ECI to speed up its campaign in State to increase voter turn out

--16.5 lakh voter ID cards in State deleted from electoral roll

BHUBANESWAR: Election Commission of India (ECI) would speed up its campaigns in the State in order to increase voter turnout in the upcoming General Election 2014. It was informed by the ECI Director General Akshay Rout at a Press meet here on Tuesday.

A day before the two-day consultation on voters’ participation organised by the ECI and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Rout said they have initiated an effective programme the Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) to enhance voter participation and awareness in the country and it will be used in Odisha also.

He said the purpose of this campaign was to inform, motivate and facilitate every eligible voter. The campaign would also focus on registration of eligible voters and to increase voters’ awareness and education for participation in electoral process.

“We have created history in voter turnout percentage by initiating SVEEP programme in five States where the election ended recently,” said Rout, adding, “Due to the programme, women participation in casting vote has been increased than last election.”

He said that percentage of women participation in Chhattishgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram was historic. Except Madhya Pradesh, the percentage women voter turnout was the highest than males in other four States, he added.

“As the women (64.90 per cent) participation in casting vote is low than men (65.67 per cent), we hope the programme will help in increasing women voter turnout in Odisha,” said Rout.

Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha Mona Sharma said that they have taken several steps to stop issuing more than one voter ID to a person. Even they have started deleting names of deceased persons from voters’ list. “We have deleted 16.5 lakh voter IDs in the State during the special drive between April and July this year,” she added.    

Persons involved in hand chopping case identified

--3 police teams conducting raids to nab culprits

BHAWANIPATNA: The Kalahandi police on Tuesday identified the contractor and his four henchmen involved in chopping off the hands of two contract labourers after they refused to go outside the State.

Talking to media persons, Inspector General of Police, South-Western, YK Jethwa said that they have already identified the persons involved in the case and started a manhunt to nab the culprits. In order to speed up the investigation, three police teams have been formed to nab the contractor and his henchmen, he added.

Kalahandi SP Sarthak Sarangi said the villagers of the victims helped them in identifying the perpetrators who threw away the victims at a roadside after chopping off their right hands on Monday evening. “Our teams are searching in and outside of the district and we will arrest the culprits very soon,” Sarangi said.

On the other hand, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Headquarters, PK Baliarsingh said that they would take appropriate action against the contractor according to the provision of the law.    

Meanwhile, the two victims, Nilambar Dhangada Majhi and Pialu Dhangada Majhi of from Nuaguda under the Jayapatna police station, are struggling for life at the District Headquarters Hospital here. The district administration assured the victims to give them free treatment.  

Notably, the labour contractor from Sinapali area of Nuapada district was taking the victims, along with ten others from their village, to Chhattisgarh for working in brick kilns.

The labourers from Nuaguda village had taken an advance of Rs 14,000 each from the contractor with a promise that they would go to Andhra Pradesh as labourers after harvesting their paddy crop. But before completion of the harvest work, the contractor reached Nuaguda and forcibly took away 12 people from the village in a Bolero jeep on Sunday.

On the way, 10 out of the 12 labourers managed to flee from the clutches of the contractor near Belpada under the Borda police outpost area in Kalahandi, but Nilambar and Pialu could not. Angry at the escape of the other labourers, the middleman chopped off the right hands of both. “If you are not going to work for us, you will not be able to work for anybody,” the contractor and his henchmen reportedly told them.

Scribes stage dharna expressing unhappy over Minister's reply

BHUBANESWAR: Expressing unhappy over the reply of Information and Public Relation Minister Arun Kumar Sahu in the Assembly regarding their seven-point charter of demands, working journalists staged dharna in front of the Gopabandhu statue in the premises of the State Assembly here on Monday.

The agitating journalists said that there was no new thing in Sahu’s statement. He was repeating the old things while discussing with the journalists. “After several discussions and assurances from the State Government, the same old thing happened,” said a scribe, adding, “No particular announcements have been made by the Minister keeping in view of the scribes’ demands.”

Cutting across party line, members in the Assembly on December 11 had expressed concern over the plight of the working journalists and had demanded that the Government should fulfill their demands immediately.

The issue came in for a marathon discussion for about one and a half hours during Zero hour in the House which had witnessed noisy scenes. All the leaders had demanded that the scribes should be provided minimum facilities.

“But nothing happened what the journalists had expected. We got cheated again by the State Government,” said another scribe.

Nandankanan to have world’s smallest monkey

Marmoset monkey

BARANG: Visitors can have a glimpse of the smallest monkeys of the world, Marmoset, at the Nandankanan Zoological Park here soon, said the zoo authorities on Sunday.

Talking to http://aryaputras.blogspot.in, zoo Assistant Director Kamal Lochan Purohit said the construction of the enclosure for the monkeys has been completed. The date of arrival of the monkeys has not been finalised, but it would be confirmed very soon, he said.

The authorities would bring two pairs of Marmoset monkeys in the first phase. “The enclosure is ready and visitors can get pleasure to see the cute animals very soon,” Purohit said.

According to the zoo sources, Rs 3.5 lakh has been spent for the construction of the new enclosure which would give a favourable atmosphere for the monkeys to live in. 

Notably, Marmosets are about 20 cm long and they show some apparently primitive features relative to other monkeys. These animals are native to Central and South America. From the size point of view, one can hold a Marmoset with the help of a finger, said the sanctuary Range Officer Anjan Kumar Mohanty.  

State’s 1st top-open enclosure for leopards in Nandankanan soon

BARANG: As a new initiative to attract visitors in and outside of the State, authorities of the Nandankanan Zoological Park would inaugurate a top-open enclosure for the leopards inside the zoo area soon, said zoo assistant director Kamal Lochan Purohit.

“It is first of its kind in the State and will attract visitors in a good number,” Purohit said, adding, “Except some minor works, we have almost completed the work of the enclosure and probably the work will be completed by January first week.”

The top-open enclosure is developed in 1500 square metres of area inside the zoo. According to the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), a four-meter high fence made up of iron surrounding the enclosure will be built up and on the top of it would have a one-meter high stainless steel plates.

The steel plates connected with wires will remain downward facing the enclosure. There would be enough safety measures to prevent the animals from climbing and jumping out. On the top the steel plate, the wire will be connected to solar charged battery which would give shock to the leopard if it touches it. The shock will not harm the animal as its intensity is very low.

Inside the enclosure, the zoo authorities have created a green atmosphere for the leopards so that the animals can feel like roaming in the forest. Even the authorities have made arrangements so that visitors can enjoy seeing the wildness of the animals in the roof less enclosure.

Now, the zoo has total seven leopards (four female and three male). After completion of the work of the enclosure, two pairs of leopards will be shifted to the top-open enclosure, said Purohit.       

CPI (ML) Lib to contest for 3 MP, 18 MLA seats in State

--Party’s Central Committee holds 3-day meet in city

BHUBANESWAR: The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation State council would field candidates for three Lok Sabha seats and 18 Assembly seats in the State. It was decided by the State leadership with the presence of Central leaders during the final day of a three-day meet of party’s Central Committee here on Sunday.

The State leaders said that they would contest in three important Lok Sabha seats Puri, Kalahandi and Koraput. These three areas would bring good result for the party in the General Election 2014, the leaders added.

Besides, the Central Committee said, the party would field candidates from around 70 seats in 14 States across the country.

During an important discussion with politburo members, party general secretary comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya analysed various political and social issues and called upon the party leaders to focus on the issues while campaigning for the fast approaching election.

Bhattacharya and his colleagues thoroughly discussed about nine points regarding recent poll result in five States and AAP’s rising in Delhi, Muzaffarnagar communal riot and BJP’s stand, security for women, protest by LGBT community against Supreme Court’s verdict, Modi’s illegal surveillance on a woman and demand for a separate bill for Telengana.  

In the nine-point decision, the Central Committee condemned Naveen-led BJD Government’s witch-hunt of CPI (ML) Liberation activists in Rayagada due to which six activists of the party have been arrested on false grounds of being ‘Maoists’. The party demanded immediate release of the arrested comrades and an end to the State Government’s policies of corporate loot of tribals’ land, water and forests.

Odisha Jan Morcha gets kite symbol

--Samruddha Odisha gets torch, KMM obtains candles symbol  

BHUBANESWAR: Finally, the Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM) got ‘Kite’ as party symbol to contest in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) poll on January 8 and the General Election 2014 after the party got registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on April 9 this year.

OJM president and Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra unveiled his party symbol ‘kite’ in a meeting at the party office here on Thursday with the presence of its leaders following a motorcycle procession from airport to Mohapatra’s residence.

Mohapatra said that their party would help the youth and other people of the State to touch the sky just like their party’s symbol kite. They will not give false hopes or commitments to the people of the State like BJD Government, he said, adding, “We will bring smile on millions of faces by materialising their dream to live peacefully.”

Though Mohapatra didn’t divulge any detail about fielding of candidates in all 67 seats of the BMC, he clarified that they would contest the BMC election prior to the General Election. A six-member election committee headed by former BMC Mayor and OJM vice-president Mihir Mohanty would finalise the candidates’ name and would plan for the campaign and other process, he added.

The OJM chief said they have completed their Jan Adhikar Yatra, a political campaign of the party, in 92 Assembly constituencies. Campaign for the rest constituencies will begin from Sunday, he added. “Like Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), we will do the best in Odisha. We are happy with the symbol and we will come with flying colour,” said Mohapatra.

Similarly, the ECI has given torch light and candles symbols to Samruddha Odisha and Koshal Mukti Morcha respectively.

According to Samruddha Odisha general secretary Prabir Mohanty, his party would contest the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha poll with the torch light symbol.