner the NID. The Central minister informed the CM that Bhubaneswar figures in the short list drawn up for establishment of NID’s during the 11th Plan period.
The Orissa government press release on this is here. Following is the relevant excerpt:
Later during the day, Shri Patnaik met the Union Minister for Commerce & Industries, Shri Kamal Nath. The discussions centered around the proposal of the State Government for setting up of a new National Institute of Design (NID) at Bhubaneswar, in the light of the National Design Policy 2007, which envisages four new NIDs in different regions of country during the 11th Plan period. The Chief Minister stated that the Orissa Government would provide all necessary infrastructure support like land etc. for the institute. The State Government is also willing to identify an Institution / University which can partner NID for setting up the new institute. Shri Kamal Nath stated that Bhubaneswar has been shortlisted as one of the possible locations for setting up a new NID and that they would consider the proposal of the State Government seriously.
June 26th, 2007