Bhubaneswar, Aug 28 - Orissa Friday complained of neglect by the United Progressive Alliance government after being denied an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in the state. The union cabinet Thursday approved the setting up of seven new IIMs.

'Orissa has not been granted an IIM. So I have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Friday) about this matter. The HRD (human resource development) Minister Kapil Sibal is visiting the state. I will take up the matter with him,' Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik said.

The seven new IIMs are to come up in Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.

The opposition Congress criticized Pattnaik for harping on the central government's neglect.

'Neglect by the centre has become a catchword for Naveen Pattnaik. So there is nothing new in it,' state Congress spokesman Arya Kumar Gyanendra said.

Among the proposed IIMs, four will be set up in the first phase at Trichy (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Rohtak (Haryana). They will start classes from the 2010-11 academic year.

The other three will become operational 2011-12.