According to the Census of 2001, Orissa comprises 4.74% of India's landmass with 36.71 million people which accounts for 3.57% of the population in the country has been lagging behind other states for various reasons.
The State Orissa has not only abundant mineral resources, but also plenty of water resources. It's long coastline and diverse forest cover has been gifted by nature. Nearly 95% of our State's population are living in rural areas that were neglected in the past. But Prime Minister Sri Atal Behari Vajpayee and Chief Minister. Shri Naveen Patnaik both promise to change the fate of Orissa. They are determined for building a vibrant, just and prosperous modern Orissa, which lost its backbone during the Super Cyclone of 1999. Subsequently, natural calamities like high flood and famine have ravaged the State. Yet a ray of hope was marked with the advent of a coalition Govt. under the leadership of Shri Naveen Pattnaik. In Planning Commission's Orissa Development Report, the Chief Minister, Shri Patnaik's message drew everybody's attention. He said, "Even after 50 years of planning, the State is plagued by appalling poverty with very little diversification of its economy. We have a plan gap and a budget gap while many other States are marching ahead in building a modern and self-reliant economy. What is necessary in such a environment is to marshall the scarce resources of the State by the concerted efforts to build it's capital base in the various sectors to increase their productivity, so as to promote a rapid rise in the standard of living of the people offering opportunities of employment to all, who are employable and willing to work".
Orissa is grappled with unemployment problem but to tackle this our Governor Shri M.M. Rajendran in his last Independence Day's message has emphasized on Biotechnology. He says, 'unemployment among you is a problem that stares at our face in the State. To tackle this problem, every effort has to be made to harness the resources of the State and take advantage of new opportunities. The State has vast scope for sunrise industries like Information Technology and Biotechnology. The State capital has the potential to become a major centre for Information Technology and Biotechnology and other application of science and technology. The Institute of Life Science, already taken over by the Government of India, was dedicated to the nation by our Prime Minister and it will provide great thrust to research in this area leading to applications in
Medical Biotechnology.'
So also our Chief Minister, Shri Naveen Patnaik has underlined the scope of biotechnology in his last Independence Day message i.e. "Orissa is endowed with natural bounty. We do not have shortage of manpower. There is ample scope for development in Tourism, Information Technology, Biotechnology, Mineral-based Industries and Horticulture sectors in Orissa. Exploiting these opportunities, we are trying to take Orissa ahead in the new millennium."
Keeping in view, the Tenth Five Year Plan, Orissa Govt. has a quique vision for the growth of Biotechnology, known as"Biotechnology Vision for the State of Orissa." This document was published by the Science and Technology Department of the Government of Orissa.
We are happy to learn that State Government's vision comes with a firm commitment for a speedy and suitable implementation structures to convert the biosources of the State into economic wealth. Our Chief Minister is also contemplating to establish a Biotechnological Park in the State.
The State Govt. recently handed over the Institute of Life Sciences to Government of India which our Prime Minister dedicated to the nation on July 15, 2003. This Institute has been applauded for its research activities in the field of Molecular Biology of aging and cancer, infectious diseases like malaria and filaria, bio-resources development, conservation and also in the utilization and environmental Biotechnology.
In the near future, Orissa may find a place in the India, map of Biotechnology to ameliorate the condition of the poor and ensure a better living condition for all.
Source : Shri Gurukalyan Mohapatra is a Freelance Journalist and at present working as the Chief Editor of Utkal Prasanga, Information & Public Relations Department, Government of Orissa, Bhubaneswar.
