Yet there is another example of step motherly attitude of the State Government towards silk city which is the commercial and educational hub of south Odisha. Thedecision of the Government to shift one office after another from Brahmapurto other places on some pretext or the other has irked the denizens.
According to information available, the Government of Odisha is contemplating to shift one of the State’s premier and oldest funding organisations, namely, the Odisha State Financial Corporation (OSFC) and to merge with the OSFC office at Bhubaneswar soon. Mention may be made that this premier financial organisation, established in 1976 at Brahmapur and funding to several small and medium projects in the district of Ganjam is currently functioning with its office located in the Station Road which is the nerve center of South Odisha. The Government has reportedly taken a decision recently that, after the Brahmapur branch of OSFC is merged with that of Bhubaneswar branch, the proposed integrated office is going to function from July 1 at Bhubaneswar, sources said.
The Brahmapur branch of OSFC received a letter reflecting the intent of the Government to shift the office to Bhubaneswar 15 days back. After receiving the letter, there is a sharp reaction not only among the staff members, but also the anger is spreading among the public and civil societies, sources said.
For last few years, the two other OSFC branches, namely, Phulbani and Jeypur were reportedly merged with Brahmapur branch and was functioning quite smoothly. There are currently 11 employees working in this office, including four employees who have been transferred to Brahmapur branch consequent upon their merger. This premier body was established in Brahmapur in 1976 with its intent to serve the needs of undivided districts of Ganjam, Phulbani and Koraput, stretching its jurisdiction from Malkanagiri in south to Sonepur in the west and from Paralakhemundi in south to Balugaon in east. The OSFC had funded to several small and medium industries and business firms, transport organisastions, ranging its funding from a minimum of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 10 crore.
The OFSC is currently operating more than one thousand accounts. In spite of its progressive business and successful handling of cases, many questioned as to why the Government is interested to shift this office suddenly to Bhubaneswar.
It may be mentioned here that in the past, several such important offices such as some branches of Odisha Secondary Education office, NHAI office were shifted. Similarly, even after the land for the proposed Railway Wagon factory was identified near Sitalapalli here, the same was shifted to Kalahandi. A few years back, the scope of Madhyamik Sikshya Board having its jurisdiction over ten districts was downsized by taking the work of six districts to Jeypur office. Similarly, four years back, the NHAI office which was functioning here was shifted to Baleswar.
When the Government is unable to start any new industries in this thickly populated district, shifting of Government offices, one after another, to other places on some pretext or the other has given rise to serious discontent among the local public. If the OSFC office is shifted to Bhubaneswar, there will be serious public unrest, cautioned civil societies and intellectuals. Several organisations including Ganjam Zilla Vikash Manch, Manav Adikar Surakshya Manch (MASM) are reportedly preparing for a mass agitation in protest of the proposed shifting of the office.