The Paschimanchal People’s Forum (PPF) and 41 different organisations on Thursday staged demonstrations at the statues of Veer Surendra Sai and Veer Birsa Munda at the Jail Chowk and Ainthapali, respectively, demanding establishment of the proposed IIM Odisha at Sambalpur. Hundreds of people participated in the demonstration and blamed the HRD Ministry for delaying the process. “When admission notification for all other new IIMs has been completed, the HRD Ministry is yet to respond to the State Government’s recommendation of Sambalpur site for the proposed IIM Odisha,” they lamented.
“The Central Government should not play with the sentiment of the people of the State and western Odisha in particular,” warned PPF convenor Sapan Mishra. In the meanwhile, thousands of people, including those staying outside the State, have sent personal letters, fax messages, e-mails to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his support for establishment of IIM in Sambalpur.