Memorandum for Establishing the Proposed National University

(World Class Central University) for Orissa in Burla-

Burla-Sambalpur-
Sambalpur-
Jharsuguda (BSJ) Region

Submitted to
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Honourable Prime Minister of India
Smt. Partibha Patil, Honourable President of India
Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Honourable UPA Chairperson
Mr. L.K. Advani, Honourable Leader of Opposition
Mr. Kapil Sibal, Honourable Union Minister of Human Resource Development
Mr. Naveen Patnaik, Honourable Chief Minister of Orissa
Members of Parliament from Orissa

Submitted & Approved by

Members of Koshal Discussion and Development Forum (KDDF) & well wishers

Drafted by

Dr. Sanjib K Karmee

Department of Biotechnology
Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
E-mail:S.K.Karmee@tudelft.nl

And

Dr. Digambara Patra

American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Email: dp03@aub.edu.lb

----
Koshal Discussion and Development Forum (KD
(KDDF)
[ A non-
non-political and non-
non-separatist organization focuses only on the development of Koshal or Western Orissa]
E-mail: westernodisha@googlegroups.com;
westernodisha@googlegroups.com; Web site: http://www.koshal.in;
http://www.koshal.in; http://kosal.org;
http://kosal.org; http://kosalkranti.com
http://kosalkranti.com

This document should not be used for other purpose without the written consent of the above signatories.
.
 Memorandum for Establishing the Proposed National University
(World Class Central University) for Orissa in Burla-
Burla-Sambalpur-
Sambalpur-
Jharsuguda (BSJ) Region

To
Dr. Manmohan Singh, honourable Prime Minister of India

cc
Smt. Partibha Patil, honourable President of India
Smt. Sonia Gandhi, honourable UPA chairperson
Mr. L. K. Advani, honourable leader of opposition
Mr. Kapil Sibal, honourable union minister of Human Resource Development
Mr. Naveen Patnaik, honourable Chief Minister of Orissa
Members of Parliament from Orissa

Dear honourable Prime Minister, Dr. Singh,

In the past few years MHRD and other central Govt. ministries have established many
centrally funded institutions in Orissa keeping backwardness in mind. We appreciate the
efforts of your govt. towards the developments of higher education in Orissa.

Among all the centrally funded institution National Institute of Science Education and
Research (NISER), Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS), railway medical college and the proposed national University (World
Class Central University) are located in Bhubaneswar. The state govt has chosen two such
centrally funded institutes out side Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri region viz. Central University
Koraput (South Orissa) and Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) (proposed) in
Berhampur (South Orissa). Please have a look on the links for the distribution of educational
institutions in Orissa (Appendix 1).

Sir,
Ten districts of Koshal region viz. Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Boudh, Subarnapur,
Deogarh, Kalahandi, Sudergarh, Jharsuguda, and Nuapada have been demanding the
establishment of centrally funded institutes in Koshal region. Orissa state Govt. has earlier
betrayed demand of IIT in Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda region and Central University in
Kalahandi.

The current Orissa govt. is continuing to be Bhubaneswar-centric by proposing new central

governments institutes in Bhubaneswar. Recently the CM has announced that National
Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will be established in Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar is
already having NISER, IIT, AIIMS etc which are like national university apart from railway
medical college and many national level research institutions. So like it is happening in other
states such as in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharastra, etc National
University in Orissa should also go to a city other than the state capital.

----
Koshal Discussion and Development Forum (KD
(KDDF)
[ A non-
non-political and non-
non-separatist organization focuses only on the development of Koshal or Western Orissa]
E-mail: westernodisha@googlegroups.com;
westernodisha@googlegroups.com; Web site: http://www.koshal.in;
http://www.koshal.in; http://kosal.org;
http://kosal.org; http://kosalkranti.com
http://kosalkranti.com

This document should not be used for other purpose without the written consent of the above signatories.
.
 Memorandum for Establishing the Proposed National University
(World Class Central University) for Orissa in Burla-
Burla-Sambalpur-
Sambalpur-
Jharsuguda (BSJ) Region

We urge you to oppose this capital-centric approach of the state govt and please allow the
proposed National University (World Class Central University) to be established in Burla-
Sambalpur-Jharsuguda area. We are not against development of Bhubaneswar region but it
should not be the case that Koshal region would be always at the receiving end like it
happened for the demand of IIT in Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda region and Central
University in Kalahandi.

Further, National University (World Class Central University) in Burla-Sambalpur-

Jharsuguda region would serve the broader interest of the state. Beside that Burla-Sambalpur-
Jharsuguda area has the following advantages for a National University:

1. Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda area is well connected to most of the regions in the state and
emerging as a central location for on going industrial activities in the region such as
Sambalpur – Angul – Cuttack – Bhubaneswar belt, Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Rourkela belt,
Jharsuguda – Sambalpur – Lanjigarh – Rayagada – Koraput belt, and Sambalpur - Jharsuguda
– Korba – Bilaspur-Raipur belt.

2. Sambalpur and its neighbouring city Rourkela area are two major metropolitan areas of the
state. Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda is more acessible for students from all the districts of
Koshal region.

3. Recently, the AAI is taking initiatives to establish an airport in Jharsuguda

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharsuguda_Airport). This area is well connected to
Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Vishakhapatnam, Raipur,
Nagpur, Ranchi, and Mumbai by rail.

4. The Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda area has all the necessary amenities like road
connectivity, hotels, malls, restaurants, bookshops and parks. So, there will be no problem for
attracting faculties for this University.

5. Currently this area has two universities (viz. Sambalpur University and VSS University of
Technology), a government medical college, and few private engineering colleges. Rourkela
city which is close to Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda area has a National Institute of
Technology. Once it will have a National University it can be an important knowledge centre
of the country.

6. Even though the Koshal region is one of the least developed regions in Orissa, all the
centrally funded educational institutes are located in Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri region
(please follow the earlier links). There should be equitable distribution of resources in order to

----
Koshal Discussion and Development Forum (KD
(KDDF)
[ A non-
non-political and non-
non-separatist organization focuses only on the development of Koshal or Western Orissa]
E-mail: westernodisha@googlegroups.com;
westernodisha@googlegroups.com; Web site: http://www.koshal.in;
http://www.koshal.in; http://kosal.org;
http://kosal.org; http://kosalkranti.com
http://kosalkranti.com

This document should not be used for other purpose without the written consent of the above signatories.
.
 Memorandum for Establishing the Proposed National University
(World Class Central University) for Orissa in Burla-
Burla-Sambalpur-
Sambalpur-
Jharsuguda (BSJ) Region

guarantee educational and economical development of the poor and empowerment of the
women.

7. The health facility in Koshal region is one of the worst in the nation. Not only there is a
serious shortage of health professionals but also the infrastructures in the hospitals of this
region are insufficient and under equipped. This year when 100 people died from Swine Flue
it caused panic in the nation but hundreds of lives are lost every year in Koshal region from
common disease, for which the nation rarely thinks. A good example was when 40 lives were
lost due to common disease like diarrhoea in Koshal region in last one month but nobody in
the nation cared about the sensitivity of this issue.

Therefore, we request you to kindly establish the proposed National University in Orissa in
Burla-Sambalpur-Jharsuguda region instead of Bhubaneswar.

Thank you and best regards,

Members of Koshal Discussion and Development Forum (KDDF) & well wishers

Appendix 1:

http://www.kosal.org/wp-content/uploads/Central-funded-Institutions-for-
higher-studies-and-research1.pdf
http://www.kosal.org/wp-content/uploads/State-funded-Institutions-for-
higher-learning1.pdf
http://www.kosal.org/wp-content/uploads/Private-Universities-Institutions1.pdf

----
Koshal Discussion and Development Forum (KD
(KDDF)
[ A non-
non-political and non-
non-separatist organization focuses only on the development of Koshal or Western Orissa]
E-mail: westernodisha@googlegroups.com;
westernodisha@googlegroups.com; Web site: http://www.koshal.in;
http://www.koshal.in; http://kosal.org;
http://kosal.org; http://kosalkranti.com
http://kosalkranti.com

This document should not be used for other purpose without the written consent of the above signatories.
.