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Sambalpur, June 21: A four-member Central team, which was on a two-day visit to this district to identify sites for the temporary and permanent campuses of the proposed Indian Institute of Management (IIM), expressed satisfaction over the available facilities, brightening the prospects of the premier business school coming up in western Orissa. After inspecting various sites recommended by the state government, the team left for Bhubaneswar Sunday.
The team visited a site near Neeladunguri at Padiabahal under Jujumara block for inspection Sunday morning. The team members stayed there for an hour to examine a map for setting up the permanent campus. Later, the team headed to an ITI College at Rasanpur under Maneswar block. After inspecting various facilities like classrooms, transport and communication and the ambience there for about half an hour, the team left for Bhubaneswar around 12 noon.
Union human resource development ministry’s higher education department director Shailendra Kumar, who was part of the team, said they inspected all the sites recommended by the state government for the temporary and permanent campuses of the institute. “We are happy with the sites identified by the state government. We will submit our report to the Union HRD ministry June 25,” Kumar said.
Admissions into Sambalpur IIM would begin from the current academic session if the Union government approves the report. “A total of 140 seats have been sanctioned to the proposed institution. As there is no permanent campus, 70-80 students would be allowed to take admission in the first phase,” Kumar said, adding the state government is fully cooperating with the Centre in establishing the B-school.
IIM-Indore professor Pawan Singh, state technical education secretary Asit Tripathy and central public works department engineer Umesh Mishra were the other members of the team. Revenue divisional commission (Northern) secretary Madhab Chandra Bariha, sub-collector Bimalendu Roy and other senior officials of the district administration accompanied the team.
The government has identified 134.64 acre land in Brahmanipali under Rengali block, 200 acre each at Basantpur near Gosala under Dhanakaunda block and Neeladunguri for setting up the permanent campus of the proposed IIM. The government has also proposed a polytechnic college in Rengali, Sambalpur University Institute of Information Technology and an ITI in Maneswar for temporary campus of the IIM.
