Sonia gifts petroleum institute to Rae Bareli

After years of delay, the Nehru-Gandhi family on Wednesday finally delivered on its promise...

After years of delay, the Nehru-Gandhi family on Wednesday finally delivered on its promise of setting up a petroleum technology institute in its constituency, Rae Bareli, barely a year before the next Lok Sabha elections. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology in the presence of her son Rahul Gandhi and Petroleum Minister Murli Deora.

The idea of setting up the institute was floated during Capt Satish Sharma’s tenure as petroleum minister in the early ’90s, but the project never took off despite the Congress coming back to power in 2004. In an apparent reference to some opposition from within the party on the project, Rahul said, “I was told that this is a rural place and such an institute will not benefit anyone. But there is no place where education should not be extended.” He added that the institute is an important milestone in making Rae Bareli an education hub. In this regard, he noted that NIFT and a leather technology institute have already been set up in the area.

Being set up at a cost of Rs 435 crore, the petroleum institute will become completely functional by 2015. Academic operations will start with the launch of two undergraduate courses in 2008-09. One MBA course in petroleum management will also be started. When fully functional, the institute will offer seven B Tech, six Integrated Masters, eight M Tech/ MBA and 12 PGD and PhD programmes.

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Addressing the people, Sonia admitted that the project should have been started much earlier and assured people that it will be put on fast track now. “The idea was conceptualised in the early ’90s, but it was put on hold because of reasons which I would not like to mention here,” she said.

A day after their meeting with UP Chief Minister Mayawati, both Sonia and Rahul avoided making any comment against the state Government. Instead, Sonia focussed her speech on development issues. She indicated that the UPA Government will give special attention to problems faced by farmers and women in the coming budget.

The visit of Sonia and Rahul is significant as the party’s state unit has launched a campaign — “Hisab Do” — regarding alleged poor implementation of central funds in UP. While Rahul had recently attacked the UP Government on the condition of the drought-hit Bundelkhand region and poor implementation of NREGS, Mayawati has been accusing the Congress of hatching conspiracies against her. The Bahujan Samaj Party MP and MLAs of Sultanpur district had even boycotted the meeting of district-level vigilance and monitoring committee meant for the proper implementation of NREGS.

While addressing the public gathering at Feroze Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology at Rae Bareli, Sonia said banks should adopt a humanitarian approach while making efforts for the repayment of the loan from people, especially farmers. At a function organised by the Bank of Baroda to mark its centenary year, Sonia inaugurated 1,000 Self Help Groups and 151 farmers clubs.