The Chief Minister, Shri Naveen Patnaik today demanded that the historical neglect for Eastern States like Orissa should be corrected during the 11th Plan.The advanced States of the country have had the benefit of huge public investment in irrigation and other related infrastructure in the past and the Eastern States have lost out in this race, he said. He pointed out that the various Working Groups on Agriculture have observed that the Eastern region has the maximum potential for agricultural growth during the 11th Five Year Plan and therefore region specific programmers based on the specific requirements of the different agro-climatic zones should be drawn up instead of uniform nation-wide schemes of one-size-fit-all variety.

There have been instances of man-animal conflict, particularly, in respect of elephants in different parts of Orissa, Mr Patnaik said and expressed concern over the loss of human lives and property

BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday requested the central government to set up a National Institute of Design Technology (NID) in the state capital and offered to provide for it necessary infrastructure, including land.


Patnaik met union Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma at New Delhi Wednesday and made the request, the chief minister’s office said in a press release here.

The new National Design Policy of the central government envisages to set up four new design institutes on the pattern of the NID-Ahmedabad during the 11th five year plan, and three locations have already been identified for central, southern and northeastern regions of the country, the release said.

Patnaik emphasized that an NID focusing on handlooms and handicrafts could be ideally located in Orissa which could serve tribal regions of not only this state but also of neighbouring Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and the entire eastern region, the statement said.