Meeting of all representatives to be organised today
The demand for setting up of IIM at Brahmapur gained further impetus with a call jointly given by Brahmpaur MlA Dr RC Chyau Pattnaik and president of Mahan Sangh, a socio-cultural-sports organisation, Sushant Kumar Sabat to all political parties, heads of socio-cultural bodies and intellectuals of south Odisha to join in an open conclave to be held at the Subham Celebration Hall here on Sunday to decide the future course of action in support of the demand.
The purpose of the meeting is to bring all leaders across political party lines, intellectuals, business leaders, students and sportspersons under one platform for development of this premier south Odisha city, said the Mahan Sangh president in a Press release. All people’s representatives of Ganjam district including MPs, MlAs and Block Chairmen have been invited to attend the forum.
For last two months, people of Ganjam have been agitating through various means for setting up of the proposed Odisha IIM at Brahmapur, which has always remain neglected by successive State Governments as local elected representatives are nor assertive in presenting the demands of this region, said the Press release.
The Ganjam Collector has identified the required land for the IIM purpose and conveyed about it to the Government.
In case, the Government ignores the demand, the agitation would be further intensified, said Sabat. The further course of action would be charted out at Sunday’s meeting. This was decided at a preparatory meeting chaired by Sabat. Among others, Ganjam Zilla Vikash Manch president Bhukant Sahu, Tejeswar Rao, lion Soumik Sahu, Hariprasad Mallana, Brahmapur coordinator of International Odia Swabhiman Prathisthan Vishma Acharya Choudhury and Prof J Seshgiri Rao were present.
A senior citizen described the Collector’s letter to the Government on identification of land as sheer eyewash. Had the CM been keen for the IIM for the district he represents in the Assembly, he could have instructed only the Ganjam administration to identify the land for the purpose instead of asking five other district Collectors to similarly identify land, he said.