Maoists call for shutdown in South Orissa, govt. mute spectator

Maoists torched 4 government buses, triggered landmine blasts, destroyed mobile tower

South Orissa was tense on 28 December 2009 as Maoists called for a shutdown, set ablaze four buses and a mobile tower overnight and blew up a forest department beat house as well. According to sources, "Maoists have set ablaze four government buses in 28th night. They set them on fire after forcing the passengers to get down around midnight. They have also set ablaze a mobile tower there. About 40 Maoists are involved in the incidents. We have rushed armed policemen to the spot," said Superintendent of Police (Gajapati) Sanjeev Arora. The Maoists blasted a forest department beat house and a mobile tower in Malkanagiri district (South Orissa) also.

The guerrillas have blocked roads at different places in south Orissa by felling trees on to the roads. Passenger services have been hit on the Adaba-Rayagada and Berhampur-Rayagada - Malkanagiri main roads.

It is noteworthy that south Orissa is the most backward area of the state and the successive state governments including the incumbent BJD govt. have been neglecting this region since independence. The entire region including the main city Berhampur is far from development and under the grip of Maoists. The common people are so disgusted on the step motherly attitude of the state government towards this region that they are now demanding a separate state of ‘kalinga’ comprising the ten districts of south Orissa.

Famous Gopalpur beach festival begins

BERHAMPUR:Blowing of twin conch shells, rhythmic sounds of cymbals and staging of several folk dances kicked off the famous Gopalpur beach festival at the sea-side resort, of Gopalpur-On-Sea about 10 km from Silk city Berhampur.

The five-day festival, organised by Ganjam district hotel association in collaboration with the Gopalpur beach festival committee, began on December 24th. Folk, classic as well as modern dances performances by different groups from Orissa and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Mumbai and Kolkata will be organised during the festival. Traditional folk dances including 'Ranapa', 'Bharat Leela' and 'Sankirtana' troupes from different parts of the state would be performed on different days of the festival.

The five-day Gopalpur beach festival was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister GoO Damodar Rout. Among others seniors ministers of Govt. of Orissa Suryanarayana Patra, Bikram Keshari Arukh, Debi Prasad Mishra, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy attended.

Thousands of tourists from various parts of the state attended the inaugural function with artistes performing Ranapa, Odissi, Sambalpuri and other folk dances. Besides the cultural programmes, Gramshree Mela is also being organised. As many as 120 stalls have been put up for rural products. The event is being organised by the Ganjam District Hotel Association.

Sources: PTI, NewIndpress, Orissabarta

Houseboat service started for Chilika tourists

BERHAMPUR: With tourist season beginning to hit the peak, Chilika has thrown open its houseboat service to provide the ethereal experience of the lagoon in all its glory to the visitors. The first of its kind facility in the State will enable tourists to spend the day and the night right on the waters, enjoying all the luxuries of a star hotel. The houseboat inaugurated by State Tourism Minister Debi Prasad Mishra would be stationed at Barkul. It has two airconditioned suites and would be available for visitors at a price of Rs 5,500 per suite per day. The charges include a free two-hour cruise per day. The houseboat would take the guests into the lake and anchor at places of their choice. The guests would be offered food of star hotel quality on extra charges.

The houseboat service has been designed on the lines of Kerala, where it is common on the vast stretches of backwaters.The facility would be immensely popular as it would provide the visitors to enjoy beauty of the lake in all its forms, said Mishra.The Minister said that houseboats would be gradually introduced at other hotspots of the lagoon like Satpada, the house of the dolphins and Rambha.

Source: NewIndPress

Migratory birds arrive at Chilika

At least 6 lakh migratory birds from places as far as Siberia and Ukraine have arrived at Chilika lake, officials said. "About 3 lakh of them have been sighted in Nalabana, an island inside the lake," told ssistant forest conservator (wildlife) BK Mohapatra .

Spread across the districts of Puri, Khordha and Ganjam along the east coast, and about 100 km from state capital Bhubaneswar and 50 km from the commercial city Berhampur, Chilika is known for its immaculate scenic beauty and rich bio-diversity. Every year about a million migratory birds from places like Siberia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Himalayas come to the lake in October and return in March.

The most attractive birds sighted in the lake are flamingos, grey and purple herons, egrets, spoonbills, storks and white ibis. "We have set up at least 21 camps around the lake and deployed nearly a hundred officials and villagers to ensure that none of the birds are killed by poachers," he said. Five people were arrested recently for killing birds in the lake, he added.

Last year over 8 lakh birds belonging to 168 species were counted in the lake. This year the bird census in the lake would be held for two days starting from 11 January, Mohapatra said. Chilika was declared one of the six wetlands of international importance for Arctic and Central Asian waterfowl by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Source: The Statesman

Demand for Kalinga State gains strength

BERHAMPUR: Efforts are on to revitalise the old demand to carve out a separate ‘Kalinga State’ comprising of areas of south Orissa.

This demand which was brewing in the minds of some intellectuals in south Orissa since past few years has got a fillip with the recent efforts to form separate Telangana state by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. The supporters of Kalinga state demand allege that the State government is showing antipathy towards south Orissa. Economist Prahlad Panda remains a major catalyst of this demand for separate state.

Around seven years ago an organisation named ‘Kalinga Rajya Gathan Kriyanusthan Committee’ had been formed to promote the demand of the separate state. Now plans are on to revitalise the organisation. Mr. Panda said different organisations like ‘Ganjam Zilla Vikas Manch’ and ‘Gajapati Sarathi Samity’ have expressed support to the demand. In the past they had also distributed pamphlets, posters and held seminars in support of their demand, which are being planned to be renewed.

The action committee for the separate Kalinga state was led by its convenor, Mr. Panda, a retired economics professor of Berhampur University. Panda quotes history as the base for his dream state of Kalinga. The south Orissa districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nowrangpur, Kandhamal, Boudh, Nuapada and Kalahandi are parts of the proposed Kalinga state.

According to him as per history the areas under these 10 districts added with the Srikakulam district of adjoining Andhra Pradesh once were part of the kingdom named ‘Madhya Kalinga’.

Mr. Panda and other activists of this movement alleged that since past seven decades south Orissa is being neglected in the field of development. And time has come to stand up for the rights of people of south Orissa, they say. Mr. Panda said although the State government earned highest revenue from the resources in south Orissa, the government investment in developmental projects was too small in this region. He alleged that while the State government is signing numerous MOUs for establishment of industrial units in northern Orissa, no such attempt is being made for south Orissa. Several projects meant for south Orissa like the proposed mega steel plants near Gopalpur have got shelved.

According to these activists if the State government did not stop showing ‘stepmotherly’ attitude towards development of south Orissa then formation of a new state taking areas of south Orissa may be the only remedy for the development of this area.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Ganjam Book Fair opened

BERHAMPUR: The fourth Ganjam Book Fair was inaugurated in Berhampur on December 13 evening.

Sahitya Akademi winning writer and former MP of Berhampur, Anadi Sahu inaugurated the book fair in the presence of local MLA, R.C.C. Patnaik. Over 60 book sellers and publishers are taking part in this book fair. It may be noted that two book fairs are organised in the city every year. The president of the organising committee of the book fair, Alekh Choudhury said through this book fair they were trying to promote Oriya literature among the young new generation. So, in this book fair there was extra stress on Oriya publications. Few decades ago Berhampur happened to be a major centre of publication of literature in the State. Mr. Patnaik urged the publishers of the city and its literary activists to bring back that old glory to the city.

Mr. Sahu said despite advent of modern means of communication and entertainment; books remain the best mode of mental exercise. He languished that the parents were not promoting reading habit among the children as a result of which a large section of new generation is thinking reading is related to text books only. He urged the parents to make their children feel that reading can be more entertaining than watching television as reading provides scope for mental imaging while reading. In contrast while watching a visual medium a child gets little scope to think of anything else other than the producers’ visualisation of a subject.

Source: The Hindu

Demand for Kalinga State reiterated

The Kalinga Rajya Gathan Kriyanusthan Committee, which has been spearheading the movement for formation of separate State of Kalinga in the present southern region of Odisha for seven years, has decided to intensify its campaign in the wake of the Centre’s move to form a Telangana State in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Retired Professor of Economics Prahallad Panda, a founder of the Committee, on Saturday alleged that the southern region, which played a decisive role in the formation of the separate province of Odisha in 1936, has been neglected for long.

Speaking to The Pioneer, he pointed out that it was at the Rasulkonda congregation in 1870 that the King of Katinga had first raised the voice for formation of a separate State of Odisha. Then, after at the Rambha session of the Ganjam Jatiya Samiti, the Utkal Sammilani was formed that played the pioneering role for formation of the separate State. At the Round Table meeting in London, as many as nine members, including Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, Mandhadhata Gorachand, Shyam Sundar Gantayat, Dinabandhu Das, VV Giri, Sriparsuram Patra, Ram Chandra Mardharaj, Lingaraj Panigrahi and Jagan Mohan Patnaik, out of the ten were from the southern region.

But after the formation of the separate province, this region has been neglected in the fields of education, industrialisation, healthcare and communication, though the region has been contributing highest land revenue, excise tax and commercial tax. Hence, a separate State of Kalinga should be formed comprising the districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagda and Nabarangpur that had been part of the then royal kingdom of Madhyam Kalinga, he said.

Source: The Pioneer

Centre sanctions Rs 822 cr for roads in Kalahandi

Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das had submitted a proposal to Surface Transport Minister Kamal Nath for construction of National Highway and PWD roads, for which Rs 822.64 crore have been sanctioned by the Ministry. Das expressed his gratitude to Minister Kamal Nath and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on behalf of the people of Kalahandi and Nuapada. Das had a discussion with Kamal Nath where he had expressed his concern over the dilapidated roads of the district before submitting his proposed package. Das had submitted a proposal for Rs 334. 64 crore for Bargarh-Boriguma National Highway-201, Rs 375 crore for Raipur to Gopalpur NH-217 and Rs 113 crore for Kalahandi and Nuapada PWD roads. For NH-201 Rs 109.64 crore from Chancher to Kesinga Rs 50 crore, from Kesinga to Belgaon Rs 95 crore have been sanctioned by the Ministry. For NH-217 from Amath to Urladani Rs 200 crore, on the road from Kurmipuri to Komna Rs 95 crore, from Badmaheswar to Bhalumunda Rs 80 crore have been sanctioned. Speaking to mediapersons here, during his two-day visit the MP said the money has been sanctioned for the surveyed portion of the roads of Kalahandi and Nuapda and the unsurveyed portion would soon be completed. He further said that for Kalahandi and Nuapada PWD roads, from Junagarh to Kalampur Rs 25 crore, from Baldiamal to Dharmagarh Rs 25 crore and from Nuapada to Paikmal road Rs18 crore was sanctioned by the Minister. The revised estimate of Hati River bridge near Junagarh would also be completed within seven to eight days. For lift irrigation project, discussions are going on between State and Central Governments are going on where extension of Left and Right Canal of Indravati project and lift irrigation for Koksara would be sanctioned very soon by Central Government. Around 250 PMGSY roads would be constructed in different blocks in the district. Within two to three years quality roads would be constructed in all the villages and main roads, the MP informed.


Source: The Pioneer

Rayagada stadium remains a non-starter

RAYAGADA: Construction of a stadium in Rayagada is hanging fire due to a myopic administration. According to sources, a 12-acre land adjacent to JK Paper Mills was identified for the stadium which was to be built at a cost of Rs 2.56 crore (now it would be several times more). The then collector selected the land under a Central-budgeted scheme during 1998-99.  R&B estimates were done and an architect worked on it. But the procedure to transfer a ‘gochar’ land took a long time. In the meantime, JK Paper Mill found the area suitable for dumping its sludge. At present, the land is filled with heaps of sludge. The district administration asked the paper mill to clear the sludge and then built a boundary wall on three sides at an estimated cost of Rs 27.5 lakh leaving one side open to enable the plant to clear the dump. But the plant authorities are yet to clear the dump. Now the authorities find it difficult to solve the problem.

Source: New Indian Express

64 yrs on, kin pays tribute to freedom fighter Laxman Nayak

Sixty four years after he was hanged to death by the British administration, a family member of freedom fighter Laxman Nayak was finally able to visit his memorial inside the historic Berhampur circle jail and pay floral tributes. Rukuna, 72-year-old daughter-in-law of Laxman Nayak, made a maiden visit to Berhampur circle jail to have a glimpse of the place, where the legendary tribal freedom fighter was imprisoned and hanged on November 22, 1943.

Rukuna, the last member of the martyr’s family in Malkanagiri district, came from her native place near Mathili in Berhmapur and broke down when she garlanded the statue outside the prison and photos inside his cell, which has been turned into a memorial by the Odisha State Government.

“I have performed a great job by visiting this place. Let his soul remain in peace,” said Rukuna who was just eight-year-old when Nayak was hanged. State Government allowed Rukuna following a request by her to visit the jail at least once in her life as his last successor. Her late husband had also made similar efforts, but could not succeed due to several reasons, she said.

Nayak had led a tribal movement in Koraput district (South Orissa) in 1943 against the British regime. He had been kept in the Berhampur circle jail before being hanged to death.

Source:The Hindu

Four agriculture supermarkets to come up in State

Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout on December 01 said on the floor of the Assembly that four agriculture supermarkets would be set up one each at Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela. All the agriculture products would be procured and sold in these supermarkets. “Rs 80 crore would be spent for setting up these markets,” he said.

Giving reply to the queries of the members, Rout said the State Government is spending fund from its own resources for the development of horticulture in six districts which are not included in the National Horticulture Mission Programme.

“The State Government has planned to do horticulture programme in 50,000 hectre of land each year. People are getting huge profits from drumsticks and papayas, “he said, adding that all the vacant posts in the horticulture department at the block level would be filled up.

Source: The Pioneer

AIDS cases on rise in Orissa

Ganjam worst-affected district

Anti-Retroviral Testing Centre in Berhampur tested 3,491 persons HIV+ since 2002

A reputed medical journal has revealed that the killer AIDS is on the rise in Odisha, recording as many as 459 AIDS-related deaths over the past three years, while there has been a marginal decline of the incidence of AIDS in the country. It remains one of the most significant problems haunting India over the past decade. India, at this level, continues to be the third largest contributor to the global HIV burden after South Africa and Nigeria, the journal stated in an article.

The report published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research revealed that an increasing epidemic trend has been noticed in seven of the low-prevalence States such as Pudduchery, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Rajasthan and West Bengal. The assessment showed that HIV prevalence among the adults was 0.36 per cent while the rate in high prevalence States stood at an alarming 0.8 per cent. In the low and moderate epidemic states like Orissa, the rate of infection stood at 0.2 per cent. As per the data, Odisha’s adult HIV prevalence rate has seen a rise from the 0.06 per cent level in 2002 to 0.22 per cent in 2006. This also explains why the number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) has increased over the same time--from 9,717 to 48,248 — a 400 per cent growth. The report further points out that Tamil Nadu is one among the high-prevalence States to have recorded a decline in the rate, while it remained stable in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

The problem is particularly large in Orissa, which has recorded as many as 459 AIDS-related deaths over the past three years. Out of 24,676 blood samples screened during the period between January, 2002 and September, 2005, 2,506 HIV positive cases were detected in the State. Furthermore, 641 persons were found to be full-blown AIDS cases and 459 deaths were reported during the same period. Of all the districts, Ganjam has been found to be the worst-affected district and is closely followed by Kendrapara, Puri, Cuttack and Koraput. Until December 2007, Ganjam district accounted for 35 per cent of the total AIDS deaths and 37.8 per cent of a total of 8,200 HIV-positive cases in Orissa, according to Orissa State AIDS Control Society (OSACS). As per official records, 10, 862 persons were by HIV infected in Orissa till September 2008. Among them, 1,020 were AIDS patients. Ganjam district happened to be the major hub of this killer virus. There over 4,296 HIV-positive cases in the district while 363 of them were AIDS patients. Till now, Ganjam has recorded 293 deaths due to AIDS, which is the highest in the State. At the Anti-Retroviral Testing (ART) Centre in the city of Berhampur, out of a total of 37,386 persons tested from 2002 till February 2008, 3,491 were HIV-positive. ART treatment has been started on 1,015 cases.

Source: The Pioneer

JITM signs MoU with Australian varsity

Parlakhemundi: Chancellor of University of Southern Queensland in Australia Prof Frank Bulen, speaking at the Jagannath Institute of Technology and Management (JITM) in Paralakhemundi, said the Indian students have a very competitive mentality. Due to this the students are able to get qualitative education. It is worth mentioning that the university has signed an MoU with the JITM, Centurion School of Rural Management and CIT, due to which the students can get education, staying in the country, through distance learning. Bulen had come here to inspect the infrastructure facilities of JITM. After being satisfied he signed the MoU. The four years M Tech course would cost around Rs 10 lakh to 12 lakh. The Government has given recognition for this course. More than 3,000 students in India have registered for this course.

Source: Dailypioneer