Ananta gets second chance to serve as BMC Mayor

BHUBANESWAR: Finally, Ananta Narayan Jena got a second chance to serve as Mayor of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). Ending all speculations about introduction of new faces, Jena was elected uncontested on Friday. It was announced by BMC administrator Sanjib Mishra at the BMC office here.

Earlier on the day, BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced Jena’s name as the party’s candidate for the mayor election. Even a party meeting was held on Thursday evening at Naveen Niwas to finalise the contender’s name for the coveted post. 

According to reports, Jena was the only corporator to file nomination papers for the Mayor post. When nobody filed nomination against Jena, he was elected unopposed, said the official sources. 

During the last eight days, names of five corporators were coming to the discussion for the Mayor’s post. Out of the five, Jena had enough chances to win the election as he was an experienced and popular among his fellow corporators. Jena’s strength was that he won by the highest margin of over 4,300 votes and a former Mayor of the BMC.

Among others, three-time corporator Sk Nizamuddin, two-time corporator Amaresh Jena, Health Minister’s daughter Preetinanda Routray and Mahamaya Swain were in top of the contender’s list.

Notably, BJD has won 49 seats out of 67-member civic body council in the BMC polls which was conducted on January 8 this year.

Cops, ultras exchange fire in Kandhamal border

PHULBANI: The police on Thursday exchanged fire with Maoists in Kalitota forest near Nuagaon area under the Kotagarh police station in Kandhamal district when the police were continuing their combing operations in the forest.

According to reports, the Maoists suddenly opened fire on the armed policemen, who were engaged in the combing operation in the border of Kandhamal and Rayagada district, in the Kalitota forest in the morning.

Then the policemen launched a counter attack and that led to the gunfight. The fight did continue in then forest for 20 minutes, said

Kandhamal SP Kanwar Vishal Singh.

“Till now, we have no information about the casualty”, Singh said, adding that the encounter was still going on.

Aides of inter-State looter gang nabbed in Paradip

PARADIP: Paradip police on Wednesday arrested two members of an inter-State looter gang from here and seized six gold chains, four bikes and an Indigo car from the possession of the looters. The looters were identified as Jyotiranjan Das alias Jitu and Jaydev Biswal alias Bubu of the port town, said the police sources.

According to reports, Jitu and Bubu had hired a car from Atharbanki taxi stand here on December 29 to go to Nuagaon village under Patkura police limits in Kendrapada district. On the way to the village, the duo had taken away the car after attacking on the driver.

Owner of the car Chittaranjan Palai immediately went to the Patkura police station to lodge the complaint, but the police officials denied to accept the FIR and advised him to go to the Paradip police station. Then Palai lodged a complaint with the Paradip police, but he did not get support here too.

Finally, Palai forwarded a copy of the FIR to the DGP and Kendrapada SP requesting them to take appropriate action into the matter. After a few days, Jagatsinghpur SP directed the Paradip IIC to probe the matter.

The IIC began his probe from January 7 and recovered the car after arresting the duo from Tirtol area in Jagatsinghpur district, said the police officials.

The Paradip police revealed the duo was involved in nine loot cases under their jurisdiction. After getting clue from the duo, they would nab other culprits of the gang, said the police sources.   

     

State aims to bring MMR down from 235 to 100 in 3 yrs!

--to reduce IMR from 53 to 30: Health Secy

BHUBANESWAR: “The State Government has aimed to reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) from 235 to 100 and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 53 to 30 in the State within three years,” said Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary PK Mohapatra attending a Sate-level consultation here on Wednesday.

The State-level consultation, for intensification and harmonisation of efforts in high priority districts of Odisha for improved maternal and child health, was organised by the National Health Mission (NHM) in association with its development partners including UNFPA, DFID and Unicef.

Mohapatra said they have assembled in the consultation with development partners to chalk out a plan in order to achieve the goal within three years. They would start an awareness campaign to reduce the MMR and IMR in ten High Priority Districts (HPDs) in the State. These districts were identified as Malkangiri, Koraput, Gajapati, Balangir, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Boudh, Kalahandi and Nuapada, he added.

Gracing the occasion, Additional Secretary cum Mission Director of NHM Anuradha Gupta said that instead of focusing on doctors, the State should focus on monitoring the work of village level workers like Anganwadi, ANM and ASHA at the grassroots level so that the goal can be achieved. She called upon the Collectors and other health officials to monitor the work effectively in their level to get success.   

   

The recent annual health survey has seen a decline in maternal mortality from 277 (AHS 2010-11) to 235 (SRS 2012-13) and decrease in infant mortality from 62 (AHS-2010-11) to 53 (SRS- 2012-13) in the State.

Gupta said that State’s commitment to decrease maternal, infant and malaria mortality, malnutrition are still faced with challenges in the most difficult areas. It is in this light that the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) programme been launched by the Government to address difficulties being faced by pregnant women and parents of sick newborns in 10 high priority districts, she added.

Among others, NHM State Mission Director Roopa Mishra, Development Commissioners of Union Ministry of Health and Fanily Welfare H Bhushan, Dr SK Sikdar and Dr D Baswal along with representatives of development partners Meenakshi Nath of DFID, UNFPA India Representative Frederika Meijer and UNICEF India chief of health Dr Genevieve Begkoyian were present.

Protect women, weaker sections: CM to police

--City police’s website linked with FB, Twitter on its Raising Day

BHUBANESWAR: “The police should give attention towards the protection of women and weaker sections of the society,” said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while inaugurating the 6th Raising Day celebrations of the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police here on Tuesday.

In his speech, Patnaik advised the police to be careful about the rights of the citizens and emphasised on public friendly police to reach the common people. He also called upon the police to take firm actions against anti-socials and criminal elements to make the city peaceful.  

The Chief Minister took salute in the colourful Raising Day parade conducted at the 7th OSAP Battalion here.

Gracing the occasion, Director General of Police Prakash Mishra said the new initiatives of the Commissionerate Police to streamline the police patrolling system, traffic system and basic policing in the twin city are admirable. He also told about the use of CCTV cameras to keep eye on the activities of the anti-socials in the crowded places of the city and police assisting posts along with community policing to help people especially women.       

On staff shortage, Mishra said, “We have presented our view before the State Government about the shortage of manpower and we hope to get some staff in phase wise to continue our duty effectively,” continued DGP Mishra, adding, “We will try to fill up vacancies in Sub-Inspector level first.”

Similarly, Twin City Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma also raised staff crunch problem. “Compare to the other mega cities in the countries, staff shortage is very high at the constable and SI level in the Commissionerate Police (Cuttack-Bhubaneswar),” said Sharma, adding, “Therefore we are making a proposal to submit before the Government to look into the matter.”

On the occasion, Chief Minister formally linked the website of the Commissionerate Police with social networking websites Facebook and Twitter. Six documentary films on dowry torture, sexual harassment, eve teasing, Dial-100 and chain snatching have been released by the Chief Minister. Four outdoor advertisings like hoardings, newsletter and telephone directory have also been released on the Raising Day ceremony.

During the ceremony, police officials were awarded for their excellent services last year. Traffic ACP Binod Das and Jatni IIC Sarat Kumar Sahu have been awarded as the Best ACP and the Best Inspector of the year, while Banita Maharana of Saheed Nagar police station was choosen as the Best SI of the year.    

‘Assist staff-crunch police by obeying traffic rules’

BHUBANESWAR: “Due to shortage of manpower, it is not easy to deploy more traffic police at every crowded place of the city. Therefore, vehicle users should co-operate us by obeying traffic rules,” said Additional Commissioner of Police Santosh Bala inaugurating the Road Safety Awareness Festival-2014 here on Tuesday.            

Bala said that special measures have been taken up by the Commissionerate Police to make people aware about the traffic rules and road safety norms. “We have chalked out plans for our officers to improve the traffic management in the cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar,” said Bala, adding, “We have started installing red lights, CCTV surveillance and other technical systems at different places of the city to reduce the traffic problems.”

The four-day long festival was organised by the Citizen Traffic Awareness Committee in association with the Commissionerate Police (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack) on road safety. The festival would continue till January 17 in the premises of traffic police station near AG Square here.

“One of the main objectives of organising the festival is to sensitise vehicle users, specially the youth about the road safety and traffic rules,” said Tutul K Das of the festival organising committe.

   

JDCA Film Fest: When ancient traditions’ clash with modern world…

 

BHUBANESWAR: Now the new generation of the fast changing modern world has stopped recalling the age-old traditions and has started accepting the easygoing intercultural themes to fit into the world of globalisation. Now the people are so busy that they can not get pastime to enjoy or do not get time to save the ancient traditions. 

It was the gist of the films screened on the final day of the three-day long 8th National Film Festival organised by the JD Centre of Art (JDCA) here. Most of the films, which were screened in the festival on Monday, depicted the pain of lost traditions in the modern world. 

The show began from ‘Honeyline of Kurumba’ and ended with ‘End of the Trail’ expressed the pain of a few people who hold their head high to tell the tale of their journey to save the very old traditions. They have been trying to persuade the younger generation to take over the traditional practices and occupations to make alive their glorious art and culture, but a few takers are coming to the fore.

The 26-minute long film ‘Honeyline of Kurumba’ by Gita described the artistic tradition and painting skills of Kurumba tribe of the Nilgiris in Tamilnadu. It is an artistic that dates back to 3000 year old rock art, yet it is under threat and its future now hangs by a single thread. Krishna, the last painter of the Kurumba tribe was handed down the art by his ancestors. He struggles to keep the tribal ritual painting alive by teaching his skills to a handful of students.

Another film ‘Trein Naad- Bamboo Resonance’ by Manoj Verma was based on a folk song which is on the verge of extinction called ‘Ban’s Geet’ (bamboo song). The specialty of the folk music is singing and telling folk tales based on popular Chhattisgarhi tunes on only one instrument that is bamboo. Even though the singers are not benefited economically with this art still they sing it to conserve the folk music being established by their ancestors.

The 29-minute long film ‘End of the Trail’ by Nileema and Pramod Mathur said the pain of Himalayan shepherds who follow the cycle of transhumance. Due to increased agricultural cultivation and new forest protection policies, young shepherds are faced with difficult choices between traditional practices and the viability of survival.

Total 10 films screened on the last day were based on folk and tribal art and culture. Other films include ‘Tribal Wisdom’ by Anu Malhotra, Kumaoni Ramlila, Ek Durlabh Parampara’ by Himanshu Joshi, ‘Cogito Ergo Sum’ and ‘Swayamsiddha’ by Seema Kohli and ‘Glimpses of Indian Painting’ by K Bikram Singh portrayed the picture of ancient folk and tribal art and traditions of different tribes in the country.