City bus service set to roll in Silk City Berhampur

BERHAMPUR: The Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) has planned two new bus services, one within Berhampur town, another connecting Berhampur, Gopalpur and Chhatrapur comprising the Greater-Berhampur region.
The services will be launched through public private partnership (PPP), at an estimated cost of 3.5 crore. At least 27 buses will ply in the first phase.

A Mumbai-based consulting agency presented a detailed project report in this regard recently. The agency has suggested the formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) with involving the BDA, Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Notified Area Councils (NAC) of Gopalpur and Chhatrapur to monitor the services.
At present, passengers depend on trekkers and matadors for travelling to these two places from Berhampur. "Not only is time a big factor, but travel in trekkers and matadors is also a risky affair. These are always overcrowded. Moreover, there are no town bus services within Berhampur. So, we have also suggested a bus service for the town," a BDA official said. The Berhampur city had introduced a town bus service in 1991. The service was later discontinued as it incurred heavy loss.

Source: Times of India, The Sambad

Bandh demanding basic amenities disrupts normal life in Malkangiri

BERHAMPUR: Day to day life was completely disrupted in Malkangiri town and some parts of South Odisha on Tuesday due to a bandh call given by the ‘Malkangiri Zilla Surakshya Samity (MZSS)'. They had given this call for five demands and apathy of administrative officials towards these demands. President of MZSS, G.Srinivas Rao said they would hold a meeting on Tuesday night to decide about their next course of action.

This bandh call in Malkangiri town had its impact throughout Malkangiri district. No vehicles travelled between the district headquarters town and other places of the district. Trips of passenger buses from all parts of Malkangiri district to outside were also cancelled as they had to pass through Malkangiri town.

The bandh call was complete in Malkangiri town. All government and private establishments remained closed. Educational institutions and banks were also closed. Protestors picketed and blocked road at several points at Malkangiri town. This bandh call had the support of all organisations of Malkangiri town including the Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC), local bar association, traders' association and political leaders, said Mr. Rao.

Members of MZSS also demonstrated in front of the office of the Malkangiri Collector on Monday for these five demands. Mr. Rao said they opted for the bandh call as the Collector did not show concern regarding their demands to hold discussions with them about their demands.

The demands are mostly related to basic amenities. They allege that most roads in Malkangiri town are in extreme dilapidated condition and need renovation. They also want end of continuing undeclared power cuts in their area. They alleged that piped drinking water supply system was yet to be streamlined in Malkangiri town and they demanded proper supply of drinking water in their area. The agitators also demanded speedy completion of renovation and widening work of Malkangiri-Kalimela road which according to them is being delayed by the construction company that has taken the contract.

The most important demand of the agitators is related to the settlement of land records of all rural and urban pockets of the district. Source: The Hindu

Month long Chaitra Jatra ends at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine

With the chanting of the holy names of Maa Tara Tarini, recitation of hymns, Mantras and Jagna on the Fourth Tuesday, the month long Chaitra Jatra came to an end at the famous Tara Tarini Hill Shrine near Berhampur in Odisha. Considered as one of the biggest religious fairs in India, the Chaitra Jatra at this hill shrine has centuries old history behind it. It is noteworthy that of the 4 Adi Shakti Peethas and other major Shakti Peethas in India, it is only in the Tara Tarini Peetha, considered as the Sthana Pith (Breast Shrine) of Adi Shakti that the Chaitra Jatra is held over the entire month of Chaitra whereas in most other shrines it is held for just one day or the Nine days coinciding with Navratra culminating on Ram Navami.

On the last Tuesday, following the age-old traditions, the Sevakas opened the sanctum sanctorum of the temple past the midnight on Monday. After Snana (the divine bath), Majana and Maha Arati the Amruta Kalasha or the first Bhoga was offered to the goddesses at around 3.55 a.m in the morning. Then the goddesses went for a Parikrama of the temple. After the completion of the Parikrama, large number of devotees who gathered on the hilltop to take the first glimpse of Maa were allowed for Darshan. The Darshan continued non-stop till the late evening of Tuesday.

Like other Tuesdays of this month, around two to three lakh devotees gathered on the fourth and last Tuesday of Chaitra month in the Shrine. The large gathering of devotees and their prayers filled with emotion and enthusiasm surcharged the atmosphere of the ancient Shrine.

Around one thousand barbers were engaged in tonsuring the heads of around five thousand newborn babies on this occasion.

As per traditional beliefs devotees preferred to climb the 999 holy steps to reach the hill top though transportation facilities to the hill top by Arial Rope way and special Buses were made available. They climbed 999 steps as a penance to get the blessing of the deities.

As per initial reports, so far around 20 lakh people have visited the shrine for Darshan during the month, including the four Tuesdays. People from far off places like North and South India and from the neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, many Sadhakas from the Tara Pith and other famous Shakti Shrines of India, many Buddhists and Hindu researchers from Nepal and many people from abroad were present during the Chaitra Mela.

A unique feature of this Shrine is that large number of people flocked to the Shrine from various nearby villages in their bullock carts along with their kith and kin. There were also large number of people seen feasting all across the Shrine as a thanksgiving gesture to the Goddesses. The fair comprising rural artisans had large number of buyers and onlookers. Many devotees who could not take the pain of reaching the hilltop made it a point to worship the sacred Ratnagiri Mountain (Tarini Parvat) from a distance.

It may be noted that over the years the number of visitors to this hill shrine have been growing steadily during this Chaitra festivals. As a result, large number of visitors and mainly the elderly persons who find it difficult to reach the hilltop by taking the overcrowded steps and special buses generally prefer the aerial Ropeway to the hill top which is first of its kind in Eastern India. But, the capacity of the existing aerial ropeway is limited. So, sensing the need to accommodate the ever increasing number of devotees, the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) has decided to raise the capacity and frequency of Aerial rope-way service in collaboration with ‘USHA Pvt. Ltd’ a reputed Rope Way service provider in the country. It is expected that by this time next year the carrying capacity of the Aerial rope Way will increase many folds.

On the occasion of the last Tuesday the District administration, Temple administration and Development Board made wide range arrangements like drinking water, Prasad, Transportation, Primary health care facility, traffic control, and police deployment for peaceful Darshan of the devotees. The office bearers, volunteers of the TTDB, different NGOs, voluntary organizations, media houses, corporate houses and local residents extended their helping hand through out the month to the devotees who came from various parts of the country.

Koraput bans foreign tourists out of fear

KORAPUT: In the wake of two back-to-back abductions in Odisha, a complete ban has been imposed on the entry of foreign nationals and tourists into the Maoist-hit Koraput district.

The district administration’s ban follows abduction of two Italian tourists and MLA Jhina Hikaka by the Maoists in the State.

District Collector Sachin Jadhav communicated this through a letter to all tour operators on Monday. The Collector said that the administration would reassess the security situation and take a call on the issue of regulating movement of foreign nationals and tourists in the district. “Till that time no permission will be issued to foreign nationals and tourists to visit any part of the district,” he said.

Last week, the Rayagada district administration had imposed a similar restriction on the entry of all foreign tourists into the tribal-dominated district.

However, the Collector said the foreign nationals working with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and several NGOs should remain in their respective headquarters.

In South Odisha Law & Order situation deteriorates further

Opposition asks CM to give up Home portfolio

BHUBANESWAR: While demanding a CBI probe into the killing of two persons in police firing on March 31 in Ganjam district, the Congress on Monday asked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to surrender the Home portfolio in view of “rising crime” in the State.

Participating in the debate on the admissibility of an adjournment motion notice on the incident, Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan alleged that crime is on the rise particularly in Chief Minister’s home district of Ganjam. He wanted Naveen to hand over the Home portfolio to someone else as he had failed in his ministerial responsibilities.

Alleging that the law and order in the State has collapsed, Harichandan said in a State where MLAs are not safe, the plight of common man can be well imagined. While one sitting MLA was shot dead by the Maoists, another has been kidnapped, he said and added that the police failed to protect even a minister who was struck on his head while addressing a public meeting.

Quoting from the white paper recently released by the Home Department, Harichandan pointed out that at least three women are raped, four persons killed and five looting incidents take place in the State every day.

About 14 cases of atrocities against SCs and STs  and 22 such cases against women are reported daily, he claimed.

Referring to the March 31 police-villagers clash at Phasipada in Ganjam where two persons were killed and 53 injured, the Congress leader wanted to know as to why the police did not use rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse the mob .

Reiterating the demand for a CBI probe into the incident, Naba Kishore Das (Cong) demanded resignation of the Chief Minister over the issue. Alleging that police are  not under the control of the Government as is evident from several incidents, Das said the Chief Minister should clarify as to what led to the firing.

Das said police went to the village to rescue three persons detained by villagers suspecting them of practising witchcraft, but they turned killers.

Making a statement, Naveen said the police opened fire in self defence as the mob attacked them with bombs and stones. He said 36 policemen and 19 villagers were injured in the incident and two persons died.

Naveen said he had ordered a judicial probe and suspended a police inspector. Unhappy with his reply, Opposition members staged a walkout.

More than 10 lakh devotees reached Tara Tarini hill shrine for third Tuesday of Chaitra Mela

The Third Tuesday of the month of Chaitra, also considered as the holiest day in the religious calendar of the Tara Tarini Hill Shrine witnessed a sea of devotees. The massive congregation at this Shrine, also famous as the breast shrine and considered as one amongst the four major ancient Shakti Peethas in India, filled the air with religious fervor and devotion. The ongoing Navratri puja coinciding with the Chaitra festivities further added to the enthusiasm among the people. Stream of visitors thronged the famous Shakti Shrine from the wee hours till late in the evening and the police administration toiled hard to control the crowd and maintain law and order.                                            

The estimated number of visitors this year has far exceeded the gathering witnessed in previous years with more than 5 lakh people reaching the temple on the hill-top while an equal number of people taking part in the fair on the foothill and on the banks of river Rushikulya.

Thousands of kids tonsured their head as per the age-old belief associated with this Shrine.

Following the tradition associated with Chaitra festivals, people from far and wide were seen cooking food with their family members as thanksgiving to the goddesses on fulfillment of their desires. This is undoubtedly tradition unique of its kind in the country where such large number of people indulge in cooking and which has become an integral part of the Chaitra festivities in Tara Tarini.

The rural fair and temporary shops all across the roads leading to the Temple is another attraction which added to the rush and by noon time the heavy police deployment proved inadequate in front of a congregation of this magnitude. However, the day passed off peacefully without any untoward incident.

The development activities taken up by the Tara Tarini Development Board in recent years helped in ensuring better amenities and services for the devotees this year. Infact, some development projects were also inaugurated on this occasion including the long awaited ring road, street lighting and bathing Ghats on the banks of River Rushikulya which were thrown open for the public.

Keeping in mind the expected gathering, the temple administration made elaborate arrangements for transport, food and water with the help of large number of volunteers. The local administration took all possible measures through heavy deployment of police forces, ambulances and fire brigade. Many senior officials of the state government, district administration and peoples’ representatives visited the Shrine on this occasion to seek blessings of Maa.

3 Lakh devotees throng TaraTarini Hill Shrine on Second Tuesday of Chaitra

Railway Budget leaves South Odisha disappointed

Famous Chaitra festival begins at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine in Odisha

The month long famous Chaitra festivals started at the Tara Tarini Hill Shrine near Berhampur city in Odisha, with the chanting of traditional Mantras on the first Tuesday. The festivities started at this shrine from Monday midnight itself with the priests performing the Snana and Majana of the Goddesses. After Sahasra Arati, Panchamruta Puja and Parikrama ceremonies, the sanctum sanctorum of the Tara Tarini Shrine, considered as the Breast Shrine of Adi Shakti, was thrown open for Darshan of devotees.

Thousands of people, who gathered a day before, got the chance of Madhya Ratra Darshan. The first Tuesday of this month saw heavy crowd around the Hill Shrine from the wee hours till late evening, with lacs of devotees thronging the Shrine from every nook and corner of the state and outside. Noteworthy that all the four Tuesdays of this month are considered sacred by the devotees.

Thousands of kids tonsured their heads as per the age-old belief of offering the hair of newborns.  Khichdi Prasad was distributed to the devotees coming to the Shrine and the fair of rural artisans also attracted many people.

The Special Secretary of Odisha Chief Minister Shri Kartikeyan Pandian, officials of Ganjam district administration, all the office bearers of TTDB and Tara Tarini temple administration were present during this occasion. Heavy police Bandobast was made to avert any untoward incident and control the huge number of devotees. The district administration made arrangements to control traffic in and around the hill shrine.

On this occasion the newly constructed ring road was opened for general traffic. This road has been constructed to decongest the traffic around the shrine with the special assistance from government of Odisha. Two other important roads, one connecting the Keshpur Junction to the foothill and the newly constructed Ghat road to the hilltop were also thrown open on this occasion.

TTDB welcomes devotees to the famous Chaitra Parva at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine

Setting up of folk art centres in Ganjam demanded

Cultural activists feel it is high time for the State government to establish cultural centres in different parts of Ganjam district to save traditional folk dance forms that are on the verge of extinction.

Several folk dance forms of Ganjam district have already died out. According to secretary of Odisha Folk Foundation (OFF) Bighneswar Sahu, Ganjam can be termed a major cradle of folk dance forms in Odisha. According to him historical evidences hint that about a century ago there were around 70 folk dance forms prevalent in Ganjam district. Due to various reasons more than half of them have become extinct. The OFF is of the opinion that at present 32 folk dance forms are existing in Ganjam district. But out of them several are almost at the door steps of extinction.

A folk dance guru Niranjan Sahu, who leads the Maa Samaleswari Lok Nrutya Kala Kendra, said it is an irony that the folk dance forms that are identity of Odisha outside the State are not getting proper promotion. Last month 160 ‘Jodi Sankha' folk dance performers from Ganjam district participated in Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

Phulbani town becomes Boudh-Kandhmal

Large sections of populace in Kandhamal district were astonished by the sudden change of name of Phulbani town, which is the district headquarters town to ‘Boudh-Kandhamal'.

It may be noted that the Central government has recently approved change of names of 25 towns in the country. They include two towns of Odisha. Apart from Phulbani, name of Sonepur town in western Odisha is to be changed to Subarnapur. Although it is claimed that name of Phulbani was changed to ‘Boudh-Kandhamal' according to public demand, residents of Kandhamal district say they are ignorant about this demand and do not know who made this demand. When contacted, Kandhamal district Collector Rajesh Prabhakar Patil also confirmed this Central notification regarding change of name of Phulbani town.

Sasank Sahu, convener of Phulbani Action Group (PAG), a cluster of 38 social organisation of the district said this sudden change of name has come as a shock for him as well as people of the district. “We do not know on what basis this change of name has been made,” he said. According to him the name of Phulbani town is more than a century old. It is related to several folklores.

A senior researcher on culture and tradition of Kandhamal district, Raghunath Padhi of Baliguda is also finding it hard to accept this change of name of Phulbani town. According to him Phulbani town was established in 1904 by the sub-divisional officer of British government AJO Alen Bach. Mr. Padhi said two folk tales are related to naming of this town but there is no historical evidence regarding their authenticity. According to one folktale the British officer Bach had intimate relationship with a local tribal girl named ‘Phula' and the new town was named according to her name.

Source: The Hindu

SOSA demands Police Commissionerate system in Greater Berhampur

Dear Chief Minister Sir,

The present state of lawlessness in Berhampur city and its adjoining areas has become a cause for concern. Owing to total lack of alacrity in the police administration here; violence, loot, extortion, murder and gang war have become the order of the day. The Greater Berhampur Region comprising of Berhampur city and its nearby areas of Chatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjilicut have turned out to be the safe havens for criminals and anti-social elements. As an upshot of this people here are under panic for the last several months, but the state administration is treating this matter with utter callousness. The rising crime graph in the City in the last few years under your dispensation not only shows the insensitivity and inability of the State Government in maintaining law and order in this major commercial city but points to the virtual collapse of the state machinery in the entire region of South Odisha. As the Home Minister of the State the buck stops with you and we demand concrete measures as silence is certainly not the solution.

To deal with the law and order situation in the capital city region, comprising Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, your government created the Commissionerate Police system there. But in case of Berhampur city, where law and order has completely collapsed the State Government has shown little interest in restoring the rule of law. Berhmapur, being a bordering city of Andhra Pradesh and hence the transit point for the anti-social elements and being surrounded by Maoist infested districts, the need for Commissionerate Police system here cannot be overemphasized. In contrast, the discrimination shown towards the city and the entire region of South Odisha is glaring. To mention just one, the state government has created an IG police range for central Odisha at Cuttack, IG police for Northern range at Sambalpur and IG police for Western range at Rourkela while there is no IG range for the entire region of South Odisha even though the law and order situation here is worse compared to the rest of the state.
Notwithstanding this discriminatory approach of the past we want stern measures from your government to contain the rising criminal activities and deteriorating law and order situation in Greater Berhampur. The blame can’t be entirely laid at the local police administration as the existing police infrastructure and man-power is proving to be grossly inadequate for a fast growing city like Berhampur. The existing system of policing therefore needs to be restructured in keeping with the gravity of the present problem and the future growth of the City. In light of the above, Police Commissionerate system for Greater Berhampur has become inevitable and any delay in this regard will prove costly for the safety and security of the citizens.

To overcome the present situation of lawlessness in Greater Berhampur Region and to clamp down the perpetrators of crime we seek your immediate intervention. The people of the region have seen enough of underdevelopment and deprivation and they can ill-afford such a deteriorating environment arising out of complete lawlessness. We do hope that the State Government will take concrete steps for bringing the situation under control by protecting life and property of the people and ensure lasting peace in this major city of the state. Being the Home Minister of the state and for being in the know of the law and order situation of the region, we request you to consider the genuine demand of the people for Police Commissionerate system in Greater Berhampur comprising Berhampur city, Chatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjilicut, with all seriousness that it deserves.

Warm Regards,

Ram Prasad Tripathy

President, SOSA, New Delhi

the pioneer

SOSA demanded establishment of a police commissionerate system at Brahmapur

The South Odisha Students’ Association (SOSA) demanded establishment of a police commissionerate system at Brahmapur. In a letter to the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the SOSA president Ram Prasad Tripathy said the Greater Brahmapur Region comprising of Brahmapur city and its nearby areas of Chatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjilicut have turned out to be the safe havens for criminals and anti-social elements. People are in panic for the last several months with a steep rise in the crime graph, but the State administration is treating this matter with utter callousness.

Justifying the reasons for the establishment of the police commissionerate system, the association said Brahmapur is a bordering city of Andhra Pradesh and hence the transit point for the anti-social elements. It is surrounded by Maoist infested districts and so there is a need for restructuring the existing system of policing.
Lamenting that the State Government has discriminated South Odisha against the rest part of the State, the association said there is an IG police range for Central Odisha at Cuttack, IG police for Northern range at Sambalpur and IG police for western range at Rourkela, while there is no IG range for the entire region of South Odisha even though the law and order situation is worse compared to the rest of the State.

Ram Prasad Tripathy, president of the South Odisha Students’ Association, has demanded a police commissionerate system for the city and nearby areas of Chatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjilicut.

“The present lawlessness in Berhampur city and its adjoining areas has become a cause for concern. The region has turned out to be a safe haven for criminals and the state administration is treating this matter with utter callousness,” wrote Tripathy in a letter to chief minister Naveen Patnaik on February 6.
“The state government has created an IG police range for central Odisha at Cuttack, IG police for northern range in Sambalpur and IG police for western range in Rourkela. However, there is no IG range for the entire region of south Odisha even though the law and order situation here is worse compared to the rest of the state,” he said.

Kui Samaj hoists black flags on the Republic Day in Kandhamal District

Berhampur: Activists of the tribal organisation Kui Samaj Seva Samiti (KSSS) hoisted black flags in some areas of Kandhamal district in  South Odisha on the Republic Day on January 26. The KSSS had earlier declared that they would observe the Republic Day as black day to protest against alleged government apathy towards tribal and dalit inhabitants of Kandhamal district.

According to sources activists of the KSSS hoisted black flags at Raikia, G.Udaygiri and Tikabali on Thursday morning.

The black flags hoisted by them were removed within a short period by the police and locals.

The KSSS sources said they had resorted to this form of protest to highlight long standing demands like preference to inhabitants of the district during appointment of class IV government employees for the district, 50 per cent seats of polytechnic institutes in the district to be reserved for its inhabitants, action against persons availing benefits through fake tribal certificates etc.

It may be noted that earlier the KSSS had declared to observe two-day Bandh call on January 25 and 26. But it was called off. Source: The Hindu

SOSA meets Rlys Minister for Brahmapur station expansion

Demanding better railway infrastructure and connectivity for Brahmapur and South Odisha in the upcoming Railway Budget, South Odisha Students’ Association (SOSA) has submitted a memorandum to Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi in New Delhi. The students’ body has urged the Railway Minister to consider the long standing demand for a railway coaching terminal complex at Brahmapur, provision of adequate funds for the modernisation 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 and expansion of inter-city trains. The association also demanded the early establishment of the proposed wagon manufacturing unit at Sitalapalli near the city and sought approval for new railway lines connecting Brahmapur and Sambalpur via Phulbani and Gopalpur to Rayagada as these railway lines are both economically viable and socially desirable. In their memorandum SOSA said that Brahmapur railway station handles the second highest number of passengers per day after the Bhubaneswar railway station in the State. “However, this railway station has been facing repeated negligence from the East Coast Railway zone authorities and not a single demand of the people has been addressed in the last decade,” said SOSA president RP Tripathy.

Source: The Pioneer

Photo: www.berhampurphoto.blogspot.com

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.