PM confers best listed CPSE award to Orissa-based PSU NALCO

Bhubaneswar: National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) – a Navratna PSU under the Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India, has received the Best Listed CPSE Award for its excellent performance in significant value addition to its shareholders. The award was received by Shri A.K. Srivastava, CMD, NALCO from Hon’ble Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh at the MoU Excellence Awards & SCOPE Excellence Awards ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

NALCO has received this award for achieving the highest growth in market capitalization during 2008-09, among 42 listed Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). The MoU Excellence Awards, instituted by the Department of Public Enterprises under the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Govt. of India has recognized twelve Best-Performing CPSEs under the MoU scheme with the Government – one each from ten industrial sectors and the other two from among listed companies and turnaround enterprises. The company has recorded the highest ever production since inception with respect to Bauxite, Alumina, Cast Metal and Power. Mines, Refinery, Smelter and CPP have achieved 101.64%, 101.05%, 99.88% and 88.33% capacity utilization respectively during 2009-10. In 2009-10 NALCO marketing divisions achieved the highest ever sale of 4,35,979 MT metal as against sale of 3,53,589 MT metal during the previous financial year. This comprises 2,89,031 MT, the highest ever domestic sale of metal surpassing the previous best of 2,71,274 MT achieved in 2008-09 and the highest ever export sale of 1,46,948 MT against the previous best of 1,32,730 MT achieved in 2004-05. The company has recorded a higher export earning of Rs.2209 crore during the year 2009-10 against Rs.2071 crore achieved during the previous year.

It may be mentioned here that, NALCO has been on the growth path right from the beginning. Presently, the company has lined up various projects involving an investment of over Rs.45,000 crore. NALCO has drawn up ambitious plans to grow both organically as well as inorganically to be a reputed global company in the metals and energy sectors. The company also intends to enter into energy sector as an independent power producer and acquire new mineral resources especially coal, bauxite, copper etc.

As part of these plans, NALCO has signed MoU with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.(NPCIL) for establishment of a nuclear power plant in Joint Venture. Besides, NALCO has plans to venture into both upstream and downstream fields to leverage its strength in alumina and aluminium business in India and abroad. In this direction, the company is actively pursuing various proposals including a Greenfield Project in Indonesia.

Source: Orissa Diary

Konark festival kicks off

A mesmerizing portrayal of embodiment of beauty, ‘Lasyalila’ in Odissi dance form by Konark Natya Mandap set the tone for the Konark Festival inaugurated at the Open Air Auditorium in Konark by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on December 01.

The Odissi performance had some memorable compositions of late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan.

It was followed by ‘Konark Lasyalila’ by Aruna Mohanty and group of Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar.

‘Krida’ in Bharatnatyam dance form was presented by Prof CV Chandrasekhar and group of Nritya Shree, Chennai, and an artistic duet by Baladev Moharatha were also presented on the day.

The festival will continue up to December 05. Various classical dance forms will be performed during the five days.

Higher Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Tourism and Culture Minister Samir Ranjan Dash and Principal Secretary to Tourism and Culture Department Lalbahadur Sahoo were present.

Source: New Indian Express 

Ganjam adjudged the best district

Collector to receive citation and award in New Delhi

Ganjam district was adjudged one of the five best districts in the country which could utilise the sojourn of ‘Red Ribbon Express' to the optimum level.

Ganjam district Collector V.K. Pandian will be receiving citation and award for it from the Union Health Minister in New Delhi. Mr. Pandian said it was an award for the people of the district who have decided to use knowledge to check the menace of HIV infection and AIDS.

It may be noted that Ganjam happens to be the most HIV infection-prone district in Orissa. As per the rate of prevalence of HIV infection, Ganjam district stands in the 14 {+t} {+h} position in the country. The Red Ribbon Express (RRE), an initiative of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and Indian Railways during its second phase of the journey across the country reached Berhampur on May 06 evening. It remained open for the public at Berhampur railway station for two days on May 7 and 8. During these two days, more than 31,800 persons visited the Red Ribbon Express. Around 320 persons had got themselves tested at the HIV testing facility inside the train. A large chunk of them were youths.

Regional coordinator of Orissa State AIDS Control Society (OSACS) Lokanath Mishra said through the coordinated efforts of health officials, administration, OSACS, NGOs involved in AIDS, awareness work and rehabilitation of HIV positive persons the message of Red Ribbon Express could be reached out to at least 2800 villages of Ganjam district.

 ‘Gaon Kalyan Samities (GKS)' in these villages were utilised for the purpose. Each GKS sent a team of five members to the Red Ribbon Express. The team included the local anganwadi worker, Asha volunteer and elected ward member, mostly women. After returning, they took up awareness measures in their own village especially among the women who are most prone to HIV infection due to their ignorance and illiteracy.

Source: The Hindu  

Baliyatra festival in Cuttack ended peacefully

The eight-day long Baliyatra festival in Cuttack the biggest fare of the State that witnessed heavy footfalls everyday at three fair grounds ended peacefully on November 28 without any major untoward incident. The district administration heaved a sigh of relief after successful completion of the fare. With the end of Baliyatra, three-month long festive season also came to an end much to the relief of local administration.

It was also a hectic schedule for local police in maintaining law and order containing crime, particularly in the city during puja season which began with Lord Ganesh Puja in August last. Baliyatra witnessed heavy gathering of an average of three lakh people thronging the festive grounds everyday. "An estimated 10 lakh revellers thronged the fare site on last two days of the festival during the weekends," sources said. Due to a systematic and schematic approach by administration, the grandest festival of the city went off peacefully," said a relaxed Kishore Kumar Mohanty, the district collector.

Sources maintain that apart from some minor allegations of theft cases, not a single cognizable crime was reported from the festive grounds over the week. Not even a case of vehicle theft, snatching or any act of burglary or robbery reported. Even there was also a drastic fall in cases like eve teasing, pickpocket and hooliganism by drunkards that are generally associated with such gatherings.

Source: The Pioneer

Eight heritage sites selected for restoration under ICZMP

Eight significant heritage structures along the Orissa coast have been identified under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) for restoration with a new approach. According to an official release issued in Bhubaneswar on November 28, after the restoration work these heritage structures would be showcased for promotion of the community-based heritage tourism. Necessary infrastructures would be developed based on the carefully planned plan for each site.

The eight sites selected for the restoration and promotion of tourism are Baba Kundaleshwar Temple at Manikpatna, Harachandi Temple at Baliharachandi, Harihardeva Temple at Nairi, Potagada Fort in Ganjam district, British Cemetery in Ganjam district, and Bateshwar Temple at Kantiagada, Jagannath Temple at Pentha and the Jamboo Colonial Building in Kendrapara district.  The monuments were selected on the basis of their architectural, sculptural, historical, cultural and religious importance along the 160-km-long coastal zone of the ICZMP pilot project area, the release said.

The sites are proposed to be developed with the active participation of the local community, and different Departments of the State Government will provide the basic amenities and restoration facilities.

The preservation and restoration work would be implemented over the next five years by the State Culture Department. An amount of Rs.7.41 crore will be spent on this work.

The restoration work will include structural conservation, chemical conservation, environmental up-gradation and illumination of the monuments. The aesthetic and grand classic look of the monuments will be maintained to preserve the historical and physical integrity of the cultural property.

Source: The Hindu

Harihar Dash of Berhampur features in the new Airtel ad

                                                                      Following is an excerpt from an Indian Express story on this ad

              Dancing from Orissa town to Prague
Things are moving fast for Harihar Dash, and they are taking him places. The 24-year-old dancer from Berhampur, a commercial town in coastal Orissa, thought he had had his most famous moment when he made it as a finalist in Colors channel’s India’s Got Talent- Khoj 2. But more was in store: he is now the face of Airtel’s latest ad, which is shot in Prague and expected to go on air on Monday.

The journey from Berhampur to Prague has been nothing short of an adventure, he says. “It all happened in such a rush, right from arranging a passport or getting a visa or the dance preparation, it was so sudden. The only thing I could say when I got to know (about selection) was ‘Wow! it’s just so unbelievable’,” says Harihar, a B Tech in electronics and communication.

For a moment, it seemed that he won’t be able to make the trip in a fortnight’s time. He had to reach Delhi for his visa but missed the flight from Bhubaneswar. Tickets for a flight via Kolkata were arranged. He was caught in traffic on way to airport and barely made it.

“It was truly an adventure but worth the effort. Harihar is fantastic,” says Rohit Ohri, managing partner at JWT, marketing communications brand working with Airtel for the ad. Agrees Airtel Head (Brand and Media) Mohit Beotra, “He didn’t have much time to prepare but did a commendable job.” The 60-second ad was shot in three days a couple of weeks ago.

There was a bit of luck involved in his selection too as, Beotra says, they were looking somewhere else when Harihar’s name cropped up. “We were looking for somebody who is a street entertainer, a juggler, fire-eater or a dancer. We were watching some tapes of a few people from London School of Dance and then Sanjay Kapoor, CEO of Bharti Airtel, suggested Harihar’s name and we saw his tapes. He was striking.”

They tracked him down but he didn’t have a passport, and they had to get a visa for him in a short time. But finally things fell in place. “My dancing style is popping and locking but the one I was required to do was a mix of popping and ballet for which I had to slow down in between and then pick pace. I was trained by some of the best,” says Harihar. “I had no plans of acting but after this ad, I would like to try my hand at it.” Also in his wishlist: travelling to Prague again — on vacation.

Source: OrissaLinks, Indian Express

Second oldest Khallikote College to be elevated to Unitary University

BERHAMPUR: In a significant decision the State Government has decided to elevate Khallikote Autonomous College in Berhampur to unitary university status, said Higher Education Minister of Odisha Debi Prasad Mishra. A government appointed task force on higher education reforms had suggested upgrading the Khallikote autonomous colleges to university status, the Minister said while addressing a function of the Students’ Union of Khallikote College. Mishra however stressed the need to develop necessary infrastructure facilities before the second oldest college of the State was declared a unitary university. While at least 50 acre was required, Khallikote Autonomous College had only 16.74 acres of land in its possession. “There is a proposal to get another 2.50 acres from transport departments garage adjoining the college”, he said. The Minister asked the local MLAs to locate another 50 acres in the town for the college’s expansion. He also assured the students to fill up the vacant posts soon. Around 50 percent of the posts of teaching staff are vacant in the 132-year old college, where over 3,600 students are pursuing studies in 19 different departments, 15 of them having post-graduate departments. The proposal for a foot bridge from KKC to Junior college has just been approved and funds have been released for renovation of Jhansirani ladies hostel, Swami Vivekananda boys hostel of the college. Among others, Berhampur MP Sidhant Mohapatra, MLAs RC Choupatnaik, P Panigrahy, BMC Mayor SS Dash and BDA chairman Kailash Rana were present on the occasion.

Source: New IndianExpress

Construction boom in Silk City Berhampur

ERHAMPUR: The greater Berhampur region is witnessing a construction boom these days like never before, mainly in the housing segment due to changing perceptions and purchasing power among the people and also due to huge influx of people from adjoining southern districts of Orissa and KBK region to the city. Interestingly people of the region staying outside the state are not only buying luxurious houses in the city, they are also investing in the real estate sector in a big way which is considered a safe investment option with high return. On account of these the demand for housing in the city has skyrocketed. The real estate investors are no longer confined to Berhampur city but from places like Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam and Surat etc. Recently the Surat based Astha International Group has launched a township project in Berhampur with a proposed investment of Rs 500 crore along with a 3-Star hotel and shopping mall. Another Surat based group Green Infra has also launched mega housing and resort projects in Berhampur and Gopalpur. Not to be left behind the Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) has also unveiled mega projects on the Berhampur-Gopalpur stretch at an investment of over Rs 50 crore. The City Corporation has also earmarked land for mega shopping malls like Forum Mart by Saraf Group and Reliance Mart. The on-going projects like Gopalpur Port, Tata Industrial Park, Sonepur Energy and Oil City, Titanium SEZ, Software Technology Park of India (STPI) proposed Berhampur airport have all played a role in the construction boom. The declaration of Berhampur as the third Municipal Corporation of Odisha in 2008 by changing its boundary limits and arrival of several engineering and medical colleges to the city have also triggered real estate activities on the city outskirts. The skyrocketing real-estate prices in Berhampur has made the city an alternate real-estate investment destination of the State, besides the state capital.

TaraTarini Hill Shrine to get a facelift

BERHAMPUR: The Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) has decided to take up construction work with around Rs. 1.2 crore within next one year to further develop the temple complex at the hill top. This was decided at a meeting of the TTDB chaired by its president Chandrasekhar Kumar, RDC, southern division. The main temple of this hill shrine was reconstructed at a cost Rs. 2.5 crores in traditional ‘Rekha' style of Oriyan temple architecture by master sculptor Padmabhusan Raghunath Mohapatra. The TTDB has entrusted Mr. Mohapatra with the next phase of construction work on the temple complex at the hill top. The design of the construction work was finalised at a meeting by the technical committee of the TTDB. Under it, a boundary wall will be built around the temple in traditional form at a cost of around Rs. 50 lakhs. Four ‘parswa' temples will be built up at four corners of the temple complex at a cost Rs. 44 lakhs. Apart from it, a modern kitchen will also be added to the temple complex. The kitchen complex will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 25 lakhs. “We have decided to complete these projects within a year and Mr. Mohapatra has also agreed to it,” said Pramod Kumar panda, secretary of the TTDB.

Meanwhile, work on the new ghat road to the hill top is also under way. The new road will be less steep and wider than the existing old road. The road is being laid at a cost of Rs. 5 crores by the Rural Development Department. Another ring road is also being laid around the Tara Tarini hill at a cost of Rs. 50 lakhs. The RDC directed the department to complete the construction of the roads by April, 2011.

The Tourism Department has also come up with plans of developmental projects for the hill shrine with Rs. 71 lakhs. Survey for it has already been complete. The TTDB has also decided to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the area around the hill shrine. A survey will be taken up in five km radius around the hill shrine soon for the purpose.

Source: The Hindu

Maneka calls to protest rampant cow smuggling

SALEPUR: Animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi urged people to raise voice against rampant smuggling of cattle. Inaugurating the 68th Gostastami Utsav of Asureswar Gorakshani here, Maneka said cattle smuggling from Orissa to West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh is on the rise.

"The way in which the cows are being transported and then slaughtered is heartbreaking. Both politicians and police personnel should be held responsible for this, Maneka added.

Despite Supreme Court and high court orders to ban cow slaughter, the practice continues in many parts of the country, particularly in West Bengal. "Around 1,00,000 tonne of beef is being sent to Middle East countries from West Bengal annually," she said. She further said that Oxytocin, a hormone that is injected into the cows for quick milking, should be banned as it has adverse impact both on bovine and human life.

She unveiled Asureswar Gorakshani's annual magazine 'Dhatri' on the occasion.

Among others, MPs Baijayanta Panda and Prasanna Patasani, Cuttack Sadar legislator Kalindi Behera and Energy Minister Atanu Sabyasachi were present.

Source: The New Indian Express

South Orissa Students’ Association (SOSA) demands greenfield domestic airport at Berhampur

BERHAMPUR: South Orissa Students’ Association (SOSA) through a letter to the Chief Minister of Orissa has demanded a green field domestic airport at Berhampur keeping in view the growing air traffic and need of people in the southern region comprising of ten districts of Orissa. The students’ body in its letter to the Chief Minister informed that spectacular growth in the aviation sector witnessed in India in recent years has completely by-passed the state of Orissa. Orissa has seen a spurt in private investment in the recent years and now it is being compared with some of the more advanced states like Maharashtra, Gujarat etc in terms of attracting investment. But, when it comes to air connectivity the state is considered a laggard with poor and inadequate aviation infrastructure. Moreover, most of the states have developed multiple functional airports; the state of Orissa still doesn’t have a second airport after Bhubaneswar. While the only airport of Orissa is still languishing as a domestic airport, prominent cities of the state like Berhampur are yet to be a part of the aviation map of the country. This is regrettable as Berhampur city caters to a vast population of South Orissa and is a major educational, healthcare and commercial hub of the state. As far as Southern Orissa is concerned, the demand for a green field domestic airport at Berhampur has been raised at various points of time but nothing concrete has happened as yet. It is needless to mention that Southern Orissa comprising of 10 revenue districts and Berhampur; the second biggest urban cluster of the state and the principal city of the region is not only the regional hub for business, transport, health and higher education, but it is also among the fastest growing cities of eastern India. Moreover, the region is having a great tourist potential with places like Gopalpur on sea, Chika Lake, Tampara Bay, Taratarini Hill Shrine, Taptapani hot stream and rich tribal culture. Besides, Berhampur is going to be a commercial hub of Orissa with the upcoming industrial corridor of the state. The Gopalpur Port, Tata Industrial Park and SEZ, Titanium SEZ, IREL, proposed Sonepur Energy and Oil City located in the area. The Student's body urged the Chief Minister to take urgent steps for a greenfield domestic airport at an appropriate location near Berhampur city in Orissa which would felicitate faster industrialisation and development of southern region of the state and would ensure faster connectivity for large number of people, the letter addred.

Deepavali wishes

Urban Orissa dials more than Gujarat and Punjab

Penbetration of phones is gradually increasing in Orissa. Now, around 43 in every 100 persons have phones in Orissa. But the State average is still behind the national average. At present, around 57 in every 100 persons have phones in the country.However, the high pace of penetration seems to have fatigued in the quarter of April-June 2010, suggests the latest TRAI report. The State has seen net additions of 1.66 million only - the second lowest net addition after Haryana in the country - during the period.

However, the rural tele-density of Orissa has slightly moved upwards. Around 23 per 100 persons had phone connections as of June-end against around 21 per 100 in March 2010.

The net addition of only two per 100 reflects a bit slower growth this quarter. In rural tele-density, Orissa is still three per cent behind the national average.

 One thing is certain that the high tele-density in Orissa is mainly driven by growth in urban telephone penetration. The tele-density is 146 per cent - that means 146 per 100 persons have phones in urban areas. Even urban Orissa has more phones than urban Gujarat and Punjab.

 “Given that many in urban areas subscribe to more than one telecom service provider, this estimation of subscribers per 100 population is not the exact measurement and the urban figures are evident to it,” said a Reliance Communications (R-COM) official.  This is true with all other states too. As per TRAI report, this estimation captures the trend of phone penetration as a whole. And going by it, the trend shows that phone penetration is growing fast in urban Orissa.

Source: New Indian Express

Tourists in panic as cable car gets stuck

Tourists at Nandankanan Zoological Park had a mid-air scare when the cable car got stuck on Oct. 25. About two dozen visitors had to remain in a state of fear before being brought to safety. The rope-way operation has been suspended following the incident by the zoo management. The incident occurred at 1 pm. There were two cabins carrying about 24 tourists on the rope-way facility which connects the two ends of Kanjia lake.

 According to eyewitnesses, the rope-way came to a halt mid-way all of a sudden. As it did not move further after sometime, the visitors got panicked. There were children inside and the suspended position left the family members apprehensive. As soon as this matter came to notice of the cable car operators, they tried to fix the problem. Deputy Director of Nandankanan Zoological Park, Siba Narayan Mohapatra, said the problems persisted for 15 minutes while some tourists alleged that it lasted longer.

The cable car operation in the zoo has been outsourced to Kolkata-based Ropeway Resorts Pvt Ltd. The zoo authorities said the cable car operation has been suspended in the aftermath of the incident. A technical committee of the Forest Department will inquire into the incident and look into the safety certificate before giving the nod for operation, sources said. The rope-way facility originally had three cabins one of which developed snags a few days back and was removed. Earlier, the cable car was under the direct management of the zoo and had developed similar snags a few times. Later, the service was outsourced.

Source: New Indian Express 

Berhampur erupts in jubilation as Ravi Kumar strikes Gold at the CWG Delhi 2010

Silk city Berhampur erupted in jubilation and people came on to the streets to celebrate with fire crackers as soon as news broke about the record breaking performance of city lad Ravi Kumar at the Common Wealth Games. Despite rains, the sports lovers and his friends thronged Ravi's house at Golapalli street immediately after the news about his victory spread to congratulate his family members. Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Governor M C Bhandare congratulated Ravi, while the Indian Olympic Association announced a cash reward for him. Ravi has not only brought glory to the town, but entire state as well as the country, said Biswanath Patra, a former weightlifter in the town. India’s K. Ravi Kumar won the gold in the men’s 69 kg weightlifting event at the Commmonwealth Games in Delhi on wednesday, setting a new Games record in the process. Members of Veera Hanuman club of Berhampur, to which Ravi Kumar belongs, celebrated by distributing sweets and greeting the crowd. Ravi Kumar broke the Games record by lifting 321 kg (146+175) and surpassed Cameroon’s Venecelas Dabaya’s total of 310kg, achieved in the 2002 Manchester Games. It is also a new Commonwealth Championships record. The 22-year-old from Orissa was always the runaway favourite having lifted a combined 307kg to win the Commonwealth title in 2009, 22kg more than his closest rival in the field Mohammad Talib of Malaysia.

Harihar Das of Berhampur storms into the finals of India’s Got Talent-II

• To vote for Harihar, Type HD and send SMS to 56882
• Voting lines are open from 25th September till Friday1st October 2010

SMS fever is running high in the silk city with firecrackers going up in the skies as Oriya boy Harihar Das sailed into the final of reality show India’s Got Talent Khoj-II. Harihar Das hailing from Berhampur captivated the judges as well as the audience with his breathtaking performance. The popping and locking artist also stunned Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra with his unique form of dance. Reality show’s judge Sajid Khan showered praise on Harihar and predicted him to have all abilities and potential to represent India globally in this category.

Meanwhile, animation sand artist Manas Sahu and his group, made it to the grand finale through wild card entry. With two teams from the state making it to the finale, everyone is now hoping either of them to rewrite history after Prince Dance Group winning the finale of the reality show in the last edition. To see Harihar scrapping through the final, the entire City has started making wishes and prayers in temples and houses. Students, youth, eminent citizens, organizations and political leaders are busy reaching out the public seeking votes for Harihar to win the competition. 

Source: Future Berhampur

Sanjay Bhosle wins Berhampur half-marathon

The event was organised by Rotary Club of Berhampur

This year theme was ‘Let us build a city of dreams'

It was flagged off from Khallikote autonomous stadium

Sanjay Bhosle won the half marathon organised in Berhampur city on September 26. This half marathon had been organised by Rotary Club of Berhampur on the auspice of ‘World Heart Day'.

The theme of this half marathon this year was‘Let us build a city of dreams', said president of the club Ranjit Panda.

The half marathon was flagged off from Khallikote Autonomous College stadium in the heart of the city. Berhampur Superintendent of Police (SP) Shefeen Ahmed K and Sub-Collector Ajit Mishra jointly flagged it off.

The participants included people of all age groups including women, children and aged. Defence and police personnel also took part in it.

The marathon traversed through different areas of the city to conclude at Rotary Centenary Hall.

More than 60 per cent of the participants managed to complete the marathon, which was a hint that the city was getting health conscious, said secretary of organizing club T.Sanat Patra. Mr Bhosle was the first one to complete the run. The second position in this half marathon was bagged by Ravindra Kumar Yuden.

The waiting crowd at the finishing line burst into cheers when around 70-year-old Prasant Kumar Patra completed the run to win the first prize in the veteran category. He was followed by Amiya Kumar Mahalik who bagged the second spot in this category. In the women's category young sportswoman Sukanti Patra was the winner and Sristi Nagwalia was the runners up.

Source: The Hindu 

Hundreds of people died of diarrhoea and dengue in South Orissa

State Government is yet to declare it as an epidemic

After much hue and cry Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the situation in the southern tribal districts of the State where diarrhoea and dengue have started taking their toll. Despite the assurance given by the Health Department Government of Orissa that the situation in South Orissa is under control, things seem to be far more serious. Even though close to 100 persons have died of diarrhoea and dengue in Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Kalahandi and Malkangiri districts, the State Government is yet to declare it as an epidemic.

Large-scale vacancies in doctor posts, paramedics and other key officials in various hospitals in rural areas of South Orissa have exposed Orissa Government’s step motherly treatment to south Orissa and lack of preparedness in dealing with the situation of such seriousness.

After the death of more then 100 people the Orissa Government wakes up and the Chief Minister directed that besides health department employees, employees of other departments should also be deployed in the affected areas to assist the doctors and paramedics to deal with the situation. Besides, the officials have also been directed to ensure that every village has access to potable water and uncontaminated food.

Deaths due to diarrhoea and contaminated food have become an annual affair in the backward tribal districts where many villages do not have tube wells.

Astha International plans Rs 500-cr 'Astha City' township at Berhampur

Construction boom in Berhampur

Astha International Limited, one of India's leading direct selling companies, expects to acquire 300 acres of land at the commercial capital of Odisha, Berhampur by January 2011 for its Rs 500-crore integrated township project called 'Astha City'. This would be the company's first residential cum commercial real estate project in Orissa which accounts for nearly 50 per cent of its overall turnover.

S S Kisan, Chairman and managing director, Astha International said, "We hope to take possession of 200 acres of land for our integrated township project at Berhampur by January 2011. Orissa is an important market for us and besides direct selling of the whole gamut of products, we would also like to invest in sectors like real estate and hospitality in the state."

Astha International, based out of Surat, Gujarat clocked revenue of 40 crore from its operations in the Orissa market in 2009-10 and its revenue is set to reach Rs 50 crore by the end of the current financial year.

To cater to its growing business needs, the company is planning to have ten offices in the state by this fiscal end. These offices would come up at locations like Balasore, Soro, Berhampur, Balugaon and Rourkela to name a few. The company has opened an office in Bhubaneswar and this would serve as the zonal office for the states of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.Astha International would also scale up its employee strength from 50 at present to over 500 in the next couple of years. The direct selling firm would ramp up its strength of distributors in the state from 1.3 lakh a present to 10 lakh by the end of 2012.

Besides its proposed township project, Astha International has also evinced interest in setting up a three-star hotel in the city but the details are yet to be finalized. The company also intends to build a mall in the city with a total built-up area of 15,000 sq ft.

Astha International, which has more than 10,000 products in 26 different segments, also plans to float a bank called Astha Bank by 2011-12. The company claims to have got the license from the Reserve bank of India and the bank is set to commence operations from 2011-12.

Source : Business Standard

Berhampur Airport (Rangeilunda) progress updates from OTV

Click here to see the future plans for Berhampur Airport at Rangeilunda

The historic Berhampur Airport (Rangeilunda) is located at a distance of around 5km from the city and adjacent to Berhampur University. The Rangeilunda air base was built by the Britishers during the second world war period and it remained as an air strip since then. The runway is currently used by the defence establishment, state government, private companies and VIPs to reach Berhampur and other places in south Odisha. State's second flying training Institute is coming up at Berhampur Airport in Rangeilunda. The Air Traffic Control Tower (MSSR site) and AAI offices are located close to the Airport. Recently efforts are being made by the government to make it a full fledged domestic Airport. This news video on the history and progress of Berhampur Airport is from OTV.

Distance from Rangeilunda Airport- (Berhampur University- 0km, Berhampur city 5km, Gopalpur-On-Sea-5km, Taratarini Hill Shrine 30km, Taptapani-50km, Chilka- 40km, Bhairabi Temple- 15km, Chatrapur-10km).

CM lays foundation stone for Tata Industrial Park and inaugurates STPI in Berhampur

Tata Industrial Park at Gopalpur near Berhampur city 

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone of Tata Industrial Park at Gopalpur today. Tata Steel managing Director H.M. Nerukar was also present while laying the foundation. Tata Group will start the project by setting up a Ferrochrome plant and a bar mill as anchor industries for the Industrial Park. The project is likely to be completed in two years time and provide employment opportunity to about 1000 people.

Berhampur city in Orissa gets country's 51st STPI

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, along with the Union minister for Communication and Information Technology, Sachin Pilot, inaugurated the country's 51st Software Technology Park of India (STPI) at Ambapua, on the outskirts of Berhampur city, about 165 km away from here, on August 20.

"The STPI has built an ultra-modern IT infrastructure having fully furnished 10,000 sq ft built up space over an area of 5 acres at a cost of Rs 5 crore to nurture the need of local enterpreneurs and professionals to explore global opportunities in IT and ITES exports," said state IT minister Ramesh Majhi.

Speaking on the occasion,Pilot said that the Centre has provided Rs 292 crore to the Orissa government for IT related initiatives. He said that two IT pilot projects on rural health are now on in Orissa's Ganjam and Mayurbhanj districts.

Berhampur STPI is the thrid such centre in Orissa after Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. In July 2005, an MoU was signed between the state government and the STPI for setting up the centre in southern Orissa. The chief minister had laid the foundation stone for the project on December 13, 2006.

Oriya boy Harihar from Berhampur in India’s Got Talent-II

A Prince in the making

In the season 2 of the India’s Got Talent show by Colors TV Channel, Oriya lad Harihar Das from Berhampur has entered the quarter finals. The news has sent a wave of jubilation among the people of Berhampur city and Orissa as this is the second year in a row when a boy from the state and Berhampur city has reached up to this level in a national realty show. Last year the Prince Dance group of Berhampur got massive support from the entire state and stole the national limelight. 23 year old Harihar is from Ram Nagar area of Berhampur city and has completed his B.Tech from MITS, Rayagada and has earlier participated in DPL and Dance India Dance shows by Sony and Zee TV respectively.

School prayers cancelled in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to reduce H1N1 spread

With swine flu killing seven persons in Orissa in 11 days this month and the H1N1 virus spreading beyond Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, the state Government today instructed all district collectors to restrict gatherings. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting at the Secretariat. “We have asked district collectors to keep a watch on the swine flu situation and restrict gatherings,” Health and Family Welfare Minister Prasanna Acharya told reporters.

While six of the deaths occurred in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, one took place in Bargarh district. “The Health Department has decided to keep hospitals ready at the district level to deal with swine flu patients,” the Minister said. He said there was stock of about three lakh tamiflu tablets and adequate vaccine for service providers at health centres and private hospitals.

The treatment for the viral infection was being carried out according to the Central Government’s guidelines, he said. The State Government today maintained that swine flu is fully curable and there is no cause for panic. Timely medication in consultation with doctors and clean environment are necessary to keep the disease from spreading. As the death rate of disease is 1 to 4 per cent, it can be prevented through awareness campaign and alertness.

Adequate stocks of medicine and masks have been rushed to all blocks in the State and guidelines on treatment have been sent to all doctors. The Centre has been requested to provide more vaccine and medicine to the State. There will be no prayer meetings in schools for some time now.

To prevent the disease from spreading in the schools, students have been advised to avoid mass gatherings.

Besides, teachers have been asked to make students aware of the disease and how to prevent it. The Chief Minister directed the Health Department officials to take immediate steps to ensure that the disease did not spread among students in anganwadis, sevashrams and special schools for the physically challenged students.

Source: The New Indian Express

Cars/SUVs zooming fast in Odisha

THE State’s transport scene has come of age. The people are now preferring private transport modes (cars/SUVs/2-wheelers).

Though the two-wheelers were 80 per cent of the total vehicles registered in Orissa in 2008-09, the year-on-year growth rate in the sales of cars/SUVs is very impressive. It is clocking an average growth rate of around 19 per cent per annum. 

The number of cars/SUVs in Orissa in 2008-09 was one per cent of the total nationally. While the total passenger vehicles (cars/SUVs) nationally in 2008-09 stood at over 1.2 crore, the total fleet in Orissa was over 1.5 lakh. The cars/SUVs have clocked a growth rate of around 170 per cent between 2001-02 and 2008-09. In comparison, the two-wheelers notched up only around 140 per cent growth during the said period.

The car/SUV growth is mainly concentrated in Class-I and II cities but the two- wheeler growth is broad-based. The density of cars in Orissa in 2008-09 stood at only 4 per 1,000 persons against over 15 per 1,000 persons nationally. The two-wheeler density in Orissa stood at 50 per 1,000 in 2008-09.

However, buses which were once the only public mode of transport in the State account for only 0.6 per cent of the total vehicle population in Orissa now. The frontline public transport system in villages and mainline cities now are - autorickshaws or trekkers.

Statistics show growth of autorickshaws between 2001-02 and 2008-09 have been a stupendous 333 per cent! The growth of trekkers is not as pronounced as autos but far better than those of buses. The growth of goods vehicles during the said period was a mere 7 per cent only.

But for the last three years, the Government has failed to achieve the targeted revenue from motor vehicles. This shortfall is due to leakages, says the latest CAG report.

Source: New Indian Express

Family court inaugurated in Berhampur by Chief Justice of Orissa High Court

Ganjam District Bar demands permanent bench of the High Court in the city

A family court was inaugurated on the premises of the Berhampur court on Saturday by the Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice V. Gopalagouda. During his visit to Ganjam district, Justice Gopalgouda also inaugurated the court of the civil judge (junior division) cum judicial magistrate 1st Class at Buguda. He also attended a legal literacy camp at R. Damodarpalli village, which was organised by the Orissa State Legal Services Authority. Justice Das was accompanied by Justice I. Mohanty of the High Court.

The Chief Justice also interacted with the members of the Ganjam Bar Association during his visit to the city. The lawyers of the association through a memorandum put forward their list of long-standing demands before Justice Das.

Their main demand was establishment of a permanent bench of the High Court in the city for the benefit of inhabitants of south Orissa.

The lawyers also wanted filling up of vacant post of second additional district judge in the Berhampur court, construction of a well equipped lawyers' auditorium, posting of magistrates to fill up vacancies of two posts of JMFC. They wanted the MACT court and the office of the Assistant Commissioner Endowment to be shifted to the vicinity of district court. There was demand for establishment of a special court in the city to deal with disproportaionate assets cases arising from south Orissa.

The Ganjam Bar Association demanded the infrastructure on the court premises to be improved. They wanted the existing library building to be demolished and a double storied structure to be built in its place.

Supply of adequate furniture, books and other amenities to the Bar Association also found place in the memorandum.

The lawyers were of the opinion that the entire land of the SDJM court in the city which is under the Revenue department should be transferred to Judicial department for construction of a multi-storeyed building at the spot to locate all the courts of the city at one place.

Source: The Hindu

Students’ body battles for HC bench in Berhampur

Permanent bench of High court in Berhampur demanded

BERHAMPUR: South Orissa Students' Association (SOSA) has expressed its solidarity with the agitating lawyers of South Orissa and has demanded early establishment of a permanent bench of Orissa High court at Berhampur- the nerve centre of activities in southern part of the State. SOSA president RP Tripathy said southern Odisha has remained the forgotten frontier of the State with alarming levels of poverty and underdevelopment. While majority people of South Odisha are living under abject poverty and backwardness their genuine demands have been repeatedly overlooked by the state government. The students' body pointed out that lawyers had been demanding establishment of a High Court bench in the city for the past six decades. Both the lawyers and general public of south Orissa have resorted to agitations for this demand in the past. The SOSA activists urged the lawyers in Cuttack, especially the ones of the Orissa High Court, to get out of their insensitiveness towards the problems of people from far off areas to approach the High Court located in Cuttack. It may be noted that the Bar Association of the Orissa High Court and the Cuttack Bar Association boycotted courts on Monday to protest against the statement of Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily in favour of the establishment of High Court benches in Orissa during his visit to Sambalpur. The SOSA activists through a press release expressed surprise that how delivering justice at the doorstep of the poor through benches of the High Court could be opposed by them. They pointed out that former President of India V.V. Giri and former Chief Minister of Orissa Biju Patnaik had openly supported the demand for establishment of High Court bench in Berhampur. They alleged that delay in establishment of permanent benches of the High Court in parts of the state was depriving people of south Orissa their right to get justice at their doorstep.

While recommending a High Court Bench at Berhampur in 2007, the State government opined that there was an urgent need for this in view of the backwardness of the region, popular mood and large number of cases originating from here. As per SOSA, cases from south Orissa constitute more than 30 per cent of the total cases in the Orissa High Court. The geographical spread of south Orissa makes the need of a High Court bench in Berhampur an inevitable one. They said that Berhampur had all necessary infrastructure for the establishment of a permanent bench of the High Court and it was well connected to all parts of south Orissa. The SOSA urged the lawyers of the Orissa High Court to give up stubbornness and support the demand for the interest of the general public. They urged the Union Law Ministry and the State government to expedite the process of establishment of High Court benches in the State.

Sources: The Pioneer, The Hindu, OrissaDiary, KalingaTimes, OrissaBarta

Ganjam Bar decries Cuttack Highcourt lawyers’ move

The Ganjam Bar Association, Berhampur on July 18 after an emergency meeting condemned the action of Cuttack Highcourt bar following the statement of Union Law Minister regarding establishment of benches in the State other than the principal location.

Ganjam Bar, in the meeting, had welcomed the decision of Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily who had opined in favour of establishment of benches of High Court at places other than the principal seat. However, it was regretted as the Union Minister had forgotten the stand of Ganjam Bar Association that has been demanding a permanent HC bench at Berhampur for decades. Berhampur happens to be the most suitable place for the establishment of a permanent bench of the high court, stated former secretary of the Ganjam Bar, Manoj Patnaik.

Besides, it was also decided that the bar association would again gather all the office-bearers of the bar association across south Odisha for intensification of the movement in favour of HC bench at Berhampur. The bar association also condemned the action of the Cuttack bar that has taken the decision to oppose the Law Minister’s move.

Source: The Pioneer

Sea of devotees converge in Puri for Rath Yatra

Sea of devotees and tourists thronged the temple town of Puri on July 13 for the annual Rath Yatra (chariot festival) of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra.

The ceremonial processions of the deities known as Pahandi (carrying the deities out of the temple to the chariots) started at 8.20 a.m., about an hour before the scheduled time.

The Rath Yatra marks the annual journey of the three deities from the 12th century Jagannath temple in three splendidly decorated wooden chariots, pulled by devotees, to the Gundecha temple, about three kilometres away. By 9 a.m., about four lakh devotees had already reached this temple town. By evening, the numbers could swell to more than a million, temple administration informed the media.

The nine-day chariot festival is held in the Hindu lunar month of Asadha, which falls in June-July. The festival culminates nine days later when the deities make their way back home to the Jagannath temple.

The state government has made elaborate security arrangements with more than 5,000 policemen deployed across the city to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident. More than a dozen closed circuit security cameras have been installed at various places to keep a watch on troublemakers and manage crowds.Bomb detection and disposal squads and fire tender units are also ready to meet emergencies. The coast guard, which has stationed a ship in the Bay of Bengal close to the Puri coast, has also intensified patrolling along the sea route.

Inspite of these arrangements the Rath Yatra festival was marred by a stampede that left a woman dead and four others injured. The mishap occurred during the pulling of the first Rath, that of Lord Balabhadra.

63 special trains during Rath Yatra

East Coast Railway on Friday announced that a total of 213 trains, including 63 special ones would run during the entire Car Festival period of Lord Jagannath. The period includes Gundicha Yatra, Sandhya Darshan, Bahuda and Sunavesha. Last year, the number of trains was 213 only.

Divisional Railway Manager of East Coast Railway Sanjeev Garg told reporters about the announcement at a Press Conference held at Khurda. He said one special train will leave Kharagpur at 4.40 am on July 13 and will arrive at Puri at 2 pm. While returning, this train will leave Puri at 3.30 pm on Rath Yatra day and will arrive at Kharagpur at 11.45 pm on the same day.

One special train will leave Visakhapatnam at 6.00 pm on July 12 and will arrive at Puri at 7.30 am on the Rath Yatra day. In the return direction, this Passenger Special will leave Puri at 11.45p.m on Rath Yatra day. It will arrive in Visakhapatnam at 11.30 am on the following day.

Three passenger trains will leave Palasa on that day towards Puri. The Palasa-Puri Special trains will leave Palasa at 4.25 am, 4.45 am and 6 am towards Puri and will reach Puri at 11.20 am, 12.50 pm and 3.20 pm. On return one special train towards Palasa will leave Puri at 4.20 pm and will arrive at 11.20 pm. Another special train from Puri will leave at 6.20 pm on Rath Yatra day and will arrive in Palasa at 1.05 am. The third special train will leave Puri at 7.40 pm and will reach Palasa at 1.45 am.

One passenger special train will leave Koraput at 10.45 am on July 12 and will arrive at Puri at 8.35 am on Rath Yatra day. While returning the train will leave Puri at 00.10 am and will arrive in Koraput at 10.30 pm on the following day.

One passenger special train will leave Kendujhargarh at 10 pm on July 12 and will reach Puri at 10 am on Rath Yatra day. On return the train will leave Puri at 10.05 pm on July 13 and will arrive at Kendujhargarh at 5.15 am on the following day. Other special trains will also run from Cuttack, Khurda, Berhampur, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak, Anugul and Paradip for the Rath Yatra. 14 special trains for Bahuda and 11 special trains for Sunavesa will run to and from Puri. Keeping in view the above arrangements, ECoR has decided to extend and divert some trains to Puri on Rath Yatra day and Bahuda day i.e. on July 13 and July 21. Bhadrak-Khalikote passenger, Khurda Road-Bhubaneswar passenger, Khurda Road-Cuttack passenger, Baripada-Bhubaneswar Express and Kharagpur-Khurda Road passenger will be extended and diverted to reach Puri on Rath Yatra day.

Source: The Pioneer

Orissa's first Marine bio-technology park to come up in Ganjam

The Orissa government has decided to set up its first marine biotechnology park near Rambha in south Orissa's Ganjam district. The park would be developed in the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. The Ganjam district administration has already identified 23.5 acres of government land for this purpose at Gokharakuda, about 40 km from here. The state owned-Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) has initiated the process to hand over the land for the establishment of the park. A high-level meeting was held recently at Chhatrapur, the district headquarter town to review the progress of land acquisition for different projects including the marine biotechnology park. Priyabrata Pattnaik, chairman and managing director of Idoc said, “The marine biotechnology park would be one of the tourist destinations as it would have the data on the sea animals.” The government has decided to set up the marine biotechnology park but the modalities are yet to be worked out, said a government official. Gokharakuda, the site chosen for the marine biotechnology park, located near the Rushikulya river mouth is famous as the mass nesting site of the Olive Ridley turtles.

PS: Gokharakuda is around 30 kms from Berhampur and it is already a tourist destination for Olive Ridley sea turtles.

(Read the full story from Business Standard on the proposed Marine bio-technology park in Ganjam)

World famous Prince Dance Group to perform at Commonwealth Games opening ceremony

Berhampur (Orissa) based world famous Prince Dance Group, which came to prominence after winning a national reality TV show, 'India's Got Talent' on Colors TV channel last year, will perform at the opening ceremony of the upcoming Commonwealth Games (CWG) on October 3rd 2010 in the national capital New Delhi.

Disclosing it to the media persons in Mumbai on June 01, the programming head of Colors channel Ashwini Yardi said, "We are very happy to announce that the Prince Dance Group that won the season one of 'India's Got Talent show' has been selected to perform at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi".

Hailing from Berhampur city in Orissa, the group comprises of 26 artistes and Krishna Mohan Reddy is the group leader. The group members are mainly from disadvantaged sections of different parts of Ganjam district. Two of them, Padmanabha Sahu and Telu Tarini are physically challenged and majority are daily wage earners.

Orissa to get second flying training institute in Berhampur

Berhampur, May 30 (PTI): Plans are afoot to develop Orissa's second flying training institute at Rangeilunda airstrip (in Berhampur University campus) near Berhampur city.

The ministry of Civil Aviation wants to use Rangeilunda airstrip as a flying training institute. Binodini Devi, a senior captain from the ministry, visited the airstrip recently and discussed the project with engineers of the works department in Berhampur, Ganjam district collector V K Pandian said. It is noteworthy, Orissa's first flying training institute is in Bhubaneswar.

A senior pilot of the ministry also visited the Rangeilunda airstrip site last week and asked the works engineer to develop it as a Visual Flight Rule (VFR) airstrip and to provide at least two rooms to conduct the pilot training institute. "We have agreed to provide all necessary infrastructure facilities to the ministry to use Rangeilunda airstrip as a flying training institute," K Pandian said.

Source: PTI