Seven Odias languished in S Arabia urge Govt help

BHUBANESWAR: Seven Odia youths from Ganjam, Khurda and Kendrapada district are reportedly languished in South Arabia. The youths were being harassed physically and mentally by a Dammam-based Aljaharin Company in the country, said one among the seven youths while talking to his family members over telephone on Wednesday.

The youth Sanjay Barik and Rabi Barik of Kaithada village under Khalikote block in Ganjam district also said over telephone that they didn’t take food for five days and they were in severe mental pressure. Out of the total seven persons, two persons belonged to Ganjam district, three from Khurda and two from Kendrapada district, they informed.

According to Sanjay, they were sent to the company by a Bhubaneswar-based private organisation five months ago. When they went there and started working in the company, they faced many problems like over duty. The company forced them to work in other trade for which they were not assigned to.

From Khurda district, three persons- Kanduri Mali of Ghiakhala area, Gagan Kumar Parida of Umakantapur under Balugaon police station limit and Narayan Pradhan of Mali Gobindapur under Banpur area asked help from their district administration to bring them back.

Similarly, Padma Lochan Basantia of Kansar and Pramod Kumar Pradhan of Kanaphulia village both from Kendrapara district also urged their district administration to help them out.

After getting information from the media people, Brahmapur joint labour commissioner Nilambar Mishal directed the Ganjam district labour officer to take immediate action after investigating the matter. He assured them to take appropriate steps to rescue the youths from South Arabia.       

Chit fund scam: Duped Investors stage demo in city seeking refund of money

BHUBANESWAR: Investors across the State duped by financial institutions staged a massive rally at the PMG Square in the city on Wednesday demanding recovery of their money deposited in the fraudulent companies.

Thousands of investors from different districts came in a procession started from Railway Station to the Lower PMG and staged a rally in front of the State Assembly seeking refund of invested money. The investors while shouting slogans demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

According to convener of duped investors’ body Jayant Das, the Centre and the State failed to protect the interest of the investors and left the non-banking financial institutions to loot them.

“The State allowed the police to probe the financial fraud committed by Artha Tatwa Group which is unfortunate. The State has recently declared to form a corpus fund of Rs 300 crore to help the investors, but the State is yet to publish a gazette notification regarding this,” he alleged.

The body in its six-point charter of demands, urged the State Government to open grievance cells at block level to take actual data of individual investors regarding their investment in the companies. It also demanded that the seized property should be kept with the Finance Department instead of keeping it with the police and then the State go for liquidation of assets of the companies which were seized in recent past for distribution among the affected investors.

The other demands of the association include probe by Enforcement Directorate with active supervision of the High Court, exemplary punishment to the fraudsters and a special law for the recovery and protection of the investors’ deposited money.

“If the State fails to fulfill our demands, we will stage demonstration in the State Assembly on August 20,” said Das.  

Palli Sabha-VIII: Tribals rejected mining in Niyamgiri

BHUBANESWAR/BHAWANIPATNA: Continuing the previous trend of no-to-mining voice, the tribals of Niyamgiri hills on Tuesday outrightly rejected the proposal of bauxite mining in the eighth Palli Sabha held at Ijrupa village of Kalahandi district.

Only four voters of the village attended the meeting. The voters belonged to a single family voted against mining in the Niyamgiri hills. “We are living in the hills since ages, so we can’t live our motherland at any cost,” said a member of the family.  

Additional District Judge (Vigilance) of Kalahandi Pramod Kumar Jena, who was appointed by the Supreme Court as the observer for the Palli Sabha, was present during the whole deliberation. Jena said that the tribals reiterated that they could not give anybody for mining in the hills. “The tribals said that they worship Niyamgiri and they could not allow Vedanta for mining here,” said Jena.

The State Government had decided to conduct Palli Sabha in 12 hill slope villages as per the April 18 Supreme Court’s order. Palli Sabhas in Kalahandi district have been completed Tuesday which was started from July 23, but another four Palli Sabhas would be held at the tribal villages Lamba, Lakhapadar, Khambasi and Jarapa of Rayagada district on August 1, 7, 13 and 19 respectively, said the official sources.

The United States and India Help Improve African Agriculture

JAIPUR- The United States and India launched today the second India-U.S.-Africa triangular agricultural training program supported by the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative Feed the Future. This partnership aims to improve agricultural productivity and support market institutions in Kenya, Liberia, and Malawi.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Food Security Office Director Bahiru Duguma kicked off this initiative. Dr. Duguma explained that, as part of the broader U.S.-India global partnership, the triangular engagement “will share proven innovations from India’s private and public sector to address food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty in the target African countries.”

The program will train 180 agricultural professionals from these three African countries by providing marketing and extension management training at the Chaudhury Charan Singh National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (NIAM) in Jaipur and at the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management in Hyderabad. The initiative, led by USAID and NIAM, is part of a three-year training program and one of several activities resulting from the global strategic partnership announced by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and U.S. President Barack Obama in 2010. 

To learn more about Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, visit: www.feedthefuture.gov

Tribals reject mining in 7th Palli Sabha

BHAWANIPATNA: The tribals of Niyamgiri hill on Monday unanimously rejected the beleaguered proposal of bauxite mining in the seventh Palli Sabha held at Phuldumer village in Kalahandi district. The vote of the Dongrias, Kutias and Jharnia tribes against mining in the hill was a major jolt to the Vedanta Company which had aimed to get mines from the Niyamgiri hill to run its bauxite starved Aluminium plant at Lanjigarh in the district.

Out of the total 68 voters, 49 voters participated in the meeting. Out of the total voters participated in the meeting, 10 tribals aired their voice at the Palli Sabha where a resolution was passed against mining.

“Niyamgiri is everything for us; we can’t leave it at any cost. We will fight with the company or whoever comes for mining in the hill,” said a Dongria woman of Phuldumer village.

Additional District Judge (Vigilance) of Kalahandi Pramod Kumar Jena, who was appointed by the Supreme Court as the observer for the Palli Sabha, was present during the whole deliberation. Jena said that the tribals strongly denied mining in the hill. “The tribals said that Niyamgiri is their father, mother and god for them. They can’t leave it to anyone,” said Jena.

Though the tribals had already denied in a loud voice against mining in the previous six Palli Sabhas held in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, the company and the State Government were waiting for any lapse from the tribal sides, but it could not be materialised as the tribals continued their spirit and echo to say a big ‘no’ to the mining in the area.