Two arrested for attacking BDO in Keonjhar

KEONJHAR: Two miscreants were arrested for attacking Block Development Officer (BDO) Anand Chandra Sethy of Hatadihi block in Keonjhar district on Monday.

The miscreants were identified as Debakant Rout of Bancho village and his aide Malay Das of Kadapada village under Hatadihi block in the district. The duo entered the room of the BDO at around 11.30 am on Monday and asked permission to discuss about loan sanction. When the BDO told the duo that he was busy in an important work, they forced him to discuss immediately and subsequently attacked with the help of a bhujali.

The duo violently attacked Sethy and when tried to run away from the block office, one of the two accused was nabbed by the office employees while the second one managed to flee from the spot. Seriously wounded Sethy was rushed to Bhadrak District Headquarters hospital.

After getting information from the office employees, Nandipada police reached the spot and arrested the nabbed accused and later the second accused was arrested.

      

Yashoda workers demand job regularisation

BHUBANESWAR: Members of the Odisha Yashoda Sangha (OYS) staged rally in front of the State Assembly here on Monday demanding regularisation of job and hike in salary.

According to OYS general secretary Mamata Biswal, 156 Yashoda workers had been appointed by the Union Health Ministry’s National Health Rural Mission in 15 districts of Odisha in 2008. Now they are getting Rs 3,000 as monthly stipend which is much lower than minimum wages, she added.

The workers led by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangha came in a procession from the Master Canteen square to the Lower PMG protesting Government apathy. They also demanded Rs 10,000 as monthly salary, pension, NM training and appointment of more Yashodas in the rest 15 districts of the State. 

Later a five-member delegation submitted memorandum to the Governor and submitted five-point charter of demands after a discussion.  

Civil body urges Rs 10 lakh for all rape victims

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Patita Udhar Samiti (OPUS) on Monday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through the State Commission for Women (SCW) to declare Rs 10 lakh to give as compensation to each rape victim as a policy within 45 days for their survival and to enable them to leave a normal life.

Around one hundred members of the Samiti came in a procession starting from the Blind Association office to the front of the SCW office here protesting injustice caused to rape victims of the State.

Samiti secretary Abharani Choudhury said the State Government always declares compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family members of deceased rape victims to avoid any kind of protest from the oppositions, public and social activists, but the Government never think about to declare the same amount for the rape victims who are living in the society.

She further said that Rashmita Behera, deaf and dumb dalit rape victim of Barakota (Badasada) Angul district, was given Rs 20,000 as compensation, while the State had declared Rs 2, 95,000 to Sunita Bindhani, a rape victim of Indapahi in Mayurbhanj district, when the deceased’s family threatened to stage dharana in front of the residence of the Women and Child Development Minister here by the deaf associations.

She said that 10,725 rape cases have been reported from the year 2000 to 2011. Out of the total rape cases reported during these years, 619 of rape cases on scheduled castes and 407 of rape cases on scheduled tribe and approximately more than 1400 of rape cases have been reported in the year 2012, she added.

“If the State Government does not give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to all rape victims, they will move to the High Court regarding violation of constitutional right in respect of rape victims.”      

Helpless widow prays Mahila police for justice

BHUBANESWAR: A group of women on Thursday staged dharna in front of the Mahila police station here demanding justice for a woman who was attacked by a few ruffians of her street on the wee hours of Wednesday.

Kabita Das (38) of Kuhudi under Tangi police station in Khurda district have been working in Lingaraj Infrastructure Company at Patia here. During last six month, she was staying at a home under Infocity police station limit which was allotted by the company.

At around 1.20 am on Wednesday, a few anti-socials came to her and asked to leave the house soon. When Das didn’t listen and argued with them, the hooligans entered to her house and threw the appliances, utensils and other valuables outside. While leaving the place, the miscreants scolded her in abusive language, alleged Das.

Das had lodged a complaint with Infocity police station on the same day of the incident, but the police didn’t take any immediate action. Even the goons again came to her house and gave threatening, said Das.

“I’m a widow and helpless. If the Police fail to give security, the goons will kill me,” said Das demanding stringent action against the ruffians.         

       

       

Motor boat reaches Chitrakonda defying Maoists' order

MALKANGIRI/BHUBANESWAR: Challenging suspected Maoist’s strict direction to stop launch services in Balimela reservoir which was the lone communication link for people in the cut-off areas, a motor boat taking 18 people from cut-off area was arrived at the Chitrakonda ghat on Saturday after four days of launch service stopped.

When the health condition of two children and a pregnant woman from Khajiriguda in the cut-off area started deteriorating, a group of people of the area brought them to a medical in Chitrakonda by a motor boat defying Maoists’ threat.

According to a villager of the cut-off area, they were getting many problems due to sudden stoppage of launch service in the area which was their lone communication link. They failed to get kerosene, salt and ration in the area, said the villager and added that many pregnant women are facing health complicacy due to lack of medical facilities.

Meanwhile, the opposition leader raised the issue in the Assembly. Chitrakonda MLA Mamata Madhi said the State Government should take appropriate steps after discussing with the peoples’ representatives to sort out the problem very soon so that the people can get access to the main land. As the condition of the cut-off area people was worsening, the Chief Minister has to interfere into the matter to solve the issue, she added.

Similarly, Malkangiri MLA Mukund Sodhi also urged the Chief Minister to look into the matter as around 125 villagers are living without communication facilities for four days. 

Notably, all the launches provided by Irrigation department for the villagers in cut off areas of Chitrakonda about 60 km from the district headquarters stopped operations from Wednesday, official sources said.