Statesman's report on IIT related rally in Sambalpur

Will Budhia’s call make wonders?

Statesman News Service
SAMBALPUR, April 29: After students, teachers, alumni and people of Orissa at large, it was the turn of the wonder boy, Budhia Singh, the marathon runner, to stake demand before the Central government for according IIT status to the University College of Engineering (UCE) at Burla that is celebrating year-long golden jubilee celebration.

The Sambalpur MP, Mr Prasanna Acharya and Rajya Sabha member Mr Surendra Lath were present at a rally participated by students, teachers and alumnus of UCE Burla here yesterday.

The rally ended with handing over a memorandum to the President, Prime Minister and HRD minister and Governor and chief minister of Orissa through the revenue divisional commissioner (RDC) of Sambalpur.

The president of the UCE alumni association, Mr SN Sanyal and its vice-president Mr Dinesh Patnaik gave a comparative picture to the RDC (Northern Division) of Sambalpur, Dr Ashok Dalwai, and narrated as to how the state had lacked in education compared to other states, although it had got a vast potentiality.

“There are seven IITs, six IIMs and 18 Central universities all over the country. But Orissa is yet to have any one of these till date,” the memorandum says.

Mr Sanayal and Mr Patnaik mentioned in the memorandum that the present HRD minister had declared the establishment of two IITs in Orissa and one in Bihar.

“While preparations are on in full swing to establish Indian Institute of Technologies in Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, nothing is being done in respect of Orissa,” they lamented.

For the overall development of the state, alumni association says, according IIT status to UCE Burla by the Centre was necessary at a time the institution is celebrating its golden jubilee this year.

The association also presented the glorious history of this age-old engineering college of the state and its contribution for making the modern India.