3 women Maoists arrested in G’pati, arms recovered

--Sabyasachi hurt in fire exchange: DIG (SR)

BRAHMAPUR: The police on Friday arrested three women Maoists from Sukhi forest under Mohana block in Gajapati district and also recovered arms and hard cash from their possession, said Southern Range DIG Amitabh Thakur to the Presspersons here.     

The three arrested Maoists were identified as Nikita Majhi, Tadingi Majhi and Sukanti Majhi of Sabyasachi Panda-led Odisha Maovadi Party (OMP). Nikita is believed to have been a leading cadre of the OMP, said the DIG.

Thakur said the police busted a Maoist camp in the jungle and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunitions along with hard cash from the camp.  

The security forces seized three 9mm and two 2mm pistols, one tiffin bomb, 13 magazines, one AK-47 rifle, four Self Loading Rifles (SLRs), two INSAS rifles and cash worth Rs 10.5 lakh from their possession.

Thakur also said Panda received bullet injury when the security forces fired at him from his behind. One bullet got pierced into his right thigh, while the other struck in his laptop carried by him on his back, he added.

While interrogation, the women Maoists said that Panda is roaming around the jungle with three people. “Panda is not in a well condition. Our operation is underway to bust more Maoists camps in the jungle and to nab the extremist leader,” said Thakur.

Gajapati police’s successful operation will be a major jolt for the OMP. The police have started interrogating the three arrested Maoists to get information regarding whereabouts of OMP leader Panda.

Notably, the police had conducted raid on a Maoist camp in Salimagochha jungle in the boarder area of the Ganjam district on February 14 where Panda had escaped from the clutches of the police.           

Four accused arrested for attack on Minister

BHUBANESWAR: The Puri police arrested four accused involved in the attack on Law, Culture and Tourism Minister Maheswar Mohanty, said Director General of Police Prakash Mishra to the Presspersons here on Friday.

Mishra said the accused had gone to Andhra Pradesh to get respite from police’s eye after committing the crime. Later they had changed their location and went to Karnataka fearing police raid. Finally they were nabbed with the help of inter-State police cooperation while the accused were returning from Karnataka, he added.

The DGP said the accused belonged to a particular gang. They will be brought to the State immediately in order to interrogate them about the motive of the crime, he added.

“We could not get more clues from the Minister as he was in a scooter and was not aware about the incident happened quickly. But we hope the case may be solved with the arrest of the accused,” said Mishra.

Notably, a few armed miscreants had opened fire on the Minister near his residence in Puri on February 21. He is undergoing treatment in the Kalinga Hospital in the capital city and is recovering under the active observation of a team of doctors.

72 bonded labourers from Odisha rescued from Telengana

BHUBANESWAR: After a few days lull, another incident of exploitation on bonded labourers came to lime light when two Andhra Pradesh-based NGOs brought 72 rescued labourers from Telengana area to Bhubaneswar railway station on Friday.

The labourers including 24 children and 26 women were rescued from a brick kiln at Goudawalli village under Medchal mandal in Ranga Reddy district of Telengana. The labourers, who were rescued by the Ranga Reddy district Collector, hail from Patnagarh block of Balangir district and Sinapalli area of Nuapada district.

After getting information from the district administration, two NGOs, the International Justice Mission (IJM) and the Association for Rural Development (ARD), expressed interest to bring all the labourers to their homeland.

According to a rescued labourer Jatindra Tandi, they were taken by a local middleman to the brick kiln owned by Tirupati Rao in Ranga Reddy district in the month of July last year. When they asked the owner to pay their wages, he could not respond to their queries, he added.

“Except a meager weekly expenditure, the owner didn’t give anything to them. Rao delayed our payment of six months and then threatened us not to tell anybody about the incident,” said Jatindra to The Pioneer.

Tandi said the owner had promised to pay Rs 300 as making charge on 1000 brick. A family, consisted four to five members, had made two to three lakh bricks within their working period in the kiln. Therefore the owner didn’t pay around Rs 60,000 to Rs 90,000 per each family, he added.

Later the labourers with the help of a few NGOs asked the district administration to help them out. The district administration rescued the labourers and sent them to Odisha with the help of the two NGOs. When the NGOs reached by the East Coast Express here, they contacted the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD) Odisha to help them out. The labourers will reach their district tonight, said the volunteers came with them.         

 

Fulbright-Nehru fellowships: Opportunities to expand academic horizons in US

NEW DELHI: The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) announced the opening of its annual competition for Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright fellowships.  Such exchanges have, over the years, helped bring the people of India and the United States closer together.  The Fulbright program offers opportunities in the United States that will enrich one’s academic, research, teaching, and professional development. The India-U.S. bilateral Fulbright agreement has resulted in a significant increase in the number of scholarships awarded each year.

Dr Rachna Singh, a DST-INSPIRE Faculty awardee, who was at the Stanford University as a 2012-2013 Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellow said, “My experience as a Fulbrighter has been wonderful and enriching. Professionally, it provided me an excellent opportunity to work with leading academicians in my study area. It has increased my knowledge and expertise tremendously, which I am applying now on my return to India.”           

USIEF alumni have demonstrated strong leadership in all walks of life, including agriculture, arts, business, education, environment, humanities and social sciences, media, public health, and science and technology. Outstanding Indian students, academics, teachers, policy planners, administrators, and professionals are encouraged to apply.

USIEF expects to offer approximately 90 Fulbright-Nehru fellowships for Indians in 2015. Fellowship details are posted on the USIEF website http://www.usief.org.in/   Application deadlines begin July 1, 2014. Applicants may also contact the USIEF offices in New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, or Mumbai.

AIIMS to have two satellite units in State: Ghulam Nabi Azad

--MKCG, VSS Medical College to become Super Specialities

BHUBANESWAR: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Bhubaneswar would have two satellite units including one in Baleswar district in the State. It was announced by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad while dedicating the institute to the public here on Wednesday.

Azad said they have identified a location in Jaleswar area of Baleswar district that would have 300 beds in its complete shape. “We have started our formalities to start the project very soon, while the second unit will be finalised after the General Election” he added.

Notably, the satellite unit, an extended project or an outreach unit of the AIIMS, would help the people of interior areas of the State. Around 30 acres of land for the first unit has been identified adjacent to the National Highway in Baleswar, official sources said.

In his speech, Azad declared that they would convert two Government medical colleges in the State, the VSS Medical College Hospital in Sambalpur and the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Brahmapur, to super specialty hospitals with central assistance out of the 39 hospitals chosen for the purpose in the country. Apart from that the two Government medical college and hospitals of the State would be upgraded to the level of the AIIMS, he added.

He also said that his Ministry has decided to set up 78 cancer institutes in the country including 20 State-level institutes. In Odisha, the Ministry will establish a State-level cancer institute in Cuttack and will upgrade two Government medical colleges, the MKCG Medical College Hospital in Brahmapur and the VSS Medical College Hospital in Sambalpur, in regional level, he added.

“If the new hospitals planned by the Union Health Ministry and other Ministries along with super specialities hospitals proposed by the PSUs and corporate houses come up in the State, the backwardness of the State in health sector especially poor show in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) would come down,” said Azad.

Gracing the occasion, Union Minister Srikant Jena announced that his Ministry would open generic medicine store in the hospital campus so that the poor people can get medicine in low cost. The Odisha Drugs and Chemicals Limited (ODCL) would manufacture the medicine, he added.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the State Government will provide all the support to the Central Government for establishment of health projects in the State.

Among others, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani, Rajya Sabha member Rama Chandra Khuntia, Union Health Secretary Luv Verma, in-charge of the AIIMS project Sandeep Nayak, AIIMS Director Prof Ashok Kumar Mohapatra and teaching and non-teaching staff of the institute attended the ceremony.       

Azad accepts CM’s plea to set up medical college in Mayurbhanj

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, while dedicating the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Bhubaneswar to the public at Sijua here on Wednesday, announced that the district headquarters hospital at Baripada of Mayurbhanj district will also be upgraded to a medical college and hospital with Central assistance.

“Odisha is very lucky that it will get four medical colleges out of the total 50 such sanctioned for the whole country,” said Azad, adding, “We have sanctioned three medical colleges earlier, but taking the State’s backwardness into account we accepted the request of the Chief Minister for setting up of the fourth medical college in Baripada.”

Notably, the State Government had earlier requested the Centre to set up four medical colleges in the State, including one in Mayurbhanj district under the centrally sponsored Prime Minister Swasthya Surakhsa Yojana (PMSSY), but the Centre had proposed to convert the district headquarters hospitals of Koraput, Baleswar and Balangir into medical colleges.

The Central rejection had instigated the political and social organisations to observe bandh in Mayurbhanj district on Monday. After witnessing the anguish of the public, the Chief Minister on the same day declared that the State Government will set up the medical college from its own fund.

While addressing the gathering at the dedication ceremony of the AIIMS, Patnaik requested Azad to sanction central fund for setting up of medical college in Baripada which was accepted by the latter on the same stage.    

‘AIIMS in State conceived by BJP Govt’

--BJP workers stage demo in front of AIIMS

BHUBANESWAR: BJP workers on Wednesday staged demonstration in front of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Bhubaneswar to inform the public that the premier institution was first conceived by the BJP Government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The BJP workers wearing saffron hats led by party’s spokesperson Samir Mohanty were shouting slogans in front of the institution’s gate when Union Minster for Health and Family Welfare was inaugurating the ceremony inside the medical campus.

Mohanty said the then Prime Minister and BJP chief Bajpayee had laid foundation stone of the institution 11 years ago, but the UPA-I and UPA-II Government led by the Congress party failed to complete the construction of the institution till the inauguration ceremony. “We thank Bajpayeeji for his Government’s precious gift to the State,” said Mohanty.

     

Cine stars Sritam, Pinki join BJP

BHUBANESWAR: Film actor Sritam Das and actress Pinki Pradhan joined BJP on Wednesday. Party’s State president Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo welcomed the duo to the party in the presence of other party leaders.

The film stars said they got inspired by BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and values of the party. “Most of the youths of the country want to see Modi as Prime Minister so that he can solve problems like unemployment, corruption, law and order situation and violence against women,” Sritam said.

Actress Pinki said she chose BJP to work with after analysing other political parties. “If I get a chance from BJP to work for the development of the State, I’ll be happy,” she said after joining the party.

Similarly, SUCI State secretary and Union Bank of India Employees’ Union president Bhaskar Jena along with senior Income Tax officer Bidhubhusan Mohanty also joined BJP with the cine stars.

Modi rally in Sambalpur on Mar 14

BHUBANESWAR: Date of BJP rally in Sambalpur, which will be addressed by BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, has been rescheduled for March 14. It was informed by State BJP spokesperson Suresh Pujari here on Wednesday.  

Modi’s Sambalpur rally is aimed at enhancing the party’s election prospects in western Odisha, said party sources and added that State leaders try to get good response in the coming elections by using the Modi wave.

Notably, Modi had addressed his first election rally at the Baramunda ground here on February 11 and it was attended by around two lakh people.

AIIMS to be dedicated to public today

--Hospital to introduce Health Card for patients

AIIMS Hospital at Sijua in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad will dedicate the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Bhubaneswar to the public on Wednesday.

Besides the Union Health Minister, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Srikant Jena, State Health Minister Damodar Rout and local MP Prasanna Patsani will also grace the occasion, said AIIMS director Prof Ashok Mohapatra at a Press meet here on Wednesday.

The premier medical institute of the State built over an area of 1,25,000 square metre have three operation theatres (OTs), a recovery ward, four high dependant units, a 10-bed ICU along with 150 beds spanning different specialities.

The hospital had started the OPD services in the basic disciplines of medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, dentistry and gynaecology in June last year which increased to 24 in a later stage.

On the day of inauguration, the institution would introduce e-card system, which is also called as health card, for patients coming to the hospital. Through the card, the patients could know about the disease, treatment and assigned doctor for the ailment.  

“The e-card will be introduced from Wednesday. It will help the patients to store all the data regarding treatment in the hospital,” said Prof Mohapatra. 

‘Information sharing with Press need to be streamlined’

--Media persons suggest police to behave public well

BHUBANESWAR: Attending a Police-Media interaction organised by the Commissionerate Police (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack) here on Tuesday, senior journalists of various Media houses in the city suggested Twin City Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma to streamline the process of dissemination of information to media houses in a regular manner.

During the interaction, editors and bureau chiefs of different media houses alleged that some of the police officers don’t give information about the high profile and sensitive crimes occurred in the twin city. “Their reluctance promotes misinformation in crime reporting,” said journalist Bipin Singh.

Similarly, MBC TV editor Ashok Mohapatra and OTV editor Soumyajit Patnaik said the Commissionerate Police should disseminate information in a democratic way to all media houses without any prejudices. The public relations department in the Commissionerate Police needs to be strengthened, opined journalist K Ravi of Statesman.

Most of the media persons suggested the Commissioner should take initiative to change the attitude of the police personnel working in the twin city while dealing with the public. Victims get victimised by the police personnel in the police stations which is very unfortunate, said Asian Age special correspondent Akshay Sahu.

The journalists said the police should behave with the public in a friendly manner so that the people who come to the police stations will not be disappointed. “Well behave by the police in a worst time of a victim will give courage to the person to fight against injustice, so that police should change its attitude towards public,” said a journalist.

Journalists like Prasanna Mohanty, Satkadi Hota, Nabin Das and Gopal Mohapatra suggested many new things to the Commissioner to strengthen basic policing, traffic system, crime control and intelligence. They also proposed to keep strict vigil on the activities of the outsiders so that they can’t run away after committing crime in the city.

Dr Sharma assured the journalists to take positive initiatives to implement new ideas to strengthen the policing in the twin city. A training programme will be started for the police staff from February 28 to teach them how to deal with the general public in the police stations, he added.

“We have taken several new initiatives to streamline traffic system, night patrolling, proper frisking, road safety and many other things. Though we have staff shortage problem, we are trying to improve the quality of basic policing,” said Dr Sharma.             

Police grills seven for firing on Minister

--Mohanty takes liquid diet, condition improving

PURI/BHUBANESWAR: The Puri district police have continued its process of interrogation in order to get clues about the firing on Law Minister Maheswar Mohanty on Friday night near his residence at Puri town. Out of the total 40 people detained by the police, 33 of them were released till Monday evening, sources said.

Reliable sources from the Puri police said that four vehicles along with some fire arms used in the crime have been seized and police were trying to ascertain the motive behind the attack. Two police teams have left for outside of Puri district to nab mastermind of the firing, said the sources.   

Police sources said that two to three people fired at him when he was returning home on his bike. They will nab the culprits very soon, said a senior police officer.

Meanwhile, condition of the Minister sustained multiple injuries in hand and waist is improving. Doctors of the Kalinga Hospital in the capital city said Mohanty has started taking liquid diet. Very soon they will take him out of the ICU, the doctor team said. 

Three hardcore criminals arrested from city

BHUBANESWAR: The Commissionerate Police on Monday arrested three hardcore criminals while they were hatching a plan to commit a crime in Nayapalli area in the city. A 9 mm pistol, two live bullets and a stolen Bajaj Pulsar bike were seized from their possession, police said.

Police sources said the accused identified as Sanjay Jena (32) and Sushant Mallick (34), both of Niali, besides Dhananjay Panda of Angul, were working in Madha Khuntia gang. They are involved in serious crimes including murder and dacoity.

Sanjay and Sushant are hard core criminals involved in more than 10 crime cases in Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kalahandi, Jajpur and Angul. They were involved in the petrol pump bombing case in Balipatna in 2012 and a murder case in Niali in 2013, said the police sources.

According to Twin City Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma, the criminals were engaged in serious crimes in various districts of the State for the last 10 years. Three Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) were pending against Sanjay while five NBWs were slapped against Sushant for repeatedly committing heinous crimes, Dr Sharma said.

Though the special squad of the Commissionerate Police arrested the three, two others are absconding. “Efforts are on to nab the absconding culprits as well as to ascertain if there are members in the gang,” Sharma said.

AAP urges Guv not to sign faulty Lokayukta Bill

BHUBANESWAR: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Odisha unit on Monday urged Governor SC Jamir not to sign the Odisha Lokayukta Bill without due care and examination since it has made major deviations from the Lokpal Act 2011 amended in 2013.

The party delegation submitted a memorandum to the Governor and appealed before him about technical and other deficiencies in the Bill passed recently by the Odisha Legislative Assembly in undue haste.

The party members in their memorandum stated the faults in the Bill like absence of protection for whistle blowers, removal process of the Lokayukta and action against defeated complainant.   

The Lokpal Act, Section 37, provides for removal process of Lokpal to be initiated on a petition signed by 100 MPs, while Section 37 of the Odisha Lokayukta Bill 2014 provides for signature of only 25 MLAs to start the process. As a consequence, the Lokayukta can be removed by signature of only 25 MLAs and it will help the ruling party to suppress the voice of the Lokayukta.

The Bill is bereft of any protection for the whistle blowers whose life would be in grave danger. Besides, the Bill makes mockery of the proposed Lokayukta and also poses grave threat to the complainant raising his voice against corruption by public servants, said the AAP members.

Yet to decide about joining in grand alliance: Samata Kranti Dal

BHUBANESWAR: Denying the speculation of joining with other parties to form grand alliance in the State ahead of General Election, Samata Kranti Dal (SKD) president and MLA George Tirkey on Monday said they didn’t have any information regarding the alliance.

Notably, the grand alliance coordinated by Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM) chief Pyarimohan Mohapatra would be an umbrella party of several small outfits in the State like Ama Odisha Party, Kalinga Sena, SKD and Republican Party of India (RPI). The small parties would support the national party BJP to fight against the Congress and the BJD in the State, sources said.

While addressing a public rally organised by the SKD at the Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti ground here, Tirkey said they can tell their final decision about joining in the grand alliance after party’s Parliamentary board meeting. 

Founder of the party and former Union Minister Braja Kishore Tripathy said they will raise the issue of corruption while campaigning for the fast approaching General Election. Their party candidates would reach out to the people to strengthen his party, he added.

More than one thousand people came in a procession started from Ram Mandir square to the rally venue at Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti ground here to attend party’s first State-level convention.    

Firing on Minister: Maheswar’s son files FIR; no name mentioned

--Health condition improving, says doctors

BHUBANESWAR: Law Minister Maheswar Mohanty’s elder son Sunil on Sunday lodged an FIR at the Puri Town police station about the incident where his father was shot at around 9 pm on Friday by unidentified miscreants in Puri.

Though Sunil has given details about the firing incident, he didn’t mention any name in the FIR. He informed the media persons that they were getting some phone calls from strangers before the firing incident.   

Meanwhile, three police teams were formed to continue the manhunt to nab the culprits involved in the case. The Puri police detained 10 people and interrogated them to get more clues so that they can arrest the assailants.

Sources said the police are searching for any link between the recent firing incident and BJD councilor Guna Sinhari’s murder case.

On Sunday, the doctors treating the Minister assured that he will get well soon and will be provided with liquid diet from Sunday evening or Monday morning. “Health condition of the Minister is improving,” said Kalinga Hospital managing director Rajkishore Padhy, adding, “As he had received severe injury in some of his important body parts, he will take time for recovery.”

Maoists appeal M’giri public to boycott polls

MALKANGIRI: Members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) Malkangiri division appealed the people of the district to boycott the General Election protesting Government apathy towards development of their region.

Maoist leader Rukdhar in an interview with a regional TV news channel said the elected representatives just forget the people after winning the election. They never visit their area to inquire about the condition of the people which is very unfortunate, he added.

He said the State Government didn’t take any step to provide basic amenities including water facility, road connectivity, proper execution of welfare programmes, healthcare, Indira Awas Yojana for poor and launch service to the cut-off area. In spite of repeated demands of the poor people, the Government didn’t pay heed to their demands, he added.

“If the Government doesn’t take any concrete steps to solve basic problems of the common people, why the people of the area will cast vote for their representatives,” questioned Rukdhar, adding, “The MLAs and MPs never visit their area after getting elected by the common people.”

Rukdhar said the Government is trying to suppress the peoples’ movement by arresting their leaders branding them Maoists. “By using military forces, the Government has created terror in the cut-off area,” he added.     

Youth Commission in India demanded

BHUBANESWAR: Attending a State-level consultation for sharing of People’s Manifesto-2014 organised by the Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (WNTA) here on Sunday, the National Congress Party (NCP) State members demanded the Central Government to establish a Youth Commission in the country.

NCP member Srikant Samantray said they will draft a manifesto for setting up of the commission in India. He also said that his party will focus on the subject of human resources development, social security and other issues in the upcoming general election-2014.

Similarly representatives of different political parties functioning in the State including CPI (ML) leader Mahendra Parida and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Rabi Das attended the WNTA’s People’s Manifesto programme. They discussed about women and child development, education, health, agriculture, welfare of SC, ST, OBC and Minorities, rural development, social security and inclusion, water and sanitation facility, urban development, eradication of poverty and other issues.  

Notably, WNTA has initiated the process of preparing peoples manifesto for the Lok Sabha election 2014. Panchayat, block and district level meetings have been organised in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies of 21 districts in the State to prepare the manifesto.

Firing on Minister: Mohanty out of danger, political rivalry suspected

--CM assures to take stringent action against culprits  

BHUBANESWAR: Minister for Law, Culture and Tourism and Puri MLA Maheswar Mohanty, who was shot at around 9 pm on Friday by unidentified miscreants in Puri, is out of danger. It was confirmed by the five-member doctor team of the Kalinga Hospital after successfully conducting operations on Mohanty in the wee hours of Saturday.

Mohanty sustained two bullet injuries in his hand and shoulder, sources said. One of these bullets had pierced into the seventh rib of his chest which was later removed by the doctor team led by general surgeon Dr Abhaya Sutar and neurosurgeon Dr Chandramouli Mitra of the hospital.

The small size bullet which pierced into Mohanty’s seventh rib had ‘just touched’ his lungs causing slight injury, said hospital sources.

The 108 ambulance brought Mohanty at the midnight and he was taken to the Operation Theatre at around 3.40 am in the early morning, it added.

“Though the Minister’s condition is stable, it is difficult to tell he is fully well,” said managing director of the hospital Dr Rajkishore Padhy, adding, “He will be under 48-hour observation at the ICU and will be shifted to a cabin after his condition approves.”

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered the immediate arrest of the assailant involved in the firing incident. Patanik, accompanied by several of his cabinet colleagues, inquired the health condition of the Minister after visiting to the hospital in the morning. Expressing grave concern over the murderous assault on the Minister, he said that he would take stringent action against the culprits immediately.

DG of Police Prakash Mishra also visited the hospital to inquiry about the health condition of the Minister. While coming out of the hospital, the DGP said the investigation is on to nab the culprits. They have collected some clue in the case and the police will proceed after interrogating a detained person, he added.

Though the actual reason is yet to come up, sources alleged that the incident was the result of political rivalry between two groups. Recent killing of an aide of the Minister proves the altercation between the Maheswar group and the other group in the temple town, it added. 

Law, order situation deteriorating in State: Opposition

BHUBANESWAR: Reacting over the firing on Law Minister Maheswar Mohanty, the main opposition in the State Assembly Congress and BJP on Saturday criticised the State Government for not controlling increasing crimes in the State.  

Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra dubbed the firing incident as a heinous crime. “The incident shows that the condition of law and order situation in the State is deteriorating fast. This type of incident before the election clearly indicates that what will happen in the General Election,” said Mishra.  

Similarly, BJP State president KV Singh Deo in his reaction said, “The right to life and protection of the people is the whole responsible of the Government. As the Chief Minister is heading the department, he should take up the issue seriously rather than sleep over it.”

Series loot at Janpath Tower in city

BHUBANESWAR: Unidentified miscreants allegedly looted articles with hard cash worth over Rs 30,000 by breaking the locks and gates of nine shops inside a shopping complex ‘Janpath Tower’ at Ashok Nagar here in the wee hours of Saturday.

According to Santosh Bishoyee, owner of a mobile service center inside the complex, the miscreants looted two mobile service centers, five drug stores, one book stall and an office of blue-chip company. “The burglars took about Rs 30,000 hard cash from the shops,” said Bishoyee, adding, “They are yet to estimate their own loss.” 

Out of nine, seven shops were situated at the basement, and the remaining two were at the ground floor of the building. The whole act of looting electronic gadgets from a shop was captured in the CCTV cameras installed at the mobile service center.

Police sources said, the faces of the culprits are covered and for that it would be tough to identify them. However, police have started their initial investigation.

The police are interrogating a security guard who was in duty when the burglary had taken place.

2 Gaon Sathis attempt self immolation near Naveen Niwas

BHUBANESWAR: The Commissionerate Police on Saturday prevented two women Gaon Sathis while they were attempting self immolation near Chief Minster’s residence ‘Naveen Niwas’ in the city.

After capturing two women, the security personnel sent them to the Capital Hospital for treatment. The condition of the agitators was fine, sources said.

According to reports, when the women belonging to the Gaon Sathi Joint Coordination Committee were preparing to torch their body after pouring kerosene on it, the security personnel in front of the Naveen Niwas rushed to the spot and prevented them to take the extreme step.

The women said that they took the step when the State Government didn’t pay heed to their repeated demands include regularisation of job, permanent appointment of the workers in their respective panchayats with a monthly incentive of Rs 4,500, repeal of five-member village coordinator panel and 200 working days to job card holders instead of 100.

Cong’s PEC meeting on February 21

BHUBANESWAR: Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) of the Congress would hold meeting at New Delhi on Saturday to scrutinise and recommend the names of the aspirant candidates for the Lok Sabha seats in the State, said party sources.

The PEC would finalise the names of the candidates and submit it to the Screening Committee of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). The Screening Committee would declare the name of the candidate who will contest the Lok Sabha polls, said the sources.

Sources said the PEC may recommend three names for a Lok Sabha seat to the screening committee. “Winnable candidate will be the first choice of the party,” said Congress leader Ranjib Biswal.

“We hope the party will give priority to the youths while choosing candidates for the Lok Sabha polls,” said a party MLA.     

Suspected Maoist nabbed, rifles seized in Ganjam

BRAHMAPUR: One suspected Maoist was arrested and a huge cache of arms were seized by the CRPF and the district police from Merikote forest area under Sorada block in Ganjam district during a combing operation late on Thursday, police sources said.

The man identified as Damba Mallick of Krupagadi village under the Badagada police station in the district was taken in custody on the suspicion of being a Maoist when the CRPF patrol unit was combing the area, sources added.

According to CRPF official sources, three INSAS rifles, two bolt action guns, 119 rounds of ammunition, four live magazines of INSAS and three other such bullet cases along with 10 kg of iron splinter used for making IEDs were recovered from the Adi-anga-Sorada area during a joint combing operation by the CRPF and the Ganjam police on Thursday. The seized arms and ammunition have been handed over to the local police, sources in the CRPF added.

Police sources said the arms were possibly looted from the police or security forces.

AIIMS to be inaugurated formally on Feb 26

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad will formally inaugurate the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Bhubaneswar on February 26, informed its director Prof Ashok Mohapatra.

“Besides the Union Minister, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will also grace the occasion,” Mohapatra said adding preparations for the day are nearing completion.

According to official sources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was earlier scheduled to dedicate the health institute to public, but it was changed at the last moment.

The premier medical institute of the State built over an area of 1,25,000 square metre have three operation theatres (OTs), a recovery ward, four high dependant units, a 10-bed ICU along with 150 beds spanning different specialities.

Free, fair election to strengthen democracy: National Election Watch

BHUBANESWAR: “The political parties should not use money and muscle power to derail the process of free and fair election during the fast approaching General Election in 2014,” said representatives of the political parties while attending a State level conference on electoral and political reforms organised by the State chapter of the National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) here on Friday.    

Discussing on “Building Environment for Free and Fair Elections 2014”, senior leader of the Congress Narasingha Mishra said the ruling party should not use administrative power during election to get benefit. Most of the political leaders advocate not to cross expenditure limit set by the Election Commission of India (ECI), but it is violated by the political leaders several times, he added.

Mishra also said the voters need to be sensitised about the free and fair polls before every election. “The voters should not be biased by the political leaders for money and other gifts. They should reject the candidate who use money and muscle power to get vote,” said Mishra.

Gracing the occasion, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) State executive body member Dhanada Kanta Mishra said the country should come up with political reforms so that family raj and criminalisation in politics can be checked.

Leaders like Narendra Swain from BJD, Ashok Sahu from BJP, Kharvela Swain from Utkal Bharat, Dibakar Nayak from the Communist Party of India, Santosh Das from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and delegates of other parties attended the conference. 

Among others, former DGP AB Tripathy, former Chief Secretary Sahadev Sahoo, National Election Watch (NEW) head Anil Verma and NEW Odisha State coordinator Ranjan Mohanty participated in the discussions.             

 

Jail employees’ indefinite stir from tomorrow

BHUBANESWAR: Demanding a pay hike, more than 1800 jail employees of the State have threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike from February 22.

The jail employees have been demanding equal pay at par with the staff of the State Home Department, but the Government is yet to take any adequate step to solve the matter. Under a banner of the All Odisha Jail Employees Association (AOJEA), the employees however clarified that they would not boycott their duties.

Notably, the jail staff had earlier staged an eight-day hunger strike in December last year. They had withdrawn their agitation after being assured of a pay hike by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, but it has not been implemented so far, rued the members of the AOJEA.

Minority body demands to pass Communal Violence Bill

BHUBANESWAR: Recently formed Odisha Minority Rights Forum (OMRF) on Thursday staged a protest dharna in front of the State Assembly here demanding clearance of ‘Prevention of Communal Violence Bill’ in the Parliament.

The long awaited Bill could not be introduced in the current session of the Parliament due to strong opposition of few political parties. “If the political parties support the Bill to get passed in the Parliament, we will cast vote for them otherwise not,” said OMRF coordinator Jugal Kishore Ranjit. 

He said the Bill, if passed will become a shield of security for Dalit, Adivasis and Minority communities as it has lots of provisions of reparations and justice system. There will be adequate relief and rehabilitation measures for the victims, he added.

Ranjit said the Government officials become more accountable to their duties during communal violence. An authority at State as well as at national level will be created to monitor promotion of communal harmony, he added.

IBM officer’s missing: State to handover case to CBI

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government is going to hand over the case of the missing senior Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) official Ibrahim Sharif to the CBI, reliable sources said on Wednesday.

The decision was taken by the State Home Department in the wake of the Commissionerate Police’s failure to trace the missing officer and his wife Salma Paveen’s continuous demand for CBI probe. 

Recently, the Commissionerate Police, after ending its inquiry into the missing of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) officer Ibrahim Sharif, has written to the State Home Department to take further steps to trace the officer.

Twin City Police Commissioner RP Sharma said the city police didn’t get any tangible information about the IBM officer. The police team has already spent more than two months outside of the State to trace the officer, but in vain.

As it is an inter-State case, Sharma said, it needs to be probed by a higher agency which has branches across the country.   

Earlier, the Union Ministry of Mines had called a meeting at the IBM head office in Nagpur on Friday last in the presence of Ministry officials and IBM officials of Kanpur and Bhubaneswar where they discussed about Ibrahim’s missing. The officials had discussed about a high-level inquiry like that by the CBI to trace the officer.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim’s wife has already demanded the State Government to recommend a CBI probe into her husband’s missing case. Even she had urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to intervene into the matter to trace out her husband.

Ibrahim, who hails from Karnataka and lived with his family at Nigam Vihar in Phase-II of Kanan Vihar in Bhubaneswar, has been untraceable after he left for his office on November 25 last year.

CM asks Maoists to return to mainstream

--4 south Odisha NACs to become municipalities

MALKANGIRI/BHUBANESWAR: During his visit to Chitrakonda in Malkangiri district on Wednesday, Chief Minster Naveen Patnaik called upon the Maoists to return to mainstream of the society by giving up violence.

“Violence is not the way of solution of any problem and there is no place for it in the democracy,” said Patnaik, adding, “The Maoists should return to the mainstream.”

While addressing the public at Chitrakonda, Patnaik announced that four Notified Area Councils (NACs) in southern Odisha, Sunabeda, Malkangiri, Koraput and Umerkote, will soon be upgraded to municipalities.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for several developmental projects in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur.