The demand for setting up of IIM (Indian Institute of Management) at Rourkela gained further impetus with a move by the Sachetan Nagarik Manch (SNM) here on Sunday.
In fact, the clamour for location of the proposed Odisha IIM is getting shriller as Collectors of six districts, including Sundargarh, have already submitted their reports regarding the availability of two acres of single-patch land and other facilities for setting up the IIM. The Sundargarh Collector has included an abandoned dairy farm land at Kuarmunda and an unused land near the Rourkela airstrip in his list.
SNM general secretary PP Ray said that from the very next day of declaration of an Odisha IIM by the Union Finance Minister, his organisation has been agitating for setting up the national-level institute at Rourkela involving leaders cutting across political party lines, trade unions, intellectuals, businessmen, student organisations and social and cultural organisations. If IIM is established at Rourkela, this premier city of western Odisha would not only be developed but the regional disparity would also be removed to a large extent, he said. Ray said very soon a delegate under the SNM’s banner would go to Bhubaneswar to meet the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary to put forth its views in favour of Rourkela as one of the three best IIM locations for consideration of the Central Government. If the State Government ignores the demand, the further course of agitation would be charted out soon.
A BJD delegation would also meet the CM soon to apprise him about the sentiment of Rourkela people, source said.