Hardcore Maoist held at Jharkhand border

--Security personnel unhurt in M’giri landmine blast

ROURKELA/MALKANGIRI: Meanwhile, the Rourkela police on Saturday in joint operation with a special squad arrested a hardcore cadre of the CPI (Maoist) from the Kaliaposh-Jharbeda jungle at the Odisha-Jharkhand border under the Bisra police station, Rourkela.

Rourkela SP Himanshu Lal told reporters that basing on intelligence inputs regarding movement of the Maoists in the Kaliaposh-Jharbeda jungle an operation was launched at the wee hours of Saturday. Ram Gagrai (23) alias Ram alias Chhotu of Tirilposhi under the Jaraikela police station of West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, who was highly active in the Saranda forest at the Inter-State border was apprehended at about 8 am.

Gagrai he confessed to have been involved in the Langalkata encounter case under the K Balang police station. He was also involved in a number of other Maoist violence cases at Odisha-Jharkhand border area since 2008, including abduction and murder of villagers at Topadihi and Lagalkata under the K Balang PS in December 2010.

He had joined the Maoist organisation in 2007 being threatened and picked up by Anmol Hembram alias Samarji, the then secretary-cum-spokesman of the Dakshin Chhotanagpur Zonal Committee of the CPI (Maoists), informed Lal.

He was also named an accused in the murder case of ex-Home Guard Kandri Lohar (28) and her minor son Sib (4) on February 12, 2012 near the Mahipani railway gate under the Bisra PS.

On the other hand, joint forces BSF, SOG and local police personnel escaped unhurt in a landmine blast triggered by the Maoists at Kanaguda under Kalimela police station limit in Malkangiri district on Saturday while going to join in a combing operation at the nearby jungle.

On a tip-off the joint forces started journey to arrive at Kanaguda to conduct raid on a Maoist camp, but on the way they faced landmine blast as a result fire exchange between the police and ultras started where 500 round bullet were used. Finally, the red rebels left the place and the police recovered huge cache of explosives, wires and landmines from the camp.   

Similarly, the Maoists had planted another landmine targeting a police jeep at Gamphakonda in the district that blasted on Saturday, but no police personnel were injured in the incident, sources said.

Block Grant teachers join school after 2-week cease-work

BHUBANESWAR: Following the State Government’s announcement to reintroduce grant-in-aid system of payment instead of block grant, the agitating block grant teachers withdrew strike and joined school on Saturday after two-week cease-work.

After the Government declaration, the executive body members of the Block Grant Teachers Association welcomed the decision and called a meeting to discuss about the new policy. Association president Prashant Mohapatra cautioned the Government to implement the Grant-In-Aid (GIA) policy within two months, otherwise they would again hit the street with thousands of teachers and their supporters.

Now 1982 schools come under the block grant mode of payment where 13,380 employees are working. School and Mass Education Minister Rabi Narayan Nanda said the department would place the new GIA policy in the Cabinet by February, 2013. Priority will be given to schools receiving block grant since past eight years, he added.

The teachers promised to take extra classes to fill up their left out subjects due to absent in the school. They would take some extra time of Sunday or Saturday to make the students understand about different subjects of their syllabus.    

Urban cadre to be created to manage Urban Local Bodies

BHUBANESWAR: “An Urban Cadre will be created to manage Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) like NACs, Municipalities and Corporations in the State,” said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while inaugurating a workshop on ‘Basic Services and Rights to the Urban Poor’ organised by the State Housing and Urban Development Department here on Saturday.

Patnaik said the State Government is committed for the development and welfare of the urban poor. The Government is dedicatedly working to provide them basic amenities, he said, adding, “Due to rapid urbanisation and economic growth, development of the urban bodies is a new challenge for which we have planned to create a new Urban Cadre for implementing major civic reforms across the State.”   

On the occasion, Patnaik gave away awards to various ULBs for best performance. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation got first prize for ‘Best Performing Urban Local Body’, while the Municipal Corporations of Cuttack and Brahmapur got second and third prize respectively. Some municipalities and NAC including Joda, Brajarajnagar, Dhenkanal, Biramitrapur and Bolangir Municipality and Kantabanji, Jaleswar, Patnagarh, Titlagarh, Gunupur and Koraput NAC got awards for their best performance.   

Among others, Departmental Minister Raghunath Mohanty, secretary I Srinivas, BMC Commissioner, Director of Housing, Chairpersons and Executive Officers of all the Urban Local Bodies of the State attended the ceremony.

BMC gets Best Performing Urban Local Body award

BHUBANESWAR: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Anant Narayan Jena received the first prize for ‘Best Performing Urban Local Body’ from Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik in an award giving ceremony on the occasion of a workshop on ‘Basic Services and Rights to the Urban Poor’ organised by the State Housing and Urban Development here on Saturday. Departmental Minister Raghunath Mohanty, secretary I Srinivas, BMC Commissioner, Director of Housing, Chairpersons and Executive Officers of all the Urban Local Bodies of the State attended the ceremony.

Central Govt employees to go on one-day strike on Dec 12

BHUBANESWAR: The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers (CCGEW) have given a call for one-day strike on December 12 demanding fulfillment of 15-point charter of demands. The major demands include setting up of 7th CPC, rectification of anomalies, rectification of DA formula, grant of transport allowances for all field persons and revise tour TA and DA.

Due to no response from the Govt. of India for a fruitful discussion on 15 point charter of demands submitted to the Prime Minister of India by the CCGEW through a mass deputation to the Parliament on July 26, the Confederation has already submitted a notice to go on one day all India strike on December 12 for which its affiliated federations, unions and associations would organise a country-wide campaign by holding meetings at district and State-level conventions to prepare the employees for the purpose.

The Confederation said the wage structure given by 6th CPC has totally smashed the existing relativities which is not acceptable to the people of India. Another important aspect of pay revision is the merger of DA as Dearness Pay. The 5th CPC merged 98% DA which was then admissible and recommended that as and when the DA increase of 50% takes place, it should be merged with the Pay. But, the 6th CPC has undone this achievement and rather snatched away this benefit for reasons which are totally absurd. The Confederation members added.

According to CCGEW Odisha State Branch’s Organising Secretary Bruhaspati Samal, as many as 3 lakh Gramin Dak Sewaks who are directly responsible for effecting postal services door to door though have been neglected since pre-independence era, the Government is quite adamant to offer them the status and pension at par with regular employees. The continuous down-sizing and outsourcing of Central Government establishments has posed a threat for privatisation which is strongly opposed by the employees, he added.

Sabyasachi says Sangram’s arrest illegal

BHUBANESWAR: Maoist leader and Odisha Maovadi Party chief Sabyasachi Panda on Friday released a new audio tape through which he demanded the State Government to open paddy procurement cell (Mandi) to check distress sale of paddy in the State. He also alleged that Maoist interlocutor Dandapani Mohanty’s son Sangram’s arrest was illegal.

Panda said that Sangram was arrested by the police based on false allegation. Sangram was the aspirant from Sorada constituency and a supporter of Pyari Mohapatra for which reason the rulling party arrested the youth leader using the police force, he added.

On the other hand, Sangram continued hunger strike in R Udaygiri sub jail in Gajapati district protesting his arrest by the police. Backing his son, Mohanty alleged that the State Government had hatched a conspiracy against his family to put them in trouble.

SC appointed CEC team to visit State today

BHUBANESWAR: Officials of the State Government are all set to face the Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered committee (CEC), which would visit Odisha on Saturday to examine whether the State Government have properly implemented the recommendations of the CEC to check illegal mining in the State or not.

The CEC team would hold discussions with top State officials on December 10. “The panel will mostly focus on compliance with forest laws at mining leases,” said a senior Government official. Secretaries and senior officials of the department of Revenue, Mines, Forest and State Pollution Control Board would be present over the meeting.

It may be noted that that the CEC in its report in April 2010, had pointed out the misuse of ‘deemed extension’ clause in Odisha under Rules 24-A (6) of Mineral Concession Rules-1960. The CEC had outlined in the report that mining activities were going on in a large number of mines in the State without the requisite approvals under Forest (Conservation) Act-1980, environmental clearances and air and water Acts. The mining activities also exceeded production limit as approved under the Mining Plans, the report mentioned.

The CEC had drawn the Government’s attention to deal with serious shortcomings on a priority basis to ensure strict compliance with provisions of Forest (Conservation) Act-1980, Environment Protection Act and other statutory provisions.