Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Chandra Sekhar Sahu visited Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology (CSIR), Bhubaneswar on 15 February, 2008. Hon’ble Minister showed keen interest in various on-going R&D activities of the Laboratory and witnessed several live demonstrations of technologies developed by IMMT. Prof. B. K. Mishra, Director of the Institute explained the working models of some low-lost rural technologies, viz., smoke-less chullas, paddy threshers, grain-dryers and on-line community terafil water purification systems.

Shri Sahu also took keen interest in the advanced materials research division and interacted with the scientists on their current research on application of nano-technology, especially target-specific drug delivery system.

Later, the minister also visited the Institute’s bio-leaching demonstration unit and appreciated the work of the scientists in development of green technologies.

While reviewing the Natural products and Bioresources related activities of the Institute, Shri Sahu was particularly impressed by the

application of biocides in control of diseases and pests of plantation crops like coconut. He remarked that control of diseases of crops by selective application of locally available plants needs to be encouraged. He was also pleased to see the fast growing plants that have the potential of providing green toping to abandoned mines area and rubber cultivation that has particularly served the state of Orissa.

Hon’ble Minister later addressing the scientists of the Institute elaborated upon the Bharat Nirman Scheme of Govt. of India. He said that inorder to make the scheme successful the fruits of scientific research must be translated to improve the socio-economic condition of the poorest of the poor people of the country. Citing examples of the extent of prevailing poverty in rural India, he urged the scientists to use scientific knowledge to develop cost-effective technologies that will bring perceptible changes in quality and life-style of the majority of the people of the country. He called upon the scientists to develop technologies that will increase rural employment, meet nutritional requirement of the population and bring gender empowerment in village community level. Impressed with the multi-disciplinary R&D activities and

taking into account of the existing human resource and infrastructure of the Institute, Shri Sahu declared that a “Rural Technology Park” will be set-up at IMMT with full financial support from his Ministry.

Earlier, welcoming the Hon’ble Minister to the interactive Session with the scientists, Director of IMMT, Prof. B. K. Mishra presented an overview of the Institute’s activities and requested him for liberal funding for rural development research, especially in the emerging era of market driven scientific research.