Rourkela: The MSME Technology Centre proposed to be set up here by the Central government has made no headway even after four years of its conception with the project lying buried somewhere in the files of the ministry. It was in the year 2019 that the Ministry of MSME, then under the stewardship of Pratap Sarangi, decided to set up 20 technology centres across the country. The meeting had zeroed in on two places in the eastern part of the country for the purpose, and one was Rourkela. The total cost of the project was Rs 4,000 crore and the cost of setting up the centre in Rourkela was Rs 200 crore. Subsequently, a request was made to the Ministry of Steel to provide land free of cost. The requirement was for 20 acre of land in Rourkela.
The initiative was taken by Arun Panda, then secretary of MSME, who handled the agreement between the two ministries for the piece of land free of cost. The state government also got involved in this prestigious project and helped in finalising the land. The land was given near Kantjhar behind NIT Rourkela and near the All India Radio station here.
Unlike free holding of lands by plants elsewhere, SAIL on its own cannot give land to anyone because the steel conglomerate is a leaseholder. The state government also did not charge the mutation fee. Later it was found that of the total 20 acre, 4.5 acre belongs to the Forest Department. The state government had asked the ministry to take charge of the non-forest land. Presently, the ministry has possession of 15.5 acre and soon it will get the rest of the land. However, apart from possession of the land, no other activity has been taken up there in the last three years. This inordinate delay has irked many.
Now, it has been learnt that Ircon International Limited (IRCON), a government company incorporated by the Central government (Ministry of Railways), is going to undertake the construction of the building and the boundary wall. Meanwhile, former secretary of Steel Executive Federation of India and social activist Bimal Bisi said, “I am going to draw the attention of the Government of India in this case very soon. I am going to write to PM Narendra Modi, MP Jual Oram and Minister for MSME Narayan Tatu Rane drawing their attention to this inordinate delay in the prestigious project. This has a vast potential to produce quality trained manpower and also generate revenue. It will have a direct link with the Central Tool Room Training Centre at Bhubaneswar.” The Centre’s aim is to test equipment and products of the MSME sector. It will be testing equipment from NIT, RSP and other industries thus earning revenue. Besides, it will also train people and help them get jobs outside. The centre will also be in a position to meet the market demand for different products. “Like the Bhubaneswar centre supplying parts to ISRO, the Rourkela centre will be able to produce quality manpower and also earn revenue,” said Bisi. He also felt that it will be a boon for the MSMEs of the district.