Due to lack of unified and sustained fight and the narrow mindset of political leaders and people’s representatives in Rourkela in particular and Sundargarh district as a whole, the district has been languishing in neglect.
It is better for the political leaders, parties and people’s representatives here that they should learn from those in Sambalpur how to achieve and protect the interest of the area above narrow party interest.
As the parties are eager here to frame charges against each other, the district has been denied many genuine and necessary projects in past and many projects get delayed to take off. The bright examples are the ESIC Medical College and Hospitals and IIM, which, though were demanded to be set up in Rourkela, were in fact established at Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur respectively. Similarly, the city is scientifically ignored so far as Indian Railways is concerned. It may be noted that after coming to power in the Centre, the NDA Government in its first budget-2014 had declared to establish an IIM in Odisha. As Rourkela was fit from all aspects, the denizens here had demanded for the establishment of the premier institution at the steel city. Even the then NIT, Rourkela Director had assured to provide space to start the institution immediately. Besides, the State Government run BPUT is here where the institution could have run immediately. But to ignore Rourkela, the State Government at first proposed Bhubaneswar as the location with a plea that other than Bhubaneswar no other city has a regular airport. But it may be noted here that next to Bhubaneswar Rourkela has an airport and land for the project was not a constraint.
While the leaders of Rourkela could not put their demands perfectly despite all genuineness, Sambalpur having no eligibility continued its fight though both the State and Central Governments had made up their minds to establish the IIM in Bhubaneswar at first place. Finally, the State and the Centre bowed to the united fight of Sambalpur and the then HRD Minister wrote letter to the State Government seeking suggestion for choosing the venue at Sambalpur. Finally, the State Government also agreed in favour of Sambalpur as the Centre was prepared to relax the criteria of air port and other facilities to establish the institution.
Interestingly, in Sambalpur both the MlA and MP are from BJD, whereas the only elected BJP MP of the State Jual Oram is from Sundargarh and he is a Cabinet Minister. Secondly, senior BJP leader Dilip Ray, who is known to be a close aide of the Prime Minister, is also the Rourkela MlA. Raghunathpali MlA Subrat Tarai is the second time MlA and Dilip Tirkey, a Rajya Sabha MP from Sundargarh and hockey icon, is considered as the blue eyed boy of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. In contrast, Sambalpur MlA is a first timer of BJD. Yet, Sambalpur was chosen as its lobby was stronger.
Another example is the ESIC Medical College and Hospital. In 2008, the ESIC decided to establish a MCH in Odisha. Though Rourkela was a suitable place for establishment of the MCH due to a number of IPs (insured persons) and its geographical situation, but despite having a number of MCHs and renowned nursing homes in Bhubaneswar, the State Government proposed to establish the ESIC MCH at Bhubaneswar. Even to justify Bhubaneswar, manipulations in the IP registrations were made.
While on IIM issue, the residents of Rourkela were disheartened, on March 4, 2015, the CM declared for Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar’s second campus at Rourkela which is still in cold storage. Similarly Rourkela is ignored a lot by the Indian Railways. Considering Rourkela as a suitable place for a railway division and setting up a wagon factory in the 1960s, the State Government had handed over 5,500 acres of land at Bondamunda and 500 acres at Rourkela Railway colony. But the special railway division at Rourkela still remains a pipedream.
Even after the formation of new East Coast Railway Zone (ECoR) at Bhubaneswar, Rourkela was not declared a division on the pretext that many railway divisions are nearby it. The fact is Chakradharpur division is 102 km away from Rourkela, Sambalpur division, 150 km and Ranchi is 160 km from Rourkela. But distance factor has been waived in many cases in India. An example is Secunderabad-Hyderabad. The distance between the two places is 10 km, but each is a division.
Similarly, Varanasi-Mughalsarai with 17 km distance, Howrah-Sealdah (20 km) and Guntur-Vijayawada (34 km) have been made a railway division each.
Now a fight for High Court Bench is simultaneously going on at Rourkela and Samblapur. While the fight here is confined to the ceasing of works by the lawyers in the last three days of the month for years it has gone to a height at Sambalpur. Even the denizens are planning to hold dharana in front of Orissa High Court to achieve their demand. Besides, many projects including second Brahmani bridge, IGH Medical College, fully functioning of BPUT, Rourkela Municipal Corporation are in hanging position due to differences among the leaders, political parties and people’s representatives here.