Paternity row: Sanchita Dhali knocks SCW’s door

BHUBANESWAR: Sanchita Dhali, who claims as the daughter of BJD MLA Arabinda Dhali, again knocked the door of the State Commission for Women (SCW) here on Tuesday to help her out in the much discussed paternity row. As the case is sub judice, the Commission will not take any steps instead of providing legal help, said SCW Chairperson Jyoti Panigrahy.

“The Commission did not help me for which I’m suffering. The Commission has conducted this type of cases before, but why they are not coming forward in my case,” Sanchita questioned. While the SCW Chairperson said the case is now in the High Court, so they would not take the case again. She would write to the Legal Services Authority to provide a Government Advocate to help Sanchita in her case, Panigrahy added.

On the other hand, Arabinda Dhali said the law would take its own course. Sanchita is disobeying the court by telling false things before the media as the case is sub judice, he added. “Who is she to say that I’m her father? Is she the High Court or the Supreme Court? What the High Court would give final order about the case, I will obey that,” Arbinda Dhali said.

It may be noted that the case was started with a complaint by Sanchita Dhali to the SCW in 2009, claiming that she is the daughter of erstwhile Minister and currently a BJD MLA Arabanda Dhali who rubbished the claim and refused to accept her as his daughter.

Left parties’ ‘right to food’ rally in 2nd day

BHUBANESWAR: Hundreds of workers and supporters of Left parties- CPI (M), CPI and Forward Bloc were arrested by the police during a rally in front of the State Assembly here on Tuesday. The members of the parties demanded food security for all the citizens of the country.

Supporting the cause of the central committee, more than thousand of supporters and members of the State committees of the parties conducted a rally in front of the State Assembly following a procession starting from Railway Station to the Lower PMG square to demand the right to food through a universal public distribution system (PDS) by scrapping the present classification of BPL and APL system.

Blaming the ‘highly dubious’ poverty estimates of Planning Commission, the Left parties said that the Government should reject such wrong estimates. The parties also demanded it should implement Swaminathan Committees’ recommendations to save the farmers of the country and to take steps on war footing to control the price rise

Among others, CPI national secretary Atul Kumar Anjan, leader of CPI (M) MPs Basudev Acharya, Forward Bloc Central leader Naren De, CPM State secretary Diwakar Nayak, Forward Bloc State secretary Santosh Mitra, Chhatrapur MLA Adikand Sethi, N Narayan Reddy, Abhay Sahu and Bhubaneswar zone secretary of CPI Sura Jena took the lead of the rally.

PAC expresses concern over teacher shortage in State

BHUBANESWAR: The Public Accounts Committee of Odisha Assembly expressed grave concern over the efficiency of the School and Mass Education Department and shortage of teachers in the State. Within three years, around 30,000 teachers would retire from the service, said the committee and directed the Department to fulfill the vacancy of the teachers immediately.

In the meeting of the PAC which was organised on Monday at the State Assembly, leader of opposition and chairman of the PAC committee Bhupinder Singh discussed about the CAG report of the School and Mass Education Department. The committee said most of the schools in the State are running by one regular teacher and even some schools are running by Gana Sikshyak.

According to the rule, one section contains 55 students, but most of the schools have more than hundreds of students in a section due to teacher shortage, the Committee members said. The Committee directed the Department to submit a detailed report about the vacant posts of regular teachers of the schools in the State.

To meet the teacher shortage in the Government and Government aided schools, the Department should empower the district Collectors to appoint the retired teachers in contractual basis, the Committee said. Attendance of 44 High Schools is zero which is a matter of concern and an investigation is needed into the matter, said the chairman of the committee Bhupinder Singh.

The Committee did not express satisfaction over the implementation of various projects of the Central Government. The Committee members were not happy with the progress of the construction of 66 buildings of 10 training institutes. The Central Government has sanctioned Rs 8, 68,00000 for the project, but only eight buildings of an institute has been completed and 24 buildings of four institutes yet to be completed which shows the condition of the education system in the State, said the Committee members.             

     

US-India Clean Energy Program launched

--Partnership to Advance Clean Energy – Deployment (PACE-D)

NEW DELHI: The United States Government has had a long and successful strategic partnership with India in the energy sector.  Over the last 15 years, a USAID program has helped India avoid about 100 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and also reduce coal consumption by 78 million tons, resulting in savings of approximately U.S. $1.5 billion. If our longstanding cooperation in energy is any indication, I firmly believe the partnership between the United States and India will deepen further in every sense in the coming years.  It is my privilege to have been entrusted by President Obama and Secretary Clinton with the job of fostering our partnership.  The interactions between our two countries at all levels are staggering in their breadth and depth and include critical global challenges like food security, health, and--as we are here to talk about today--energy and climate change.

We all know that climate change and energy security are two of the most critical global challenges of the 21st century.  With India’s energy consumption growing at over 7 percent annually, the country faces formidable challenges in meeting its energy demands.  India needs to find a way to improve the reliability and adequacy of energy supplies while making modern energy services accessible and affordable to the entire population.   Such energy security concerns prompted the United States and India to launch the first Energy Dialogue in 2005 to identify mutually beneficial initiatives that complement Indian and U.S. development, security, and economic interests.

One significant outcome of our bilateral Energy Dialogue is the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy, or “PACE,” which was launched by President Obama and Prime Minister Singh in November 2009. Over the past two and a half years, PACE has mobilized government and private sector resources from both countries to improve energy access and promote low-carbon growth.

PACE has two primary, interlinked components: a research component, known as PACE-R, led by the U.S. Department of Energy; and a deployment component, known as PACE-D, led by USAID.  PACE-R works to improve energy access and promote low-carbon growth through research and development.  In May 2011, the United States and India established a Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center that will mobilize $50 million from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Government of India.  A consortium of U.S. and Indian researchers has also pledged $75 million for a total of $125 million that will go towards research and development.  Research will focus on transformational scientific and technological cooperation in the areas of building efficiency, solar energy, and advanced biofuels.

Today, we are here to inaugurate PACE-D, which began in 2010 when USAID and the Government of India’s Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy signed a bilateral agreement. After much collaboration, we are ready to launch USAID’s PACE-D technical support program.

The five-year, $20 million PACE-D contract will help India transition to a high performing, low emissions, and energy secure economy.  PACE-D will work to create an environment that strengthens institutions; increases the availability of innovative financing mechanisms; and enhances local capacity to propagate clean energy solutions.

Working together with the Ministry of Power and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, the PACE-D program will bring to the marketplace clean, reliable, and affordable technologies that increase energy efficiency. We will employ energy efficient technologies that include smart grids; “net zero” energy buildings (for example buildings that produce at least as much energy as they consume); waste heat utilization; and more efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.  These initiatives will support the Government of India’s National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency under its National Action Plan on Climate Change.

PACE-D will also improve access to energy through renewable sources.  In India, the use of renewable energy resources has grown, but there is still great untapped renewable energy potential.  PACE-D will assist the Government of India to:

·        Promote grid connected renewable energy;

·        Expand rural electrification through micro grids; and

·        Develop off-grid applications, such as for fossil fuel replacement, lighting, and rooftop systems.

To support renewable energy, the U.S. Embassy is replacing its old solar panels on the roof of Roosevelt House, the Ambassador’s residence, as well as in Embassy residences.

PACE-D will also improve access to renewable energy by engaging various state and local governments.  This decentralized engagement will increase access to financing, develop sustainable business models, and improve access to renewable energy.  This is clearly a very ambitious agenda!

Today I am happy to announce that, after a competitive process, the contract to implement the PACE-D program has been awarded to the American consulting firm Nexant, Inc.  Nexant is a well-established provider of intelligent grid software and clean energy solutions, known for pioneering, developing, and advancing electric power grid and alternative energy technologies and services. Nexant is headquartered in San Francisco, California and has 31 offices around the world.

For the PACE-D program, Nexant has organized a consortium of organizations that includes both U.S. and Indian partners who can provide a range of services and expertise.

As you can see, “partnership” is a key theme in the implementation of PACE-D.  Since joining the PACE-D initiative in 2010, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation has approved or committed $741 million to clean energy projects in India.  And the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has established the Energy Cooperation Program with India to promote the development of the clean energy market. These expanded financing efforts are expected to further catalyze clean energy projects in India. Together with the Government of India, we hope to capitalize on these partnerships and opportunities and take these experiences to other parts of the world.  Many other countries can benefit from India’s experience in moving towards a low carbon economy. I look forward to seeing the results of this important program.

I would like to thank Ministry of New and Renewable Energy secretary Pradhan and Ministry of Power Joint Secretary Arora for your commitment to US-India cooperation. I am proud of our longstanding partnership in the energy sector and I know that we have the potential to strengthen this partnership through the broader PACE–D effort. With your strong support, I know this program will be successful in meeting our high expectations.

State Govt fails to address inter-State water issues: Braja

--lashes out at State Govt for inaction in Polavaram issue

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government failed to address the inter-State water issues which is very unfortunate, said former Union Minister Braja Kishore Tripathy here on Tuesday. He alleged that a project fixing has been institutionalised among Union Government, State Governments of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

He said that when CWC met before giving initial approval to Polavaram on January 20, 2009, official representatives from Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh attended the meeting, but no officer from Odisha was present there. The project would affect the people along with environment of the State, but no one raised voice against Andhra Pradesh Government’s arbitrary activities which was very unfortunate, he added.

He alleged that the State Government is shedding crocodile tears without doing any exemplary protest against Polavaram and Mahendrataneya project. “If the BJD Government is shedding tears for tribals, why it was silent for a year and seven months and did not do any survey to ascertain how many tribal villages and forest lands would be submerged due to Polavaram,” Tripathy said.   

He said the Chief Minister of Odisha should meet Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and discuss at length about the project as it will displace many boarder villages of Odisha. He also demanded the State Government should appoint a standing counsel at the Supreme Court to fight for Odisha in the apex court on Polavaram issue. “How many days the State Government will be apprehended by the apex court,” Tripathy criticized.      

Opposing the project, Tripathy said the affidavit filed in the Supreme Court by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on Polavaram dam is misleading and false. The contention of CWC that the Bachawat Tribunal of 1980 settled all issues of submersion is invalid because it is based on the condition of 36 lakh cusecs design flood which was increased to 50 lakh cusecs in August 2006 and hence the award is not valid anymore, he added.

BMC proposes to add 2 revenue villages, 21 Panchayats

BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday proposed in its meeting to add two revenue villages and 21 Panchayats to make the capital as Metro city which will help the existed corporation to get more fund like other metro like cities.

According to the BMC officials, now the population of the city is 8.30 lakh. If the BMC adds proposed villages and panchayats, the population of the city would cross 10 lakh, the officials said in the meeting.

From August 1, the BMC will start sanitation drive in the city and the drive will continue till August 15. Garbage will be cleared from the wards with cooperation of Public Health Department, the BMC officials decided in the meeting. During the sanitation drive, the BMC will clear garbage from four Wards per day, they said.

To monitor all the sanitation drive, the BMC will appoint a person to keep eye on the work. In the meeting, some Corporators were not happy with the presentations of the invited NGOs who took much time to present there in the meeting which delayed the process of the meeting. During the meeting, an NGO made a presentation on sewerage treatment.

“We have given importance on some basic infrastructures like sanitation, road, drainage, light system and water. We will clean lift the garbage from different Wards of the city before August 31,” said Bhubaneswar Mayor Anant Narayan Jena.

Among others, BMC Commissioner Vishal Kumar Dev, Corporators of different Wards in the city, BMC officials and NGO officials were present.

Left parties stage right to food rally, hundreds arrested

BHUBANESWAR: Hundreds of workers and supporters of Left parties- CPI (M), CPI and Forward Bloc were arrested by the police during a rally in front of the State Assembly here on Monday. The members of the parties demanded food security for all the citizens of the country.

Supporting the cause of the central committee, more than thousand of supporters and members of the State committees of the parties conducted a rally in front of the State Assembly following a procession starting from Master Canteen to the Lower PMG square to demand the right to food through a universal public distribution system (PDS). The Left parties would also stage rally on Tuesday demanding food security, said Bhubaneswar zone secretary of CPI Sura Jena.

In their five-point charter of demands, the Left parties urged the Government for adopting the universal PDS by scrapping the present classification of BPL and APL system. Blaming the ‘highly dubious’ poverty estimates of Planning Commission, the Left parties said that the Government should reject such wrong estimates. The parties also demanded it should implement Swaminathan Committees’ recommendations to save the farmers of the country and to take steps on war footing to control the price rise. During the rally, the Left parties slammed the UPA Government which failed to control prices of most essential commodities.

Among others, CPI (M) politburo member and leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly Dr Suryakant Mishra, State CPM secretary Janardan Pati, CPI State secretary Diwakar Nayak, Forward Bloc State secretary Santosh Mitra, Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Chhatrapur MLA Adikand Sethi and veteran communist leader Shivaji Patnaik were present. 

BJD now passing through a political cloud: Utkal Bharat

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is dimension less in the hand of Naveen Patnaik as the Biju Janata Dal led Government is passing through a political cloud, said Utkal Bharat president Kharvela Swain while addressing the district-level workers in the party’s State-level convention here on Monday.

Swain said the group rivalry within the BJD party is worsening day by day and to recover the party from the group rivalry is a Herculean task for the party president. The agricultural production came on a standstill. Major industries are not showing interest to invest in Odisha due to failure of the Government to take appropriate decisions at the right time, he added.

Swain said the State Government is begging before the Central Government for fund which is not only shame for the people of the State but also it shows the inability of the BJD Government. Even the opposition parties like Congress and BJP are patronising the BJD party instead of opposing the ruling party, he alleged.

They are the alternative of the BJD Government in the State and they can bring good governance if the people of the State support, Swain said in the meeting. Among others, Utkal Bharat Vice-president Loknath Sarangi, general secretary Bratati Chaterjee, Yuva Utkal Bharat president Abhisek Joshi and members of the party were present.   

Police raid late night party in city hotel

BHUBANESWAR: Following the Guwahati incident, where a late-night-party-goers group publicly molested and stripped a girl in front of a bar, the Commissionerate Police (Bhubaneswar) became very active and conducted raids on late night party inside the Hotel Hindustan International (HHI) here on the early hours of Sunday.

On a tip-off, the Commissionerate Police conducted a raid on HHI which was organising late night party on Saturday. About 50 party goers, including some foreigners and Ollywood actors, were told to leave the party place. According to the police, the hotel could not arrange late night parties after 12 o’clock night. After the given time limit, the late night party is illegal, the police said. On the other hand, the hotel authority said that it was a routine check up by the police.

“We daily close the hotels before 12 o’clock in the night. On Saturday, the police came and went away after routine check up. The party was over and the party goers were sitting there when the police entered,” said an official of the HHI.

Some intellectuals supported the police raid on late night parties. The late night party goers some times turn violent and indiscipline as a result Guwahati like cases occurs, they added, while the tour operators in the city said the attitude may affect the foreign tourists’ coming to the State at the time of recession.

Woman dies under suspicious circumstances in city

BHUBANESWAR: A newly married woman died under suspicious circumstances in her parental house here on Sunday. Police have recovered a letter near the body of the woman written by herself for which the police suspected it might be a suicide case. A complaint has been lodged in the Mahila police station regarding the case here on Sunday.

The woman was identified as Pranita Patra of Chintamanisar area in the city. When the police entered the house, they found Patra was hanging from a ceiling and she was dead. A letter recovered by the police from the body of the woman said that she was tortured by the people of her father-in-law house. In her letter, it was found that her husband had extra marital affair with some other woman.

On the other hand, the father-in-law of deceased Patra denied the allegation of torture to their daughter-in-law. They had very good relation with each other, the father-in-law of the deceased said.   

BJP Krushak Morcha to stage dharna on Aug 8 in State

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP Krushak Morcha State unit would stage dharnas in front of the district Collectors offices on August 8 throughout the State to support its Central Committee’s nationwide agitation demanding better policies for the farmers to bring agriculture out of crisis.

Similarly, the Morcha’s Central Committee will stage dharna against the alleged anti-farmer policies of the Government at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 20. It was decided by the Morcha’s national president OP Dhankar at the end of the two-day national executive meet at Chandigarh held on July 21 and 22 where a seven-member delegation led by Morcha’s State president Maheswar Sahu were present.

The members of the Morcha said the UPA Government failed to address the farmer issues. In view of the deficit monsoon, the Centre should announce compensation and declare drought as national calamity and demanded immediate initiatives to bring agriculture out of crisis, they added.

Farmer suicide: BJP members meet deceased’s family

BHUBANESWAR: Members of the BJP Krushak Morcha (BKM) on Saturday met the family members of the deceased farmer Vyasa Narayan Gahir (50) of Kurumapuri under Komna block in Nuapada district who committed suicide by hanging himself in his home on July 24 due to crop loss and failing to repay bank loans.

Gahir had four acres of cultivable land by which he runs his kitchen. But, he lost his crop during last three year due to drought. On the other hand, Gahir failed to repay bank loan as he had taken Rs 44,000 loan from the State Bank of India’s Nuapada Branch, Rs 40,000 from Utkal Gramya Bank and Rs 20,000 from Lakhna Co-operative Society. These two reasons were behind the suicide of the farmer, said the villagers and family members of the deceased.

A seven-member delegation led by BKM State president Maheswar Sahu started an inquiry into the reason of the suicide by visiting the village and meeting the family members. The BKM members demanded the Government should provide Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the deceased’s family, employment for a member of Gahir, widow pension to deceased’s wife and one house in the ‘Mo Kudia’ scheme.           

       

Medha to Maoists: leave violence, join with us to fight for people

BHUBANESWAR: Environmentalist Medha Patkar called upon the Maoists to leave extremism and to join in their people’s movement to demand our rights in a non-violence way. No one can bring people’s Government through violence means and the Maoists could not solve the problems of the peoples in this way, Patkar said to the Press persons during the State-level meet of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) here on Saturday.

“Due to the violence in Maoist infested areas, the innocent tribals face many problems from military forces as recently we have seen in Chhattishgarh massacre,” said Patkar adding, “We have to keep the tribal spirit up to take part in the mass movement for the national movement to bring change in the lives of exploited and poor tribals. We have to empower the tribals and to encourage them to fight for their rights in a democratic way.” If the Maoists fight for tribal’s rights and dignity, they can join in the movement by leaving their arms and ammunition, Patkar added.

Is there any change came in the status of the Maoists by killing military forces along with police and abducting the leaders or bureaucrats, Patkar questioned. “If the people of the three States would raise voice unitedly in democratic and non-violence means for their legitimate rights, the Government do respect the voices of the majority,” she added.

BMC stops demolition drive in city slum

BHUBANESWAR: The residents of Dhirikuti slum near Sainik school area in the city on Saturday protested the demolition drive carried out by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) for the purpose of setting up of a dumping yard in the slum. The slum dwellers demanded proper rehabilitation before demolishing their houses.

When the enforcement team of BDA and BMC reached the Dhirikuti slum to demolish the houses, the slum dwellers protested the enforcement team and sat in front of the slum. Following the protest, the enforcement team returned from the slum and demolished from houses nearby Sainik school boundary. After mike announcement for demolition of some houses near Sainik School, the face-off between the enforcement team and slum peoples started which compelled the team to come back.    

BMC Mayor Anant Narayan Jena said they have all the survey data with them and the process of rehabilitation for the displaced slum people is on. But, some people have started building houses overnight to include their names in the rehabilitation list which will be evacuated immediately, while the real beneficiaries will be rehabilitated soon and the demolition drive would start after this rainy season, he added.

It may be noted that the BMC planned to set up a dumping yard in 25 acres of land in the area. The construction of its wall has been started. 

       

Left parties to start food security movement

BHUBANESWAR: The left parties - CPI (M), CPI, Forward Bloc and RSP will stage a five-day sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar from July 30 to August 3 against price rise and to demand the right to food through a universal public distribution system (PDS). To support the cause of the central committee, the State committees of the parties would stage dharna in front of the State Assembly here from July 30 and 31 for two days.

In their five-point charter of demands, the Left parties urged the Government for adopting the universal PDS by scrapping the present classification of BPL and APL system. Blaming the ‘highly dubious’ poverty estimates of Planning Commission, the Left parties said that the Government should reject such wrong estimates. The parties also demanded it should implement Swaminathan Committees’ recommendations to save the farmers of the country and to take steps on war footing to control the price rise.  

The left parties slammed the UPA Government which failed to control prices of most essential commodities. The prices of mustard oil increased by 32 per cent, sugar 15 per cent and gram 71 per cent. The price of potatoes is up by 91 per cent, the parties added.

Medha Patkar praises Odisha’s stand on Polavaram issue

BHUBANESWAR: “The legitimate stand of the Odisha and Chhatisgarh Government against the displacement of their people and environment is absolutely correct,” said Environmental activist and national convener of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) Medha Patkar while addressing the activists of the State in the State-level meet of her organisation here on Saturday.

“If the affected people oppose the projects like Sardar Sarovar dam, Brahmaputra dam and Polavaram dam, the Government calls the people’s movement as anti-development forces, but is it correct to destroy the environment, livelihood and rights of the common people in the name of development,” Patkar said.

The proposed project would displace 276 villages spread across three districts of Andhra Pradesh among which 50 per cent tribal villages belong to tribals. Even some villages of Odisha and some tribal pockets of Chhatishgarh would be submerged, she said adding, the Chhatisgarh Government should come forward to fight for the displaced people and their environment like Odisha Government.

The displaced people of Andhra Pradesh along with Odisha and Chhatisgarh people are strongly protesting the mega project. The tribals and other affected people of Andhra Pradesh are not getting their rights as the pro-Polavaram forces try to purchase the protesters, the political leaders are changing their stand in protecting the rights of the people and they give false assurance of rehabilitation, even the Government violates the PESA Act by avoiding Gramsabha’s decision in this matter which is very unfortunate, she added.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s stand on the issue is appreciable, but he should take some steps in other projects inside his States which is anti-people, Patkar said adding, “If Naveen would not take his stands in the case of Posco, Sterlite, Lower Suktel and other State projects, we take his company-love attitude and corruption to the streets.”

On land acquisition process and its legality, Patkar said the Central Government is all set to come with a Bill to bring reformation in the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 framed by the British rulers. The Parliament Standing Committee wants to bring some changes due to pressure from the corporate houses, but we would strongly protest the act of diluting the Bill, she added.

“We have been opposing the Government’s illegal acquisition process for corporate houses which is anti-people in general. If 80 per cent people give their consent for the land acquisition process, the company can acquire the land otherwise not,” she said.

School kids read under open sky in Gajapati

Photo Courtesy: Kidsblog, Kerala

PARLAKHEMUNDI: Six decades of independence already passed and now days our country helps European countries by providing billions of dollars, but our Government yet to afford a good school building and Anganwadi centres for which tiny tots lose life under the rubble of the collapsed Anganwadi wall. It can be pointed out from the incident of a primary school of Ranipentha village under Kasinagar block in the tribal dominated Gajapati district, where the students were taught under the open sky.

The school building, which was constructed on June 2, 1908 at the Ranipentha village, is now roofless and counting the days to fall down. The school teachers finally decided to teach the students on the verandah of the outdated school and under the open sky due to lack of safe school building. During the rainy season and summer season, the students are facing difficulties to attend the classes, said the parents of the school students.

Fund was already sanctioned by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) four years back to construct a new building for the school, but that is in vain. If the condition of the school, which is very near to the district headquarters, is so bad, what will we say about other interior schools, questioned a villager of Ranipentha.

The villagers went many offices to draw the attention of the concerned officials, but that could not help them to sort out the problem. When contacted to Kasinagar block School Inspector Rabindra Panda, he could not do anything as the school is under the nearby High School. Four years already over, but the school work could not be started yet and ‘when it will start?’ is an unanswered question for many parents of the school children.

7 Inspectors from Commissionerate Police transferred

BHUBANESWAR: In a major reshuffle in the IIC cadre in the Police Commissionerate (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack), the State Government on Thursday shifted about seven Inspectors from the Police Commissionerate to other district police stations of the State.

In the reshuffle, four Inspectors from Bhubaneswar and three Inspectors from Cuttack Commissionerate Police were transferred to other districts of the State and the Inspectors from other districts and Crime Branch would join in the Twin city Commissionerate.

   

According to the sources, Kharvela Nagar IIC Satyajit Mishra was transferred to Koraput district, Khandagiri IIC Tapan Mohanty to Rayagada, Mancheswar IIC Priyaranjan Satpathy to Keonjhar, Balipatna IIC Bijay Sethy to Sambalpur, Cuttack Cantonment IIC Ashutosh Mishra and Choudwar IIC Niranjan Padhy to Kandhamal district and Jagatpur IIC Sunil Nanda to Kalahandi district.

Similarly, Sambalpur IIC Ranjeet Satpathy, Puri IIC Amulya Dhar and Crime Branch Inspector RK Senapati were transferred to the twin city Commissionerate, the revamp was announced by the IG (Personnel) on Thursday.

 
  

Samajwadi Party urges CM to establish a Martyrs’ Memorial in State

BHUBANESWAR: The Samajwadi Party Odisha State Committee on the occasion of Kargil Divas urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to establish a Martyrs’ Memorial (Amar Jawan Jyoti) at the capital city in the light of Amar Jawan Jyoti, New Delhi. It will inspire the next generation regarding the sacrifice of our heroes for the mother land, the party said.

India won the Kargil War on July 26, 1999 where 527 soldiers laid down their lives and more than 13 hundred were injured. Among them there were many Odia soldiers also. Today we are observing the Kargil Divas (Victory Day) across the country and pay tributes to those heroes who laid down their lives for our mother land. Our State should pay its tribute it’s heroes along with the Kargil martyrs, said the Party.

Besides the Martyr’s Memorial, the party suggested the Governor and the Chief Minister should pay respect to the martyrs on the day every year along with other dignitaries, the promises made by the State to the martyrs’ families must be fulfilled immediately and to establish a War Memorial library where their valour, courage and sacrifice in action to be displayed in a digital form.

Customer allegedly beaten up by builder in city

BHUBANESWAR: A person, who wanted to buy a plot and also deposited first installment money for that plot from a city-based builder, was allegedly beaten up by the hired goons of the builder in the city on Thursday. On the other hand, the builder denied the allegation of beating the customer by hired goons.

One Khirod Rout and his brother had asked a plot from a builder of a city-based real estate business farm Ganapati Eastcon and deposited first installment money for the said plot. The real estate farm asked for the second installment money after few months and argument took place from this matter. Rout brothers asked the builder to return their money, but the builder didn’t listen them.

This time, Rout had gone to the Ganapati Eastcon office to ask the total money given by him to the builder and director of the real estate farm Chinmay Das. According to Rout, when he went to the office to ask the money, some employees of the Real estate farm and some other peoples brutally attacked him. He was rushed to a private hospital.

Following the incident, Rout and other customers lodged complaints against the builder Chinmay Das. The builder had offered Rs 20,000 bank cheque to conciliate the matter. On the other hand, the builder denied the allegation made by Rout and his friends. The Commissionerate Police are investigating into the matter.          

Statement by Secretary Hillary Clinton on swearing-in of President Pranab Mukherjee

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton congratulated President Pranab Mukherjee on his swearing-in as the 13th President of India. President Mukherjee has been a strong partner to America and the American people, working throughout his career to deepen our cooperation on a wide range of issues, she said.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the government and people of India.  Together we will build on our shared democratic values, strengthen this relationship even more and create a brighter future for both our people,” Secretary Clinton said.    

One more accused arrested in Salepur BJD leader murder case

CUTTACK: One more accused in the murder of Salepur BJD youth leader Chitta Ranjan Mohanty in Cuttack district was arrested and forwarded to the court by the Crime Branch, police said on Wednesday

He was identified as Sanjay Kandi (25) from Uttarbateswar in the district. Kandi was one of the four-member gang who hurled bomb at Mohanty’s house. Prior to this, the Crime Branch police had arrested the mastermind of the murder Dushmant Das alias Dipu three days back.

It may be noted that Salepur block youth BJD president Mohanty was critically injured when assailants hurled bombs at his house at Rodhpur village on July 18. He died on the way to the hospital. After the incident the State Government handed over the case to the Crime Branch.

State Govt to beautify Capital Hospital: Health Min

--meets freedom fighter Laxman Mahapatra at Capital Hospital

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government would start beautification of the Capital Hospital soon, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Prasanna Acharya here during his surprise visit to the hospital on Wednesday. The Government is also taking steps to appoint adequate staffs and doctors to provide quality service, Acharya said.

Minister Acharya visited different wards of the hospital and witnessed the hospital condition and problems of the patients. He found that women patients lying on the floor in the Gynec ward. He immediately directed the hospital authority to provide beds to the patients within seven days.

Acharya met freedom fighter Laxman Mahapatra, who was shifted to destitute ward in the hospital recently without providing treatment, and inquired about his health condition. He also inquired about the facilities provided by the State Government for the freedom fighters on free treatment and other expenses.

The Minister informed that the bed number in the ICU of the hospital will be increased to 16. For hospital beautification work, the State Government would sanction Rs 2 crore, he added. “With the active guidance of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, we will start the beautification work and upgradation of the ICU beds in the hospital. Gradually the quality of the hospital is increasing and the process will continue with effort of the State Government,” Acharya said.              

Anna supporters’ indefinite dharna begins

BHUBANESWAR: Amid continual rain, Anna supporters on Wednesday thronged to the Lower PMG square where India Against Corruption members were staging indefinite dharna to demand an investigation against corruption charges leveled against 14 Cabinet ministers. Once again the Dharna place echoed with ‘Bharat mata ki jay’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ slogans of the supporters of anti-graft movement.  

Supporting anti-graft crusader Anna Hazaare and his team’s indefinite fast in New Delhi, India Against Corruption (IAC) Odisha chapter staged statewide dharna from Wednesday. According to the IAC, the fresh demand will go side by side during the dharna with the long-standing demands including strong Jan Lokpal Bill and appointment of Jan Lokayuktas in the States.

According to Nisikant Mahapatra, a member of the IAC Odisha who sat in hunger fast at the Lower PMG here said that it is our ‘Do or Die’ movement to bring change in the country. Among others, Gayatri Das and Santosh Panda also sat in indefinite fast till the achievements of the demand of setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) against corrupt ministers.

Unemployment rapidly increasing in State: Yuva Utkal Bharat

BHUBANESWAR: Demanding employment for the youths of the State, Yuva Utkal Bharat (YUB) staged demonstration in front of the Director State Employment Exchange office here on Wednesday. Later, the youth wing of the Utkal Bharat party led by its president Abhishek Joshi handed over a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Employment Exchange Director.

In their memorandum, the YUB members said unemployment is a major problem in the State. Due to lack of job in the State, most of the youths, especially from western Odisha, migrate to other State in search of job. Only 35, 334 youths were employed out of 1, 34, 85,236 registered under different employment exchange offices in the State within 12 year, the members added.

The Chief Minister had promised to employ three lakh students per year which was eyewash, the members said. Thousands of vacancies are available in the Government sector, but the State Government is not active to fill up that, they added.

Among others, State Vice-president Sanatan Dalabehera, General Secretary Debabrata Tripathy, Kumari Bijaylaxmi Mohanty and the party members were present.

US Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B Carter concludes India visit

U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy Powell (left) and Hyderabad Consul General Katherine Dhanani (right) look on as Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter greets B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of Infotech Enterprises in Hyderabad on July 24.

New Delhi/Hyderabad: As part of his first official trip to the Asia-Pacific region as Deputy Secretary of Defense, Dr. Ashton B. Carter visited India July 22-25.  During this visit, he discussed with key Government of India officials and defense industry leaders how the United States and India can work more closely together to ensure security and prosperity in the 21st century.

Deputy Secretary Carter’s meetings followed through on Secretary Panetta’s visit to India last month when the Secretary made clear that we must work to deepen our security partnership – so that our relationship becomes more strategic, more practical, and more collaborative.  One of Secretary Panetta’s initiatives that Deputy Secretary Carter discussed in New Delhi was further leading an effort, along with Indian counterparts in the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of External Affairs, to make our respective bureaucratic processes simpler, more responsive, and more effective to increase defense trade and cooperation. 

The Deputy Secretary also met with Indian defense industry executives in Hyderabad to discuss practical next steps for streamlining bureaucratic barriers in both the U.S. and India.  He toured several promising Indo-U.S. facilities co-producing transport plane and helicopter components.

As reaffirmed during the recent June 2012 U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, the defense relationship between our two countries is an important dimension of our strategic partnership.  The United States is committed to finding innovative ways to increase our defense cooperation with India and to identify opportunities to take an already strong defense relationship to the next level.  Deputy Secretary Carter’s visit reinforced the message that our countries have crossed a threshold in our relations where our successes at home and abroad are strengthened by our defense cooperation, and that there is greater potential and areas of cooperation that can be tapped in the overall U.S.-India partnership.

Farmers to get Rs 675 crore as cross loss compensation

BHUBANESWAR: The farmers of the State would get Rs 675 crore 32 lakh as crop loss compensation under the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojna). The State Government has also sanctioned Rs 277 crore 72 lakh as their share. Due to the Crop Insurance Scheme, 5, 71,000 farmers of the State, who were affected during the flood last year, would be benefited. It may be noted that the State Government has taken the Gram Panchayats as crop insurance unit which will help the farmers to get good amount of compensation money. 

Anna supporters to sit in indefinite dharna today

BHUBANESWAR: Supporting anti-graft crusader Anna Hazaare and his team’s indefinite fast in New Delhi to demand an investigation against corruption charges leveled against 14 Cabinet ministers, Anna supporters led by India Against Corruption (IAC) Odisha chapter would stage statewide dharna on Wednesday.

The members of IAC and supporters of anti-corruption movement, according to their preparation, organised a procession around the capital city on Tuesday. The procession was started from Vani Vihar square and ended at KIIT square by passing different prominent places of the city to make aware about the Wednesday’s dharna.

According to the IAC, the fresh demand will go side by side during the dharna with the long-standing demands including strong Jan Lokpal Bill and appointment of Jan Lokayuktas in the States. The Anna team called upon the supporters for a ‘Do or Die’ movement again to bring change in the country, it added.

Three volunteers Nishikanta Mohapatra, Gayatri Das and Santosh Panda will be on indefinite fast till the achievements of the demand of setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) against corrupt ministers.

Crime Branch freezes bank account of Sai Pragati

BHUBANESWAR: The Crime Branch police on Tuesday froze 14 bank accounts of two fraud companies Sai Pragati Assets and Properties (SPAP) and S Virgin Worldwide Concept and attached Rs 2, 71, 35,193 from the companies’ bank account. The Crime Branch is investigating into the companies’ secret investment in other States or share market, police sources said.

The Economic Offence Wing of the Crime Branch seized the money from four bank accounts of the two allied companies. “Our team is investigating into the matter. If we get any information about the companies’ money deposited or invested anywhere, we would freeze that account immediately,” said an official of the Crime Branch police.

The police had arrested Sai Pragati and S Virgin’s CMD Debasish Mohanty for cheating the investors of his company and one of the associate directors of the companies Surath Kumar Sahoo surrendered before the court in the case.    

“Many accounts are there to seize,” said an investor of the company Aniruddha Mahapatra adding, “we again start public protest against the fraud company. The companies cheated the investors, so the Government should take appropriate action against the cheaters and fraudulent companies,” he added.

It may be noted that the investors on March 15 this year staged a dharna at Lower PMG here demanding a high level inquiry into the Real Estate fraud case. In their memorandum to the Chief Minister on the day, they had urged him to intervene into the matter.

In that memorandum, the investors had alleged that CMD Debasish Mohanty, Associate Directors Nirmal Prasad Padhy, Ashwin Kumar Das, Surath Kumar Sahoo and Kamalakant Patnaik of the company were involved in the cheating of Rs 600 crore from its investors. More than 85,000 investors were affected due to the fraud, they had alleged.

No double PG from this year in Utkal Univ

BHUBANESWAR: The PG Council of Utkal University on Monday decided to strictly follow their rule to not allow a Post Graduate student to take admission in another PG course in the university from this year, said university PG Council chairman Prof Prafulla Kumar Mishra.

According to Prof Mishra, most of the students of the university after completion of a PG course, they again join in another PG course to stay easily in the hostel which creates problems inside the campus. Even some students sell their hostel room after getting the room in second term PG period, he added.

“If one student joins in many courses in the university, other fresh graduate students won’t get a seat as the first one would acquire the seat,” said Prof Mishra adding, “The students who have pursuing in double PG degrees, some of them indulge themselves in ragging and criminal activities which creates disturbance among the other innocent students,” he added.

On the other hand, some students of the university opposed the decision of the authority. They advocated that to get education is the right of a person, how the authority could stop it. We will move to the court against the decision of the university, said a student who applied for the double PG this year.