Proposal for transforming Baliguda into NAC

BERHAMPUR: Baliguda, a major subdivisional headquarter in Kandhamal district is all set to become an urban centre. Administrative officials and dignitaries of Baliguda on Sunday decided to send a proposal to the State government for its transformation to a Notified Area Council (NAC). Ironically till date it has remained a panchayat although since decades it has bore the identity of an urban centre. It may be noted that Baliguda is the largest sub-division in the State. Several small towns of the State including G.Udaygiri of Kandhamal district have been declared NAC, while Baliguda remains a panchayat. On Sunday a meeting was held in mini stadium at Baliguda to discuss about this proposal. It was chaired by the local sub-collector, Balwant Singh, sarpanch Biren Kumar Pradhan and Zilla Parishad (ZP) member Adikanda Moharana. The sub-collector elaborated how being a panchayat Baliguda is not getting proper amount of funds for development. Most people who attended this proposal supported the proposal for transforming Baliguda into an NAC. Mr. Moharana said till date there remains fear in the minds of the poor of Baliguda regarding hike in taxes if they become part of an NAC rather than being in a panchayat. According to him there are several areas of Baliguda panchayat like Dandapadar, Goibali, Nuasahi, Badagaon, Kampada which are inhabited by poor peasants. In 1974 the proposal to transform Baliguda into an NAC had faced same obstacle, while G.Udaygiri got transformed to an NAC that year. As per the ZP member the State government should see to it that the poor living in Baliguda do not get burdened by increase in taxes and lose the employment opportunity that they were getting due rural-oriented schemes like MGNREGA and other developmental schemes which are not available for urban centres. As per the 2001 census Baliguda had a population of more than 20,000 and it now has more than 13,000 voters.

Source: The Hindu

Stir for High Court Bench at Berhampur to be intensified

BERHAMPUR: The newly elected office-bearers of the Ganjam Bar Association took the oath of office on Tuesday and, significantly, all of them including president, secretary and second secretary assured the association members to intensify the agitation for establishment of a High Court Bench in South Orissa at Berhampur. Association president Bhagaban Sahu, Secretary Rabindra Kumar Deo and second secretary Titu Kumar Patra assumed office in the presence of hundreds of lawyers at the Bar Association common room. Sahu said the agitation would be launched with active support of the members and he would chalk out plans of action to carry out the movement peacefully. Deo and Patra also spoke in the same vein.

Source: The Pioneer

Congress Memo to Railway Minister includes issues of South Orissa

BERHAMPUR: The state Congress has demanded enhanced allocation for the ongoing railway projects and sanction of new lines to give a boost to the process of industrialization in Orissa. In a memorandum submitted to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, president of the Orissa Pradesh Congress Committe KP Singhdeo has demanded sanction of four railway line projects for which survey was completed several years back. Referring to the Bargarh-Nuapara rail link for which survey was completed in February 2003 with a favorable rate of return of 18.32 per cent, Singhdeo said that this will pass through Nuapada and Balangir districts in Western Orissa. Requesting the minister to sanction the project in 2010-11 budget, he said that this could also be used as an alternative route for transport of coal and other minerals. Survey report for the 245-km Talcher- Gopalpur rail link was submitted to the Ministry of Railways with a favourable rate of return. With Gopalpur port being developed into an all-weather port, connectivity between Talcher and Gopalpur by rail will ensure smooth flow of raw materials and finished products, he said. The survey for the Rupsa-Bangiriposhi line sanctioned in 2005-06 had already been completed. This link will serve as an alternative route besides providing access to states in the hinterland which do not have a port. The conversion of Nuapada-Gunupur line from meter gauge to broad gauge will be completed by March 2010. However, on its own this railway line project will barely provide any freight movement, Singhdeo said, adding that the extension from Gunupur to Theruvali will not only connect the hinterland of KBK districts but provide port connectivity to Gopalpur. He said that the project should be sanctioned in the 2010-11 budget as this will enable the alumina/aluminium industries located in the KBK districts to import and export via Gopalpur port. Separately mentioning about the 289-km Khura Road-Bolangir railway line project, Singhdeo said that allocation for this line should be increased and progress closely monitored to ensure timely completion. He said that though this project was sanctioned in 1994-95, the progress has been tardy. Detailed estimate for 36 km-112 km has already been submitted to the ministry for sanction. Singhdeo demanded that the section from Khurda Road up to 36 km should be commissioned by 2010-11. He also requested the minister to sanction Puri-Kanyakumari, Titlagarh- Bhubaneswar (via Rayagada, Vizianagaram, Berhampur), Hatia-Chennai/Bangalore (via Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, Berhampur), Puri-Jammu Tawi, Sambalpur-Howrah (via Angul) trains and intercity express between Koraput and Visakhapatnam for Orissa. Thanking the Railway Minister for proper allocation of funds in the last railway budget, Mr. Singh Deo has pointed out that Orissa has only 2500 km of railway route length at an average of 15.3 km per 1000 km as against the national average of 19 km.

Coaching terminals

Congress Party has also reiterated the need for establishment of coaching terminals at Koraput and Berhampur.

Sources: New Indian Express and The Hindu

South Odisha ‘forgotten frontier’ of Indian railways

BERHAMPUR: The South Odisha Students’ Association (SOSA), while petitioning Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee, has rued that the southern part of the State has always been a ‘forgotten frontier’ of the Indian railways with a long history of ‘repeated injustice’ in its successive annual budgets. Most of the districts being backward here lack railway lines while districts like Ganjam and Rayagada having railway links lack basic infrastructure and cater more to freight than passengers with inadequate trains. The major railway stations, including Berhampur, are languishing while issues raised in the Parliament go unheeded. The recent spurt in Maoist menace has also taken a toll on the nagging plight. “Central leaders come and pay a lip-service just to forget back in Delhi during the policy interventions,” SOSA rues.

The long-standing local demand for a railway coaching terminal at Berhampur is yet to come up that could cater to the needs of three districts here. Multi-functional complexes were announced for 50 railway stations across the country in the previous railway Budget and yet Berhampur was left high and dry despite being classified grade “A” rendering services to over 5 million people. Besides, genuine demands like Gunupur-Therubali railway line, new trains between Berhampur-Rourkela and Berhampur-Koraput and extension of Odisha Sampark Kranti Express train up to Berhampur need to be looked into, appeals SOSA. SOSA has also appealed for a railway manufacturing unit or establishment of railway personnel, staff training, finance, traffic institutes in south Odisha deeming the backwardness of the region and recognising the East Coast Railway(ECoR)’s contributions to the central kitty. “A single go is not enough to address the long pending issues and undo the negligence meted out to Berhampur and south Odisha,” feels SOSA in its petition hoping however that the forthcoming will make a bright beginning in this direction when Mamata rises to present her budget this stint.

Source: The Pioneer

Central University proposes medical college at Koraput

KORAPUT: Central University of Orissa is coming up with a medical college and hospital at Koraput. The university is in the process of submitting the detailed project report (DPR) to the appropriate authorities, according to a press release by M.M. Patra, OSD (administration) of the university.

While highlighting the proposals and projects, he further said that the university was going to start the school for bio-diversity and conservation of natural resources in collaboration with M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai. The authorities of MSSRF agreed to provide all support in establishing this school and run collaborative post- graduate programmes with the university. MoU would be signed in this regard soon so as to start classes from the next academic session. The proposal of establishing a community radio station at Koraput was also submitted.

Sources: The Hindu, http://www.oktatabyebye.com/