‘50,000 farmers to block roads in capital on March 25’

--Price, prestige, pension for farmers--

BHUBANESWAR: Protesting the State Government’s anti-farmer policy, over 50,000 farmers from more than 20 districts of the State would block roads from either sides of the capital city by March-end, said the members of the Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) on Sunday.

NNKS president Akshaya Kumar told reporters that the State Government has failed to address the issues of the poor farmers. “The farmers need remunerative prices and bonus for their paddy and other crops and prestige to live with dignity. But what has the Government done for them within these years,” he questioned and said the Government is only trying to suppress the farmer’s voice.

The organisation would demand Rs 5,000 per quintal of paddy, Rs 300 as bonus on each qunital of paddy, besides pension of Rs 5,000 for each farmer. Kumar said various farmers’ organisations have been discussing with the Government to solve the farmer’s problems, but the Government doesn’t take any interest which compelled the farmers to stage protest in front of the Chief Minister’s residence. Kumar said that the police action and conspiracy could not stop the spirit of the peasants’ movement.

NNKS joint coordinator Seshadev Nanda said the peasants’ movement would be intensified at the grassroots level with the help of various farmers’ organisations across the State. The NNKS has already organised meetings at the district level during the last three months to deliver the message of the movement against the Government’s apathy towards the farmers, he added.

Notably, members of the NNKS had staged demonstration in front of the Naveen Niwas (the Chief Minister's residence) and tried to gherao it violating prohibitory orders under section 144 Cr PC. As many as 58 persons were arrested in connection with the case.

Aam Aadmi Party’s State unit launched

BHUBANESWAR: India Against Corruption chief campaigner Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) officially launched its Odisha unit after holding a State-level public meeting at the Lower PMG here on Saturday. It was the party’s first public meeting in the State.

Hundreds of volunteers and supporters of the party participated in the meeting. AAP national executive members including Prof Ajit Jha, an experienced political activist, addressed the mass explaining the vision and mission of the party.

Prof Jha also released the Odia translation of Arvind Kejriwal’s much-discussed book Swaraj, which the party has adopted as one of its key issues along with its demand for a strong Lokpal, right to reject (election candidates) and right to recall (elected representatives) as well as making justice a fundamental right.

AAP State coordinator Nishikant Mohapatra said the party has received an excellent response from people around the State. “So far, we have strengthened our position in 25 districts out of which district committees have been formed in 17,” Mohapatra said, adding, “We will form committees in all districts and the State committee will be finalised within two days.”

The Aam Aadmi Party was formed on November 26 last year in the presence of over 30,000 people at Parliament Street in New Delhi with the main objective to ensure right politics for people and to break the culture of money and muscle power in politics.

The party has five levels, national, State, district, block and primary. The party has some unique characteristics such as no two persons from same family to be given party positions or tickets, all donations and expenses to be published online and provision of internal lokpals for grievance redressal.

CPM demands CB probe into D’nal rape, murder case

BHUBANESWAR: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday demanded Crime Branch inquiry into the sexual assault and killing of 17-year-old dalit girl of Mathatentulia village under Gondia police limits in Dhenkanal district on Tuesday night. The party condemned the horrid act as heartrending and heinous.

A fact finding team, which had visited the spot, stated that the incident was engineered by a group of people to take revenge on the victim’s family. The team said the family has lost everything in the fire on March 12, but they were not provided assistance till Thursday evening. No Government officials or peoples representatives visited the family to help them out, they added.

The team members said the family is living in the Government land as the family along with other dalit and tribal people are not provided land pattas. The family is very poor, but it doesn’t have BPL card, ration card or Indira Awas; so the Government should provide them all the facilities, they demanded.

The CPI (M) State Secretariat member Santosh Das demanded exemplary punishment to the accused through trial in a Fast Track court and Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family of the deceased.

Among others, State secretariat member Suresh Panigrahy, State Committee member Pushpa Das, SFI State secretary Sarat Das, Jitin Mohanty and Padmabhushan Sahu went with the delegation.

Rahul’s focus to woo tribal voters in State

--Focus 2014 poll--

BHUBANESWAR: All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi while discussing with the MPs of Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand at the Parliamentary party office in New Delhi on Thursday advised the latter to concentrate on the tribal issues to woo the voters. During his one and a half hour brainstorming session with the MPs, the Gandhi scion emphasised on the tribal voters to revive their faith on the party.

Rajya Sabha member Ram Chandra Khuntia said the meeting was a routine work of the party regarding the strengthening of party for the coming 2014 general election. Rahul stressed on proper delivery of Government facilities and programmes for the welfare of the tribals, he added.

Sundergarh Congress MP Hemananda Biswal said that their vice president talked about the core issues of the tribals related to much-discussed land disputes. A two-member committee from each State would submit a ground report on the tribal issue to Rahul and then he would prepare the agenda, Biswal added.

Rahul called upon the MPs to reach out to the tribals leaders and to sensitise them about various programmes, schemes and plans for the welfare of the community is needed in this point time before the coming election. He also set his goal for the organisational development in the party.

Recently, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Union Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo had visited Sunabeda, Kalahandi and Niyamgiri like tribal areas to announce their plans and programmes for the development of the area which shows the ‘focus tribal’ policy of the Congress before the upcoming general election.

D’nal dalit rape, murder: Main accused arrested

--Cong, SP demand exemplary action against culprits

DHENKANAL/BHUBANESWAR: Police arrested the principal accused in connection with the sexual assault and killing of 17-year-old dalit girl of Mathatentulia village under Gondia police limits in Dhenkanal district on Tuesday. Police have started man hunt to nab the other accused who are absconding.

The accused was identified as Shibaji Nayak of Mathatentulia and his other four friends sexually assaulted and then burnt her alive in the house in the absence of her parents late on Tuesday night. The criminals after sexually assaulting the minor girl had locked the door from outside and set her on fire.

The Dhenkanal police are investigating into the matter after lodging a rape and murder case. “We are searching the other accused. Very shortly we would arrest the aide of mastermind Nayak who have gone underground,” said Dhenkanal SP Manoranjan Mohanty.

Meanwhile, the heinous act has created a hue and cry in the political sphere. The main opposition party Congress raised voice against the incident. Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik condemned the horrid act as a barbaric and mindless which would put entire humanity in shame. “I request the State Government to take immediate steps to arrest the culprits and try them through a special fast track court,” said patnaik.

He said the security and safety of women has been a serious concern and they have raised the issue with the incumbent Government time and again. “We should collectively work towards creating a system which guarantees security to our sisters and mothers and ensure their dignity is protected,” he added.

Similarly, a delegation led by Samajwadi Party State Committee president Rabi Behera handed over a memorandum to the Governor demanding termination of the local police officer for negligence of duty and immediate arrest of all the accused persons involved in the case. The party also demanded Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family of the deceased and to give exemplary punishment to the accused through trial in a Fast Track court within 90 days.

NCP supporters gherao speaker’s residence

--NCP MLAs’ merger issue--

BHUBANESWAR: The supporters and workers of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) gheraoed the residence of Assembly speaker Pradip Kumar Amat here on Thursday demanding immediate action on NCP MLAs’ merger with BJD issue.

The NCP supporters staged demonstration in front of the speaker’s residence flaunting placards bearing slogans demanding the speaker to take a fair and unbiased decision regarding the matter. They also demanded that the speaker should show respect to the Supreme Court and High Court’s order.

During agitation, the police took the activists into preventive custody while they were trying to enter to the residence.

According to NCP leader Srikant Samantray, we have filed contempt of court case against the speaker. “Being a speaker, working for the party purpose is unfortunate,” said Samantaray, adding, “Amat should resign from his post on the moral ground.”  

The Supreme Court on Wednesday had set aside the review petition of Amat regarding the controversial merger of the four NCP MLAs.

No tie with BJD, OJM, reiterates KV

--Singh Deo assumes charge of BJP State chief

BHUBANESWAR: “State BJP will not seek the support of the rulling BJD or the Odisha Jan Morcha on the coming 2014 general election,” reiterated newly elected BJP State president Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo while addressing the party workers here after formally taking the charge of the State BJP.

In his speech at the felicitation ceremony, Singh Deo said the BJP would be the alterative to the BJD and Congress party in the State. They would contest the coming elections on their own strength, he added.

The party president came down heavily on BJD Government by citing the instances of various corruptions and scams continuing in the State. He alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is involved in the disputed Sainik deal. “Patnaik would also face the same condition what Jharkhand’s former Chief Minsiter Madhu Koda had faced,” he said, adding, “Patnaik would sit at the adjacent cell of Koda in the jail in future.”

Singh Deo further said his party is on a sincere mission for development of the people of the State unlike the Congress and the BJD. “We believe in a sustained development, not at the cost of poor farmers’ land,” said Singh Deo, adding, “We will usher in a qualitative change in the scenario of the State politics.”

The party leaders including national general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan, national executive body member Bijay Mohapatra, senior leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, former State presidents Suresh Pujari, Bimbadhar Kuanra, Manmohan Samal, Jual Oram and other senior leaders lashed out at the State Government and refuted the allegation of any conflict and groupism inside the party.

Around three thousands of party workers across the State attended the felicitation ceremony. At first the workers welcomed Singh Deo at the airport and took out with a bike procession up to party office. Leaders of the party and presidents of the district committees felicitated the newly elected State chief with mammoth garlands.