Raid in retired Southco CEO’s house

Berhampur: Following the electricity meter tampering case in the name of retired Southco CEO Tapan Mishra, a team of vigilance official of Southco on Monday conducted a raid on his residence at Baikunthanagar 2nd lane here to check the electricity meter tampering.

A notice was sent from Southco to Tapan Mishra on this matter one month ago. According to the notification, Southco vigilance officials conducted raid on his residence. After raiding, the team informed to media that the meter found ok. There were three electricity meters in the residence, the officials said.

“Following the direction of our department we conducted the raid, as today was the last date of the notice which was given by Southco to the retired CEO Mishra. We found three meters ok”, said SDO Southco Vigilance Department Bhaskar Nayak.

All the three are old modeled electricity meters in the place of digital meters. Where consumers are compelled to use Digital meters, the Southco CEO is using old modeled electricity meters which has no MD circuit which records the daily use of electricity, it can be manipulated, said an official.

After the final report, the original truth will come out. After retirement of Mishra, the Southco is doing the raid which is too late. Whether the original truth will come out or not it is a question now, sources said.    

            

‘Start Tata and Titanium project in Ganjam soon

Berhampur: Rashtriya Odia Yuba Pratishtan (ROYP) demanded on Sunday in a Press Conference at Press Club here to start Tata steel project at Gopalpur and Titanium project at Chatrapur soon.

26 years back Odisha government had signed a MOU on August 28 1985 with Tata company to set up a mega steel project of 15,000 crore. For that purpose, 3700 acres of land was acquired, but now after a long gap it decreased to 450 crores of investment, whereas the work of Tata and Titanium is yet to be started.

President of ROYP Srikant Padhi told that the company have acquired land to give employment to the displaced people, but Tata’s commitment to provide employment to 10,000 people is now a utopian thought. Tata and Titanium have cheated in the name of industry setup.

Odisha government should interfere in this matter and return the acquired land to the displaced people if they are not interested to setup the industry according their MOU like West Bengal government’s return of the Singur land to their people.

“We are not against industrialisation, but according to the company, how many people get employed till now? We have attracted the attention of Chief Minister of Odisha, if he will not take any action, we will file a petition in Supreme Court on this matter”, said Padhi to the newsmen.

Among others, Sitaram Patra, Arikhita Mohanty, Jagannath Sahu, Subhendu Das and Srikant Pakal of ROYP were present in the Press Conference.

Two arrested in Yogendra murder case

Berhampur: Two persons were arrested by Berhampur police in connection with the murder of Yogendra Patro on Thursday night at Jagabandhu Street near Old Berhampur area under Bada Bazaar police station limit informed Berhampur SP Safeen Ahmed K in a press conference on Saturday here.

They were identified as Shankar Nayak and Shibaram Mahapatra. According to Berhampur SP, the deceased had past criminal records along with Shankar and Shibaram. They had past rivalry when they were in Jail.

On the day of firing, Yogendra Patra of Saunlei village under Hinjilicut block was coming by a Yamaha motorcycle with his brother-in-law to Berhampur for shopping. While he was coming, two persons Shankar and Shibaram came in a motor cycle stopped Yogendra and started argument with him. After a few minutes’ argument, the duo fired at Patro aiming to his chest. Then he rushed to the MKCG Medical College hospital where he was declared dead.

Political parties visit suicide victim farmer’s village

Berhampur: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Former Deputy Speaker Ramachandra Panda along with State president of BJP Krushak Morcha Mahesh Mohanty and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) members have visited Tikarpada, the village of debt-ridden farmer Dibakar Sethi who committed suicide consuming pesticide on Thursday.

After visiting the village, BJP called a press conference where they demanded the State government to declare Ganjam district drought-hit immediately and compensation for the families of the debt-ridden farmer Dibakar Sethi, who committed suicide.

Panda told in the conference that the Government should frame a ‘National Water Resource Management Policy’, by which the farmers of the state can get benefit out of it.

“On the one hand, there is surplus of water in the Mahanadi; on the other hand, there is deficit of water in the river Rushikulya. If the river connection project will be initiated by the government, then the deficit of water can be fulfilled as a long term solution”, said Panda on the contest of water scarcity in the paddy field which led to drought in some areas like Ganjam.

BJP also proposed for Life Insurance of minimum Rs 5 lakh for the farmers. It also expressed grave concern over the farmer suicide in the state as within two year more than 200 hundred farmers of the state committed suicide which is a shame on the Government and its policy.

The party also demanded the Government should provide loan with low rate interest for the farmers. “If the industries are getting loan in 9 percent interest rate, why the farmers who are the backbones of the country will borrow the amount in a high rate interest of 12-25 percent from the finance organizations”, Panda questioned.

Congress’s six chartered demand

Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) members led by Ganjam District Congress Committee (GDCC) president Bhagaban Gantayat, former minister Chandrasekhar Sahu along with Sriballabha Panigrahy, Narendra Mishra, Vikram Panda have visited the village Tikarpada, suicide victim farmer’s village. After visiting the village, congress was also called a press meet at Berhampur.

Congress demanded a neutral probe into the farmer’s suicide, declare Ganjam district drought-hit, appropriate compensation for the farmers who had lost crop due to untimely rain during last Khariff crop, total waiver of agricultural loans for the current year, repairing of irrigation points in a war footing, free seeds and fertilizer for the Rabi crop.

Congress questioned that if Government will have been distributed crop loss insurance uniformly for the drought-hit farmers, the suicide could have been avoided.   

On Friday district congress had handed over a memorandum through the RDC to the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik demanding declaration of Ganjam as the drought-hit district.  

    

Youth shot dead

Berhampur: After few days of silence, silk city witnessed another firing. A youth died in the firing by some unidentified persons on Thursday night at Jagabandhu Street near Old Berhampur area under Bada Bazaar police station limit.

The deceased was identified as Yogendra Patra of Saunlei village under Hinjilicut block. On the day of the firing, he was coming with his brother-in-law to Berhampur for shopping. While he was coming, some unidentified persons came in a motor cycle and fired towards Patro aiming to his chest. Then he rushed to the MKCG Medical College hospital where he was declared dead. Police is investigating into the matter.   

  

10 cars charred in fire accident in a Berhampur garage

Berhampur: Ten Maruti cars charred due to fire accident in a garage at Gandhinagar during the wee hours of the night on Thursday here.

The garage namely Maruti Scan near Sai Complex in the city basically does repairing and servicing work of Maruti car, where the fire accident was taken place. According to the owner of the garage the repairing work was continued till 12 o’clock night on Thursday. After the work they returned to home, but at the early morning, they found their garage was on fire. The fire station officials struggled for two hours to control the fire. They succeed, but 10 Maruti cars were already charred.

Besides this, the other spare parts of the garage were also burnt in the accident. The loss is not estimated yet, but it is very big informed the owner. Short-circuit is suspected as the reason of the fire break out in the garage.