ESTABLISHMENT OF A LARGE TECHNOLOGY CENTER IN KALAHANDI BY ENCOURAGING MORE SOLAR CHAKRA MISSION IN KBK REGION
Bureau,Odishabarta
Prof Digambara Patra,from American University of Beirut wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of India, Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with some his noble suggestion he also conveyed to The honorable chief minister of Odisha Shri. Naveen Patnaik,Honorable Textile Minister Smt. Smriti Irani,Honorable MSME Minister Shri Nitin Ghadkari Honorable MSME Minister of State Shri Pratap Sarangi
LEBANON: During this COVID-19 situation, the central Govt.’s initiative to boost MSME to generate employment for the migrant laborers and boost growth is highly appreciable. Similarly, the Odisha state Government is taking excellent initiative for industrial development in Odisha. However, most of the big initiatives and projects by central as well as state Govt. are limited to the coastal Odisha region and none of them have been proposed in the KBK region so far.
Odisha has about 4 Lakh MSME, 0.6 % of MSME in the country. This number is too small when its population is 3.2 % of India. Most of the existing MSME, about 60%, in Odisha is in repairing service suggesting Odisha has limited contribution in manufacturing despite being known for its metal and mining. A large part of Odisha’s MSME is also concentrated in Sundergarh, Khordha, and Cuttack districts. The contribution of the KBK-Kandhamal region is very small. Similarly, presently Odisha generates 474 MW solar power when India generates 34.6 GW, thus, Odisha’s share is 1.4 %. By 2022, when India aims to have 100 GW solar power, Odisha’s target is 1.5 GW, which is again 1.5%. Compared to its population both in solar power and MSME, Odisha’s share must grow 2-fold and 5-fold respectively. In this case, the KBK region can potentially be developed for alumina, cotton, and agricultural-based MSME and solar industries.
Unfortunately, most of the aluminum and textile parks in Odisha are being established outside of the KBK district. At the same time, KBK districts play a major role in cotton production in Odisha. Cotton cultivated in Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Koraput, and Balangir districts is well known for its quality internationally. District wise Kalahandi is among the topmost districts for cotton production. Similarly, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Bargarh, and Koraput region is known for handloom textiles. Even Khadi products in the Kalahandi region were known in the old days. Additionally, exploitation of bonded laborers from KBK districts, especially Kalahandi, Nuapada, and Balangir in various cities of India have drawn international and national condemnation for human right violation. Since the MSME ministry of Central Govt. has a special focus on Khadi through Solar Chakra Mission, both central and state Govt. may encourage cotton growing farmers, villagers and migrant laborers in KBK region to take advantage of the Solar Chakra Mission by giving them training and help them to establish MSME.
In this regard, the Ministry of MSME has a proposal to make 20 Large Technology Center and 100 Small Technology Center to facilitate MSME. One Large Technology Center by the Ministry of MSME in Kalahandi for South Western Odisha is essential. Bhawanipatna-Kesinga resembles as Central point of the ellipse in the Western bordering region from Motu to Rourkela in Odisha and Bhawanipatna is located centrally to all the major districts under cotton cultivation such as Kalahandi, Bolangir, Rayagada & Koraput as per Odisha Govt. data. Finally, cotton and textile-based MSME can lead to establishing a “Textile and Cotton Park” in Kalahandi region under the ministry of textile of both central and state Govt. to serve South Western Odisha, specifically the KBK-Kandhamal-Gajapati-Bargarh region.
Therefore, I urge you to kindly consider establishing a Large Technology Center in Kalahandi by encouraging more Solar Chakra Mission in the KBK region.
Digambara Patra,MPhil,PhD,Professor,Dept of Chemistry,American University of Beirut,Lebanon
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