Central varsity in Kalahandi demanded

The Kalingatimes, 13th August, 2008
KalingaTimes CorrespondentBhubaneswar, Aug 13:
A large delegation of elected people's representatives, senior citizens and academicians from backward Kalahandi on Tuesday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to facilitate establishment of the proposed Central University in their district.
At a meeting with Patnaik at the State Secretariat here, the delegation, which comprised leaders from different political parties, demanded that the proposed Central University should be established in Kalahandi instead of Koraput.
The members of the recently formed Central University Coordination Committee of Kalahandi told media persons that the Chief Minister should take necessary initiative to set up the proposed university in the district as it had remained one of the most backward regions of the state all these years.
It may be recalled that Patnaik had recently written to Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh requesting him to establish the Central University at Koraput.
Patnaik has said in his letter to Singh that establishment of the Central University at Koraput would reduce the existing regional imbalance with regard to higher educational institutions in the state.
Patnaik had also said that 500 acres of land and other facilities were available in Koraput for the proposed varsity.
What is interesting is that Patnaik had urged the Centre to set up the proposed university at Koraput despite giving an assurance to a delegation from Kalahandi in May this year that he would write to the Centre for establishment of the institution in their district.