Run for IIM-BERHAMPUR

Run for IIM-BERHAMPUR on SUNDAY, 31st August at 7 A.M from Khallikote Stadium to Gandhi Statue near Barracks

Please share this info with all others you know in Berhampur

Five questions to Odisha Chief Minister from citizens demanding IIM at Berhampur

Five questions to Odisha Chief Minister from citizens demanding IIM-Berhampur

1. Your Government claims that massive infrastructure development has taken place in the last 15 years in Odisha. Now when the Centre is asking the name of a city with basic infrastructure for IIM, your bureaucrats are suggesting that places outside the capital are not suitable for want of appropriate infrastructure. Where are you building the infrastructure then and at whose cost?

2. You promised before the elections that development of Berhampur will be your personal responsibility. After the elections your Government did not find Berhampur suitable among the 10 cities to be developed as a Smart City. The IDCO too has cancelled the IT Tower proposed in Berhampur city. You signed MoU for a domestic airport in Jharsuguda which is justified. But, why did you forget the Airport project for Berhampur?

3. More than 25 Central Institutes and labs have been established in various cities of the State. Why Berhampur city has been singled out and denied a single Central Institute/lab so far? Is this because Berhampur people never took extreme positions like fueling regional hatred or statehood demands unlike other places in Odisha? Are you not forcing the people of South Odisha to think on those lines through your highly biased decisions on Central Institutes?

4. There are innumerable examples across States where Central Institutes have been established in places without a functional airport even though most states have multiple airports.. When the State of Odisha has only 1 airport, why this is taken as the only parameter in deciding the location of central Institutes? Isn’t this a case of double whammy that first you don’t develop an airport in a city like Berhampur and then site the lack of airport to deny Central Institutes? (Thankfully the Central Govt has sanctioned a low cost airport in Berhampur but even that is not being factored in while deciding the location of IIM)

5. Lakhs of youth from Ganjam and South Odisha are forced to migrate outside the State for their livelihood. This trend has only aggravated in recent years. What your Govt has done in its last 15 years to generate employment for the students and youth of southern Odisha? (Not even a screw-bolt factory has been built in Ganjam/South Odisha in the last two decades, the period during which rest of India grew by leaps and bounds thanks to the reforms of 1991)

If the Chief Minister wants balanced development in Odisha then the IIM decision will be his real test. If he succumbs to the mentality of the past and denies Berhampur city the proposed IIM which it rightfully deserves then Odisha Govt will be responsible for perpetuating inequality in the State.

Lakhs of people throng Panchama Siddha Vinayaka shrine near Berhampur on Ganesh Chaturthi

The Samaja

Berhampur city wears festive look on Ganesh Puja

Citizens brave rains to form a Human Chain in support of IIM-Berhampur demand in Odisha

Human Chain in Berhampur demanding the establishment of IIM at Berhampur

Berhampur City Police Commissionerate Soon: Director General Police

The blueprint for proposed Berhampur Commissionerate of Police is ready and would be submitted to the State Government soon for approval, said Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Marik.

The DGP was on a day’s visit to the district on Thursday to inaugurate new buildings of Dharakote and Jaganathprasad police stations. He told mediapersons that priority is being given to strengthen the police administration in order to gain confidence of public.

Speaking on recruitment in the Police Department, Marik said 1200 sub-inspector posts are currently lying vacant for which, interviews are being conducted and 675 persons have already been selected. He added that around 500 retired sub-inspectors of police will be re-appointed by the State Government very soon.

The maximum age limit of the retired police officers will be 60 years and they will work till 62 years of age, he said. Marik said there would be no dearth of retired police officers in the State as they had retired at the age of 58. “The retired police persons would get their last salary drawn as the monthly payment and the new payment would be made after deduction of the monthly pensions. The move is aimed at solving large scale vacancies of the police personnel in the State,” Marik said.

On Maoist presence in Southern Odisha, he said their activities have been reduced to a large extent due to strong policing and security measures. “More forces will be brought in to fight the Maoists, if required,” said the DGP, adding that Maoists of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are still active in different parts of southern region of the State. Marik said ‘Ama Police’ facility will be available in all the police stations. “Ganjam and Berhampur police stations will get this facility by September 15,” he added.

Source: New Indian Express

None-capital cities hosting IIMs and IITs; Berhampur ahead in basics but not so lucky to get central Institutes

Clamour for IIM-Behrampur grows in Odisha

Sources: Prameya & Pragativadi

Berhampur residents take out candle march for setting up IIM in the city

A candle march was taken out by residents and students in Berhampur on Monday evening for the demand of establishment of proposed IIM Odisha in Berhampur city of Ganjam district.

It was part of continuing agitation in the district for establishment of the proposed IIM in the area. This candle march had been organised jointly by the ‘Bhanja Bikash Manch’ and ‘Forum for IIM in Berhampur’. Berhampur MLA as well as leaders of different political parties and social organisations too took part in this candle march. The candle march culminated at Gandhi Nagar square, where a public meeting was held to create public awareness for the demand.

As per the speakers at this public meeting, till now no major national institution has been established in southern Odisha, which speaks of regional disparity in the State.

Meanwhile, the Bhanja Bikash Mancha, has started a signature campaign for the demand of IIM in Ganjam district. The ‘Forum for IIM in Berhampur’ has started using social network on the web to increase support for the demand.

In July this year Union finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced establishment of four new IIMs, including one n Odisha. Although the Odisha IIM has already been included as a choice for candidates appearing Common Aptitude (CAT) in November, the place of the proposed institute has not been decided by Odisha government.

The Central Human Resources ministry has recently requested Odisha government to provide 200 acres of land for free at a place which has better connectivity. The Odisha government is to suggest names of two or three places for establishment of this premier management institute of the country, from which one would be selected.

Source: The Hindu

Why the State of Odisha should establish the IIM at Berhampur? Here are the reasons;

(Following are some of the best arguments in support of IIM-Berhampur as suggested by some readers in this forum)

"When the IIT-Kharagpur was established, Kolkata was the biggest city in India apart from the capital of Bengal. However, the decision to go for Kharagpur paid off and the Institute is today rated one of the best in India. Infact, the town of Kharagpur has only one identity and that is the ‘IIT’. Similarly, the decision to establish IIM-Kozhikode turned out to be a good decision even though there were more deserving cities in the State of Kerala. Seen in this context, establishment of the IIM at Berhampur city will be a decision that generations to come will appreciate as a visionary step".

"The IIM proposed for Odisha will start from the coming academic year and that leaves just 7-8 months for the new IIM. The Berhampur University campus can be used for the upcoming IIM till a new campus is built for the same. If the Berhampur University campus and its infrastructure facility such as classrooms, hostels, library, gymnasium and guest houses are put to use for the upcoming IIM then the infrastructure will be available at the shortest possible time."

"Bhubaneswar houses the XIMB which is considered one of the top-10 B-schools in India. Therefore an IIM in close vicinity will kill the brand and reputation of XIMB which would fade into irrelevance. Additionally XIMB is opening its campuses in Sambalpur and Balangir. Similarly, the NIT and BPUT in Rourkela have been the major centers of technical and professional education in Odisha. Therefore this leaves Berhampur as the city with the right infrastructure to house the proposed IIM in Odisha".

"As far as the suitability of Berhampur city to host an IIM is concerned, in recent times several states have established or have proposed to establish the IIMs in cities like Rohtak (Haryana), Kashipur (Uttarakhand), Dhaulakuan (Himachal), Tirchy (Tamil Nadu), Udaipur (Rajasthan). As is evident, none of these are the capital cities of their respective States and none of them have good air connectivity. So, for a less urbanised State like Odisha air connectivity should not be the only criteria for selecting a location for the IIM. Since Odisha has only one airport in the State capital, adopting this criteria will deprive all other cities in terms of central Institutes. Besides, Berhampur is only 2 hours drive from the Bhubaneswar airport connected by a 4 lane Highway. Additionally, since a low-cost domestic airport has been sanctioned for Berhampur city, this should address the need in due course. Therefore there is absolutely no doubt that the IIM in Berhampur city will be able to attract the best of students and faculty given its several positives".

"Odisha has so far established several premier Institutes like IIT, AIIMS, NISER, IIPH, NIFT at Bhubaneswar, NIT and BPUT at Rourkela, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, VSSUT at Sambalpur, IIMC at Dhenkanal, National Steel Institute at Puri, CIPET & AIIMS mini campus at Balasore. Therefore, the establishment of IIM at Berhampur will lead to fair distribution of Central Institutions in the State".

Widespread public protest demanding the establishment of IIM at Berhampur forces silent political parties to take clear stand

Berhampur railway station to have new entry gate from the 4th platform side and Goodshed road

Prameya

Market terminal proposed at Berhampur

Prameya

Government scouting land for Hotel Management Institute and Marine Academy near Berhampur

Source: Prameya

People from all walks of life join the IIM-Berhampur movement in Odisha

Source: The Sambad

support pouring in for IIM-Berhampur demand in Odisha; even as the BJD remains silent

Source: Prameya

Forum demands IIM-Berhampur at the earliest

Berhampur lawyers meet Chief Justice of Odisha High Court demanding Highcourt Bench in Berhampur for South Odisha

Source: The Sambad

Set up IIM in Berhampur, South Odisha Students' Association urges CM

"Forum for IIM in Berhampur" members to meet Odisha Chief Minister

Source: Prameya

SOSA demands IIM-Berhampur

The South Odisha Students’ Association (SOSA) has demanded the proposed Indian Institute of Management (IIM) to be set up at Berhampur. In a memorandum to the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, SOSA has pointed out that the major city in South Odisha is going without a centrally funded Institute so far.

There were several opportunities in recent years to correct this anomaly and assuage the public sentiments by establishing one such Institute in Berhampur city, however no such attempt was ever made.

Since the Government of Odisha in recent months has reaffirmed its commitment to the development of Southern Odisha, it becomes an imperative that prompt efforts are made to establish the IIM sanctioned for Odisha in Berhampur city at the earliest.

Berhampur city has been the principal centre for business and commerce since the pre-independence years given its close proximity to the sea coast. It has also been the only centre for higher education and health in the entire region of Southern Odisha. Establishment of the propose IIM would therefore play the role of a catalyst in the development of this region.

Odisha has so far established several premier Institutes like IIT, AIIMS, NISER, IIPH, NIFT at Bhubaneswar, NIT and BPUT at Rourkela, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, VSSUT at Sambalpur, IIMC at Dhenkanal, National Steel Institute at Puri, CIPET & AIIMS mini campus at Balasore and Central University in Koraput. Therefore, the establishment of IIM at Berhampur will lead to better distribution of Central Institutions in the State.

Second, the Planning Commission data suggests that Ganjam District and several other southern Odisha Districts are at the bottom in-terms of gross enrolment ratio in higher education. IIM in Berhampur will help in building a knowledge cluster in the heart of the most underdeveloped pocket of India leading to a virtuous circle.

Third, Berhampur is the second biggest urban cluster in the state of Odisha with sound communication infrastructure with all parts of the country and the establishment of the IIM will be a great advantage for the city and its future development.

Finally, Berhampur city is considered as the gateway to the vast region of South Odisha and KBK. Given its strategic location, prospects of industrial investment, human resource potential, moderate weather conditions and its connectivity with all the major cities of the state and India, Berhampur will certainly be an ideal location to host the proposed IIM.

As far as the suitability of Berhampur city to host an IIM is concerned, recently the Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to locate the proposed IIM in the State at Dhaulakuan.

There are several other instances in recent times - the IIM in Haryana has been established at Rohtak, the IIM in Tamil Nadu is located at Tirchy, IIM in Rajasthan is located at Udaipur and the IIM in Uttarakhand is located in Kashipur. As is evident, none of these are the capital cities of their respective States.

In fact, some of these cities are much smaller in size as compared to Berhampur. Additionally, the city has the advantage of a city which is well connected with rest of India by road and rail, a city with STPI, University, Medical college, a dozen odd engineering colleges, two SEZs, upcoming port, airport apart from a host of tourist destinations are also located close by

The IIM will not only place Berhampur city as a major knowledge hub of the state but will also work as an impetus for industrialization and development of southern Odisha and improve the overall prosperity of the State, pointed out SOSA.

Source- Tathya.in, Orissadiary.com

IIM-Berhampur demand gathers momentum as more organisations join the movement

Source: Times of India

Rail Link to Berhampur Eludes Rourkela

A population of around two lakh from Ganjam district reside in the district of Sundargarh. This, notwithstanding, the State’s industrial capital, Rourkela, continues to lack a direct train link to Berhampur. As of now, only three buses ply directly to Berhampur which fails to cater to the needs of Ganjam populace residing in various parts of the industrial and mining district of Sundargarh. Sources said Ganjam-bound train passengers board at Rourkela, travel till Bhubaneswar and take another train to reach Berhampur undertaking 13 to 15 hours of tiresome journey for a total distance of 566 km. People are dependent on three non-AC buses with two plying via Aska and one through Bhubanewsar. The bone-breaking bus journey takes 14 to 16 hours.

Nikhil Utkal Ayra Khandayat Samaj (NUAKS) member, Narayan Mohanty, said bus journeys are hectic and miserable, especially for children and elderly persons.   The Rajyarani Express with only one rake has been introduced with an aim of connecting major cities in Odisha, but it remains confined between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar for technical reasons. Rail Users’ Association (RUA) general secretary, Amulya Kumar Baral, said technical hurdles cited by East Coast Railway (ECoR) are not entirely justified. He said as an immediate relief, one more rake of Rajyarani Express should be introduced and the Palasa washing line under ECoR could be utilised for washing and maintenance to run the train till Berhampur. Baral said they have been unsuccessfully pressing for a separate direct train with the name of Gajapati Express between Rourkela and Berhampur for long. As the proposed Rourkela-Berhampur route via Talcher remains congested, the new train could be run via Chakradharpur and Keonjhar route and the distance to Berhampur would be less than 600 kms, he added. A native of Ganjam, Gobinda Barik, lamented the lack of political unity and said the demand loses steam as different parties including the ruling BJD pursue the issue separately. Rourkela unit BJD president, AC Mohanty, felt that the demand is legitimate while NUAKS general secretary, Bipin Lenka, said they are mobilising various forums in Ganjam to build pressure.

Source: New Indian Express

World Bank sponsored Odisha Disaster Recovery Project starts in Berhampur

Greetings to all on the 68th Independence day of India

Warm greetings to all on the occasion of the 68th Independence day of India

Photo- OrissaPost

Berhampur city in news during the Freedom struggle of India

• 1921: March'30th & 31st- Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi visited Berhampur and addressed a gathering for Non-cooperation movement at the historic Barracks ground in the city.
• 1927: Mahatma Gandhi visited Berhampur for a 2nd time and other towns of Ganjam like Aska, Bhanjanagar, Kodala, Kabisuryanagar, Polasara, Khallikote and Rambha.
• 1930: Udagye mandir formed at Berhampur by freedom fighters under the supervision of Banchhanidhi Patnaik & Ramalingam Sarala Devi. Freedom fighters Sashi Bhusan Rath, Iswar Sahu, Harihara Patnaik, Banamali Maharara were arrested.
• 1930: Salt Non-Co-operation movement at Humma and Ganjam. Smt. Sarala Devi, Niranjan Patnaik, Debakar Patnaik, Radhakrishna Biswasray were arrested by British Govt.
• 1931: First round Table conference at Londan, Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati of Parala represented.
• 1935: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose visited Berhampur during the freedom movement and addressed a massive gathering at the historic Barracks ground in the city
• 1935: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited Berhampur
• 1943: March'29th- The Tribal leader of South Orissa and Great Freedom fighter Saheed Laxman Nayak was hanged at Berhampur Circle Jail.
• 1946: January’20th - Gandhiji for the last time visited Berhampur and addressed people at historic Barracks ground.

Berhampur city bus to connect Tara-Tarini Hill Shrine

The under-construction causalty ward building at MKCG Hospital, Berhampur

Source: The Telegraph

Dedicated power supply to MKCG hospital at Berhampur

Higher Education Minister Pradip Panigrahi on Wednesday inaugurated the 33/11-KV facility. "It will not
only benefit patients, but also students," he said. "The long standing demand of students and college authorities has finally come true," said MLA (Berhampur) R C Chayaupatnaik. "Some expensive machines of the college were getting damaged due to frequent power cuts. Now those can be saved," said MKCG Principal A K Dandapat. Earlier, the state government had asked power distribution companies to ensure dedicated electricity supply to the three medical colleges along with district headquarters hospitals by June-end.

"The MKCG project was delayed as permission was sought from the railways to draw the power line from Narendrapur grid to the sub-station," said executive engineer (Southco) Lenka Prasad. He said Southco had commenced dedicated power supply to other district headquarters hospitals, except Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district. "Work at Paralakhemundi will be completed soon," said Prasad.

Dedicated power supply has been ensured at City Hospital, Berhampur, Nabarangapur, Koraput, Malkangiri, Phulbani, Boudh and Rayagada hospitals. Managing director (Southco) B B Sharma said not only for hospitals, the distribution company was also working for supply of uninterrupted power supply to Berhampur. "We have already taken up the task and hope to ensure 24X7 power supply within a year," he added.

GAMHA PURNIMA is incomplete without Gamha Dian in Ganjam

Source: The Sambad

Establishment of IIM-Berhampur in Odisha is essential for distributive justice

The Picture depicts national repute institutions established in Odisha. When it comes to South Odisha the region seems to have been completely forgotten by successive governments in the establishement of Institutions of national importance. It is high time that south Odisha and in particular BERHAMPUR should have the proposed IIM .Please share your suggestions and thoughts to pressurize the State Govt that IIM should be established in Berhampur.

IIM-Berhampur demand gathers steam

Source: Prameya

DEMAND FOR IIM AT BERHAMPUR GAINS MOMENTUM

The agitation for setting up a branch of the IIM at Brahmpur has gained momentum. Bhanja Vikas Manch (BVM), has started a signature campaign in support of its demand for establishment the premier institute at Brahmapur which is a commercial and educational hub of south Odisha.  Similarly, Berhampur Forum’ held a meeting here on Sunday last to chalk out the strategy to start a mass movement involving people from different walks of life  in support of the establishment of IIM in the Silk City. BVM is also contemplating to collect signature of at least 50,000 people which would soon be submitted to the Government along with a memorandum justifying the establishment of an IIM here.

Convenor of the Manch Sangram Panda disclosed it to the mediapersons on Tuesday. The members expressed their serious concern over the apathetic and step motherly attitude of the Government for neglecting south Odisha in different domains of development and more particularly the heritage city of Brahmapur. Citing examples of such deliberate negligence by the Government, the members alleged that the Gopalpur Airport, Railway Wagon factory at Sithalapalli, establishment of the Circuit Bench of Odisha High Court, and inclusion of Brahmapur in the Central Government’s proposed ‘smart city’ list are yet to be considered.

Though several institutions of national importance have been established in different small towns of the country, but this heritage city with a population of more than four lakh has always been neglected due to lack of will power of  the elected representatives and the Government. The great leaders like the former President Dr VV Giri and former Prime Minister PV Narasimah Rao, three former Chief Ministers, namely, Biswanath Das, Binayak Acharya and Biju Patnaik hail from the district of Ganjam. Still the district remains neglected, the Manch pointed out.

The Manch will soon collect signature of 50,000 people and will submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Union HRD Minister, and State CM for establishment of IIM at Brahmapur, it disclosed. In the meantime, former Deputy Speaker and senior BJP leader Rama Chandra Panda also demanded that the Union Government consider establishment of the proposed IIM at Brahmapur.

Source: The Pioneer

Research must for Berhampur University lecturers, readers

BERHAMPUR: Lecturers and readers at Berhampur University will now have to compulsorily take part in research activities. The university has also asked them to publish at least one article in a reputed journal of the respective subject in the year.

The university authorities have asked the lecturers and readers to submit their research project proposals with the probable names of the funding agencies by September 25. The vice-chancellor of the university would coordinate with the funding agencies to get money for the respective research projects, sources said.

"It would boost research activities in the university and also help the lecturers and readers in their career," said vice-chancellor Deepak Kumar Behera.

It would also help the university to get a higher score during the NAAC assessment. The university is preparing to invite the NAAC team soon.

The tenure and budget of each research would be decided with the mutual agreement with the funding agencies and researchers, sources said.

The university has also decided to conduct research on four issues involving different departments, in collaboration with the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad. The university has already signed the memorandum of understanding with NIRD for collaborative researches in different aspects.

The proposed research topics include "Environment pollution and impact assessment", "Disaster management", "Water scarcity management and Migration. Almost all departments would be involved in the study on these subjects, the VC said.

The internal quality assurance cell (IQAC) of the university, at its recent meeting, suggested these topics- the major issues in the southern Odisha districts.

Decision of the university assumes significance as some areas in southern Odisha, particularly Berhampur town is reeling under drinking water scarcity, while Ganjam is very prone to natural calamities like cyclone, flood and drought.

Similarly study on migration was important as around 8 lakh people from Ganjam district alone migrate to Surat in Gujarat to eke out a living. Several others also migrate to other states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Goa to work at construction sites.

Source: Times of India

Government to boost floriculture in Ganjam

BERHAMPUR: The state government is encouraging flower growers to set up greenhouses in Ganjam district to boost floriculture. "We have discussed with flower growers in the district and are motivating them to go for greenhouse cultivation to increase production," said director, horticulture, S K Chadha. He gave a patient hearing to flower growers, who narrated their problems, here on Saturday. He advised them to cultivate new varieties and export-quality flowers.

If greenhouses are set up, the exotic flower production in the district would increase manifold, said an expert. Floriculture in Ganjam district received a setback after last October Phailin. The flower-growing area shrunk to 300 acre from 700 acre in the aftermath of the disaster, official sources said.

"Farmers are not interested to invest in floriculture as banks are not coming forward to finance such cultivation. The growers are also not getting remunerative prices for their produce due to lack of market linkage," said general secretary, Ganjam District Flower Growers' Association, Sridhar Verma.

Flower growers also demanded insurance for damage like other crops. "In northeast and some southern states, floriculture is covered under insurance," said Verma.

Since Ganjam is vulnerable to natural calamities and there are high chances of crop loss, insurance coverage is a necessity, he added.

Several flower growers expressed dissatisfaction over non-functioning of the flower market and training centre at Ambapur, on the outskirts of the town. While Rs 1.62 crore was spent under Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana, Rs 93 lakh was borne by Regional Marketing Cooperative Society (RMCS) for the project, official sources said. The centre was inaugurated by chief minister Naveen Patnaik in October 2012. It was built jointly by agriculture department and RMCS (Digaphandi) on an acre. "There is a building without any facilities," a flower grower alleged.

Source: Times of India

Berhampur Comprehensive Development Plan ready

Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) has proposed five major industrial zones, a new airport and ring roads in the draft comprehensive development plan (CDP) for greater Berhampur.

Under the proposals prepared for the south Odisha city and nearby areas, Greater Berhampur would have 327 sq km area comprising the jurisdiction of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC), Chhatrapur and Gopalpur Notified Area Acouncils (NACs) and adjoining villages, BDA officials said.

Besides the existing industrial park and titanium dioxide complex, new facilities will come up at Ratanpur, Phulta and Chikalakhandi. Around 8 sq km at Laxmipur on Purushottampur road has been earmarked for an airport.

The CDP was prepared by the Town and Country Planning Organization (TCPO) under the ministry of the urban development, keeping in mind the growth possibility of the town in the next two decades.

About Rs 1.09 crore has been spent for preparation of the plan BDA chairman Subash Moharana said adding the plan had been uploaded on website for people to respond to it.

"The CDP is necessary for the development of the town in a planned way. Real estate players and industries face problems in approving their plans owing to the absence of a masterplan. I hope it will help all stakeholders," said MLA (Berhampur), R C Chyaupatnaik.

The last master plan for Berhampur town was prepared in 1969. Since then, BDA has attempted to prepare a CDP for the town on several occasions. Finally TCPO was chosen for the job which it completed in 26 months.

Forum to press for IIM in Berhampur

The demand for the establishment of an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Berhampur is getting stronger. Different organisations and dignitaries of the city have come together to form ‘Forum for IIM in Berhampur’ to create public awareness and to press upon the Centre and State government for its fulfilment.

According to the forum no major national institution has been established in southern Odisha. According to them most national institutes are being established in Bhubaneswar and a few in Cuttack and Rourkela. The only national-level institute in south Odisha is the Central University in Koraput, which has also not become a full-fledged institution.

According to them, Berhampur is a major trading centre of Odisha and it would develop further because of the all-weather Gopalpur port and the proposed Industrial Park of Tata Steel. Berhampur is fast emerging as a major educational hub of the State with one university, a medical college, 15 engineering colleges, two pharmacy colleges, a nursing college, a Government College of fisheries, two autonomous colleges and thirty other colleges. They say the State government should press upon the Central government to consider establishing an IIM in Berhampur, as the Central government has decided to have IIMs in most States. Berhampur MLA Ramesh C. Chyaupatnaik has also supported this demand.

http://www.thehindu.com/features/education/college-and-university/forum-to-press-for-iim-in-berhampur/article6291105.ece

IIM-Berhampur demand gathers momentum as more organisations join the movement (The Sambad)

Demand for IIM in Berhampur

"Forum for IIM in Berhampur" formed by eminent citizens to press the demand before the state and central government

Several academics, activists and advocates on Sunday decided to form a "Forum for IIM in Berhampur" to mount pressure on the government to establish the prestigious management institute in the southern Odisha town in Ganjam district.

A delegation led by former deputy chairman, state planning commission and retired professor Pramod Kumar Sahu, would soon meet chief minister Naveen Patnaik and tell him that the town deserves an Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

Before meeting Naveen, a memorandum would be submitted to the revenue divisional commissioner, southern division, stating the need of an IIM in Berhampur, especially because there is no central institute in the town, said coordinator of the forum Sudhir Rout.

The central government had declared that an IIM would be set up in Odisha in the last budget.

"We had demanded for the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), when the Central government sanctioned such an institute for the state. But the government ignored our demand citing that no air connectivity to the town" Pati said.

Ganjma is the home district of chief minister. When the government deserve, there would no dearth of infrastructure facilities for setting of the proposed IIM in the district, added senior advocate Prafulla Jagannath Padhy.

Sahu, however said readily available infrastructure was not the pre-condition for establishment of any premier national level institute. He cited several examples including IIT, Kharagpur, IIT, Bhubaneswar, M.K.C.G.Medical College and Hospital, Brahmapur, Central University, Odisha at Koraput and Brahmapur University. "In order to maintain regional balance across the state, the proposed IIM is needed to establish here" said convener of forum J.Sheshagiri Rao. Moreover Berhampur is the first university in the state was introduced the undergraduate course in management through a private institute in the town, the speakers pointed out.

Several retired professors, activists of different organizations, including president, Ganjam chamber of commerce (GCC) VVRN Rao were attended the meeting. Sahu was presided. The meeting was also decided to involve more and more people, including the political leaders and public representatives of Ganjam district to mount pressure on government, sources said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Demand-for-IIM-in-Berhampur/articleshow/39596343.cms

Lawyers go on stir seeking court bench at Berhampur

Members of Ganjam District Consumer Bar Association started indefinite agitation from Friday demanding immediate commencement of proposed circuit bench of Odisha State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (SCDRC) in Berhampur.

Led by the president of the association, Kailash Chandra Mishra, and secretary Shyamakant Jena, the agitating lawyers sat on dharna on the premises of District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum (DCDRF) in the city. They shouted slogans criticising the State government and the SCDRC for the delay in starting of the proposed circuit bench.

In January this year, the government had proposed to have two circuit benches of the SCDRC in Berhampur and Sambalpur. The decision was taken considering the large number of cases pending before the State Commission from southern and western parts of the State. At present the aggrieved consumers of south Odisha have to travel to Cuttack to file cases before SCDRC.

The director of department of consumer affairs had written to the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division and western division as well as the secretary of SCDRC to initiate necessary measures for functioning of the two proposed circuit benches of the commission.

The RDC had given consent to provide all facilities for holding circuit bench the city. But, according to the members of the Bar association, till date the SCDRC has not held any hearing of its circuit bench in Berhampur. They alleged that similar was the situation in Sambalpur. The lawyers said they had given a notice to the State government on their demand 15 days back but no decision has been taken in this regard. They said they would continue their agitation till their demand was met.

Source-the hindu

Can government of Odisha explain WHY BERHAMPUR CITY has been excluded from the Smart City list

Government of Odisha has proposed the central government to cover 10 cities of the State under the ‘100 smart cities’ plan. But the State Government forgot about Berhampur city for being the obvious choice. This does not come as a surprise, because negligence and discrimination towards Berhampur has become the order of the day.

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