Odisha HRD

Balasore and Baripada lobbying for govt. medical colleges

June 6th, 2007

Balasore and Baripada people are earnestly pursuing govt. medical colleges in their respective areas through various means including district level dharanas and meetings, dharanas in Bhubaneswar, signature campaign and lobbying the government through their MLAs. They are doing it the right way. A similar approach led them to success in both locations being able to land individual universities (North Orissa University in Baripada and Fakirmohan University in Balsore). I wish them success. Following are excerpts from two articles in the Daily Pioneer.

For a medical college in Balasore:

Uttar Orissa Bikash Parishad, which has been spearheading the agitation to mount pressure on the Government for establishment of a Government Medical College here, embarked on signature campaign from Monday in favour of the demand.

The campaign was kicked off by chairman of Balasore Municipality Anup Das at Fandi Square.

On the occasion, a meeting was organised under the chairmanship of Prahallad Mohanty. Several speakers justified Balasore as the most appropriate location in north Orissa for the Government Medical College considering its various infrastructural facilities. They observed that the Medical College would benefit a population of nearly 80 lakh, including 70 lakh in north Orissa and 10 lakh from the neighbouring States of Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Former MLAs Gopanarayan Das and Jeeban Pradeep Dash, Susanata Baral, Arun Jena, Jagannath Jee, Siba Singh, Laxmidhar Behera and Arun Swain were among those representing cross sections of people, political parties and trade unions who made a strong plea for a medical college at Balasore.

For a medical college in Baripada:

All MLAs of Mayurbhanj district, cutting across party lines, on Monday sought a special discussion on the demand of a medical college in Mayurbhanj during the ongoing session of the State Assembly.

The MLAs joined hands with the Baiplabik Chhatra Sanghathan, which is spearheading the agitation for establishment of a medical college in the tribals-dominated district.

The Sanghathan staged a day-long dharna in front of the Assembly and submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urging his personal attention towards this issue.

“The people of the State are greatly indebted to the erstwhile ruling chiefs and people of Mayurbhanj for their liberal contributions towards promotion of general and medical education in the State,” JMM MLA of Baripada, Bimal Lochan Das, said, adding, however, that the district was a victim of utter neglect and stepmotherly treatment in the hands of the successive elected Governments.

He had often pressed for a medical college at Baripada in the State Assembly, but the Government has not heeded the demand.

Balasore and Baripada people have figured out how to improve their areas and know how to go about it. I am sure few years down the road they would pursue a government engineering college. I hope some of the other populated locations in Orissa learn this approach. In particular, Berhampur should lobby for a govt. engineering college and Rourkela should similarly lobby for a general university and a medical college and even bargain by saying its ready to give up BPUT which it does not need. The KBK region should do their own lobbying for everything: universities, engineering colleges, and medical colleges.

Note: There is a separate Balasore medical college public trust board that is trying to establish a private medical college in Balasore. Also, in a recent article New Indian Express mentioned that Shri Jagannath Educational and Health Trust will establish a medical college at Balasore. The relevant part of that article is as follows:

the Minister said the State Government has issued NOCs for establishment of three medical colleges in the private sector.

While the Nabadiganta Educational Trust will set up a hospital at Sunabeda, Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust of Tamil Nadu will establish a college at Jaring in Kalahandi district.

Shri Jagannath Educational and Health Trust will establish the third college at Balasore. Besides, the Balaji Educational and Charitable Trust (BECT), Pudducherry, has signed an MoU with the WODC for establishment of a medical college at Balangir.

Entry Filed under: HRD of Tribals and/or Tribal areas,KBK education,Medical, nursing and pharmacy colleges