Nonresident Odia (NRO) Professor Dr Digambara Patra, who is a native of Kalahandi district and working in the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, has urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to take steps for establishment of a branch of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) in Kalahandi.
He said that the process for establishing the branch of the tribal university at Thuamul Rampur block has been delayed since long.
The Ministry of Education (formerly HRD) had decided to establish one of its off-campuses in Kalahandi district during the 11th plan period. The ADM Kalahandi had identified and forwarded land in Kalahandi for the purpose to FA-cum-Additional Secretary to Government, Department of Higher Education, Odisha in 2010. However, afterwards, no further progress has been made for over a decade. Patra said Odisha has a greater responsibility for tribal communities as it houses 62 different kinds of tribal groups and at least one out of every five people in Odisha is a tribal. Besides, Kalahandi has been struggling for a Central University for the past 30 years. There is a strong public demand for it.
Thuamul Rampur is a tribal dominated block having more than 50 % tribal population. It is one of the most backward blocks in the State as well as in the nation.
“Thuamul Rampur is geographically located in the central location of the major tribal blocks located in Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts. It is also a central point for all backward KBK, Kandhamal, Gajapati districts and tribal and Maoists dominated regions in southern and western Odisha.
Besides its central location, a good road has come to connect proposed and identified site in Thuamul Rampur with Bhawanipatna, which has rail connectivity and soon will have an airport under UDAN scheme,” said Patra.