Sambalpur University: glorious past with an uncertain future

An article  on Sambalpur University : by Ajit Nayak 

Situated in natural environment near the world famous Hirakud dam project on river Mahanadi, the Sambalpur University campus which is also known as Jyoti Vhar is considered one of the ideally located   educational institution of the country. Started in 1967 in a total 670 acres of land, the university is only institution of its kind to impart higher education to the aspirant students of tribal dominated western part of the state. With high quality of education and research works, the university has achieved many glories moments in the past. University has produced numerous scholars who achieved distinction in various fields working in various key posts both in Indian and abroad. But despite of the glories past, the University is presently struggling for its existence following various financial irregularities and misuse of funds in the name of privatization. 

With in 15 km away from the district head quarter of Sambalpur, the university campus is surrounded with green forest but over the past the institution suffers student scarcity because of degradation of the facilities that are available for the students. Some departments including statistics and earth science are under the verge of closure because of student scarcity.  

“In statistics and earth science we do not follow the rule of having aggregate mark of 50 percent as there is scarcity of students. We try to admit every one coming to take admission. Still we do not have adequate students in these two departments”, an official of the university said.

 There are 5 boys’ hostels and 2 ladies hostels with 120 seats for each hostel which are quite inadequate to house all the aspirant students coming from outside area. They are forced to stay in rented house at Burla town. More over the existing facilities and amenities available in the hostels are slowly become poor because of the   negligent attitude of university authority.  “Facilities available in the hostels are not up to the mark. Time and again we face water scarcity because of faulty water supply system. The food served in the hostel is also not good.  Mostly we depend on the food available outside. But there is no one to hear out complaint”, former leader and student of 4th  semester Dibya Kishore Panda said.  

University has a central library that remains opened from morning 8 am to evening 8 pm. But the library has huge quantity of books which are hardly come to the help of the students because the books are no way related to the courses imparted in the University. There is neither separate library for each department nor there is any reading room/ common room in the departments. Students are asked to take book from the central library incase of any reference. “We go to central library to find out a book incase of reference but it takes time to find out a particular book” a girl student of English department said. 

On the other hand, allegation of various financial irregularities and misuse of funds during past few years has put a question mark on the sincerity of the university authority. Though the university authority denied the fact, it is the employee union which demanded a probe in to the alleged irregularities. Even the university has come under scan for showing favore to some private firms by allowing them to rob the university funds.  “There are several allegations of financial irregularities and scams. We demanded a probe it to it. We do not want misuse of funds that are collected from the students”, a member of employee union of the university said.

According to him the University has allowed a private educational institute to open an English medium high school inside the campus by handing over land belongs to the University.  It has decided to hand over the entire examination system to a private software company.  “We apprehend a series of problem in examination system because of revealing of secrecy, once it is gone in a private firm’s hand, he said.  But the controller of examination of Sambalpur University Manas Ranjan Pujari does not agree with it. ” we will never make any compromise with the secrecy of the examination”. He said.

On the other hand sources alleged that the University does not have approval of NICET even though technical courses are opened in the university in the name of self financial course. Recent the university has opened a centre in the name of Sambalpur University institute of information technology (SUIIT) converting the Hostel meant for female students of M.phil course, but for this University does not have the approval of the NICET.   

                                          

                                                 Voice papule

Dibya Kishore Panda.

(Former secretary of the student union and fourth semester student) 

“The hostel condition is not totally hygienic.  Poor maintenance and negligent attitude of the university authority force the students to stay out side. The food is also not good. The authority is busy in privatization of the examination. But hardly takes interest in the improvement of the standard of education and hostel environment” 

Manas Ranjan Pujari 

(controller of examination and registrar (in charge) of Sambalpur University)  

“There is nothing to be worried because the university is not going to hand over the examination system to the private firm at the cost of the secrecy. However it is premature to give any comment on it. We have formed a committee on it and decision will taken only after receiving the report of the committee”

Mahendra Mishra, 

(General Secretary of employee union of the University)  

“There are allegations of financial irregularities and scam. We demanded a probe it to it. We do not want misuse of funds that are collected from the students. Both the vice-chancellor and registrar have gone to New Delhi in flight where they will hand over doctorate degree to IK Gujral   as he did not come at the time of convocation. Is this not a misuse of fund” 

Bhawani Sankar Hota, 

(former MP and president of all India university employee union). 

“You can not allow a private party to play with the future of thousands of students in the name of improvement of examination system. This is required thorough scrutiny and series of discussion before handing over it to a private party. But the way University authority has taken the matter hastily; I do not find any logic it, and it create doubt in the integrity”,    

Articles on various topics related to the problems and development of western Orissa will be placed in the blogs. So watch this regularly and give your valuable comments.

Use of chemical fertilizers does not help farmers to increase their production, reveals the public hearing held in Sambalpur

Farmers demand subsides for ecological fertilizers from government. 
A report by Jai Krishna of Greenpeace ( Bangalore)

Sambalpur, 31 August 2010: Farmers from the various blocks of Sambalpur the 4^th largest fertiliser consuming district of Odisha turned out in hundreds for the Jan sunani (Public Hearing) on the central government policies of chemical fertilisers and their impacts on soil fertility yesterday. The public hearing is a part of the social audit conducted by the living soils campaign of Greenpeace and Paschim Odisha Krishak Sanghatan Samanvay Samiti.

Prior to the public hearing a results of the survey of about 200 farmers from Maneswar block was shared as a part of the social audit process that started in the district a month back.

The various schemes, concerning soil health and soil fertility management policies of the Central Government, including the newly launched Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS)¹ for chemical fertilisers and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)^.which aims at overall agriculture and farmer livelihood development were assessed in the survey which covered around 22 villages in the Maneswar block.

Results of the survey: The results show a dangerous trend of decreasing yields and increasing fertiliser use during kharif in comparison with the last ten years both in the rain fed as well as irrigated districts. The average use of chemical fertilisers has jumped from 124 kg/ acre to 189kg per acre in irrigated regions and 101 Kg/ acre to 146 kg/acre in rain fed regions.  Coupled with this fact is another revealing trend of decreasing water holding capacity and more than 20 % of farmers reporting the absence of any living organisms in soil for the last 15 years. Expectedly, a majority of the farmers confirm that chemical fertilisers are the reason behind the soil degradation.

On the side of using ecological fertilisers, it was revealed that 100% of the farmers use compost or manures, and irrigated regions farmers used more than the rain fed farmers. 70% of farmers stated that they would prefer ecological fertilsers, if the government subsidises them.

The farmers also had a preference for either a panchayat based production system or to be produced in their own farms over the retailing of subsidised ecological fertilisers ².

The public hearing witnessed more than 400 farmers of which about 30 farmers from various regions of the districts spoke on various issues regarding, fertiliser use and its impacts, issues regarding soil fertility and made several demands to the government about ecological fertilisers. civil society organisations and the Deputy Director of Agriculture of Sambalpur district also testified before the panel about the issues facing soil fertility in the district.

Kushdhwaj Chowdhary a farmer from Kuchinda block said, “From 1990- 2000, I have seen the use of chemical fertiliser does not increase production and I don’t profit. Therefore I changed to organic fertiliser for the last five years. Organic fertilisers give me more production. But the government gives subsidy for chemical fertilisers.  I request the government to shift 75% of the subsidy for chemical fertiliser to support organic fertilisers.”

The Deputy Director of Agriculture, Mr. Ashok Mohanty, during the sessions said. “The Prime Minister of the Country has supported the need for organic farming. Continous use of chemical fertilisers will decrease the soil fertility. Organic fertilisers are on the other hand a good choice.” “The government has introduced the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana also for maintaining the soil fertility of the farm lands. A total of 2.2 lakhs has been received on vermi composting, green manuring in the district” he added.

Lingaraj, convenor, Paschim Odisha Krishak Sanghatan Samanvay Samiti, said, “The small and marginal farmers of Odisha need a change in the chemical fertiliser policy in which 50% of the subsidies should be given for ecological fertilisers via direct financial support. There is also need to initiate consensus among farmers and create a movement for ushering ecological farming. If this is not addressed, then farmers of Odisha will soon face the fate of farmers in Haryana and Punjab, with soils that can’t support farming.”

Decision of the panel: The panel composed of Prof. Radha Mohan, Former information commissioner, State Information Commission of Odisha, Mr. Natbar Sadangi, renowned organic farmer and Mr.Jacob Nellithanam, Richharia Campaign, Chattisgarh after hearing about the various arguments made the following decisions:

• Farmers in general pointed out that use of chemical inputs, both fertilisers and pesticides has harmed the environment, killed soil microbes and other animals and birds. It has adversely affected human health.

·         Farmers are forced to use chemical fertilisers due to lack of availability of ecological manure and reduced livestock numbers.

• Farmers unanimously spoke on evils of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Many of the farmers are found to have adopted organic farming and have produced comparative production of rice and other crops.
• The initial gains on productivity because of chemical fertiliser have vanished and productivity is now decreasing alarmingly.
• There are vanishing pastures, declining cattle population and yet a lack of incentive from the government for organic farming.

Recommendations:

• It at least half of the subsidy and effort devoted to promoting chemical agriculture is shifted to promote organic farming, farmers will be benefitted and soil fertility will be protected. The present subsidy regime benefitting the industry.

·         Direct production of subsidy for dryland- rain fed farmers who can do diversified crop production of pulses, oil seeds and millets. This is also an answer to protect soil fertility while not using chemical fertilisers as pulses fix nitrogen to the soil. This is because they were never benefitted by subsides for chemical fertilisers, irrigation, electricity, diesel or machinery.

·         There is a need to support live stock in farming practices. Bullock drive plough and associated dairy production is a must to adopt organic farming. Government should also promote sale of organic grains.

“It is shocking to know that in a state like Odisha, where the average use of fertilsers much lower than national figures, there could exist pockets of fertile land which are being severely degraded by the use of chemical fertilisers. At the same, time it’s a clear mandate from the farmers of both rain fed as well as irrigated regions who, contrary to the conjured notions on the low demand of ecological fertilisers, state that they will use ecological fertilisers if the government subsidises them. We request that the government of Odisha takes note of this directive of the farmers and demands the central government to provide ecological subsidies for farmers” stated jai Krishna, Campaigner, sustainable agriculture campaigner, Greenpeace.

Contact information:
Paschim Odisha Krishak Sanghatan Samanvay Samiti Ashok Pradhan: 94370 54175           Lingaraj:             94370 56029  Saroj Mohanty:  97771 54159	Greenpeace Jai Krishna.R, 0- 98455 91992; jaikrishna.r@greenpeace.org  Sunil Parbhakar,0- 95568 31496 sunil.parbhakar@greenpeace.org

 Notes:

1.     Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) The newly introduced subsidy system for chemical fertilisers, made effective from 1 April 2010. As per the Government it was devised to address the issue of soil degradation due to indiscriminate fertiliser use. However it proved to be old wine in new bottle as it continues to support chemical fertilisers only with no support for organic fertilization.

2.     Ecological fertilization includes a wide array of eco-friendly practices that nourishes soil and facilitates the natural cycles within the soil ecosystem. Fertilization using Farm Yard manure, Green leaf manure, biofertilisers, compost etc forms part of this model. In addition to this there are several practices developed by farmers through years of observation and on farm experimentation.