The New Indian Express, April 21, 2008
KASHIPUR: WITH both the displaced and company officials sticking to their guns, the construction work of Alumina Refinery of Utkal Alumina International (UAIL) has been delayed further.
The work of the Rs. 4,000-crore refinery project of UAIL at Duruguda in Kashipur block came to a halt since February last after those affected went on an agitation demanding benefits recently fixed for other projects.
The UAIL refinery was conceived in early 90s but from the beginning, it was targeted by the environmentalists and the project-affected persons.
The construction work started during 2005 and gathered momentum. The promoters wanted to commission the unit in 2010. However, the agitation by those displaced from February has hit the work, including the land acquisition process.
The affected families have been demanding increased compensation for land and permanent jobs. But the company has not obliged them and pointed out that the affected persons had been given ex gratia in early 2005 over and above the compensation paid in 1996 as per the guidelines.
On the demand for permanent jobs, the company claimed that all such persons had already been engaged through the contractors. Still the case can be taken up but only after the plant is commissioned.
According to Nabaghana Pani, a senior official of UAIL, the company has already spent over Rs. 530 crore and placed orders for about Rs. 1,800 crore worth equipment.
Besides, the company has decided to speed up the work by enhancing the workforce to 5,000. The company is also imparting vocational training to the affected persons to enhance their employability.
If all these are taken into account, the benefits given by the UAIL would be much more than those prescribed by the rehabilitation policy of the Government, he claimed. He also said that around 96 affected families had already been resettled in the rehabilitation colony constructed by the company.
Meanwhile, the Rayagada district administration is also making efforts to restore normalcy at the plant site and convince the agitators to withdraw their stir but in vain.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Special Porgramme to train KBK tribal for IIT, IIM and NISER entrance test
The Samaja, April 20, 2008
ASSISTANCE FOR KBK REGION UNDER AIBP
PIB, April 22, 2008
ASSISTANCE FOR BACKWARD STATES UNDER AIBP
RAJYA SABHA
Under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) central grant of 90 per cent is provided to the major/medium projects and surface water minor irrigation schemes of the special category states and Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi districts of Orissa. Major and medium projects of non special category States benefiting drought prone/tribal/flood prone area are eligible for upto 90 per cent grant under AIBP depending on the extent of such area benefited from project and included in AIBP.
Surface water minor irrigation schemes of non special category states (as per eligible criteria specified in AIBP guidelines) benefiting drought prone/tribal area are eligible for 90 per cent grant under AIBP. All other major/medium projects are eligible for 25 per cent grant of project cost included in AIBP.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav in response to a question by Shri Pyarelal Khandelwal in the Rajya Sabha today.
ASSISTANCE FOR BACKWARD STATES UNDER AIBP
RAJYA SABHA
Under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) central grant of 90 per cent is provided to the major/medium projects and surface water minor irrigation schemes of the special category states and Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi districts of Orissa. Major and medium projects of non special category States benefiting drought prone/tribal/flood prone area are eligible for upto 90 per cent grant under AIBP depending on the extent of such area benefited from project and included in AIBP.
Surface water minor irrigation schemes of non special category states (as per eligible criteria specified in AIBP guidelines) benefiting drought prone/tribal area are eligible for 90 per cent grant under AIBP. All other major/medium projects are eligible for 25 per cent grant of project cost included in AIBP.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav in response to a question by Shri Pyarelal Khandelwal in the Rajya Sabha today.
NROs battle for Central varsity at Bhawanipatna
The Pioneer, April 22, 2008
Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar
In an effort to provide better education facilities, the Non-resident Oriyas (NROs) from various parts of the world demanded a Central University at Bhawanipatna, the headquarters of Kalahandi district, which is the epicentre of Orissa's most backward KBK (undivided districts of Kalahandi, Balangir and Koraput) zone.
After the Government of India announced to set up two Central Universities in the State, officials and planners are busy finding sites in the developed urban areas. But nobody is thinking about the rural and remote areas, lamented leading NRO Digambara Patra, who teaches at the American University of Beirut. He feels in the current scenario no importance is given to the rural and remote area in the matter of technical and higher education.
"Unfortunately, many in our political and administrative circles do not have a complete idea of a backward area like the KBK region in Orissa, which is reflected in their very poor judgment while establishing national institutes," echoed Madhusmita Panda, an NRO from Lebanon. She pointed out that the Central University in the North-Eastern States, which are inaccessible, hilly and extremist torn areas, have done quite fine. The NERIST in Arunachal Pradesh http://www.nerist.ac.in/ is doing quite well. When IIT Guwahati was established, many academicians were thinking nobody would go to teach there, but today it is one of the best technical institutes employing the best brains across the country as its faculties, she said.
Lingaraj Patra from Tokyo said that unless a chance is provided to the KBK area on the assumption that the Central University that they would not get the right kind of faculty, the people there would never get out of their backwardness. Two decades ago, Assam was inaccessible; today it is a destination for higher education because of its IIT and Central Universities.
Detailing out the facilities, Digambara Patra said that Kalahandi in fact has many advantages for location of a Central University. It is not only the epicentre of all the KBK districts having its borders with the other five KBK districts and additionally with other backward districts of Boudh and Kandhamal. It is well connected by road through NH-201 and links Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Berhampur and all the headquarters of KBK, Boudh and Phulbani districts. The Kesinga railway station is located within 26 km of Bhawanipatna, and the direct railway link to Bhawanipatna via Lanjigarh is almost complete.
Besides, Raipur airport is directly linked by road and located about 220 km from Bhawanipatna. Raipur has daily air connectivity to most of the major cities in India. Moreover, an aerodrome at Utkela is hardly 12 km away. To start with, the Government Autonomous College of Bhawanipatna is one of the best colleges in the KBK region imparting teaching up to PG classes, said Madhusmita Panda. The achievements of the college include the status of Potentiality for Excellence by the UGC. It is one of the three colleges in Orissa to have been honoured with this award in the first phase.
To start the university at present, the built-up area of the Government College campus at Bhawanipatna is 60 acres of land, and towards its north-east more than 100 acres of land is lying vacant, pointed out Patra.
Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar
In an effort to provide better education facilities, the Non-resident Oriyas (NROs) from various parts of the world demanded a Central University at Bhawanipatna, the headquarters of Kalahandi district, which is the epicentre of Orissa's most backward KBK (undivided districts of Kalahandi, Balangir and Koraput) zone.
After the Government of India announced to set up two Central Universities in the State, officials and planners are busy finding sites in the developed urban areas. But nobody is thinking about the rural and remote areas, lamented leading NRO Digambara Patra, who teaches at the American University of Beirut. He feels in the current scenario no importance is given to the rural and remote area in the matter of technical and higher education.
"Unfortunately, many in our political and administrative circles do not have a complete idea of a backward area like the KBK region in Orissa, which is reflected in their very poor judgment while establishing national institutes," echoed Madhusmita Panda, an NRO from Lebanon. She pointed out that the Central University in the North-Eastern States, which are inaccessible, hilly and extremist torn areas, have done quite fine. The NERIST in Arunachal Pradesh http://www.nerist.ac.in/ is doing quite well. When IIT Guwahati was established, many academicians were thinking nobody would go to teach there, but today it is one of the best technical institutes employing the best brains across the country as its faculties, she said.
Lingaraj Patra from Tokyo said that unless a chance is provided to the KBK area on the assumption that the Central University that they would not get the right kind of faculty, the people there would never get out of their backwardness. Two decades ago, Assam was inaccessible; today it is a destination for higher education because of its IIT and Central Universities.
Detailing out the facilities, Digambara Patra said that Kalahandi in fact has many advantages for location of a Central University. It is not only the epicentre of all the KBK districts having its borders with the other five KBK districts and additionally with other backward districts of Boudh and Kandhamal. It is well connected by road through NH-201 and links Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Berhampur and all the headquarters of KBK, Boudh and Phulbani districts. The Kesinga railway station is located within 26 km of Bhawanipatna, and the direct railway link to Bhawanipatna via Lanjigarh is almost complete.
Besides, Raipur airport is directly linked by road and located about 220 km from Bhawanipatna. Raipur has daily air connectivity to most of the major cities in India. Moreover, an aerodrome at Utkela is hardly 12 km away. To start with, the Government Autonomous College of Bhawanipatna is one of the best colleges in the KBK region imparting teaching up to PG classes, said Madhusmita Panda. The achievements of the college include the status of Potentiality for Excellence by the UGC. It is one of the three colleges in Orissa to have been honoured with this award in the first phase.
To start the university at present, the built-up area of the Government College campus at Bhawanipatna is 60 acres of land, and towards its north-east more than 100 acres of land is lying vacant, pointed out Patra.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Complete Khurda-Balangir Project: Lenka
The New Indian Express, April 13, 2008
BHUBANESWAR: Former Union minister Kanhu Charan Lenka has said that the Railways should complete the Khurda-Balangir railway line project in the next five years.
Alleging that the delay in completion of the project has sparked off resentment among the people of the State, Lenka said that the work on the railway line has been going on for the last 14 years.
The proposal for the Khurda-Balangir railway line was given by the Bengal-Nagpur Rail (BNR) company in 1945. Survey work for the project was completed by 1993.
Besides giving a boost to the development of backward regions of the State, after completion of the railway line the distance between Bombay and Bhubaneswar will be reduced by 250 km, he said. Lenka said that he will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to apprise them of the situation.
Singh was the Finance Minister when he approved the project in 1993 while Pranab Mukherjee was chairman of the Planning Commission, the former Union minister said.
BHUBANESWAR: Former Union minister Kanhu Charan Lenka has said that the Railways should complete the Khurda-Balangir railway line project in the next five years.
Alleging that the delay in completion of the project has sparked off resentment among the people of the State, Lenka said that the work on the railway line has been going on for the last 14 years.
The proposal for the Khurda-Balangir railway line was given by the Bengal-Nagpur Rail (BNR) company in 1945. Survey work for the project was completed by 1993.
Besides giving a boost to the development of backward regions of the State, after completion of the railway line the distance between Bombay and Bhubaneswar will be reduced by 250 km, he said. Lenka said that he will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to apprise them of the situation.
Singh was the Finance Minister when he approved the project in 1993 while Pranab Mukherjee was chairman of the Planning Commission, the former Union minister said.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Infrastructure to be thrust area of Biju KBK plan
The New Indian Express, April 7, 2008
BHUBANESWAR: Development of power and road infrastructure and provision of drinking water will be the thrust areas of the Biju KBK plan which is being implemented with the State Government’s funds.
Official sources said that the slogan of ‘bijli, sadak, pani’ given by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during the last Assembly polls is being translated into reality through the new scheme.
The Biju KBK plan had a budget of Rs 120 crore during 2007-08 financial year. Out of this, Rs 9.88 crore was earmarked for power, Rs 59.91 crore was for road sector and Rs 36.9 crore for drinking water. Besides, Rs 13.31 crore was provided for implementation of other programmes.
Power sector development will include village electrification including street lighting. The programme includes construction of concrete roads within the village or any other form of connectivity. Creation of irrigation and drinking water sources will also be taken up under the scheme. Funds will be made available for implementation of any other scheme having inadequate budgetary provisions.
Official sources said Rs 20 crore was provided for the implementation of the Biju KBK plan during 2006-07.
Out of this, Rs 3 crore each was allocated to Koraput, Balangir and Kalahandi districts while Rs 2.5 crore each was earmarked for Nabarangpur and Rayagada districts.
About Rs 2 crore each was provided to Malkangiri, Subarnapur and Nuapada districts. Construction of 87 hostel buildings for girls, 247 buildings for women self help groups (SHGs), 165 buildings for anganwadi centres and 165 bridges/culverts have been taken up in all the KBK districts with the funds.
The Assembly Committee on Planning and Coordination Department has, however, taken strong exception to the failure of the poverty alleviation programmes in reducing poverty in a spectacular manner. It has asked the State Government to fix time limit for reduction of poverty.
BHUBANESWAR: Development of power and road infrastructure and provision of drinking water will be the thrust areas of the Biju KBK plan which is being implemented with the State Government’s funds.
Official sources said that the slogan of ‘bijli, sadak, pani’ given by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during the last Assembly polls is being translated into reality through the new scheme.
The Biju KBK plan had a budget of Rs 120 crore during 2007-08 financial year. Out of this, Rs 9.88 crore was earmarked for power, Rs 59.91 crore was for road sector and Rs 36.9 crore for drinking water. Besides, Rs 13.31 crore was provided for implementation of other programmes.
Power sector development will include village electrification including street lighting. The programme includes construction of concrete roads within the village or any other form of connectivity. Creation of irrigation and drinking water sources will also be taken up under the scheme. Funds will be made available for implementation of any other scheme having inadequate budgetary provisions.
Official sources said Rs 20 crore was provided for the implementation of the Biju KBK plan during 2006-07.
Out of this, Rs 3 crore each was allocated to Koraput, Balangir and Kalahandi districts while Rs 2.5 crore each was earmarked for Nabarangpur and Rayagada districts.
About Rs 2 crore each was provided to Malkangiri, Subarnapur and Nuapada districts. Construction of 87 hostel buildings for girls, 247 buildings for women self help groups (SHGs), 165 buildings for anganwadi centres and 165 bridges/culverts have been taken up in all the KBK districts with the funds.
The Assembly Committee on Planning and Coordination Department has, however, taken strong exception to the failure of the poverty alleviation programmes in reducing poverty in a spectacular manner. It has asked the State Government to fix time limit for reduction of poverty.
Pupil-teacher ratio poor
The New Indian Express, April 12, 2008
BHAWANIPATNA: Rationalisation of pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) and universalisation of education is one problem that has been haunting primary education in Kalahandi.There has long been a debate in maintaining an equilibilibrium in PTR ratio in the district but this hasn’t yielded any result so far. As a result, there is heavy concentration of teachers in urban pockets whereas schools in rural area have comparatively less number of teachers.For instance, in Bhawanipatna Municipality, the PTR is 19.16 whereas in rural pockets and interior blocks like Thuamul- Rampur, it is 51.90, Lanjigarh 44.08 and Golamunda 40.78.In Bhawanipatna Municipality, for 39 primary schools there are 222 lady teachers and 34 male teachers, a total of 256 as against the requirement of 148.In Dewan Shebpada School, for 54 students there are eight teachers as against the requirement of two. In Dhobapada, for 57 students there are three teachers, in Golap Manjari for 59 students there are six teachers.Similarly, in Shaktinagar for 47 students there are four teachers and in Police Children School for 85 students there are nine teachers. But in Belur Primary School in Madanpur-Rampur block for 126 students there is one teacher, in Ainlajore school of Dharamgarh block for 239 students, there are just two teachers, in Nichemask of Thuamul-Rampur block for 110 students there is only one teacher.The matter was raised in the ZP meeting held in January this year at Bhawanipatna. It had been resolved to weed out surplus teachers from urban areas to the schools in rural areas.Accordingly, it was decided to send surplus teachers from Bhawanipatna Municipality on deputation to the nearby rural schools having shortage of teachers. Basing on the decision, 79 women teachers from Bhawanipatna Municipality have been served with deputation order but this led to agitation.The women teachers who were picketing in front of the office of DI of Schools called off the strike after the Collector did not concede to the demand and the ZP meeting too did not show concern.
BHAWANIPATNA: Rationalisation of pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) and universalisation of education is one problem that has been haunting primary education in Kalahandi.There has long been a debate in maintaining an equilibilibrium in PTR ratio in the district but this hasn’t yielded any result so far. As a result, there is heavy concentration of teachers in urban pockets whereas schools in rural area have comparatively less number of teachers.For instance, in Bhawanipatna Municipality, the PTR is 19.16 whereas in rural pockets and interior blocks like Thuamul- Rampur, it is 51.90, Lanjigarh 44.08 and Golamunda 40.78.In Bhawanipatna Municipality, for 39 primary schools there are 222 lady teachers and 34 male teachers, a total of 256 as against the requirement of 148.In Dewan Shebpada School, for 54 students there are eight teachers as against the requirement of two. In Dhobapada, for 57 students there are three teachers, in Golap Manjari for 59 students there are six teachers.Similarly, in Shaktinagar for 47 students there are four teachers and in Police Children School for 85 students there are nine teachers. But in Belur Primary School in Madanpur-Rampur block for 126 students there is one teacher, in Ainlajore school of Dharamgarh block for 239 students, there are just two teachers, in Nichemask of Thuamul-Rampur block for 110 students there is only one teacher.The matter was raised in the ZP meeting held in January this year at Bhawanipatna. It had been resolved to weed out surplus teachers from urban areas to the schools in rural areas.Accordingly, it was decided to send surplus teachers from Bhawanipatna Municipality on deputation to the nearby rural schools having shortage of teachers. Basing on the decision, 79 women teachers from Bhawanipatna Municipality have been served with deputation order but this led to agitation.The women teachers who were picketing in front of the office of DI of Schools called off the strike after the Collector did not concede to the demand and the ZP meeting too did not show concern.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
