Milli Panda urges CM to join BJD

BHUBANESWAR: Subhashree Panda alias Milli, a social activist from Ranpur and wife of Odisha Maovadi Party (OMP) leader Sabyasachi Panda, may join Biju Janata Dal (BJD) very soon, sources said.

Milli on Saturday went to Naveen Niwas to meet BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in order to induct her into his party, but she could not meet Patnaik.

“I came here as an activist, who fights for women, not as the wife of Sabyasachi,” said Milli, adding, “If the BJD chief feels my importance, he will consider me as a discipline member of his party.”

Milli said that she has already decided to contest from her own Assembly constituency Ranpur. “If I don’t get ticket from other parties, I will contest as an independent candidate,” she added.

Notably, Milli’s father-in-law late Ramesh Panda was a three-time CPI (M) MLA.           

Two more accused held for firing on Minister

PURI: The Puri police on Wednesday arrested two persons on the charge of supplying revolvers to the alleged assailants who had fired at Law and Culture Minister Maheswar Mohanty on February 21.

The accused, identified as Antaryami Pati of Jajpur and Sarbeswar Behera of Puri, were later forwarded to the court.

Earlier, the police had arrested six persons including mother of late Guna Singhari in connection with the case.    

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

India has no law to protect scribes

--ICRC holds workshop for working journalists 

BHUBANESWAR: “There is no law in India to protect journalists working in conflict and dangerous areas,” said political and communication advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Surinder Singh Oberoi while addressing working journalists at a workshop here on Tuesday jointly organised by the Odisha State Branch of the Indian Red Cross Society and the ICRC.

Oberoi, who was a noted journalist before, said the scribes throughout the world have been demanding immunity from their Government so that they could get freedom to express their thoughts and could write without biasness. The journalists have same fundamental rights in the country what the common people have, he added.

While quoting a paragraph from the UN Commission on Human Rights, he said that Press freedom is one of the pillars of a democratic society. Consequently States have the primary responsibility to ensure protection and security of journalists and are responsible for ensuring that crime against media professions are brought to justice, he ended the quote.

Though some countries have their own laws and protection norms to protect scribes, Oberoi said, but India has not developed the safety norms till today.

Inaugurating the workshop on ‘Ethics of Reporting in Emergency’, Benjamin Wahren of the ICRC lauded the mediapersons of the State who had played a vital role to make aware the people about the cyclonic storm Phailin that hit Odisha coast on October 12 last year. “Due to the wonderful initiatives, the State got international recognition,” said Wahren.       

Another member of ICRC Marek Resich told the mediapersons about the International Humanitarian Law. How their organisation plays a major role to help the war victims and people spending lives in the conflict zones, he narrated after showing a film produced by the ICRC.   

IRCS Odisha State Branch (OSB) secretary Mangala Prasad Mohanty said the main purpose of the workshop was to bring practical knowledge to the media persons who are reporting on any disaster or conflict situations. The assumption is that these professionals should be aware of the regulations of conflict, first aid and have sufficient knowledge of the national and international treaties and laws, he added.

Dr Bikas K Prasad and Jashobanta Narayan Jena taught the media representatives about the first aid training with demonstrations. Among others, members of the OSB IRCS were present.               

Two Maoists killed in Koraput encounter

KORAPUT: At least two Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces near Pottangi in Koraput district, IG (South-Western Range) Yashowant Jethwa said on Tuesday.

Briefing mediapersons, Jethwa said the District Voluntary Force (DVF) personnel were on a routine combing operation in a forested area near Pottangi when the Maoists opened fire at them.

In retaliation, the DVF personnel opened fire, resulting in the death of the two Maoists, he said.

After an hour-long exchange of fire, the other Maoists fled the area leaving behind the bodies of their slain comrades.

The DVF personnel later seized two carbines, four magazines and some grenades from the spot, Jethwa said. The slain Maoists have been identified as Mala Sanjeeva and AK Swami who were carrying a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each on their heads. Both were the resident of Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Sanjeeva was working as squad commander in the CPI (Maoist) Central Regional Committee, while Swami was the divisional committee member. The Central Committee of the party had recently appointed Sanjeeva as chief of the Nandapur division, said the police sources.

“We have intensified combing operation in the area after exchange of fire with the Maoists,” said the IG.

Notably, the Maoists on August 27 last year killed four BSF jawans when they were passing a road near Sunkhi village in Potangi area of the district.

12-hr Malkangiri bandh total

MALKANGIRI: Supporters and workers of the Congress party observed bandh in Malkangiri on Monday protesting police interference to prevent people to attend party’s rally here on Sunday and demanding handover of youths who went missing while they were in police custody to their respective families.

 

Hundreds of people led by the District Congress Committee members organised picketing at different places of the district. Due to the bandh, bus services and other communications have been affected. Shops and business establishments were also closed.

The agitators were roaming around the town flaunting placards and shouting slogans against the State Government and the police. The bandh was peaceful, sources said.

According to Nabarangpur Congress MP Pradip Majhi, they called the bandh to protest the State Government’s anti-tribal attitude and heinous killing of four missing tribals.     

NTPC to commission 10MW solar plants in State very soon

--Kaniha plant to reduce coal import from next year

NTPC Talcher-Kaniha plant

BHUBANESWAR: Talcher Super Thermal Power Station of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) limited would commission its 10 MW Photo-Voltaic solar plant very soon, said Executive Director of NTPC Talcher-Kaniha VB Fadnavis at a Media Appreciation Programme held inside the plant premises on Saturday.

The solar plants are being constructed at Stage-II Township and Patharmunda (main plant campus) with installed capacity of eight mega watts and two mega watts respectively with 45 acres of land. The work of construction of the solar plant has been awarded to the Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL).

According to official sources, foundation stone of the solar plant was laid on July 3 last year. It will generate 14.1 million units of electricity annually which is equivalent to the power requirement of approximately 12000 households.

“With a vision to provide green power through locally available resources at affordable price and promoting clean energy, we have started the solar power plant in our Kaniha plant,” said Fadnavis.

Notably, the NTPC has already commissioned two 10 MW Solar PV Project at Dadri and Andaman and Nicobar.

In response to a question regarding NTPC Talcher-Kaniha’s next plan, Fadnavis said the mediapersons that they have planned to reduce coal import from the Mahanadi Coal Limited (MCL) from next year as their new coal mining at Kaniha has been started.

They had Lingaraj mines as their only source to fuel their power plant, but now the Kaniha mines will help them to become self-sufficient, said the Executive Director.

“We have imported around 15 per cent of total coal consumed by the plant during last financial year, but the newly started mines will help us to reduce the coal shortage problem further,” said Fadnavis.     

CBSE XII exam begins in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: More than 10,500 students of Class XII from the State appeared for board examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) which started from Saturday. The students of 240 schools appeared the examinations at 55 centres across the State, said CBSE regional official sources.

According to the CBSE regional office, more than 42,000 students from 900 schools of three States, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal, appeared the class XII examinations at 148 centres. 

The examinations started from 10.30am and ended in 1.30pm on the scheduled date of the examinations. The process will continue till April 17, said the official sources.

Similarly, over 54,000 Class X students of the region, including 16,400 from Odisha, would sit for their examinations that would start from April 3.

CBSE gives students the option of choosing between Board-based and school-based examinations in class X, the difference being the paper correction is carried out by the Board in the case of the former.