Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, March 2: The state government Monday recommended to the Union ministry of human resources development (MHRD) to set up a permanent campus for the proposed Indian institute of management (IIM) at Sambalpur, ‘if the Centre relaxes
the norms’.
“If the Central government is willing to relax the guidelines for site selection, the state government strongly recommends Sambalpur in western Orissa as the IIM location,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Union minister of human resources development Smriti Zubin Irani.
The state government had earlier selected Bhubaneswar, as per MHRD’s guideline, as location for an IIM, on the ground “it is close to an airport.’’
“I would like to inform you that while recommending the site for IIM, the state government was constrained by the fact that the location should be close to an airport as per the guidelines circulated by the HRD ministry,” Patnaik said in his letter.
This action was taken after the Centre made a ‘U’ turn over the norms to set up the premier management institution in Orissa. Recently, the Union government had sought the state’s opinion on setting up of IIM in western Orissa, particularly in Sambalpur region.
“We have received several responses regarding setting up of IIM in western Orissa, particularly Sambalpur region. Though, the site selection committee has carried out the inspection, I would request you for your valued opinion in a week, so that a final decision can be taken,” Irani wrote to Chief Minister a few days back.
Notably, in July last year, the MHRD has asked the state to identify two sites with good rail, road and air connectivity, so that the site selection committee will visit the site and finalise the most suitable site.
Consequently, the state has selected two sites near Gothapatna and Argul on the outskirt of the Capital city. In January, the Central site selection committee for establishment of IIM made a field survey of two
proposed sites.
Similarly, the Centre has decided to start functioning of the IIM Orissa from the next academic session at the international institute of information and technology (IIIT), Bhubaneswar.
Patnaik said the HRD’s guidelines had, in fact, restricted the state government’s choice due to lack of airport facility in any place other than Bhubaneswar.
