SAMBALPUR : The permanent campus of Indian Institute of Management - Sambalpur (IIM-S) was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Saturday.
The new IIM-S campus is spread over 200 acre in Basantpur area of the district.
Addressing the gathering, the PM congratulated the people of the state for the development projects worth around Rs 70,000 crore launched on the day spanning education, railways, roads, electricity and petroleum sectors. “The benefits of these projects will be reaped by the poorer sections, labourers, working class, business owners and farmers of Odisha besides all other sections of society. Along with benefits, it will provide employment opportunities for the youth of Odisha,” he asserted.
Speaking on the continuous efforts made by the Central government to make Odisha a hub of education and skill development, Modi said, “The advanced resources for education, that Odisha has received in the past decade is changing the fate of the youths here” and cited the examples of IISER Berhampur and Bhubaneswar’s Institute of Chemical Technology. “Now, IIM Sambalpur is further strengthening Odisha’s role housing a modern institute of management,” he added. He recalled laying the foundation stone of IIM-S during the pandemic and praised those who were associated with the completion of the IIM-S campus amidst obstacles.
Prior to the inauguration, Modi took a walkthrough of the IIM-Sambalpur model and a photo exhibition showcased on the occasion.
Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik, who was also present in the inaugural event thanked the PM for taking time off his busy schedule and gracing the inauguration of the new campus.
Among others, Governor of Odisha, Raghubar Das, Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Bishweswar Tudu, besides Sambalpur MP, Nitish Gangdev and Rengali MLA, Nauri Naik shared the stage with the PM.
From the PM’s speech
In last 10 years Odisha’s petroleum and petrochemicals sector got investments worth about Rs 1.25 lakh crore
Under PM Gram Sadak Yojna, 50,000 km of roads have been laid in rural areas of Odisha
4,000 km of National Highways have been developed
3 NH projects inaugurated during the day will reduce distance between Odisha and Jharkhand
Sambalpuri jacket is like ‘prasad’
The Prime Minister arrived at the public meeting venue wearing a Sambalpuri jacket and also praised the weavers. Describing Sambalpur as the centre of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Modi said, “I was presented this jacket before coming to the public meeting. It is like a ‘prasad’ for me and I feel proud for the craftmanship of the local weavers who are weaving marvels.”