SOSA demands better railway infrastructure and connectivity for Berhampur and South Odisha

The South Odisha Students' Association (SOSA) submitted a Memorandum to Central Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi demanding better railway infrastructure and connectivity for south Odisha and improvement of amenities at Brahmapur railway station. The Students’ body urged the Railway Minister to consider the long standing demand for a railway coaching terminal complex at Brahmapur, provision of adequate funds for the modernization of century old Brahmapur railway station with additional platforms, widening of the existing platforms, new entry points in place of the goods-shed which was shifted in 2005, adequate passenger amenities besides new long distance trains to New Delhi, Ahmadabad, Allahabad, Jamshedpur, Jaipur and Inter-city trains to Rourkela, Baripada, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Koraput etc.  The Association also demanded the early establishment of the proposed Wagon manufacturing unit at Sitalapalli near Brahmapur and sought approval for new railway lines connecting Brahmapur and Sambalpur via Phulbani and Gopalpur to Rayagada for these railway lines being both economically viable and socially desirable.  In their memorandum the SOSA members alleged that Berhampur station has till date not received proper attention of railway authorities. Members of this students' organisation urged the Railway Minister to visit Berhampur to take stock of situation and to assess the need of development. It may be noted that Berhampur is third largest city of Odisha and its railway station is more than a century old. According to reports this railway station handles second highest number of passengers in the State. 

Full text of the memorandum: 

To,

Shri Dinesh Trivedi

Hon’ble Union Railway Minister

Rail Bhawan

New Delhi-110001

Subject: Demand for better railway infrastructure and connectivity for Brahmapur and South Odisha

Hon’ble Railway Minister Sir,

We write to seek your attention towards the pathetic state of railway infrastructure and poor passenger amenities at Brahmapur Railway station under the East Coast Railway zone in Odisha.

Sir, as you are aware, Brahmapur is the 3rd largest city in Odisha and the century old railway station here caters to the need of more than 5 million people of South Odisha. Being a major rail-head in the Howrah-Chennai rail route, this railway station also serves as the gateway for huge number of tourists coming from various parts of India and the world to the famous Gopalpur sea beach, Chilka Lake, famous hill temple of Maa Tara Tarini and the vast hinterland of South Odisha. As per reports, this Railway station handles the second highest number of passengers per day after the Bhubaneswar Railway Station in the state of Odisha. However, this railway station has been facing repeated negligence from the East Coast Railway zonal authorities and not a single demand of the people has been addressed in the last decade. There are only 3 narrow platforms in functioning condition in the station resulting in huge inconveniences for the passengers. The decades old proposal of the Railway Department to add 2 more platforms to accommodate more passengers and trains is yet to materialize.  Though the goods-shed was shifted from this railway station in 2005 to facilitate the construction of new platforms for passenger use, this project is yet to start.  While more than 70% of the existing platforms are roof-less, demand for platform-sheds and widening of these platforms have been ignored causing difficulties for the passengers. There is not even proper drinking water and lighting facility in the Railway station.  While less crowded Railway stations in the State and elsewhere are getting due attention and modern facilities, the Brahmapur Station is being denied the basic and essential facilities even after announcements to this effect made by the Railway Ministry from time to time. Sir, needless to mention that the Divisional Railway authorities in Khurda Road and East Coast Zonal authorities at Bhubaneswar are squarely responsible for the pathetic state of this century old Railway station.

Sir, your recent visits to various states and announcements in the Parliament have brought a new sense of hope among the people. We request you to pay a visit to Brahmapur Railway station in your next visit to Odisha to see the pitiable state of affairs existing here. But, before that let me bring to your notice some key issues that the people of Brahmapur city and south Odisha have been demanding for long and they have got nothing but disappointment in return.

First, long standing demand for establishment of a coaching terminal to ensure the starting, termination and extension of long distance trains from Brahmapur, the southernmost city in the state of Odisha.

Brahmapur Railway station is infamous for large-scale migrations of people of the backward south Odisha to different parts of India in search of livelihood.  Added to this the growth of Brahmapur city has resulted in Railway passengers rising exponentially and existing number of trains turning out to be inadequate. Infact, there is not even a regular train from Brahmapur to New Delhi and other major North Indian cities like Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaipur etc. Sighting the absence of a coaching terminal the Railway authorities for decades have denied the extension of trains to Brahmapur, now terminating either at Bhubaneswar or at Puri, which are in north Odisha, and so denying the entire south Odisha from adequate number of long-distance trains. Therefore, we request you to consider sympathetically the longstanding demand for a Railway-coaching terminal in Brahmapur especially because this is an absolute necessity for better Railway connectivity for Brahmapur and south Odisha.

Second, improving infrastructure of the railway station building, surrounding area and railway platforms etc.

The present infrastructure of Brahmapur Railway station is not even comparable with smaller stations in other states. The frequent demand for modernization of this Railway station with better amenities for passengers, expansion of the Railway station building with two additional platforms (completion of ongoing work on platform no 4, besides addition of platform nos. 5 and 6), widening of existing platform no. 1, new entrance points on both front and back side of the railway station, completion of the second foot over-bridge connecting all the 4 platforms (the construction of which started in 2005), adequate water and lighting facility in the station, etc., are all being demanded for years to the utter apathetic response from the Zonal and Divisional Railway authorities. Sir, all these need your kind attention and we request you to sanction adequate funds for the completion of the above.

Third, there has been a long-standing demand from the people for a Railway-manufacturing unit and establishment of a Railway staff training institute at Brahmapur.

Former Railway Minster Ms. Mamata Banerjee was kind enough to concede the demand for a Railway wagon factory at Brahmapur in view of the large-scale migrations from this backward region with no semblance of industry and employment opportunities. Subsequently, the State government identified a patch of land at Sitalapalli near Brahmapur city for the purpose. But, despite repeated requests and agitations, the work for the Wagon factory is yet to commence and therefore we request you to instruct the concerned Railway authorities to start the long awaited project in an expeditious manner.

Further, there is an urgent need to introduce new trains from Brahmapur city to meet the needs of the commuters of this region.

• Requests for new trains from Brahmapur to Ahmedabad, Surat, Allahabad, Jamshedpur, Rourkela; besides extension of New Delhi bound Odisha Sampark Kranti Express, Howarh-Bhubaneswar Jan shatabdi Express and Ranchi-Bhubaneswar Garib Rath Express to Brahmapur remains to be addressed.

• There is also an urgent need to raise the frequency of Amritsar-Visakhapatnam (Hirakund Express) from thrice a week to all days of the week.

• There is need for new DMU and Inter-city services between Brahmapur to other towns of the State like Koraput, Rourkela, Gunupur, Balangir, Keonjhar, Sambalpur and Baripada.

•  Similarly, demand for new train lines such as Brahmapur-Sambalpur (via Phulbani), Gopalpur-Rayagada, Gopalpur-Talcher and Gunupur-Therubali need your special attention for these can ensure backward region connectivity and also connect some of the hitherto unconnected Districts by rail.

Sir, you will agree that Brahmapur and South-Odisha deserve better attention and augmentation in resources from the Indian Railways to come out of the vicious circle of underdevelopment especially in the Railway infrastructure front. We count on your commitment for developing the perennially neglected regions of the country like South Odisha by correcting the uneven distribution of railway network and infrastructure.  We do hope that you will pay a visit to Brahmapur in your upcoming visit to Odisha to take stock of the situation and will address our concerns in the upcoming Railway Budget.

With Regards,

R.P.Tripathy

President, SOSA

New Delhi

Berhampur Nagarika Manch demands resumption of Industrial Estate railway passenger halt

A citizens' delegation met the General Manager of East Coast Railway in Bhubnaeswar with the demand to reopen the passenger halt in industrial estate area of Berhampur. This delegation was led former Deputy Speaker of State Assembly Ramchandra Panda and included leaders of Silpanchal Passenger Halt Sangarm Samity (SPHSS), an organisation fighting for the demand and Berhampur Nagarika Manch (BNM). During discussion they pointed out that this was a demand of people of Berhampur since last three decades. There have been protest demonstrations and rail-roko for the demand in the past. According to general secretary of SPHSS, Abani Kumar Gaya, passenger halt with the name Lanjipalli Passenger Halt was recorded in the railway timetable in 1946. But for some reason this passenger halt which was near present industrial estate was closed down. With the expansion of the city and rise of population in the area a passenger halt in the area has become an extreme need, Mr Panda said. In November 1998 at a meeting of the railway coordination committee recommendation was made for establishment of a passenger halt in industrial estate area. In 2010, East Coast Railway authorities had agreed in principle to establishment of this halt near industrial estate.  The Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division had also in the past recommended the establishment of this passenger halt. A delegation of railway engineers had also made a spot visit in the past to prepare a feasibility report. But the passenger halt has not materialized yet. During discussion this delegation also demanded better amenities in the DMUs connecting Berhampur with Bhubaneswar. They also wanted the Gunupur-Puri passenger to be made an express train and a new passenger to be started between Palasa and Puri.

Source: The Hindu

Dongar-2012; Annual meet of youth in Dandakaranya region South Odisha inaugurated

Dongar-2012, the annual meet of the youth in Dandakaranya region, was inaugurated by Sanjiv Chandra Hota, former State Election Commissioner of Odisha at Koraput.

While appreciating the tribal wisdom in preserving their identity by living with their tradition and rich cultural heritage , he said purity in tribal way of life largely depended on the youth of the region and festivals like this could add strength to the efforts in this regard . Damabarudhar Gouda, a traditional healer from Gudari in Rayagada district, was honoured with this year's Dongar Samman for his rich knowledge in the science of Ayurveda and utilizing it for the benefit of the local inhabitants of the region .Young boys and girls from Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Rayagada and parts of the neighbouring states are attending the three-day programme interacting on different issues that effect their lives. They would also hold discussions for preserving and promoting the inherent strength of their culture. S. N. Rath, researcher, Kulamani Deo , former IG, Police, Sachin Jadhav, district Collector, and K.C.Panigrahy Tribal Museum, Koraput, director spoke.

Source: The Hindu & the orissadiary.com 

Seven 3-storied police stations in Koraput district in offing

Bolstered by Central funds, the Maoist-ravaged Koraput district is soon going to be blessed at least with seven model police stations as part of anti-Maoist measures, perceived to be the first of its kind in the State.

These police stations, likely to come up in the next few months in the first phase, would go a long way in helping the current operations to contain the Red menace in the in the region. The other Maoist-hit aereas of the district will be covered by more such police stations in the second phase. 

Official sources said the new police stations would be three-storied buildings and would be constructed at a cost of Rs two crore at Semiliguda, Laxmipur, Kakirgumma, Sunabeda, Boipariguda, Kotpad and Pawda.

The sources said, site selection for these police stations is complete and construction of the buildings would begin soon. The police stations would be operational within a few months, they hinted.

Detailing out plans for space use, they said the ground floor of the building would be used as a general police station with a state-of-the-art conference hall and a women and children's desk while the first floor would have boarding and refreshment facilities for officers engaged in counter-insurgency operations. The second floor would designed to accommodate at least two platoons of security personnel, the sources said. Due to high pressure and space crunch, the Koraput police very often face acute problems in accommodating forces, depending,  on unhygienic Government buildings under compulsion of circumstances. 

Besides, with the forces stationed at places away from police stations, they also face severe communication problems in passing urgent messages. But now when the new police stations come up, they will all be under one roof, which will solve a lot of problems.

The Hindu 

National weightlifting championship starts in Berhampur

The five-day national weightlifting championship, 2011, will begin in Silk city Berhampur on December 24. As many as 300 weightlifters from across the country, including 100 woman participants, will participate in the event, while around 100 officials, including those from the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) will conduct the tournament.

"Over 100 weightlifters and several officials have already reached the town. Several others will reach on Saturday morning due to late running of some long-distance trains," the vice president of the IWF and the organizing secretary of the event, Narayan Sahu, said on Friday. The participants include several international and national award winners, he added.

The technical committee of the federation has already done the final inspection of the makeshift stage erected inside the Berhampur Stadium, where the event will be held. Some of the participants have begun practicing, and the preparation is almost complete, Sahu said.

The mega event assumes significance as Berhampur has produced several international and national-level weightlifters, including two Arjuna award winners - K Ravi Kumar and Bijay Satapathy.

"We are very happy, as the city, that has produced a number of noted weightlifters, is holding the national meet for the first time," said the advisor of the Odisha Weightlifting Association (OWA), Biswanath Patra.

Apart from weightlifters, the city has also produced some reputed weightlifting coaches, including Narayan Sahu, Sita Nath Patnaik and Ramesh Padhy.

Prince Dance Group steals the show ; Curtails down in Malyabanta

‘Dasha Avatar’ - the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu, a dance programme presented by the Prince Dance Group from Berhampur stole the show at the closing ceremony of the Malyabanta Mahostav-2011, which began here. It was based on the incarnation of Krishna, beginning with the preaching of Gita. The organizers of the three-day extravaganza was invited several cultural groups and teams to perform.

The Berhampur-based group led by team leader Krishna Mohan, which has carved a niche for itself in the entire world for its distinctive style of choreography, presented three performances including Vande Maataram. The 21-member team had been divided into three groups. Members of all the groups had been painted from head to toe with the tricolour. It looked as though the national flag was waving on the stage as they danced. The acrobatics displayed by the dancers conveyed different meanings to the song and music.

The Prince Dance Group put together by Krishna Reddy gave a breathtaking performance of "Dash avatar" - the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The self trained group drew wide applause from the audience. It was a unique and refreshing experience for the people who witnessed the show. I had never earlier seen such a dance form. The way the artists performed the dance made be speechless, said T.Nageswar, a 45 year spectator from Visakhapatnam.

The other highlight of the evening was a scintillating ‘Kuchipudi’ dance performed by the artists from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. The colorful performance captivated the huge gathering of about 50,000 audiences who enjoyed the series of cultural events till late night.

Then there was the popular ‘Bhangda’ performance that originates from Punjab. While performing Bhangra, the artists started singing Punjabi Boliyaan lyrics, while at least one person played the dhol drum. Than the dancers began to move in a circle around the drummer, who now and then lifts the two sticks, with which he beats the drum, to beckon the dancers to a higher tempo of movement.

The closing ceremony also witnessed a folk dance related to the festival of Bihu in Assam. This dance was performed by young men and women and it was characterized by brisk dance steps and rapid hand movement. Dancers wore traditional colourful Assamese outfits. Artists from Rajasthan also performed Chakri and Bhawai dance.

Local artistes also presented a couple of performances, namely ‘Dhemsa’, Kathi, Bazasal, Kureifula and paraja dances.  Though all the troupes performed well, it was the Prince Dance Group which added glamour to the evening. Rayagada Collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, his Koraput counterpart Sachin and Malkangiri Collector & District Council of Culture Chairman Balwant Singh, Superintendent of Police Anirudha Singh were present in the closing day ceremony

CM clears Rs 662-crore project to bring PTGs to mainstream

The Chief Minister cleared a 662-crore project for all-round development of the Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) to bring them to the mainstream. According to official sources, the project would be implemented in 12 schedule districts having sizable PTGs. The project prepared by the SC and ST Development Department envisages capacity building, empowerment and building community infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also asked the department to complete appointment of 2,000 teachers in the schools, meant for the SC and ST students and managed by the department, by December 15. Patnaik, while reviewing the progress of the construction of hostels for tribal boys and girls and their education, told officials of the department to ensure completion of the 935 hostels under construction before the next academic year.

According to sources, the State Government had sanctioned for construction of 3,362 hostels for three lakh tribal boys and 40,000 tribal girls . Out of that while 1,034 hostels had already been completed during 2007-08, another 500 hostels were completed during 2008-09. As many as 935 hostels are now under construction.

The Chief Minister stressed the need for providing facilities for extra-curricular activities along with the normal education for the tribal students to bring them to the mainstream.

Source: The Pioneer  

Tourism package for Malkangiri district announced at Malyabanta Mahotsav

The Odisha Government is determined to promote tourism in the tribal-dominated district of Malkangiri in South Odisha, said Culture and Tourism Minister.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Malyabanta Mahotsav-2011 the Minister declared a package of 1 crore for the tourism and infrastructure development of Satiguda dam and Manikeswari Shiva Temple.

The inaugural day of the three-day Malyabanta Mahostav-2011 saw troupes from Assam, Punjab, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Puri, Mayurbhanj, Titilagarh and Bhubaneswar perform. Gotipua, Chhau, Odissi and Dhap presented by the artistes on the day left the audience spellbound.

Also speaking on the occasion District Collector Balwant Singh said the festival was aimed at providing an opportunity to the tribal folk to exhibit their latent talents on a common platform. More than 50,000 people enjoyed the programme despite the cold weather. 

Famous Tribal Festival Parab-2011 Kicked off

Source: Orissa Diary

Inaugurating the Tribal Festival Parab Pyari Mohan Mahapatro, MP said that this not only shelters but also promotes the hidden talents of Koraput. The programme as an initiative by the District Council Of Culture, Koraput is a long event that began on 24th of the last month October covering throughout Panchayat and Block level by conducting events such as sports, cultural activities and the mega event Parab that is going to run for three days 16th to 18th of November at its last stage. Thousands of tribals have gathered here in their traditional attire to participate in the event that seeks to showcase the region’s rich cultural heritage.

On its first day Mr. Sukhram Majhi, Miss. Subhasmita Mohanty, Miss Pramila Kirshani were honoured for sports, Late Surya Pattnaik, Mr. Gopal Krishna Samantray, Mr. Jogendra Mohanty were honoured in the field of art and culture, Dr. Rajendra Kumar Padhi was honoured for his Excellency in Promoting of education in tribal areas, Mr. Dasarathi Mali honoured for his effort in the field of agriculture and last but not the least Mr. Harihara Pradhan was honoured for his dedication towards  theater performing art (Desia Nat).

The Chairman of the event Mr. Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Collector Koraput read out the objectives of Parab and threw light on the importance of Parab. Mr. Jayaram Pangi, MP, Koraput, Mr. Raghuram Podal, MLA, Koraput and Mr, Jhinna Hikaka, MLA, Laxmipur have expressed their say on this event. The vote of thanks was given by Mr. Chudamani Seth, Project Director, DRDA, and Koraput.

Gopalpur beach festival from January 11 to 15

Gopalpur beach festival would be held in January this time rather than in December like earlier years. This five-day beach festival would be held from January 11 to 15. Earlier date of this beach festival used to coincide with Christmas. This decision was taken at the first preparatory meeting for the beach festival held in Berhampur city. This beach festival is organised every year jointly by the Ganjam district administration and Ganjam District Hoteliers' Association (GDHA) to promote tourism at this beach resort and to show case cultural heritage of South Odisha. The preparatory meeting was chaired by Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) southern division, Laxmi Narayan Nayak. It was attended by Ganjam Collector Kishan Kumar, MLAs of Gopalpur and Berhampur and many office bearers.

Decision to shift dates of the beach festival was taken at the request of the GDHA. The GDHA felt holding of beach festival during festive tourist season was putting extra pressure on the small beach resort. Added to it large crowd that gathers up for the beach festival and clogged traffic was also causing problems for the tourists who check in hotels of the beach resort during that time. Holding of this beach festival during January would add up another tourist season for the beach resort, felt GDHA. This famous beach festival had been started during 90s by the GDHA and this famous beach is just 9km away from Berhampur city. Source: The Hindu

Annual tribal fest MONDEI kicks off in Nabarangpur, South Odisha

Report by Basant Rath

The inaugural function of Mondei organized with much fanfare. A congregation of local dance troupes kicked off the five day mega cultural festival of the district ‘Mondei – 2011’ in Nabarangpur with the traditional march from Sadashiva Tripathy park to Mondei ground.

Hon’ble Minister tourism Prafulla Samal,  along with Hon’ble Minister of Information Technology Ramesh Chandra Majhi, local MLAs Manohar Randhari, Bhujabala Majhi, Chairperson of Nabarangpur Municipality Prahallad Tripathy, District Collector Sibabrata Dash etc performed puja at the temple before the colourful carnival procession took on Mahatma Gandhi Marg. Besides the traditional folk dance troupes, hundreds of townsmen along with the block level   took part in the procession.

The procession saw tribal villagers with folk culture, a number of tribal musical parties and various tribal fancy shows performed along the way. The Mondei carnival reached the Mondei Rangamanch in the evening. The inauguration function was held at night.

The festival was highly successful in showcasing unique cultural and traditional heritage of the district and its people; in identifying hidden talents in various fields; contributing to revamping the old traditions and bringing recognition to those; and above all in recasting socio-cultural integrity and amalgamation.

 “Explore Nabarangpur” published by NGPURNEWS was inaugurated by the chief guest and guests at the function. Troupes from Uttarakhand, West Bihar, Himanchal Pradesh, Sambalpur, Bhanjanagar (Ganjam), Kokshora, Chandahandi, Nabarangpur Municipality, performed folk dances.

Source: TOI

Famous Parab-2011 kicks off in Koraput, South Odisha

Thousands of tribals gathered in their traditional attire to participate in the event that seeks to showcase the region's rich cultural heritage. The tribals performed their traditional dances at the inaugural ceremony, attended by district collector Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi, who lit the festival torch, Koraput SP Anup Kumar Sahoo and Koraput and Laxmipur MLAs, among others. The fest features a number of competitive sporting events, tribal dances, songs, traditional instrumental music and a mini marathon and cycle rally, which were introduced last year. The festival itself was started in 1996 to showcase the culture of the region. "The aim of the festival is to protect and promote the region's rich cultural heritage. We are confident that this year's festival will make a different statement in terms of participation and vibrancies," the collector said. "The event has already generated a great deal of interest among tourists. We hope to see more outsiders visiting our district this time. In fact, we are working on a plan on how the district could be developed into a tourist destination," he added.

The block and district level festival-cum-competition will be on till November 14, with the grand finale on November 16-18 at the stadium ground of the district headquarters town of Koraput. Source: TOI

MGCHRI to set up cancer hospital in south Odisha

Oncologists feel rural and ignorant women of the State are prone to threat of cervical cancer. Addressing a press meet in Berhampur city oncologists from Mahatma Gandhi Cancer Hospital and Research Institute (MGCHRI) of Visakhapatnam said lifestyle-related cancer threat also looms over people of Odisha.

Surgical oncologist and managing director of the cancer institute Murali Krishna Voona said with education and better lifestyle incidence of cervical cancer was going down among women. Radiation oncologist of the institute Kanhu Charan Patro described how change in lifestyle has started to increase occurrence of breast cancer in traditional states like Odisha. According to him one of the major reasons is the blind adaptation of cosmopolitan lifestyle in the educated women in the upper economic strata. “But the silver lining is that due to increased consciousness women with developing breast cancer are being identified early for timely medical intervention”, said Dr Murali Krishna..

The MGCHRI is planning to establish a cancer hospital in south Odisha. “We have started viability survey of the project in the area”, said Dr Murali Krishna. On October 31 a clinic of the institute was opened in Berhampur city which would be visited by oncologists from the Visakhapatnam based cancer hospital every month. The MGCHRI declared to extend its subsidised treatment for BPL families of Andhra Pradesh to the poor patients of Odisha also. Source: The Hindu 

Berhampur girl grabs gold in Commonwealth Youth championship at Cape Town

Following the footsteps of K Ravi Kumar, another weightlifter of Berhampur city, Minati Das, brought fame to the state. She won gold in the ongoing Commonwealth Youth Girls championship at Cape Town. Ravi, who had won the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games-2010, had also won the medal in the Commonwealth (youth) championships earlier.

Fifteen-year-old Minati of Old Berhampur area won in the 44-kg category, said vice-president of Indian Weightlifting Federation and general secretary of Berhampur-based Veer Hanuman Club Narayan Sahu. Seven girls from the country, including Das, were participating in the youth (girl) category. Though Minati has participated in many national events, the commonwealth (youth) championship is her first international participation. She had a rigorous practice session in Bangalore before this. We are proud that another youth from our club won the prestigious medal in the international event, Sahu said.

Minati is the second daughter of Pramod Das, a farmer and leader of Ganjam District Scheduled Caste Federation. Out of his four children, Minati was the one very keen on sports. At present, she is a Class X student of Government Girlsa High School, Berhampur.

Source: The Times of India 

Tara Tarini Development Board takes great pleasure in wishing you happiness and prosperity on the divine occasion of Dusshera,

the festival that symbolizes the Triumph of Good over Evil.

May the divine blessings of

 Maa Tara Tarini be with you always!

Silk City Berhampur gears up for 9-day Durga Puja carnival

Durga puja is also known as Navratri Puja which says the worshipping of goddess Durga for nine days. Like Kolkata, Gujarat and Cuttack, Berhampur also gears up for Durga Puja. With the Mahalaya, devotees have welcomed the goddess Durga amidst all pomp and show to bring bountiful yield and happiness to every household.

Ganjam is famous for its religious “shakti shrines” where the ritual of the 16-day festival is strictly followed. This ritual is known as “Shodasa Upachara” unlike in other parts of the country where it lasts for three to nine days. The prominent Sakti shrines in Ganjam include presiding deity of South Odisha Tara Tarini near Purusottampur, goddess Narayani near Khallikote, goddess Mahamayee (Budhi Thakurani) of Berhampur, goddess Bhairavi at Mantridi, 15 km away from Berhampur, goddess Ramachandi at Gadamanitri, 5 km away from Ganjam town, Mahuri Kalika, Ghata Kalika, Kandhuni Devi, Byaghra Devi, Balakumari, Barahi, Khambeswari, Simhasini, Shyamalai, Kureisuni and Siddha Harachandi. They are all geared up for the festival Dussehra.

Some Puja Mandaps in the city have started the rituals of Navaratripuja formally from Mahalaya night. TheSilk City is known as one of the prominent socio-cultural centers of Odisha. The city connects two different cultures of Odia and Telugu since time immemorial.

The Puja bazaar is all set to make a good business in this session. The wholesale markets of garments are the commercial nerve centre as well as inter-State business centers of Odisha. Traffic is getting thicker gradually in the areas beginning from Head Post Office Square, Fire Station Road, Annapurna Road, Urban Bank Road, SNT Temple Road, Sanabazaar to Badabazaar area.

The puja mandaps of Komapalli Square, Courtpeta Square, Bijipur, Station Road, Old Bus Stand, Girija Square, Giri Market, Hanuman Bazaar and Badabazaar have been started formally for the nine day puja of goddess Durga from the night of Mahalaya. Out of total 39 worshiping places, nine have opened their puja pandals and started the rituals of the nine-day puja. Others may open on seventh or eighth day of the ritual of the Navratri Puja. The attraction of this year’s puja is the pandals draped in different colours, themes, and innovative arts and designs. According to a member Kali Prasad Patra of Bijipur Puja Committee, they have hired artists from Dhenkanal and Kolkata for the design of their puja pandal like a temple of Nepal. The pandal is made up of different coloured and designed mats, while the idol is of 15 feet height mesmerizing the devotees of the city. City administration, Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and police are ready for the nine-day-long carnival. The District Administration has imposed ban on using of loud speaker after 10 pm of the night and it has only permitted bhajans for playing on the puja mandaps.

Mayfair group acquires Oberoi's Gopalpur hotel

The Oberoi Group has sold its 100-year-old hotel property at Gopalpur on Sea in Orissa to Mayfair Hotels and Resorts, a local hospitality company owned by former cabinet minister and industrialist Dilip Ray. The property, Oberoi Palm Beach, was bought by Rai Bahadur MS Oberoi in 1947 from an Italian lady and was the third hotel in his portfolio after Shimla and Kolkata. EIH, formerly East India Hotels, the flagship company of the Oberoi Group, has handed over the property to the Mayfair Group, which now has eight properties, said top executives at both companies.

For the Oberois, the Gopalpur property, though small, had a lot of sentimental value. However, with any significant expansion not possible due to the Coastal Regulation Zone restrictions and high overhead costs, the EIH management decided to lease or sell it. For a few years, they leased the hotel to a Bhubaneswar-based hotelier, but it did not work well, said an EIH source. Ray, who has been expanding his hospitality business in the past few years, said: "It is a dream acquisition. We will try our best to develop this hotel to international standards and expand it."

The Mayfair group now plans to spend 25-30 crore to expand the hotel and add another 15 rooms to the existing 20 rooms. It will also add a spa to the property along with villas.

 Gopalpur on Sea has been a popular destination among the Russian tourists throughout the year. Domestic travellers visit during winters. With Gopalpur port being developed from a seasonal to an all-weather port, commercial and industrial activity is expected to pick up. Tatas too are planning an industrial park at Gopalpur where it will be the anchor investor. The 100-crore Mayfair group operates mid-segment hotels inBhubaneswar, Puri, Rourkela, Goa, Darjeeling and Gangtok. It also will soon open hotels in Kolkata, Satpada and a new hotel in Puri. Mayfair plans to spend 25-30 crore to expand the hotel and add another 15 rooms to the existing 20 rooms.

Tata Steel reserves berth at Gopalpur Port near Berhampur

• Jindal Company also visited Gopalpur port to get a reserve berth

• Tata Steel would construct a hospital at Tata rehabilitation colony at Sitalapalli, Berhampur

At a time when the demand for returning the lands acquired for industries in Ganjam district is growing shriller, The Tata Steel Managing Director’s visit to Ganjam district seems to have settled things for now.

Tata Steel MD HM Nerurkar along with vice-president for Orissa Projects of the Company Hrideyshwar Jha visited Ganjam district on Tuesday to take stock of the progress of the proposed projects. They had an informal meeting with Ganjam District Collector Kishen Kumar and Managing Director of Gopalpur Ports Limited (GPL) Mahimanandan Mishra.

Gopalpur Industrial Park project is planned on 3,300 acres of land taken over by the company in 1995 for its now shelved mega steel plant project near Gopalpur port.

Tata Steel, being the anchor investor, has announced a ferrochrome industry with a capacity of around 55,000 tonne a year besides four million tonne capacity rubber industry and a desalination plant. The three units are scheduled to go for production from 2013.

However, as no progress was made even after seven months of the foundation, the displaced families whose lands were acquired started agitation demanding return of their lands.

According to the discussion between Tata Steel, GPL and district administration, Tata Steel would have its own berth and a jetty at Gopalpur Port at Rs. 60 crore for transportation of its proposed production.

However, till the construction of the berth, the port would provide a rebate of around 50 per cent to Tata Steel for transportation.

Tata Steel would construct a hospital in the vacant land at the Tata rehabilitation colony at Sitalapalli for the convenience of port and Tata employees and the GPL authorities would establish a school in the port’s vicinity, in order to reduce dependence on Berhampur.

Meanwhile, a team of officials of Jindal Company also visited the Gopalpur port to get a reserve berth.

Source: IBN Live

Ravi Kumar's Arjuna Award lifts Berhampur's spirits

The Silk City was agog with joy on Monday when local boy and Commonwealth gold medalist K. Ravi Kumar was conferred the Arjuna Award at New Delhi. Ravi Kumar received the award from President Prativa Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. "I am very happy receiving the award," he told TOI from New Delhi.

At present, Ravi is busy practicing at the India camp in Patiala for the next world championships in Paris in November. He said, "The award is a big confidence booster and I will make all efforts to bring pride to mycountry," he said.

Crediting his success to his parents, coaches and well-wishers, Ravi who is now working in the Army said the award was a result of years of hard work. "It is a dream come true and I wish he beings more fame to the country," said his mother K. Suryakanta, who was present at the award-giving ceremony. Ravi Kumar is the seventh Oriya and second person from Berhampur to get this prestigious award. In 1982, another weightlifter Bijay Kumar Satapathy of Berhampur had received the Arjuna Award.

"It is a very proud moment us. His award will motivate many talented young people to scale heights," secretary of the Orissa Weightlifting Association Narayan Sahu said. "We wish he participates in the 2012 London Olympics," said Sahu, also the vice-president of Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF). Ravi's former coach Ramesh Chandra Padhy said, "We were expecting this award for him since long going by his talent".

The Veer Hanuman Club, from where Ravi started his career, will felicitate him when he returns. Ravi started his career about seven years ago and has established a brilliant track record of winning several gold medals in national and International events. He has also set a record in the men's 69-kg category by lifting 321 kg in the New Delhi Commonwealth Games last October and won the gold.

He has represented the country in the Asian Weightlifting Championships to be in China in April. He has also won three gold medals in the senior National weightlifting championships at Bangalore recently. Representing the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), Ravi won in the clean, jerk and overall weight category in the men's 77-kg event. The state has honoured him with the Ekalabya Award.

Sources: Times of India, First Post

Infant mortality rate high in Kandhamal

Kandhamal district, in south Orissa which hogged national headlines for the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and violence a few years ago, has touched another low point. This time the district has found itself in the bottom of the list of under-five mortality rate (U5MR) in the country.

As many as 145 children per 1,000 live births die in Kandhamal district, says annual health survey conducted in under-developed States in the country. The survey was done in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Assam. Collectively these States constitute 48 per cent of country's population, 59 per cent of births and 70 per cent of infant deaths.

The U5MR for Uttarakhand is in the 50s while for Uttar Pradesh, it is in the 90s. The U5MR ranges between 24 (Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand) and 145 (Kandhamal, Orissa) - a variability of seven times. Orissa with average U5MR at 82 figures among bottom States. Gap between male and female mortality differential is significant. Among female, the U5MR in Kandhamal is 153 compared to 138 in male.

Source: The Hindu

Berhampur born Sulagna Panigrahi rocks Bollywood

In conversation with Sulagna Panigrahi

When we saw Murder 2, we were bowled over by the performance of a new girl, Sulagna Panigrahi, the actress with the face of an angel. She has been around for past 4 years and has also done quite a few television shows. Soumil Shukla of FilmiTadka caught up with the young actress and the result was a candid chat.

So tell us a bit about your background.

Well, I was born in a small town called Berhampur in Orissa. Then my family moved to Bhubaneswar and then to Delhi where I spent almost 10 years and did most of my schooling. My dad is a serving Indian Army officer. So we have had to move around a lot. In that sense I am a true Indian!.....

Click here to read the full interview

Source: filmitadka.in

First Convocation Ceremony of Central University Koraput held; Pranab Mukherjee attended as chief guest

Koraput:  Koraput is one of the best District in the world because of its climatic conditions said the Governor of Odisha Mr. Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare. Mr. Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare was at Sunabeda in Koraput District on the occasion of 1st convocation ceremony of Central University Odisha established way back 2009.

Mr. Naveen Patnaik Chief Minister of Odisha who was the guest of honour expressed his ambitious plans and said the University in a tribal populated Koraput district itself is a significance change in tribal culture and language. Central University would definitely play a vital role to change the KBK districts (un-divided Koraput, Balangir and Kalahandi) and its educational system. Education itself will bring sea change and change the people of these KBK districts and develop the local tribal Mr. Patnaik said.

The Union Finance minister Mr. Pranab Mukharji who was the Chief Guest of the Programme expressed his happiness over establishment of the Central University Odisha in koraput District which is one of the backward districts in India.

The first Vice Chancellor of the University Dr. Suravi Benarji assured to open medical college and Hospital to take Medicare of the people leaving in the districts, Steps have been taken and sent the proposal to the Government for opening the medical college in Koraput Central University Campus. She also gave thanks to Koraput Jagannath Temple Trust, Koraput people, Koraput district administration, media people and public representatives. Six students Miss. Sucharita sahu, Mr. Gyana Ranjan Patnaik, Mr. Kelaram Meher, Prahalad Khila and Pratikhyarani Nayak awarded Gold medals and 106 graduating students were awarded their degrees at the Convocation.

Radiation study centre at Berhampur University

The Berhampur University (BU) is all set to have a Gamma Chamber-5000 to study plant response to ionising radiation. The facility is being developed as a component of the research project on plant responses to ionising radiation, which is currently in progress at the department of botany. This is the first time that the state will have such as facility, said Brahma Bihari Panda, head of botany department. A team of experts from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Barc) had visited the university recently and approved the building site after thorough inspection. “We constructed the building as per the guidelines of Barc. But with the onset of monsoon, the delivery of the equipment from Barc has been delayed and we are hoping it will reach us by October or November. The research has been going on since two years,” said Panda. Barc is looking after research components while the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (Brit) will provide the equipment. He said Barc has provided the Gamma Chamber-5000, which is worth Rs 40 lakh, free of cost to the university. An MoU to this effect was signed between the director, health safety and environment group of Barc and registrar of Berhampur University on August 19, 2008.

The botany department of BU is one of the four centres located in different agro-climatic zones of the country chosen under the 11th plan period to conduct the mega research project of Barc. The other three zones are Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) at Pusa in New Delhi, Barc in Mumbai and Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu. “The chamber is the source of radiation from cobalt system which can be used for experimental purposes and scientific investigation. We have already constructed a building, Gamma House, at an isolated area in the botanical garden on the campus. The rest of the equipment will also be installed as soon as they reach us,” Panda said. In addition to the chamber, Barc has also provided other research tools and two research scholars and one field assistant for this purpose. The entire cost would come to around Rs 70 lakh, he said. The departments of chemistry, physics, zoology, marine and pharmaceutical sciences can also use this equipment for an inter-disciplinary approach. “The gamma centre has several applications. We can see the effect of radiation and use it for improvement of crops, sterilisation of medical disposals. Radiation helps preserve food materials. Seeds treated with radiation are not infested by insects. So it is useful for storage of material and aseptic conditions. This is also being considered as a source of income for Berhampur University because it can be used outsourced to researchers and research institutions,” Panda said. He said the importance of radiation was increasing daily with the depletion of natural bio fuel or hydrocarbons. “Radiation will be a perennial and safe source of energy. Because here the regulations are very stringent and there is no pollution from radiation,” he added. The radiological safety division is looking after the safety aspect. “It is a research programme and is well protected. The persons who will work here will be given proper training about how to operate it. A radiation monitor will measure if there is any radiation. The radiation level of this region is slightly high because of the Monazite belt and the black sand at Arjipalli. But we are looking into the safety concerns,” Panda said.

Source: The Telegraph

NIOS opened Study centre for Berhampur jail inmates

By Hrusikesh Mohanty

The inmates of Berhampur jail, who want to clear the Class X examination but are overaged, can now do so. The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) under the ministry of human resources in collaboration with the state government opened an Open Study Centre in the Berhampur jail. This is the first NIOS centre inside a jail in the state.

"Those who have crossed 14 years of age can now enroll in the study center to clear their Class X examination. No formal educational qualification is required to enroll," chairman of NIOS Sitansu Sekhar Jena said while inaugurating the centre. DIG (Prisons) Dharanidhara Dash and other jail staff were present.

He, however, said a person needs to clear his Class X to appear for Class XII examination. The course can be completed from one to five years, he said. "Since several inmates have shown interest to complete their education when they were languishing in the jails, the NIOS decided to open its study centers in different jails," he said. The NIOS would conduct the examinations and also provide certificates that are equivalent to certificate given by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), he said.

Eleven such study centres have been opened across the country, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi. "We have also written to the Inspector General (Prisons) to open study centers of the NIOS in their jails of the state. We opened it in Berhampur because the jail officers were keen and extended all cooperation," he said.

The NIOS has announced 50 per cent subsidy on the enrollment fee of the jail inmates in the study centers. "The subsidy however is not applicable in case of other persons," he said. The NIOS is also providing vocational training in 86 different trades. "One can take vocational training at the time of studying in the study centre," he said. The NIOS chairman assured to provide all help to the jail staff, if they were interested to start vocational training.

Source: The Times of India

Centre okays mega food park at Rayagada

The Central Government has sanctioned a mega food park for Odisha. The State Government has identified Rayagada as the suitable place to set up a world class Food Park with satellite units in other parts of the State. Accoding to official sources, the food park would be set up in Public Private Partnership mode with an investment of Rs 200 crore. The Union Government would provide fiancial assistance to the tune of Rs 50 crore for the project to be implemented in phases. It was decided at a high level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Bijay Patnaik that the State Government would create the infrastructure to attract investors. As many as 56 food processing units over an area of 198 acres of land have been planned in the proposed food park.It was also decided to provide incentives to the promoters who would evince interest to invest in the food park. Patnaik has directed the Industry Department to work out a package on Governmental assistance and incentives required. Patnaik said since the project was related to agricultural infrastructure, an official team would be sent to other States having Food Parks to study the mode of incentives, other packages and their management. Basing on the report of the team a draft policy framework would be prepared for taking the approval of the Chief Minster.Sources said that the food park would create employment potential for 30,000 people. Farmer groups, self-help groups and individual farmers would benefit from the scheme. In the first phase the project would be implemented in Rayagada with a satellite unit at Khurda with an investment of Rs 120 crore and in second phase it would be implemented in Ganjam. 

Source: The Pioneer