Dandapani to file bail plea at Dist Court on Feb 18

--Dandapani shifted to dist hospital for treatment

PARLAKHEMUNDI: A bail petition would be filed for Maoist interlocutor Dandapani Mohanty at the District Court of Gajapati here on February 18, said Mohanty’s advocate Upendra Nayak on Wednesday. Nayak took the decision after the R Udaygiri Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court rejected Mohanty’s bail plea on Monday.

Meanwhile, Mohanty was taken to District Headquarters hospital here when his health condition deteriorated due to hunger strike inside the R Udaygiri sub-jail condemning the conspiracy of the State Government. The hunger strike entered fifth day on Wednesday, sources said.

According to Dr Jitendra Narayan Das, who was treating the Maoist interlocutor inside the jail, said the condition of Mohanty was worsening day by day as he was not eating anything offered by the jail authorities. His blood pressure level has been decreased and the water level of his body was also reduced, he informed.

Later, Mohanty was referred to the district hospital for further treatment on Wednesday evening. The security of the hospital was beefed up with the presence of more than 150 police personnel. The treatment is on.

Notably, Mohanty, convener of Jana Adhikar Mancha, was arrested on February 8 by the Gajapati police with the help of Brahmapur police on charges of his involvement in Maoist activities.

Woman paraded naked suspecting witch in S’garh

ROURKELA: Despite the development of science, the tribals of Sundergarh district still believers of superstition and ultimately a woman became the victim of the superstitious act.

According to sources, the villagers of Ambapada under Talsara police station limit undressed a 42-year old woman suspecting her a witch and compelled her to walk in the village on Monday afternoon.

After getting the shocking news, the Sarpanch and the local police rescued her from the clutches of the villagers. District Collector Roopa Roshan Sahoo being disturbed with this shameful incidence directed the District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) of Sundargarh to inquire into the matter and submit the findings very soon.

It may be noted that such type of heinous crime against the women are occurring in the district again and again. Witch-hunting related crimes against women are on the rise in the district, said the sources.

Only 18.3 % Std V rural students know simple division of arithmetic

--Annual Status of Education Report 2012--

BHUBANESWAR: “Only 18.3 per cent standard V students can able to do a simple division of arithmetic in the schools of rural areas of the State,” revealed the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012 which is an annual survey that aims to provide reliable estimates of children’s enrolment and basic learning levels for each district and State in India.

ASER also makes survey of children’s ability to read simple text and do basic arithmetic in the Government schools. It has revealed many startling truths about the quality of education which is being provided to the students from Standard I to VIII in the Government primary schools in rural India.

The report exposed that only 47 per cent standard V students could able to read standard II level text and 40.9 per cent children from standard VI to VIII could able to read English sentences which automatically raises fingure on the present system of teaching process and Government’s silence over the matter. The report also predicts that more than 50 per cent school children would complete their primary education without acquiring knowledge over their basic reading skill.

According to the report, children in the elementary grades (Std I-VIII) also go to paid private tutors. Usually, children receiving this additional learning support have better learning outcomes than those who do not. In 2012, 46.6 per cent children (Age 6-14) in the State attend paid tuition classes to improve their learning ability.

Enrollment levels for the 6-14 age group continue to be very high in rural Odisha. In 2012, 96 per cent of all children in this age group were enrolled in school. Government school enrollment is very high in the State as 89.6 per cent of children (age 6-14) were enrolled in Government schools.

Odisha is one of the best performing States with regards to the pre schooling of 3-4 year old children. The percentage of four year old children attending pre-school is 97.1 per cent against 76.7 per cent at the national level. Similarly, 26.6 per cent children in between 15-16 age group are not in school which is higher than the national figure stands at 17 per cent.

“The State should give power to the panchayats to look after the schools and to review the teaching processes periodically basis. The guarantee of education is meaningless without satisfactory learning. There are serious implications for the State’s equity and growth if basic learning outcomes do not improve soon,” said State Advisor of Pratham Dhanada Mishra.     

Bar Association of M’giri calls for 12-hr bandh

MALKANGIRI: Protesting police attack on Malkangiri Bar Association secretary Lambodara Turuk, the association members observed a 12-hour bandh in the district on Monday. The advocates have demanded immediate arrest of two policemen who attacked the advocate, transfer of Malkangiri IIC and judicial probe into the matter.

During the bandh, roads at different points were blocked by the Bar Association members. Due to the bandh, markets, shops, educational institutions and Government offices were closed. Public transportation has also been affected.

On Sunday, Turuk was allegedly beaten up and misbehaved by the police following which the irate Bar Association members gheraoed local police station. The advocates have even registered a complaint in the local police station regarding the issue.

“The police attacked our friend and when we went to the police station to lodge FIR, the police didn’t show interest to lodge the case. The law and order situation in the district is worsening day by day,” said advocate Guru Nayak.  

Dandapani demands political prisoner status

PARLAKHEMUNDI: Maoist interlocutor Dandapani Mohanty, who was arrested by the Gajapati police with the help of the Brahmapur police, began hunger strike at the R Udaygiri sub jail from Saturday protesting the sedition case lodged by the police against him. He demanded the State Government to give him political prisoner status.

Mohanty has written a letter to the Chief Minister and Governor demanding political prisoner status. “I have not done any work against the nation, but the police have falsely lodged cases with serious charges,” Mohanty said.

The Maoist interlocutor’s fast unto death dharna entered on the second day. Mohanty said that he would sit in hunger strike till his demands are fulfilled.

Mohanty’s advocate Upendra Nayak would file bail petition in the R Udaygiri court on Monday. 

Earlier on December 5, Mohanty’s son Sangram Keshari Mohanty was arrested on the charge of Maoist activities from Kamalapur village in Gajapati district. The police had seized arms, ammunition and Maoist literature from him. He has been lodged at the Brahmapur Circle Jail after his bail plea was rejected.

CPI (ML) to stage massive dharna regarding Posco issue on Feb 25

BHUBANESWAR: Supporting the people’s movement against the Posco Company in the Govindpur-Dhinkia area of Jagatsinghpur district, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) would stage massive dharna in front of the State Assembly on February 25.

Addressing the Media persons here, CPI (ML) leaders demanded the State Government to cancel the MoU signed in between the company and the Government and withdrawal of police forces from the Posco site at Govindpur area. They also demanded stringent action against the police personnel who mercilessly beat up the protestors including women and children during demonstration.

The leaders said the State Government has signed more than 100 MoUs with several companies to set up industries across the State as a result more than two lakh acres of land would be handed over to the companies. Due to the rapid industrialisation and mindless land acquisition, the State is giving away fertile agricultural lands and forest lands to the corporate houses. Even the State Government has assured the companies to provide sufficient water from the rivers and dams reserved for agriculture which is very unfortunate, they added.

Due to the mindless distribution of water and forceful acquisition of land for industry, the agricultural activity in the State is decreasing day by day and the farmers are migrating to other States in search of work, the leaders said, adding, “Instead of promoting agriculture based industries in the State, the State Government has already closed it.”

Among others, Udhab Jena of the SUCI (Communist), Mahendra Parida and Judhistir Mohapatra of CPIML (Liberation), Bhalchandra Sarangi of CPIML (New Democracy) and Sivaram of the CPI (ML) attended the press meet.         

    

Odia boy enters Limca Book of Records as youngest scuba diver

BHUBANESWAR: An Odia boy has registered his name in the coveted Limca Book of Records as the youngest scuba diver of the world. He was only 12-year-old during the test to register his name in the record book.

Prateek Pattnaik has made the record in his name as the youngest scuba diver by diving 70 feet into an ocean at Havelock Island in Andaman and Nicobar.

Prateek, youngest son of Panchayati raj Department assistant engineer Sunil Pattnaik and Brahmotri Das and a student of Khandagiri St Xavier High School had also become the youngest rescue diver of the world.