Tathya.in, April 26, 2009
Koraput:26/April/2009
First it was Centre.
And now it is turn of officials.
All play with the fate of the much-awaited central university in Orissa’s Koraput district.
Centre took a lot of time for granting a central university for Orissa.
Though it was expected that the proposed new varsity will come up at Bhawanipatna, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik decided it to set up at Koraput.
That’s only keeping political advantage in sight.
And the centre after lot of noise sanctioned Rs 1.20 crore for the central university at Koraput.
However, now its officials were not in a mood to go to the tribal dominated district.
The reason: lack of facilities like airport and modern health care units.
Surabhi Banerjee had been appointed as the first vice-chancellor of the central university at Koraput.
But, Prof. Banerjee, are in no mood to move to Koraput.
Sources said, the VC had been persuading the state government officials to open temporary campus of the varsity in the state capital instead of going to Koraput.
The newly formed central university authorities claimed that the academic activities could begin from temporary campus here till the building was constructed at Koraput.
By the time, the building would be over; Prof Banerjee’s term could end.
Therefore, though the credit of becoming the first VC of the central university at Koraput goes to her, she will skip the tribal dominated district.
Prof Banerjee’s attempt to open temporary campus is, however, not supported by many in the state.
The authorities could find a suitable place for running the temporary campus in Koraput itself, they argued.
But Prof. Banerjee was not ready to accept the fact because of one simple reason that they would stay in Koraput.
Though Koraput did not have air link, it was well connected with rail line.
Therefore, the students and faculty should have no problem in making to and fro from the place.
Despite that, Koraput, the major district in the infamous KBK region, would be literally deprived up of getting a central university even as it had been sanctioned by the centre.
The central university in Koraput in all probability will face the fate of the Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) which had its headquarters in the state capital for a long time.
