ABVP demands Chidambaram’s arrest

BHUBANESWAR: Demanding Home Minister P Chidambaram’s arrest for his involvement in 2G scam, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged demonstration at Mastercanteen Square here on Wednesday supporting its nationwide demonstration against the central minister.

The demonstrators have burnt effigy of P Chidambaram and came out in a procession from Matercanteen to Lower PMG by flaunting placards bearing different slogans against the minister.

ABVP leaders alleged that because of then Finance Minister P Chidambaram, 2G scam occurred, which incurred loss of 1.72 lakh crore to the country. Hence considering his involvement of P Chidambaram in the 2G scam, they demanded that the President of India should remove him from his post and made him co-accused, they added.

Joint secretary of State ABVP Sitakanta Rout said the student movement will continue till the minister is arrested. On the coming days ABVP will intensify its agitation against the minister and lakhs of ABVP activists will participate in the agitation already run by Youth Against Corruption, he added.

Odia girl Prasannata to get National Bravery Award

BHUBANESWAR: Odia girl Prasannata Sandilya, a sixth class student of OP Jindal School, from Nisha village under Chendipada police station in Angul district to get National Bravery Award this year. Prashannata gets the award for foiling a dacoity bid happened in her house on April 12 last year.

This year 24 children will get the prestigious award. They will be awarded at a function in New Delhi on Republic Day this year by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

National Bravery Award for Indian children is given every year by Government of India and Indian Council for Child Welfare to Indian children for meritorious act of bravery against all odds.

Children will get a medal, certificate and cash under the scheme and the awardees will be granted financial assistance for their schooling.

Student Congress demands Maharathy’s resignation

BHUBANESWAR: Demanding resignation of Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathi and CBI probe into the Pipili gang-rape case, student workers of the Odisha Pradesh Students’ Congress (OPSC) organised a meeting following a rally from the Congress Bhavan at Lower PMG here on Tuesday.

Presiding over the meeting, OPSC president Chinmoy Kumar Sahoo alleged the BJD workers’ involvement in heinous gang-rape cases in the State like Pipili incident, where the State Government is crying for the development of the Dalit Society.

He also said that the gang-rape cases are increasing at an alarming mode and fortunately four rape cases came to light after media intervention. Even the police were dancing in the tune of the Minister for which the case was not registered in the name of the criminals, he added.

Sahoo also alleged that the criminals were under protected by the Minister in his concerned farm house and demanded stringent action against the SP of Puri. Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik as the chief of the Home Department should give direction to arrest the then Police Inspector of Pipili and ask the Minister Maharathi for resignation from his Ministry. Further, he demanded failing which the OPSC would continue rallies and meetings against the Government in all over the State till the demands are fulfilled.

Not to have faith on Judicial inquiry is unfortunate: BYJD

BHUBANESWAR: “The State Government has already appointed a Crime Branch inquiry, a Commission for Judicial inquiry and the Chief Minister has assured to take stringent action against the culprits. But to get political benefit out of the issue, opposition parties including the Congress’s demand for CBI inquiry and not having faith on judicial inquiry is unfortunate,” said president of Biju Yuva Janata Dal and MLA Sanjay Kumar Dasburma in a Press statement here on Monday.

He alleged that the people of the country know how Congress Government had misused the CBI in Bofors case and Taj Corridor case. Believing CBI is not other than political conspiracy, added Burma.   

Arrest Pradeep Maharathy: Youth Congress

BHUBANESWAR: Demanding Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy’s arrest, the Bhubaneswar Parliament Youth Congress (BPYC) staged a dharna lead by its president Lokanath Moharathy in front of the Additional District Magistrate’s office here on Tuesday. A team of Congress leaders handed over a memorandum to the Governor through the ADM.

Attending the dharna, president of the State Youth Congress Sangram Keshari Jena alleged that Maharathy is the main villain of the Pipili gang-rape case. The Youth Congress is demanding Maharathy’s arrest for giving protection to his followers in his farm house, he added. On the other hand, he said negligence of the police and the conspiracy of the minister to suppress the facts is not a matter of secrecy, the people know about the original face of the minister.

Former Congress MP Soumyaranjan Patnaik said that within 12 years of BJD ruling, the Home Departemnt is completely failed to act. From Paikamal to Pipili rape case, the State Government has not taken any distinctive steps to give justice to the victims, he added. He also said the Congress will start movement protesting Naveen Government’s failure.

Among others, treasurer of Pradesh Congress Committee Chiranjeev Biswal with the presidents of different assembly constituents in the city and prominent leaders of the Congress including Suresh Kumar Routray, Jagannath Patnaik, Kishore Patel, Sivananda Ray, Lalatendu B Mahapatra and other leaders were present in the dharna.

Fast food vendor shot dead in Berhampur

BERHAMPUR: After a few days of silence, again the ruffians’ guns roared in the Silk City. This time, a fast food shop vendor, Suresh Swain became the target. The unidentified miscreants on Tuesday gunned down the vendor at Dhobabandha in the city.

After firing, Suresh was brought to the MKCG Medical by the local police but the doctors declared him dead. The family members told that Suresh has no animosity with anybody in the town.

This is not for the first time, before one firing incident took place in the Bhanja Vihar campus on November 10, one person shot dead in Haridakhandi square in the city and one man from Hinjilikatu murdered by some miscreants, which have raised question marks about the law and order situation in the city. The city has witnessed several crime incidents within last 13 months including six murder cases, 12 bombing incidents, four firing incidents and 16 loot cases.

Dolphin count conducted in Chilika

BHUBANESWAR: Survey of Irrawaddy dolphin population in Chilika Lake conducted on Tuesday by Chilika Development Authority in collaboration with Chilika Wild Life Division with some volunteer organisations and experts from various institutions.

This year, for the annual population estimation of Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) of Chilika Lake, 18 teams were formed. Out of 18 teams, eight from Satapada and ten from Balugaon were engaged in the survey. This is being carried out since from 2003.

The experts are recording the movements and whereabouts of the dolphins through GPS system. They have started the survey by dividing Chilika into four parts. The CDA officials informed that the final data of the survey will be final on Wednesday.