IIM Jana Chetana Rath in Sambalpur. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, Nov. 9: The peoples’ forum for IIM in Sambalpur has decided to intensify the agitation regarding the setting up of the proposed IIM here city. It will flag off the IIM Jana Chetana Rath to mobilise people on their demand.

The forum has also taken a decision to form human chains from the G.M. College to the office of the revenue divisional commissioner of the northern division on Monday and observe a district-wide bandhan on November 11.

To put pressure on the government, convenor of the forum Sapan Mishra said: “It has been decided to gherao the Assembly and the chief minister’s residence in Bhubaneswar on November 20.”

The state government is expected to recommend the location for the IIM to the central HRD ministry by the third week of November.

The institute will start from the next academic session and the government will also identify the temporary campus for the institute.

The forum has appealed to political parties to join the movement. On October 29, hundreds of people of the city under the aegis of the forum had staged a demonstration in front of the revenue divisional commissioner’s office.

“Sambalpur has the infrastructure required for the establishment of the IIM. The government should recommend the name of Sambalpur as the location for the premier institution,” said Mishra.

“From the media, we have learnt that the state government was planning to recommend names of three places, which are in and around Bhubaneswar, as it has an airport. The air connectivity is not a pre-condition for the establishment of the IIM. Besides, the airport at Jharsuguda, which is around one hour away from here, will also be ready in three years,” Mishra said.

“Out of the 39 centrally-funded institution, only two institutions— National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Rourkela and Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) in Bargarh — are in west Odisha. There is no other centrally funded institute in the region. Although Sambalpur is the main city of western Odisha, it does not have any centrally funded institution here.

“The proposed IIM should be set up in Sambalpur as it has all the necessary utilities,” said Soumendra Hota, a member of the forum.