ROURKELA: In his third term as Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram faces a significant challenge to expeditiously complete ongoing projects and meet demands of people of Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency.
Jual had sanctioned 12 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) for the remaining 12 tribal-dominated blocks of Sundargarh in 2018-19. However, five years hence, only four schools have reached advanced stage of construction while the rest eight are nowhere in sight. Earlier, Jual had blamed the then BJD government for deliberately delaying setting up of EMRSs to promote Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas (OAVs). On the other hand, the state government had attributed the delay in necessary approval by Jual’s ministry.
Social activist Bimal Bisi said Jual will need to ensure that the Talcher-Bimlagarh new rail line project is completed within the revised target of March, 2026. Owing to land issues, the project of national significance has been facing inordinate delays amid concerns of cost overrun. He said the minister has to ensure expeditious takeover of Rourkela airport by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Just before the polls this year, the then Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia had promised Jual that the airport which is being managed by SAIL at present will be handed over to AAI.
BJP insiders said Jual had several times raised the issue of creation of a new railway division under East Coast Railway at Rourkela by bifurcating it from Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway. They said the demand is still fresh in the minds of people of Rourkela.
This apart, Jual will also have to appropriately address the public demand for take over of Ispat PG Institute & Super Specialty Hospital (IPGISSH) by AIIMS which after being constructed with Central government funds is run by Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd as a corporate hospital.
Sources said as Sundargarh MP of BJP, Jual few years back had supported setting up of a Central Tribal University in Sundargarh to benefit the tribal-belts of Odisha and adjoining Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Meanwhile, Jual in a guarded reply said only ongoing projects in his constituency would be completed on a priority basis.