CSIR to enter Koraput

BHUBANESWAR: Aiming to make affordable technologies available to people in backward regions, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is going to open an Outreach Centre at Koraput in the current financial year. “Director General CSIR and Secretary Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Samir K. Brahmachari who was in the State for last two days gave his consent to start the centre,” said B. K. Mishra, director of Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), here on Saturday. Mr. Mishra said CSIR would enter into agreement with Central University, Orissa to make the centre functional at Koraput. “IMMT would act as a nodal agency in the technology dissemination programme while Central University would be involved in imparting training to prospective entrepreneurs or beneficiaries who would use the technologies,” he said. Mr. Mishra said, “IMMT on its part would coordinate with CSIR sister laboratories in the country to create technology pool which would be relevant for the backward region like KBK.” Initially, Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP, Lucknow and North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat would collaborate for the Outreach Centre at Koraput. The project is a part of CSIR-800 programme. “Proposal of budgetary requirement to the tune of Rs. 50 crore was placed for the centre. We intend to start the operation with 18 to 20 temporary employees. District Magistrate of Koraput has already promised to provide temporary shed to begin the centre,” IMMT Director said. © Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu