Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

ORISSA: Can Navin Bring A New Dawn

Posted : September 22, 2006 at 10:07 pm [IST]

It was in sixties that I went first time to Orissa with OP Khanna and his family, Late Mangal, and Ajit Jaggi on a pleasure trip. I remember seeing Konark and temples of Bhuwaneswar in its pristine beauty. There were hardly any encroachments till then. But when I went again in eighties with my three musketeers as kids and Yamuna, I felt sorry rather shocked that encroachments were stealing the beauty of those heritage temples, particularly Konark and Raja-Rani temple in Buwaneswar and there was no efforts from the government to do anything to save them.

And in HM I worked with Rath, Nanda, Satpathy, Patnaik, Mishra, and many others from Orissa. They were all brilliant engineers. I wondered why Orissa was so backward. Why Oriyas are looked down upon by the locals as good only as cooks and plumbers? Why with even with huge money pouring in daught-affected districts for development years after years, nothing changes?

Orissa is very much in news today but for different reasons. Natural wealth of the state can bring about a new dawn. And I hope it is happening under the leadership of Navin Patnaik. He is young, sincere, and clean. I only wonder why did it not happen under previous governments in last sixty years.

Investment promised for Orissa in the steel sector alone exceeds Rs 1,92,000 crore, followed closely by power sector with an investment of Rs 1,56,980 crore. The investment offer in the aluminium sector is around Rs 56,000 crore. And many other sectors will follow. Is not great going for a backward state such as Orissa? It started with the historic deal with Posco of 12 million tonne. And Navin steered the deal with maturity. Tata Steel and now Mittal are also investing in huge steel plants. Navin could manage the unscrupulous investors that were really interested in mining lease. Today as policy, the government recommends mines only after placement of 20% of firm order for plant and 80% of civil construction; and grants lease after 50% of investments. Though Orissa has an iron ore reserve of 5.43 billion tonne, mines with reserve of only 1.52 billion tonne are actually available to be distributed to the MoU companies. Naturally with the clear policy, only serious players would stay back. I don’t understand why can’t the other states follow a similar policy to deal with the great drains on limited natural resources of mines.

And it is not only in metal and power sectors, but also in social sectors, the investments promised are unprecedented. Hyderabad-based LV Prasad Institute of Eye-care, Cancer Detection and Treatment Institute, Mumbai-based Asian Heart Institute, Apollo and aiims-type hospitals and a diabetic research centre in collaboration with Sveromska of Switzerland may soon come up. Anil Ambani promises to set up Rs 500-crore “health city” within Bhubaneswar. And in the knowledge sector too, Anil Agrawal’s Vedanta University will have its sprawling campus over 10,000 acres between Puri and Konark. The Indian institute of information technology and IIT Kharagpur will also have its presence in Orissa.

Kalingnagar killings made him come out with a clear policy for rehabilitation and resettlement too that ensures job for at least one person of the displaced family, Rs. 1.5 lakh worth of dwelling, and Rs 10,000 as shifting cost. If the displaced persons want, the companies have agreed to offer shares to them too.

Will Navin be effective in facing opposing forces and vested interests? With his gentleman’s image, it may appear difficult, but I wish all the well-wishers of Orissa would pray for his success.

Some News of Interest
Two Indians shine in Forbes rich list
Indians getting richer, more demanding
1 lakh rural computer kiosks planned
IBM India opens fourth centre in Kolkata
Orissa scraps 3 steel MoUs, Vedanta faces the brunt too
Orissa exemplifies good governance
Latest Orissa inks MoUs for 10 thermal power plants

- Indra

Category: Industry/Management |