IIM Odisha: State asked to finalise location for campus at the earliest

Bhubaneswar: Amid row over location for setting up of the permanent campus of proposed Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Odisha, the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has written a letter to the State government asking it to finalise the place where to establish the premiere business school, so that the admission for 2015-16 academic year can be commenced.

The ministry has clearly stated in the letter to the State Technical Education and Training department that classes for this academic year will be started at the temporary campus only after the location for the IIM, Odisha, is finalised.

Sources said looking at the dilemma over a place for the proposed business school, starting of classes for the 2015-16 academic session may be a distant dream.

Earlier, on March 2, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had written a letter to Union HRD minister Smriti Zubin Irani mentioning the proposed IIM can be set up in Sambalpur if guidelines of the Centre can be relaxed.

In fact, the chief minister added the State had chosen two sites for the B-school. The western Odisha is well connected with Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda, where an airport is likely to come up, he had stated.

Meanwhile, Patnaik had requested the Union minister to send site selection committee to Sambalpur.