NALCO refrains from investing in social sector in Odisha.

Chairman and Managing Director of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) Shriram Upadhyay seems more concerned for educational and social development of Orissa than his counterpart in National Aluminium Company (Nalco) Chitta Ranjan Pradhan. Upadhyay is eager to provide fund for establishment of a medical college at Talcher. Pradhan, though an Oriya, on the other hand, has till date not shown any interest in investing in human resource development of the State in a big way. Interestingly, Nalco's medical bill per annum is around Rs14 crore, and if this Navratna public sector undertaking (PSU) takes a bold step, it could save the huge medical expenses for its employees by investing in setting up of a medical college and hospital.
Lack of interest at the top management level of Nalco to fund in social sector of the State has irked the leading non-resident Oriyas (NROs) and educationists. While major private investors have been providing funds for development of the educational sector, PSU Nalco's shyness to develop Orissa as an educational hub has resulted in a sorry state of affairs, lamented Professor Chitta Baral, who teaches at the Arizona State University.
Prof baral has asked the Nalco chief to fund a medical college at Damanjodi (Koraput), an engineering college at Angul and a topnotch management institute in Bhubaneswar. He said that this is high time the Nalco authorities were forced to invest in the social sector in a big way.
Owing to political pressure, Nalco is funding few projects in Koraput and Anugul, alleged an educationist. He said that Nalco must take cue from MCL and Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) in taking initiative for investment in the social sector. CCL, it may be pointed out, is funding an engineering college in Jharkhand, its area of operation. Similarly, the Bokaro Steel Plant is also funding a medical college in Jharkhand.

While Tata Steel is liberally funding in the social sector in Jharkhand, Nalco, which is the pride of Orissa, seems to be reluctant to play its role in similar projects in the State, said another leading NRO Dhirendra Kar. As Nalco has applied for another bauxite mines in Orissa, it is high time the State Government pressurised the PSU to fund liberally in the educational sector of the State, he said. In fact, NROs in general feel that this central PSU will only succumb to the pressure tactics.