BJP leader and former Deputy Speaker of State Assembly Rama Chandra Panda welcomed the decision of the Central Government for setting up of yet another national level institution in Odisha, namely, the Indian Institute of Sciences, Education, and Research (IISER) and demanded that it be established at Brahmapur.
Since selection of the site for establishment of a national level institution vests with the concerned State Government, Panda urged the Chief Minister to immediately recommend Brahmapur as the suitable place for setting up of the institution to tackle the problem of regional imbalance.
Panda further said Brahampur, a commercial and educational hub of south Odisha, is one of the principal cities in the Sate which is yet to have any national level institution to its credit. The heritage city has been well connected with the most of the metro-cities of the country through its excellent rail and road links, but has been neglected in terms of establishing any national level of institutions so far.
Since last two decades, the undivided district of Ganjam has been neglected by the Government on this front, he lamented.
Dakshin Odisha Urnayan Parishad (DOUP) vice president and former Professor of Utkal University Prof Pitambara Padhi, who is spearheading a public library movement in the State, also demanded that the State Government should demonstrate its magnanimity and recommend Brahmapur as the site for the IISER.
He also demanded for development of the Rangailunda Airstrip into an all- weather and full-fledged air port to improve air connectivity with this silk city. Besides, he demanded three state of the art digital libraries in the State, one each at Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur and Sambalpur.