After the Union Budget proposal for an IIM (Indian Institute of Management) in Odisha, a demand from various organisations and individuals has been gaining momentum here to have it in this steel city.
The argument is: Bhubaneswar is already overcrowded with many Central institutions like the IIT, AIIMS, NISER and NIFT. Besides, many top-level private institutions including Xavier University are located in and around the State capital city.
So, it is argued that the IIM should be situated in western Odisha and Rourkela is the most suitable place for it. In past, Rourkela was deprived of many of its genuine dues including the proposed ESIC Medical College. It is pointed out that to start with an IIM campus can be located in the NIT and BPUT premises in Rourkela.
In past, taking the plea of lack of communication facilities several genuine demands of Rourkela were turned down by both the State and Central Governments, which is completely baseless, said convener of Steering Committee for ESIC Medical College at Rourkela Muralidhar Parija. “Rather, due to lack of political will of our elected representatives the steel city has always been suffering. Here is a SAIl-managed airstrip, which can be improved and used for the very purpose,” added Parija.
Noted social worker of Sundargarh district AK Azad, who has been working on right to education, said many students of the steel city aspiring to do management course. If an IIM is set up here, they would be benefited and many visiting faculties from Ranchi and Raipur can come over here easily to take the classes initially.
Similarly, at a meeting of the Rourkela Sachetan Nagarik Manch it was unanimously resolved to demand the proposed IIM at Rourkela, which is known as the industrial capital of the State. Except the NIT, there is no other national level educational institution here.
The Manch decided to give a representation in this regard to Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik soon.