Odisha HRD

Updates on the IIT Orissa issue

March 14th, 2007

Pragativadi on 3/9/2007 reports that HRD minister Mr. Arjun Singh has said that the proposal for an IIT in Orissa is still under consideration and the state government has received a letter to that effect from Mr. Arjun Singh.

However, the headline of the Pragativadi news item “Arjun Singh assures Orissa will have an IIT” does not match with the text of the news item. Mr. Singh has only said that the proposal is still under consideration and has not been rejected. That does not mean it has been accepted. Hence, we still need to continue making our points in letters to the PM, HRD M, UPA Chairperson Mrs. Gandhi, and Orissa MPs.

(Thanks to Baijayanta babu for pointing to this news item.)

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Sambada on 3/12/07 reports (in Oriya) that MP Rudra Narayana Pani raised the issue of IIT in the Rajya Sabha. This is a good first step. We hope soon the MPs will raise it in a more impactful manner and meet the HRD ministry and the PM about it.

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AICC has responded (html version) to Dr. Saraju Mohanty’s letter and it has the sentence: “We are of the opinion that the request of people of Orissa may please be acceded to for the development of the backward state.”

I have no definite idea if AICC writes similar language with respect to all letters they receive or if in this particular case they agree with the letter. But I had received a letter from them during the NIS movement and that letter was more like “We received your letter and have taken note of your feelings“.

So it seems letters written to AICC and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi are very useful and hard copy has the most impact.

Entry Filed under: IIT, oDishA,MHRD bias against Odisha (past?),Odisha HRD in Parliament