Demand for Proposed IIM in Balangir Town

BALANGIR: After the announcement of setting up five new Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) in different States including Odisha in the Union Budget 2014-15, the demand for the proposed IIM in Balangir town has gained ground.

Koshal Kranti Dal (KKD) leader Pramod Mishra in a press release appealed to the State Government to take steps for establishing the proposed IIM in Balangir. Since 1948, the district has been facing severe regional disparity. Government has failed to open big institutions here.

Earlier, the Government had declared to establish the XIM University and Sainik School, but later, these proposals were relegated to back burner. Balangir has become the symbol of poverty and distress migration due to lack of education, the release stated. 

Mishra said the Government failed to upgrade the Rajendra College, the oldest college of Balangir to a university; establish an ayurvedic university and open post-graduate and science stream in Women’s College. Meanwhile, the district has been facing acute vacancies of teaching and non-teaching staff in most of the educational institutions, he alleged.

Similarly, staff crunch in all government offices, lack of irrigation facilities, no industrial growth and non-employment issues have sapped the economy of the district. More than 500 youths from the district migrate to other States for livelihood every month, Mishra said.

Further, no new institution has been established in the district since 1946. On the other hand, the old ones are getting closed one after another.

Under the circumstances, the Government should take steps to establish the proposed IIM in Balangir, Mishra said.