Berhampur Comprehensive Development Plan ready

Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) has proposed five major industrial zones, a new airport and ring roads in the draft comprehensive development plan (CDP) for greater Berhampur.

Under the proposals prepared for the south Odisha city and nearby areas, Greater Berhampur would have 327 sq km area comprising the jurisdiction of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC), Chhatrapur and Gopalpur Notified Area Acouncils (NACs) and adjoining villages, BDA officials said.

Besides the existing industrial park and titanium dioxide complex, new facilities will come up at Ratanpur, Phulta and Chikalakhandi. Around 8 sq km at Laxmipur on Purushottampur road has been earmarked for an airport.

The CDP was prepared by the Town and Country Planning Organization (TCPO) under the ministry of the urban development, keeping in mind the growth possibility of the town in the next two decades.

About Rs 1.09 crore has been spent for preparation of the plan BDA chairman Subash Moharana said adding the plan had been uploaded on website for people to respond to it.

"The CDP is necessary for the development of the town in a planned way. Real estate players and industries face problems in approving their plans owing to the absence of a masterplan. I hope it will help all stakeholders," said MLA (Berhampur), R C Chyaupatnaik.

The last master plan for Berhampur town was prepared in 1969. Since then, BDA has attempted to prepare a CDP for the town on several occasions. Finally TCPO was chosen for the job which it completed in 26 months.

Demand for IIM in Berhampur

"Forum for IIM in Berhampur" formed by eminent citizens to press the demand before the state and central government

Several academics, activists and advocates on Sunday decided to form a "Forum for IIM in Berhampur" to mount pressure on the government to establish the prestigious management institute in the southern Odisha town in Ganjam district.

A delegation led by former deputy chairman, state planning commission and retired professor Pramod Kumar Sahu, would soon meet chief minister Naveen Patnaik and tell him that the town deserves an Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

Before meeting Naveen, a memorandum would be submitted to the revenue divisional commissioner, southern division, stating the need of an IIM in Berhampur, especially because there is no central institute in the town, said coordinator of the forum Sudhir Rout.

The central government had declared that an IIM would be set up in Odisha in the last budget.

"We had demanded for the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), when the Central government sanctioned such an institute for the state. But the government ignored our demand citing that no air connectivity to the town" Pati said.

Ganjma is the home district of chief minister. When the government deserve, there would no dearth of infrastructure facilities for setting of the proposed IIM in the district, added senior advocate Prafulla Jagannath Padhy.

Sahu, however said readily available infrastructure was not the pre-condition for establishment of any premier national level institute. He cited several examples including IIT, Kharagpur, IIT, Bhubaneswar, M.K.C.G.Medical College and Hospital, Brahmapur, Central University, Odisha at Koraput and Brahmapur University. "In order to maintain regional balance across the state, the proposed IIM is needed to establish here" said convener of forum J.Sheshagiri Rao. Moreover Berhampur is the first university in the state was introduced the undergraduate course in management through a private institute in the town, the speakers pointed out.

Several retired professors, activists of different organizations, including president, Ganjam chamber of commerce (GCC) VVRN Rao were attended the meeting. Sahu was presided. The meeting was also decided to involve more and more people, including the political leaders and public representatives of Ganjam district to mount pressure on government, sources said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Demand-for-IIM-in-Berhampur/articleshow/39596343.cms

Lawyers go on stir seeking court bench at Berhampur

Members of Ganjam District Consumer Bar Association started indefinite agitation from Friday demanding immediate commencement of proposed circuit bench of Odisha State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (SCDRC) in Berhampur.

Led by the president of the association, Kailash Chandra Mishra, and secretary Shyamakant Jena, the agitating lawyers sat on dharna on the premises of District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum (DCDRF) in the city. They shouted slogans criticising the State government and the SCDRC for the delay in starting of the proposed circuit bench.

In January this year, the government had proposed to have two circuit benches of the SCDRC in Berhampur and Sambalpur. The decision was taken considering the large number of cases pending before the State Commission from southern and western parts of the State. At present the aggrieved consumers of south Odisha have to travel to Cuttack to file cases before SCDRC.

The director of department of consumer affairs had written to the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division and western division as well as the secretary of SCDRC to initiate necessary measures for functioning of the two proposed circuit benches of the commission.

The RDC had given consent to provide all facilities for holding circuit bench the city. But, according to the members of the Bar association, till date the SCDRC has not held any hearing of its circuit bench in Berhampur. They alleged that similar was the situation in Sambalpur. The lawyers said they had given a notice to the State government on their demand 15 days back but no decision has been taken in this regard. They said they would continue their agitation till their demand was met....

Source-the hindu