Does Gandhi-Nehru family more interested in using backwardness of Kalahandi and KBK for political purposes rather than on the actual development?

To
Ms. Sonia Gandhi
UPA, Chairman
President,
Indian National Congress
24, Akbar Road,
New Delhi - 110011
INDIA

Copy to: The President of India
The Prime minister of India
The Chief Minister of Orissa
The HRD minister, Govt. of India
The Chairperson and members, National Knowledge Commission (NKC)
The members of Parliaments
Deputy, Planning Commission
The media

Sub:- Does Gandhi-Nehru family more interested in using backwardness of Kalahandi and KBK for political purposes rather than on the actual development?

Ref:- Announce main roads, airport and railway projects in KBK region as national project similar to the North Eastern states and establish a Central University, a National Medical College and a National Institute of Technology (NIT) in this region

Dear Ms Gandhi,
With reference to the recent suggestion made by Mr Pitroda (NKC chairperson) to honorable Prime minister on “glaring regional imbalance in engineering education”, I fully agree with him and suggest that the central government should focus on some of the remote pocket (similar to north eastern states) like Kalahandi, in general KBK of Orissa, for such establishments.

Though places like Kalahandi has been long associated with Nehru-Gandhi dynasty since decades due to its acute poverty and backwardness, frustrations are running high in the region as during the leadership of Gandhi-Nehru dynasty Kalhandi, KBK in general, has received little in national developmental policy on railway, highway, infrastructure, industries, airport, higher education etc despite the fact that Gandhi family has often publicly sympathized backward Kalahandi and KBK region for their three generations.

Late PM Ms Indira Gandhi, late PM Mr Rajiv Gandhi, UPA chairperson yourself and recently 3rd generation youth leader icon, Mr Rahul Gandhi (who referred himself that his is the soldier of Kalahandi in Delhi), visited undivided Kalahandi district and showed their sympathy towards development.

Infrastructure is important for any kind of development. Problems in Kalahandi, KBK as a whole, are poverty and backwardness which actually are originated from unemployment and poor infrastructure.

Apart from agricultural development like irrigation, infrastructure in road, national highway, railway, airport and industries bring developments to a remote and backward place.
Gandhi family has often publicly sympathized backward Kalahandi and KBK region since their three generations however, statistics show 15 years of Gandhi leadership at the central government has done little for this region.
Examples of major projects in Kalahandi in post independence period are:
(1) Upper Indiravati Irrigation Project was proposed and foundation stone was laid by late Morajee Desai (a non-congress government)
(2) Lanjigarh road – Junagarh railway line (though not yet completed) was proposed during late Mr Chandrasekhar government (non-congress government)
(3) Bargarh – Boriguma national highway (NH 201) which passes through Kalahandi and whole KBK (though it is still like a state road without any improvement) was initiated by Vajpayee government (a non congress government)
(4) Even the most publicized KBK project was initiated by Mr Rao government which was a congress government but Nehru-Gandhi family had least role in it.

None of the above was proposed during a Nehru-Gandhi leadership. Both you and your son, Mr Rahul Gandhi, have considerable influence in the present central government but have done little for development Kalahandi, in general KBK.

When a multi-campus university in KBK was proposed by Orissa government to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the ministry hijacked the idea and established a similar university in the home state of the concern minister and KBK region was ignored.

The central government announced 8 IITs, 7 IIMs and 30 central universities in major urban region in the country, unfortunately, not a single one in places like KALAHANDI (a central place to KBK region) to which Nehru-Gandhi family has routinely voiced as poor and backward region. A national institute will not only bring effectiveness in education in this lower literacy rate region but also bring new opportunities as business and infrastructure to the region.

Both the prime minister and HRD minister has proposed to establish more than 5 national institutes in their home states (IIT, IISER, 2 Central universities, Tribal University, SPA, NIB, NIN), but never proposed a single one in place like Kalahandi, KBK in general.

On the other hand railway link and a railway engine factory in KBK region will support other form of employments in these regions. The concern railway ministry is establishing the railway wheel factory in his political constituency where as need of that kind in a backward region such as KBK is being totally ignored.

Statistics is proving that Gandhi-Nheru dynasty is more interested to exploit backwardness of poor KBK region for political causes rather than the actual development of KBK region.

KBK region and specially Kalahandi has been a symbol of poverty and backwardness for the media and is it that impression the politicians and Nehru-Gandhi family want to play?

KBK region is as large as size of Punjab or Kerala, we request you to focus more on development of KBK region such as announcing main roads, airport and railway projects in the region as national project similar to the North Eastern states and propose to establish a Central University, a National Medical College and a National Institute of Technology (NIT) in this region, as promised by the congress party in past decades.

Thank you and kind regards

Sincerely

Digambara Patra

Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
American University of Beirut
Bliss Street, Beirut
Lebanon