Tathya.in, Jan 31, 2009
Bhawanipatna:31/January/2009
Critical infrastructure like national highway, railway line and telecommunication is poorest in Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) region in Orissa.
And Naxalism takes advantage of the backward region due to hilly and forest terrain.
However, infrastructure owes in general and rail connectivity in particular in KBK is being neglected severely and has not yet been considered by the Centre.
It is clearly evident from struggling ongoing projects since decades in KBK region such as Lanjigarh road – Junagarh and Balangir – Khordha road lines.
In last couple of years Indian Railway has committed Rs.50,000 crore investment only in Bihar for various ongoing and new projects where as Orissa, especially KBK, is being continuously neglected since decades by Indian railway.
Politicians have often used backwardness of KBK in general and Kalahandi in particular to show case their eagerness towards the poor people in the society though they fail to scrutinize high rate of unemployment rate among semi-skilled and skilled laborer in the region.
While Indian Railway has proposed to establish new factory in UP, Bihar and Kerala, it has coolly forgotten Orissa, alleged Digamabara Patra in a memorandum to Dr. Man Mohan Singh.
Lanjigarh road is located in the border of Kandhamal, Rayagada and Kalahandi.
A factory based at Lanjigarh road/Bhawanipatna will enormously benefit Kalahandi, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Gajpati, Sonepur and Malkangiri equally as it is centrally located to all the districts, feel Dr. Patra.
A leading Non Resident Oriya (NRO) argues for a new East Coast railway division in Lanjigarh road/Bhawanipatna.
This will help to speed up the railway projects in Kalahandi, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh, Nuapada, Balangir, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Gajpati, Sonepur and Malkangiri districts many of which are poorly connected by Indian railway.
Completion of Lanjigarh road – Jungarh line completely in 2009-10 , conneting Khordha road – Balangir line in Eleventh Plan has been urged.
Immediate approval of the projects like Lanjigarh road – Phulbani – Angul line Junagarh – Nabarangpur – Jeypur – Malkangiri – Balachandar road line and Kantabanji – Khariar – Dharamgarh – Ampani – Nabarangpur – Jeypur line has been urged by Dr.Patra, who teaches in American University of Beirut.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Centre approves 4 polytechnics
Tathya.in, Jan 24, 2009
Bhubaneswar:24/January/2009
Centre has approved to open 4 polytechnics in Malkangiri, Boudh, Gajapati and Samabalpur district
In order to lure the youth of the Maoist predominant areas for technical education the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has chalked out program to establish more diploma engineering institutions.
So Orissa being largely affected by Left Wing Extremism has been benefited handsomely.
Malkangiri, the worst affected by Maoist menace has been allotted a polytechnic.
Each polytechnic will cost Rs.12 crore and the MHRD has provided Rs.8 crore as the first instalment.
Vir Vikaram Yadav, Director Techinal Education, speaking to tathya.in said that the State Government is trying to cover all the districts with polytechnics.
While the State Government has 13, there are 7 private polytechnics imparting diploma in engineering.
With these 4 new institutions, many other districts are left.
Districts carved out in 90’s like Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Nayagarh, Nawarangpur and Sonepur also do not have any polytechincs.
Mr.Yadav said that the State Government has also decided to cover all the blocks with Industrial Training Institute (ITI).
Accordingly plans are afoot to cover 125 blocks which are yet to have an ITI.
In the meantime the Directorate of Technical Education & Training (DTET) has prepared a Vision Document keeping in view the growing demand for technical education.
Government of Orissa is also preparing a memorandum for the National Knowledge Commission, which will be included in the agenda of the Centre to provide future course for technical and technological development.
Bhubaneswar:24/January/2009
Centre has approved to open 4 polytechnics in Malkangiri, Boudh, Gajapati and Samabalpur district
In order to lure the youth of the Maoist predominant areas for technical education the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has chalked out program to establish more diploma engineering institutions.
So Orissa being largely affected by Left Wing Extremism has been benefited handsomely.
Malkangiri, the worst affected by Maoist menace has been allotted a polytechnic.
Each polytechnic will cost Rs.12 crore and the MHRD has provided Rs.8 crore as the first instalment.
Vir Vikaram Yadav, Director Techinal Education, speaking to tathya.in said that the State Government is trying to cover all the districts with polytechnics.
While the State Government has 13, there are 7 private polytechnics imparting diploma in engineering.
With these 4 new institutions, many other districts are left.
Districts carved out in 90’s like Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Nayagarh, Nawarangpur and Sonepur also do not have any polytechincs.
Mr.Yadav said that the State Government has also decided to cover all the blocks with Industrial Training Institute (ITI).
Accordingly plans are afoot to cover 125 blocks which are yet to have an ITI.
In the meantime the Directorate of Technical Education & Training (DTET) has prepared a Vision Document keeping in view the growing demand for technical education.
Government of Orissa is also preparing a memorandum for the National Knowledge Commission, which will be included in the agenda of the Centre to provide future course for technical and technological development.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tribal Central varsity to be set up in Koraput: Union Minister
The Pioneer, Jan 16, 2009
PNS | Sunabeda
The Union Government would set up a tribal Central university in Koraput district, said Union Minister of State for Rural Development Chandrasekhar Sahu while addressing the annual function of the women’s college here.
Attending the function as the chief guest, Sahu advised students to be self-sustained and utilise their knowledge acquired due course of their academic pursuit for social development. Education should not be confined to getting a job only, he added.
Attending as the chief speaker, DAV College principal Harisankar Mishra said eradication of poverty is must for bringing an improvement in education. The function was presided over by college principal Pabitra Kumar Bedanta.
Among others, former Minister Raghunath Patnaik, Koraput MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, Ayodhya Samal and Indira Priyadarsini Patnaik also spoke. Sahu distributed prizes to the deserving candidates.
PNS | Sunabeda
The Union Government would set up a tribal Central university in Koraput district, said Union Minister of State for Rural Development Chandrasekhar Sahu while addressing the annual function of the women’s college here.
Attending the function as the chief guest, Sahu advised students to be self-sustained and utilise their knowledge acquired due course of their academic pursuit for social development. Education should not be confined to getting a job only, he added.
Attending as the chief speaker, DAV College principal Harisankar Mishra said eradication of poverty is must for bringing an improvement in education. The function was presided over by college principal Pabitra Kumar Bedanta.
Among others, former Minister Raghunath Patnaik, Koraput MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, Ayodhya Samal and Indira Priyadarsini Patnaik also spoke. Sahu distributed prizes to the deserving candidates.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Civil Society favor K'mal rail
Tathya.in, Jan 9, 2009
Bhubaneswar:9/January/2009
Civil Society of Orissa will demand railway connectivity to Kandhamal.
So the members of the Civil Society will stage dharana in front of the Orissa East Coast Railways (ECOR) headquarters here on 3 February.
They will also present a detailed picture of the continuous neglect and step motherly attitude of the Indian Railways to Orissa
It seems that they have lost high hopes pinned on Kalyan Coomar Jena.
People from all walks of life in Orissa were very happy as Mr.Jena took over reins of Indian Railways.
Least said is better about the Chairman of Railway Board, said many members of the Civil Society.
During Jena’s tenure, Bihar got the maximum and Orissa as usual suffered a lot.
There are only cosmetic changes and lollypops for Orissa, lamented they.
So the leading members of the Civil Society are furious with the Indian Railways authorities.
They have decided to vent anger in public in a peaceful way on 3 February here.
Their main demand is to connect Kandhamal with railways network.
People from all walks of life participated in the meeting held here on 7 January and they voiced the demand for new rail line in Kandhamal.
They were unanimous over the issue as they felt that once the connectivity will be there, the problem will eased.
Professor Chitta Baral, leading voice of NROs gave out details how Orissa has been neglected during Lalu Prasad Yadav regime when Mr.Jena is the Chairman of the Board.
Among others Braja Kishore Tripathy, MP, Sibaji Pattnaik, former MP, Dhananda Mishra, Narendra Mishra, Sudarsan Das also raised pertinent issues.
Engineer BC Praharaj, Ajaya Pattnaik, Bimal Mishra,Rajesh Mishra and SN Mishra pointed out the requirement of the state so far railways infrastructure is concerned.
Political personalities including Sura Jena, Biswanath Mohapatra,Tapasi Praharaj, Deba Parija, Bikram Swain vented their ire against the authorities.
Social activists like Tusar ray, Sashiprabha Bindhani, Madhu Bhai, Manoj Jena, Abhaya Singh, Pradipta Pradhan, Dillip Sabat also spoke on the occasion.
More than 70 members of the Civil Society and at least 20 from Kandhamal participated in the brain storming.
ECOR was represented by TK Joshi and Sanjay Mishra.
Civil Society has decided to organize a meeting prior to 3 February in Kandhamal to raise awareness.
It has been decided to publicize a composite document on Rail neglect in Orissa.
The meeting was organized by Agami Odisha, Swabhiman Odisha Munch, Loksamukhya and Focus Orissa.
All Participant organizations almost vowed to make the people of Orissa aware about Railway neglect and fight for the Railway infrastructural development in Orissa.
Er.Lalit Mohan Pattnaik of Agami Orissa coordinated the meeting.
Bhubaneswar:9/January/2009
Civil Society of Orissa will demand railway connectivity to Kandhamal.
So the members of the Civil Society will stage dharana in front of the Orissa East Coast Railways (ECOR) headquarters here on 3 February.
They will also present a detailed picture of the continuous neglect and step motherly attitude of the Indian Railways to Orissa
It seems that they have lost high hopes pinned on Kalyan Coomar Jena.
People from all walks of life in Orissa were very happy as Mr.Jena took over reins of Indian Railways.
Least said is better about the Chairman of Railway Board, said many members of the Civil Society.
During Jena’s tenure, Bihar got the maximum and Orissa as usual suffered a lot.
There are only cosmetic changes and lollypops for Orissa, lamented they.
So the leading members of the Civil Society are furious with the Indian Railways authorities.
They have decided to vent anger in public in a peaceful way on 3 February here.
Their main demand is to connect Kandhamal with railways network.
People from all walks of life participated in the meeting held here on 7 January and they voiced the demand for new rail line in Kandhamal.
They were unanimous over the issue as they felt that once the connectivity will be there, the problem will eased.
Professor Chitta Baral, leading voice of NROs gave out details how Orissa has been neglected during Lalu Prasad Yadav regime when Mr.Jena is the Chairman of the Board.
Among others Braja Kishore Tripathy, MP, Sibaji Pattnaik, former MP, Dhananda Mishra, Narendra Mishra, Sudarsan Das also raised pertinent issues.
Engineer BC Praharaj, Ajaya Pattnaik, Bimal Mishra,Rajesh Mishra and SN Mishra pointed out the requirement of the state so far railways infrastructure is concerned.
Political personalities including Sura Jena, Biswanath Mohapatra,Tapasi Praharaj, Deba Parija, Bikram Swain vented their ire against the authorities.
Social activists like Tusar ray, Sashiprabha Bindhani, Madhu Bhai, Manoj Jena, Abhaya Singh, Pradipta Pradhan, Dillip Sabat also spoke on the occasion.
More than 70 members of the Civil Society and at least 20 from Kandhamal participated in the brain storming.
ECOR was represented by TK Joshi and Sanjay Mishra.
Civil Society has decided to organize a meeting prior to 3 February in Kandhamal to raise awareness.
It has been decided to publicize a composite document on Rail neglect in Orissa.
The meeting was organized by Agami Odisha, Swabhiman Odisha Munch, Loksamukhya and Focus Orissa.
All Participant organizations almost vowed to make the people of Orissa aware about Railway neglect and fight for the Railway infrastructural development in Orissa.
Er.Lalit Mohan Pattnaik of Agami Orissa coordinated the meeting.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Letter to CM: Proposal to Convert Govt Auton. College Bhawanipatna to Unitary University
Orissadiary, Dec 25, 2008
Dear honorable Chief Minister, Mr. Patnaik,
Unitary University provides many additional advantages to autonomous college to design/introduce new courses depending on local need in the graduate and post graduate level, to substantially improve research activities, to employ permanent faculties who can support in research and education in the long term development of the institution and importantly ushers in more funds from the state and UGC to improve infrastructure, teaching programs, and research facilities.
Recent decision by the state Government to convert Ravenshaw College, UCE Burla and Khallikote College are welcome decision in that respect.
Coincidentally, these institutions were affiliated with Utkal University (Ravenshaw College), BPUT (UCE Burla) and Berhampur University (Khallikote College) representing Central (Ravenshaw College), Western (UCE Burla) and South (Khallokote) Orissa regions. However, none of them belong to KBK region or are affiliated with the Sambalpur University (except UCE’s association in the past).
UGC has recommended “College with Potential for Excellence” (CPE) status so far to only five Colleges from Orissa, out of which two of them, Ravenshaw Autonomous College Cuttack and Khallikote Autonomous College Berhamapur, are (being) made Unitary University by the state Government. Other three are GM Autonomous College Sambalpur, Govt. Autonomous College Bhawanipatna and Fakir Mohan Autonomous College Balasore.
Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna, being one of the prides of the KBK as well as Western Orissa regions, caters to the flame of learning since about last 50 years. It is enjoying the status of “College with Potential for Excellence” (CPE) since September 2004 being one among the first 47 colleges of the whole nation. It is among the first 3 colleges and only College in KBK region to receive CPE honor.
Despite being located in a backward and underdeveloped region, Government (Autonomous) College Bhawanipatna has established itself for maintaining high quality in education in this part of the state. Students of this College have been securing top ranks at the University level as well as state level in various fields of education.
KBK region is known to be backward in higher education and research facilities. Lack of sufficient teachers/lecturers in major Govt. Colleges in the region has been a serious concern.
Unitary University would facilitate highly skilled professionals in the various fields to join as permanent faculties, such as, as Assistant, Associate and full Professors, in such institutions and will fulfill deficiencies in shortage of lecturers in Autonomous College in Kalahandi.
In major Govt. and private institutions in Kalahandi shortage of lecturers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, agriculture and horticulture professionals etc are always noticed as there are only few professionals in various fields at the local level.
Where as local students in Kalahandi are struggling to get employment in the local level and some of them are forcefully migrating to other states in search for opportunities. There is a high percentage of local youth with bachelor degree without any employment. Many of them [such as Mr. Ajit Barik (OBC), Mr. Surudhan Hans (OBC), Mr. Raita Hans from Gambhariguda, P.O. Khairpadar, Dharamgarh], are working as barber or daily laborer despite having bachelor degree and OBC certificate with them. This contradiction in place like Kalahandi is surprising but it is a real fact and mainly due to improper planning in higher educational policy, specially, at the local level.
On the other hand, there is no state University in Kalahandi or KBK region to meet local requirements. Being an autonomous college, Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna has limited flexibility to introduce new courses on nursing, pharmacy, optometrist, agriculture, horticulture, banking and services, metal processing, information processing, computer science, medicine etc in the diploma, bachelor as well as postgraduate level course to fulfill local demand.
A Unitary University, however, will give this institution independency to introduce new courses not only in the discipline mentioned above but also in the field of medicine, agriculture, technology etc based on local requirements as a “Real University”.
Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna is located on NH 201 and has 60 acres of land and towards its north-east more than 100 acres of land are under the possession of the State Government and some private individuals which are lying vacant and can be utilized for horizontal structural growth. If situation arises like for Ravenshaw University, there is sufficient of land near to Bhawanipatna for future possible expansion of a new separate campus.
Recently, Human Resource Development, Govt. of India has selected locations for IIT/IIM/WCCU based on region and not based on population and other parameters. In fact, as per Government notification Amarkantak was chosen for “Indira Gandhi National Tribal University” because it is centrally located tribal region in Maharastra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
Kalahandi is the central district in KBK region. Even including other backward districts of Kandhamal, Boudh and Padampur sub-division, Bhawanipatna, could be ideally suited as a central location in this region. All major towns/districts of KBK as well as Boudh, Kandhamal and Padampur (Bargarh Dist) could be easily reached within 200 km by state/national highways from this place.
Based on location, available infrastructure, local & regional requirements, quality and importantly merit Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna deserves to be a Unitary University.
Making Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna a Unitary University will help this institution to improve its infrastructure to introduce new courses and improve its research facilities in this part, specially, in a backward part of the state that does not have any state University to meet all local requirements in employment and education.
We urge you to immediately approve and make the Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna to a Unitary University in the next cabinet meeting.
Thanking you
Best regards
Dr Digambara Patra
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
American University of Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon
Email: digpatra@rediffmail.com
Dear honorable Chief Minister, Mr. Patnaik,
Unitary University provides many additional advantages to autonomous college to design/introduce new courses depending on local need in the graduate and post graduate level, to substantially improve research activities, to employ permanent faculties who can support in research and education in the long term development of the institution and importantly ushers in more funds from the state and UGC to improve infrastructure, teaching programs, and research facilities.
Recent decision by the state Government to convert Ravenshaw College, UCE Burla and Khallikote College are welcome decision in that respect.
Coincidentally, these institutions were affiliated with Utkal University (Ravenshaw College), BPUT (UCE Burla) and Berhampur University (Khallikote College) representing Central (Ravenshaw College), Western (UCE Burla) and South (Khallokote) Orissa regions. However, none of them belong to KBK region or are affiliated with the Sambalpur University (except UCE’s association in the past).
UGC has recommended “College with Potential for Excellence” (CPE) status so far to only five Colleges from Orissa, out of which two of them, Ravenshaw Autonomous College Cuttack and Khallikote Autonomous College Berhamapur, are (being) made Unitary University by the state Government. Other three are GM Autonomous College Sambalpur, Govt. Autonomous College Bhawanipatna and Fakir Mohan Autonomous College Balasore.
Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna, being one of the prides of the KBK as well as Western Orissa regions, caters to the flame of learning since about last 50 years. It is enjoying the status of “College with Potential for Excellence” (CPE) since September 2004 being one among the first 47 colleges of the whole nation. It is among the first 3 colleges and only College in KBK region to receive CPE honor.
Despite being located in a backward and underdeveloped region, Government (Autonomous) College Bhawanipatna has established itself for maintaining high quality in education in this part of the state. Students of this College have been securing top ranks at the University level as well as state level in various fields of education.
KBK region is known to be backward in higher education and research facilities. Lack of sufficient teachers/lecturers in major Govt. Colleges in the region has been a serious concern.
Unitary University would facilitate highly skilled professionals in the various fields to join as permanent faculties, such as, as Assistant, Associate and full Professors, in such institutions and will fulfill deficiencies in shortage of lecturers in Autonomous College in Kalahandi.
In major Govt. and private institutions in Kalahandi shortage of lecturers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, agriculture and horticulture professionals etc are always noticed as there are only few professionals in various fields at the local level.
Where as local students in Kalahandi are struggling to get employment in the local level and some of them are forcefully migrating to other states in search for opportunities. There is a high percentage of local youth with bachelor degree without any employment. Many of them [such as Mr. Ajit Barik (OBC), Mr. Surudhan Hans (OBC), Mr. Raita Hans from Gambhariguda, P.O. Khairpadar, Dharamgarh], are working as barber or daily laborer despite having bachelor degree and OBC certificate with them. This contradiction in place like Kalahandi is surprising but it is a real fact and mainly due to improper planning in higher educational policy, specially, at the local level.
On the other hand, there is no state University in Kalahandi or KBK region to meet local requirements. Being an autonomous college, Government Autonomous College, Bhawanipatna has limited flexibility to introduce new courses on nursing, pharmacy, optometrist, agriculture, horticulture, banking and services, metal processing, information processing, computer science, medicine etc in the diploma, bachelor as well as postgraduate level course to fulfill local demand.
A Unitary University, however, will give this institution independency to introduce new courses not only in the discipline mentioned above but also in the field of medicine, agriculture, technology etc based on local requirements as a “Real University”.
Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna is located on NH 201 and has 60 acres of land and towards its north-east more than 100 acres of land are under the possession of the State Government and some private individuals which are lying vacant and can be utilized for horizontal structural growth. If situation arises like for Ravenshaw University, there is sufficient of land near to Bhawanipatna for future possible expansion of a new separate campus.
Recently, Human Resource Development, Govt. of India has selected locations for IIT/IIM/WCCU based on region and not based on population and other parameters. In fact, as per Government notification Amarkantak was chosen for “Indira Gandhi National Tribal University” because it is centrally located tribal region in Maharastra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
Kalahandi is the central district in KBK region. Even including other backward districts of Kandhamal, Boudh and Padampur sub-division, Bhawanipatna, could be ideally suited as a central location in this region. All major towns/districts of KBK as well as Boudh, Kandhamal and Padampur (Bargarh Dist) could be easily reached within 200 km by state/national highways from this place.
Based on location, available infrastructure, local & regional requirements, quality and importantly merit Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna deserves to be a Unitary University.
Making Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna a Unitary University will help this institution to improve its infrastructure to introduce new courses and improve its research facilities in this part, specially, in a backward part of the state that does not have any state University to meet all local requirements in employment and education.
We urge you to immediately approve and make the Government Autonomous College Bhawanipatna to a Unitary University in the next cabinet meeting.
Thanking you
Best regards
Dr Digambara Patra
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
American University of Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon
Email: digpatra@rediffmail.com
Meeting on “Railways in Orissa” & our demand to sanction a Rail Link in Kandhamal
Respected Sir,
We would like to invite you to our session on Railways in Orissa and our demand to sanction a Rail Link in Kandhamal. The gathering will comprise of concerned Odia Budhijibi inside and outside of Orissa as well as political activist and representative from different Political party. Agami Odisha member Prof Chitta Baral from Arizona University ( USA) will give a presentation on Railways.
This programme is being conducted jointly by Agami Odisha. Swabhiman Odisha Munch , Lokasamukhya and Focus Orissa. Being convener of this programme, I will be highly obliged for your august presence in our meeting on 7th January’09 at Red Cross Bhawan by 10.30 AM. Please find our leaflet attached.
Thanking You,
Yours Truely
Programme;
Date & Time-7th Jan’09 at 10.30AM to 2PM ( Lunch)
Redcross Bhawan, Unit-9,Bhubaneswar
Convener) Er. Lalit Pattnaik.
Working President Agami Odisha
Organisers- AGAMI ODISHA, SWABHIMAN ODISHA MUNCH & LOKASAMUKHYA
We would like to invite you to our session on Railways in Orissa and our demand to sanction a Rail Link in Kandhamal. The gathering will comprise of concerned Odia Budhijibi inside and outside of Orissa as well as political activist and representative from different Political party. Agami Odisha member Prof Chitta Baral from Arizona University ( USA) will give a presentation on Railways.
This programme is being conducted jointly by Agami Odisha. Swabhiman Odisha Munch , Lokasamukhya and Focus Orissa. Being convener of this programme, I will be highly obliged for your august presence in our meeting on 7th January’09 at Red Cross Bhawan by 10.30 AM. Please find our leaflet attached.
Thanking You,
Yours Truely
Programme;
Date & Time-7th Jan’09 at 10.30AM to 2PM ( Lunch)
Redcross Bhawan, Unit-9,Bhubaneswar
Convener) Er. Lalit Pattnaik.
Working President Agami Odisha
Organisers- AGAMI ODISHA, SWABHIMAN ODISHA MUNCH & LOKASAMUKHYA
Naveen's pre-poll gift to Kalahandi
Expressbuzz.com, 28th December, 2008
The State Government has decided to open an engineering college and an agriculture college in Kalahandi district. This was decided at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here today. Naveen has directed the authorities concerned to start the construction of the two colleges immediately.
Work on the two colleges will start during the current financial year. A provision of Rs 5 cr each will be made for this. The engineering college will be established at Bhawanipatna with 240 seats. The seats will be filled up through joint entrance examination and admissions will start from the next academic year. The proposed college has got the approval of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
The new agriculture college, with 48 seats, will function from the next academic year in the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) at Bhawanipatna. This will be the third agriculture college in the State after Bhubaneswar and Chiplima.
The Chief Minister said establishment of these two colleges in Kalahandi will help in the economic growth of the district. Among others, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy, Development Commissioner TK Mishra and senior officials attended the meeting.
Spokesperson of Kalahandi Central University Kriyanustan Committee Akshaya Kumar Nanda welcomed the decision and said in Bhawanipatna that the move will boost higher education in technical field in the district having no technical college.
However, the proposed two colleges are no alternative for Central university for which the people are fighting. Similarly, president of Sikshya Vikash Committee Gopabandhu Behera said setting up of a Central university is the prime demand of the people
The State Government has decided to open an engineering college and an agriculture college in Kalahandi district. This was decided at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here today. Naveen has directed the authorities concerned to start the construction of the two colleges immediately.
Work on the two colleges will start during the current financial year. A provision of Rs 5 cr each will be made for this. The engineering college will be established at Bhawanipatna with 240 seats. The seats will be filled up through joint entrance examination and admissions will start from the next academic year. The proposed college has got the approval of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
The new agriculture college, with 48 seats, will function from the next academic year in the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) at Bhawanipatna. This will be the third agriculture college in the State after Bhubaneswar and Chiplima.
The Chief Minister said establishment of these two colleges in Kalahandi will help in the economic growth of the district. Among others, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy, Development Commissioner TK Mishra and senior officials attended the meeting.
Spokesperson of Kalahandi Central University Kriyanustan Committee Akshaya Kumar Nanda welcomed the decision and said in Bhawanipatna that the move will boost higher education in technical field in the district having no technical college.
However, the proposed two colleges are no alternative for Central university for which the people are fighting. Similarly, president of Sikshya Vikash Committee Gopabandhu Behera said setting up of a Central university is the prime demand of the people
Friday, December 19, 2008
500 acres to be provided for Central Varsity in Koraput
The Pioneer, Dec 19, 2008
PNS | Bhubaneswar
The State Government would provide 500 acre of land to the Centre to facilitate the establishment of a Central University in Koraput town, said Higher Education Minister Samir Dey in the State Assembly on Thursday.
Dey on the floor of the Assembly said the Ministry of Human Resources Development has already constituted an inspection committee to identify the land.
“A committee under the Deputy Secretary Sunil Kumar would soon visit the State to examine the lands. After the Committee completes its work, the establishment work for the university would start,” he said, adding that the land would be provided at free of cost.
A serious debate took place during the Question Hour regarding the establishment of the Central University in Koraput.
PNS | Bhubaneswar
The State Government would provide 500 acre of land to the Centre to facilitate the establishment of a Central University in Koraput town, said Higher Education Minister Samir Dey in the State Assembly on Thursday.
Dey on the floor of the Assembly said the Ministry of Human Resources Development has already constituted an inspection committee to identify the land.
“A committee under the Deputy Secretary Sunil Kumar would soon visit the State to examine the lands. After the Committee completes its work, the establishment work for the university would start,” he said, adding that the land would be provided at free of cost.
A serious debate took place during the Question Hour regarding the establishment of the Central University in Koraput.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Koraput-Bhawanipatna-Rayagda Tribal Tourism Triangle in Orissa
Dharitri, Nov 28, 2008
Toursim attraction in between Bhawanipatna and Indravati Artificial Lake
Comment:
Similar to golden triangle comprising Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar, Koraput – Bhawanipatna – Rayagada could be marketed as Tribal Tourism Triangle by Orissa tourism Department.
Koraput (temple) – Kolab (water reservoir and power station) – Raniguda - Tentulikhunti (Temple) - Mukhiguda (water reservoir and power station) – Indravati dam (water reservoir) - Thuamul Rampur (tribal life, tea/coffee garden, waterfall) –Karlapat (sanctuary, wildlife) – Phurli Jharan and Jakham (water fall)– Bhawanipatna (temple) – Asurgarh(historial place, ruins of a fort) – Bisam Cuttack (tribal: dongria kondh) – Gadgada (water fall) - Therubali (temple) – Rayagada (temple) – Hati Pathar (waterfall) - Laxmipur – Damanjodi (natural beauty) – Koraput (temple)
Toursim attraction in between Bhawanipatna and Indravati Artificial Lake
Comment:
Similar to golden triangle comprising Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar, Koraput – Bhawanipatna – Rayagada could be marketed as Tribal Tourism Triangle by Orissa tourism Department.
Koraput (temple) – Kolab (water reservoir and power station) – Raniguda - Tentulikhunti (Temple) - Mukhiguda (water reservoir and power station) – Indravati dam (water reservoir) - Thuamul Rampur (tribal life, tea/coffee garden, waterfall) –Karlapat (sanctuary, wildlife) – Phurli Jharan and Jakham (water fall)– Bhawanipatna (temple) – Asurgarh(historial place, ruins of a fort) – Bisam Cuttack (tribal: dongria kondh) – Gadgada (water fall) - Therubali (temple) – Rayagada (temple) – Hati Pathar (waterfall) - Laxmipur – Damanjodi (natural beauty) – Koraput (temple)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Letter for Tribal Tourism Triangle in KBK
Dear Director, Dept of Tourism, Govt. of Orissa,
Similar to golden triangle comprising Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar, Koraput – Bhawanipatna – Rayagada could be marketed as Tribal Tourism Triangle by Orissa tourism Department.
Koraput (temple) – Kolab (water reservoir and power station) – Raniguda - Tentulikhunti (Temple) - Mukhiguda (water reservoir and power station) – Indravati dam (water reservoir) - Thuamul Rampur (tribal life, tea/coffee garden, waterfall) –Karlapat (sanctuary, wildlife) – Phurli Jharan and Jakham (water fall)– Bhawanipatna (temple) – Asurgarh(historial place, ruins of a fort) – Bisam Cuttack (tribal: dongria kondh) – Gadgada (water fall) - Therubali (temple) – Rayagada (temple) – Hati Pathar (waterfall) - Laxmipur – Damanjodi (natural beauty) – Koraput (temple)
Doing so other tourist places near to Koraput (like Jeypore, Duduma, Nandapur, Gupteswar etc), Bhawanipatna (like Junagarh, Ranipur Jharial, Khariar, Bhim Khoj near Dharamgarh, Dokrichanchra, Patalganga, Sunabeda in Nuapada, Gudahandi etc) and Rayagada (Minajhola, Devgiri, Padampur, Gunpur, Daringbadi in Kandhamal, etc) will also get more emphasis and importance as Koraput, Bhawanipatna and Rayagada would facilitate as the center for them encouraging more nature and tribal loving tourists to KBK-Kandhamal regions.
A state highway is required to connect Raniguda with Indravati dam via Singpuru, Jagganathpur and Tentulikhunti for tourism development in the area, particularly natural and tribal beauty of Thuamul Rampur, Karlapat (wildlife) and Indravati dam could be well exploited through it.
Similarly connecting Indravati dam with Ranipur jharial, Patalganga, Sunabeda in Nuapada via Moter, Dharamgarh, Sindhekela by a state highway would also encourage tourists in KBK region.
Tribal dance like Ghumura, Dalkhai, Danda, Kondh dance, Paraja dance, Bonda dance etc could be associated at various tourist locations.
Thanks and best regards
Digambara
Similar to golden triangle comprising Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar, Koraput – Bhawanipatna – Rayagada could be marketed as Tribal Tourism Triangle by Orissa tourism Department.
Koraput (temple) – Kolab (water reservoir and power station) – Raniguda - Tentulikhunti (Temple) - Mukhiguda (water reservoir and power station) – Indravati dam (water reservoir) - Thuamul Rampur (tribal life, tea/coffee garden, waterfall) –Karlapat (sanctuary, wildlife) – Phurli Jharan and Jakham (water fall)– Bhawanipatna (temple) – Asurgarh(historial place, ruins of a fort) – Bisam Cuttack (tribal: dongria kondh) – Gadgada (water fall) - Therubali (temple) – Rayagada (temple) – Hati Pathar (waterfall) - Laxmipur – Damanjodi (natural beauty) – Koraput (temple)
Doing so other tourist places near to Koraput (like Jeypore, Duduma, Nandapur, Gupteswar etc), Bhawanipatna (like Junagarh, Ranipur Jharial, Khariar, Bhim Khoj near Dharamgarh, Dokrichanchra, Patalganga, Sunabeda in Nuapada, Gudahandi etc) and Rayagada (Minajhola, Devgiri, Padampur, Gunpur, Daringbadi in Kandhamal, etc) will also get more emphasis and importance as Koraput, Bhawanipatna and Rayagada would facilitate as the center for them encouraging more nature and tribal loving tourists to KBK-Kandhamal regions.
A state highway is required to connect Raniguda with Indravati dam via Singpuru, Jagganathpur and Tentulikhunti for tourism development in the area, particularly natural and tribal beauty of Thuamul Rampur, Karlapat (wildlife) and Indravati dam could be well exploited through it.
Similarly connecting Indravati dam with Ranipur jharial, Patalganga, Sunabeda in Nuapada via Moter, Dharamgarh, Sindhekela by a state highway would also encourage tourists in KBK region.
Tribal dance like Ghumura, Dalkhai, Danda, Kondh dance, Paraja dance, Bonda dance etc could be associated at various tourist locations.
Thanks and best regards
Digambara
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Govt to restructure State’s 314 blocks
The Pioneer, Nov 2, 2008
The Orissa Government has decided to restructure all the 314 blocks of the State. A decision to this effect was taken at the all-secretaries meeting chaired by Chief Secy Ajit Kumar Tripathy.
It was decided in the meeting that Government would seek financial assistance from the 13th Finance Commission to go ahead with the restructuring of the blocks. Steps would be taken to build up the cluster of different categories block wise.
At the time of restructuring of the blocks, existing population, the socio-economic condition of the people would be taken into consideration. The SC and ST population and the population of other backward class would be taken into consideration. The block would be restructured to improve the administrative efficiency and augmenting the delivery mechanism. Most of the funds now straight come to the block. A lot of money under NREGS and other programmes is being spent by the block unit.
Tripathy asked the officials to take steps for expediting the establishments of ITIs in block level. In yet another development, the Planning Commission has asked the State to submit an- eight year action plan for the KBK districts for which fund can be released.
The Orissa Government has decided to restructure all the 314 blocks of the State. A decision to this effect was taken at the all-secretaries meeting chaired by Chief Secy Ajit Kumar Tripathy.
It was decided in the meeting that Government would seek financial assistance from the 13th Finance Commission to go ahead with the restructuring of the blocks. Steps would be taken to build up the cluster of different categories block wise.
At the time of restructuring of the blocks, existing population, the socio-economic condition of the people would be taken into consideration. The SC and ST population and the population of other backward class would be taken into consideration. The block would be restructured to improve the administrative efficiency and augmenting the delivery mechanism. Most of the funds now straight come to the block. A lot of money under NREGS and other programmes is being spent by the block unit.
Tripathy asked the officials to take steps for expediting the establishments of ITIs in block level. In yet another development, the Planning Commission has asked the State to submit an- eight year action plan for the KBK districts for which fund can be released.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Single Window authority clears 2 projects: one in Balangir
The Pioneer, Oct 28, 2008
The State level- Single Window Clearance Authority on Monday cleared two proposals in power sector. It approved the NTPC's 4, 300 megawatt power project. Rs 19,840 crore would be invested and the project would come up in Dhenkanal.
It also approved another proposal in the thermal sector. Sahara India Power Corporation in collaboration with Goudin of China will set up a thermal project at Bolangir. Rs 5,604 crore will be invested in the project. Chief Secretary Ajit Tripathy presided over the meeting.
The State level- Single Window Clearance Authority on Monday cleared two proposals in power sector. It approved the NTPC's 4, 300 megawatt power project. Rs 19,840 crore would be invested and the project would come up in Dhenkanal.
It also approved another proposal in the thermal sector. Sahara India Power Corporation in collaboration with Goudin of China will set up a thermal project at Bolangir. Rs 5,604 crore will be invested in the project. Chief Secretary Ajit Tripathy presided over the meeting.
Monday, October 27, 2008
KBK still limping
The Statesman, Oct 27, 2008
Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, Oct 26: Two decades of focused intervention, entailing pumping in crores of rupees, seems to have had little impact on the notoriously backward KBK region (erstwhile undivided Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi districts) according to the Food Security Atlas released by World Food Programme and Institute for Human Development.
"It is surprising that the efforts put into the development of the region have not yielded tangible results," states the report, while dealing with KBK region and noting that widespread malnutrition and mortality levels are a pointer to the dismal situation.
The region is characterised by wastelands, scrublands, low agriculture development, abysmally low literacy levels and high malnutrition levels.
The KBK region accounts for 31 per cent of the total area of the state, but only 20 per cent of the total population indicating low density of population. A huge part of the region is unfit for cultivation and is mostly degraded forests and scrublands. Koraput, for instances, has more than 1,000 sq kms of its area under wastelands.
Low levels of land development in the region have resulted in poor performance on the agricultural front. Despite all talk of wasteland development, the fact is that the region has not benefited from the programme as yet.
Consequent to this is the fact that very small area can be cultivated twice in an agricultural year and the cropping intensity is low. Only 19 per cent of the total area of Rayagada district is under cultivation while it is barely 20 per cent in Malkangiri district, 35 per cent in Koraput, 37 per cent in Bolangir and 41 percent in Kalahandi. The KBK average works out to 35.5 per cent in terms of area under cultivation.
The food grain yield per heactre in KBK region is 590 kg with the yield per hectare in some districts like Nuapada being as low as 221 kg, Bolangir 302 kg and Kalahandi 491 kg said the report.
Less than five per cent of the surveyed tribal population were found to be in a food secure situation in these districts. The proportion of extremely food insecure tribal households that can hardly manage one square meal a day is highest in Rayagada district at almost 12 per cent of the tribal population being unable to get one meal per day for major part of the year. Five of the eight districts in the region have a less than 10 per cent urbanisation level and these districts have a very high proportion of STs, almost twice the proportion of tribes in other parts of the state.
Other parameters too show that KBK is lagging behind the rest of the state. Koraput, Nawarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada have a rural female literacy rate of less than 20 per cent. The food insecurity status of the region manifests itself in high mortality and malnourishment. Most of the districts in the region record over 150 child deaths per 1000 live births and over 40 percent of the children are in the moderately underweight category.
Shockingly, the situation prevailing in KBK region is despite special interventions in the form of Area Development for Poverty Termination (ADAPT) in 1988 followed by the Long Term Action Plan ( LTAP) in 1993 and the Revised Long Term Action Plan ( RLTAP) in 1998. Each of these schemes involved expenditure of crores of rupees towards overall improvement of the region, feeding programmes, water harvesting etc.
Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, Oct 26: Two decades of focused intervention, entailing pumping in crores of rupees, seems to have had little impact on the notoriously backward KBK region (erstwhile undivided Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi districts) according to the Food Security Atlas released by World Food Programme and Institute for Human Development.
"It is surprising that the efforts put into the development of the region have not yielded tangible results," states the report, while dealing with KBK region and noting that widespread malnutrition and mortality levels are a pointer to the dismal situation.
The region is characterised by wastelands, scrublands, low agriculture development, abysmally low literacy levels and high malnutrition levels.
The KBK region accounts for 31 per cent of the total area of the state, but only 20 per cent of the total population indicating low density of population. A huge part of the region is unfit for cultivation and is mostly degraded forests and scrublands. Koraput, for instances, has more than 1,000 sq kms of its area under wastelands.
Low levels of land development in the region have resulted in poor performance on the agricultural front. Despite all talk of wasteland development, the fact is that the region has not benefited from the programme as yet.
Consequent to this is the fact that very small area can be cultivated twice in an agricultural year and the cropping intensity is low. Only 19 per cent of the total area of Rayagada district is under cultivation while it is barely 20 per cent in Malkangiri district, 35 per cent in Koraput, 37 per cent in Bolangir and 41 percent in Kalahandi. The KBK average works out to 35.5 per cent in terms of area under cultivation.
The food grain yield per heactre in KBK region is 590 kg with the yield per hectare in some districts like Nuapada being as low as 221 kg, Bolangir 302 kg and Kalahandi 491 kg said the report.
Less than five per cent of the surveyed tribal population were found to be in a food secure situation in these districts. The proportion of extremely food insecure tribal households that can hardly manage one square meal a day is highest in Rayagada district at almost 12 per cent of the tribal population being unable to get one meal per day for major part of the year. Five of the eight districts in the region have a less than 10 per cent urbanisation level and these districts have a very high proportion of STs, almost twice the proportion of tribes in other parts of the state.
Other parameters too show that KBK is lagging behind the rest of the state. Koraput, Nawarangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada have a rural female literacy rate of less than 20 per cent. The food insecurity status of the region manifests itself in high mortality and malnourishment. Most of the districts in the region record over 150 child deaths per 1000 live births and over 40 percent of the children are in the moderately underweight category.
Shockingly, the situation prevailing in KBK region is despite special interventions in the form of Area Development for Poverty Termination (ADAPT) in 1988 followed by the Long Term Action Plan ( LTAP) in 1993 and the Revised Long Term Action Plan ( RLTAP) in 1998. Each of these schemes involved expenditure of crores of rupees towards overall improvement of the region, feeding programmes, water harvesting etc.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Initiative by Er Lalit Patnaik for Lanjigarh road-Phulbani-Angul Railway Line
Yesterday in an Action Plan for Khandhamal, I proposed our Rail Line demand for growth of Khandhamal to be included. The rail line should connect Lanjigarah Station to Angul via Phulbani that will almost bisect Khandhamal District. The chairman Dr Bhagaban & Prof Radhamohan appreciated the proposal but there were very few in public who could fully visualise the would be impact of our demand in peace making process.
In the mean time many a reporter and public of Bolangir region have telephoned me and have highly appriciated our proposal about Khandhamal that came out in a local news paper after our meeting at Bolangir. ........................
Yours,
Lalit Mohan Pattnaik
In the mean time many a reporter and public of Bolangir region have telephoned me and have highly appriciated our proposal about Khandhamal that came out in a local news paper after our meeting at Bolangir. ........................
Yours,
Lalit Mohan Pattnaik
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Poor infrastructure in K'mal escalates conflict
The Pioneer, Oct 8, 2008
Pioneer News Service | Phulbani
The Kandhamal ethno-communal violence seems to have lost some of its force. Ground-level intelligence sources, however, feel that the truce may be a temporary phenomenon.
Thanks to new DGP Manmohan Praharaj's direct initiative - 107 alleged conspirators and instigators, including Hindu and Christian fundamentalists, have been arrested. On Saturday morning, the police apprehended two Christians carrying crude bombs. The VHP has accused the Government of arresting Hindu activists while being soft towards the perpetrators of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati's murder. Long term improvement of the most backward environment of Kandhamal district, the basic cause of conflict, are not being addressed, lamented a former chief administrator of KBK. Though till date Kandhamal has not been included in KBK fold, but situation is more pathetic than KBK, he revealed.
Poor communication is one of the most nagging problems of the district, said an NRO, Sandip K Dasverma. He in a letter to the Chief Minister has detailed out the both physical and cyber connectivity for the district and KBK. After 61 years of Independence, Kandhamal continues to be one of the districts in the country without any railway connectivity. Khurda Road-Kandhamal-Balangir railway line will go a long way to serve the backward zone in a big way. The funding for the Khurda Road-Balangir railway track by the Railway Ministry is woeful. With the present level of funding it will take another half a century to complete the link, alleged Professor Chitta Baral.
Just like Ranchi-Vijayawada Highway intended to counter Maoists, the road connectivity inside the Kandhamal district will go a long way to serve the hapless tribals, he said he.
Equally concerned for the people of Kandhamal, Dhirendra Kar, a pro-active NRO said all the 12 blocks of the district from the district headquarters are ill served by the road network. In an e-mail to the Chief Minister, Kar has also harped on the infrastructure owes of the unrest-hit zone. t is very much difficult to contact people in the interior areas of the district. Internet service is equally dismal and it is non-existent even in the Block Headquarters.
Given such poor infrastructure, the ability of the administration and police to contain the raging frenzy is seriously compromised, said a senior police officer posted at Baliguda.
Pioneer News Service | Phulbani
The Kandhamal ethno-communal violence seems to have lost some of its force. Ground-level intelligence sources, however, feel that the truce may be a temporary phenomenon.
Thanks to new DGP Manmohan Praharaj's direct initiative - 107 alleged conspirators and instigators, including Hindu and Christian fundamentalists, have been arrested. On Saturday morning, the police apprehended two Christians carrying crude bombs. The VHP has accused the Government of arresting Hindu activists while being soft towards the perpetrators of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati's murder. Long term improvement of the most backward environment of Kandhamal district, the basic cause of conflict, are not being addressed, lamented a former chief administrator of KBK. Though till date Kandhamal has not been included in KBK fold, but situation is more pathetic than KBK, he revealed.
Poor communication is one of the most nagging problems of the district, said an NRO, Sandip K Dasverma. He in a letter to the Chief Minister has detailed out the both physical and cyber connectivity for the district and KBK. After 61 years of Independence, Kandhamal continues to be one of the districts in the country without any railway connectivity. Khurda Road-Kandhamal-Balangir railway line will go a long way to serve the backward zone in a big way. The funding for the Khurda Road-Balangir railway track by the Railway Ministry is woeful. With the present level of funding it will take another half a century to complete the link, alleged Professor Chitta Baral.
Just like Ranchi-Vijayawada Highway intended to counter Maoists, the road connectivity inside the Kandhamal district will go a long way to serve the hapless tribals, he said he.
Equally concerned for the people of Kandhamal, Dhirendra Kar, a pro-active NRO said all the 12 blocks of the district from the district headquarters are ill served by the road network. In an e-mail to the Chief Minister, Kar has also harped on the infrastructure owes of the unrest-hit zone. t is very much difficult to contact people in the interior areas of the district. Internet service is equally dismal and it is non-existent even in the Block Headquarters.
Given such poor infrastructure, the ability of the administration and police to contain the raging frenzy is seriously compromised, said a senior police officer posted at Baliguda.
Orissa to explore bauxite in Keonjhar, Koraput
Business Standard, Oct 8, 2008
With a view to augment the availability of bauxite for the aluminium plants coming up in the state, the Orissa government plans to start exploration of bauxite in the Keonjhar and Koraput districts during the current fiscal.
It will take up exploration in the surrounding areas of Dholkata Pahar in the Keonjhar district and small and medium size plateaus in Dashmantapur block in the Koraput district to assess the availability of bauxite there.
An exploration was undertaken in Dholkata Pahar by the directorate of geology between the field seasons 1975-76 and 1981-82 and a reserve of 5.09 million tonnes of metallurgical grade bauxite was found.
Preliminary investigations carried out in the surrounding areas of Dholkata Pahar, like Unsir, Serenda and Samrajpahar, also indicated the presence of bauxite.
Drilling in Dholkata Pahar has revealed the thickness of laterite profile of up to 18metres, with bauxite being encountered up to a maximum depth of 16 metres from the surface. As Unsir, Serenda and Samraja Pahar are adjacent to Dholkata Pahar and have similar geological set up, the directorate hopes to get bauxite of the same nature there.
Keeping that in view, it plans to carry out geological mapping for bauxite in these areas, followed by drilling wherever necessary. While geological mapping will be taken up for 100 square kilometres, trial excavation, drilling and sampling are proposed to be taken up if necessary, sources added.
Similarly, assessment of bauxite and gemstone potential in Dashmantpur block in the Koraput district is proposed to be taken up during the current fiscal. It may be noted that the area around Girliguma in Dashmantapur exposes the ‘Eastern Ghat Super’ group of rocks.
While the eastern part of Girliguma is occupied by about 36 plateaus of various dimensions, the valley part of the area exposes basic granulites, pegmatites and quartz veins. The gravels, derived from the pegmatites and their contact zones, are often panned by the local people to recover fibrolite with cat’s eye effect.
In this backdrop, an exploration will be undertaken in these plateaus for bauxite.
With a view to augment the availability of bauxite for the aluminium plants coming up in the state, the Orissa government plans to start exploration of bauxite in the Keonjhar and Koraput districts during the current fiscal.
It will take up exploration in the surrounding areas of Dholkata Pahar in the Keonjhar district and small and medium size plateaus in Dashmantapur block in the Koraput district to assess the availability of bauxite there.
An exploration was undertaken in Dholkata Pahar by the directorate of geology between the field seasons 1975-76 and 1981-82 and a reserve of 5.09 million tonnes of metallurgical grade bauxite was found.
Preliminary investigations carried out in the surrounding areas of Dholkata Pahar, like Unsir, Serenda and Samrajpahar, also indicated the presence of bauxite.
Drilling in Dholkata Pahar has revealed the thickness of laterite profile of up to 18metres, with bauxite being encountered up to a maximum depth of 16 metres from the surface. As Unsir, Serenda and Samraja Pahar are adjacent to Dholkata Pahar and have similar geological set up, the directorate hopes to get bauxite of the same nature there.
Keeping that in view, it plans to carry out geological mapping for bauxite in these areas, followed by drilling wherever necessary. While geological mapping will be taken up for 100 square kilometres, trial excavation, drilling and sampling are proposed to be taken up if necessary, sources added.
Similarly, assessment of bauxite and gemstone potential in Dashmantpur block in the Koraput district is proposed to be taken up during the current fiscal. It may be noted that the area around Girliguma in Dashmantapur exposes the ‘Eastern Ghat Super’ group of rocks.
While the eastern part of Girliguma is occupied by about 36 plateaus of various dimensions, the valley part of the area exposes basic granulites, pegmatites and quartz veins. The gravels, derived from the pegmatites and their contact zones, are often panned by the local people to recover fibrolite with cat’s eye effect.
In this backdrop, an exploration will be undertaken in these plateaus for bauxite.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Open Letter to PM on Kandhamal violence - proposed long term solutions
To:
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
Cc: Mr. Naveen Patniak, Chief Minister of Orissa
Cc: Shri Muralidhan Chandrakant Bhandare, Governor of Orissa
Subject: The common thread of large scale violence in Orissa in 2008; proposed solution to be taken on war footing
Dear Dr. Singh:
While the nation's eye is focused on the recent Kandhamala violence, I would urge you to go over the following news reports about large scale violence, most initiated by Naxalites and Maoists, in Orissa in 2008. These large scale violent events happened in Nayagarh, Malkangiri, and Kandhamal districts, and have spread to nearby districts such as Gajapati and Boudh. To really solve the Kandhamala violence and to ensure that it does not happen again, one needs to dig a bit deeper and find the fundamental issues that need to be addressed. Just more police is not enough as we can never have enough police to guard over the thousands of villages in these areas. The news snippets are:
February 15 2008 (Deecan Herald): "Fifteen people including 13 policemen, a civilian and a gram rakhi (village guard) were killed when armed Naxalites unleashed a wave of attacks on police establishments like stations, district police armoury and police training centre in Nayagarh town … Twelve policemen and women have also sustained injuries in the attacks and have been hospilised. The condtion of some of the injured police personnel is stated to be critical. In a daring and meticulously planned wave of attacks, the ultras virtually laid a siege to the town. The Naxals who included women cadres have looted huge quantities of arms and ammunitions from the district armoury in a truck and a bus they hijacked, besides setting on fire the police stations and vehicles. The arms looted by the ultras included light machine guns and assault rifles. … According to Rajesh Kumar, the Superintendent of Police(SP), Nayagarh, nearly 400 to 500 armed Naxals launched simultaneous attacks on the police stations and other establishments taking the security personnel by surprise."
June 29 2008 (AFP): "At least 39 members of an elite Indian anti-insurgency unit were missing feared drowned in the east of the country Sunday after their boat capsized following an attack by Maoist rebels, police said. The boat, which was carrying 64 people, came under heavy rebel fire while patrolling a reservoir near Malkangiri in the south of the coastal state of Orissa, police said."
July 16 2008 (Times of India): "In the second major strike by Maoists in Orissa in less than three weeks, 21 Orissa policemen were feared killed in a land mine explosion and firing by the ultras in Malkangiri district on Wednesday. The van carrying the members of the Special Operations Group was on its way from MPV 126, 50km from here, to MPV-41, when the landmine went off. The SOG personnel were going to the place where the house of a BJP leader was attacked by the Maoists on Tuesday night."
Dec 27 2007 (Times of India): "Eleven churches and prayer houses were ransacked and torched in several areas of Kandhamal district in Orissa in the early hours on Thursday. Seven churches and prayer houses were attacked and set afire in Gandapadar, Badahapanga, Bhandarapada, Pisupadar, Masapadar, Minia and Adigara under Phulbani Sadar police station area, police said."
August 23 2008 (Times of India on Oct 3' 2008): "Many Christians have been killed, and an estimated 50,000 forced to flee their homes in the eastern state as attacks on Christians have escalated across the country after a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides were shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his Jalespata Ashram in Kandhamal district on August 23."
Oct 4 2008 (The Hindu): "The Orissa State committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) on Saturday claimed that it killed Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Lakshmanananda in Kandhamal district on August 23. Talking to a team of journalists from Bhubaneswar in a forest in Kandhamal, the spokesperson of the party's Orissa unit, Sabyasachi Panda, alias Sunil, said it became necessary to eliminate the Swami as he was forcing tribals and Dalit Christians in Kandhamal to convert to Hinduism. "After the December 2007 communal violence in Kandhamal, we threatened to kill him if he and his supporters did not refrain from harassing tribals and Dalit Christians to change their religion," said Mr. Panda."
Now let us dig into the geography of Nayagarh, Malkangiri and Kandhamal.
Nayagarh is about 100 kms from Bhubaneswar close to the Dasapalla forest. It is also 65.6 kms away and the fifth station from the Khurda Rd station on the Khurda Rd - Balangir railway line which was sanctioned in 1994-95, but has made very little progress. The other proposed stations from the Khurda Rd side include Dasapalla (110.25) and Boudh (198). Dasapalla is considered deep jungle and an often used hide out for the Maoist rebels. Boudh is the town where disturbances spread to from Kandhamala.
Malkangiri is to the southwest of Koraput, the farthest district heard quarter town from Bhubaneswar and close to Andhra Pradesh and Chhatisgarh, and again a major operation area of the maoists. It is the second major town (Motu on the border is the first) on the Orissa side on the proposed Vijyawada-Ranchi highway. Also, for several years now the Orissa government has been proposing survey of a Railway line linking Jeypore to Malkangiri and beyond.
The Kandhamal district (earlier called Phulbani) is probably the worst connected district of Orissa, with large tracts of dense and open forested areas. One way to connect it would to the mainstream is to have a railway line from Lanjigarh Rd in Kalahandi cutting across the district, touching Boudh on the under construction Khurda Rd - Balangir line and then go across Mahanadi to Talcher.
The attached map shows these districts are surrounded by large tracts of dense and open forested areas, and partly explains why the naxalites and Maoists are able to make them their base.
(NOTE: Phulbani is now called Kandhamala)
(Note: The lines in red are the ones that are needed to bring rail connectivity to the Kandhamala, Nayagarh and Malkangiri districts and criss-cross the big connectivity gap in the heart of Orissa. The crossed segments are already approved but progressing very slowly.)
Dear Prime minister: As an economist and a world leader you must know that lack of connectivity, entrenched forest and mountainous areas together with a different population base is a recipe for the sprouting of troubled areas. This is true all across the world; from J& K and North eastern areas of India to caucuses in Asia. While one cannot and should not get rid of the mountains or the people, the problem can be solved by making the areas well connected and bringing development. The Indian government is doing that in J & K and in the northeast; but has mostly forgotten about the similar areas in Orissa, Chhatisgrah, and Andhra Pradesh, which are the favorite bases of the naxalites and Maoists.
Sir: We would like you to pay the same attention to these areas in terms of connectivity as you do to the North east and J & K. In particular we would request that following be done in a war footing within the 11th plan.
(i) The Vijaywada-Ranchi highway that passes through many of these areas be completed.
(ii) Broadband connectivity be brought to these districts with adequate access locations.
(iii) Two Railway lines, parts of which have already been sanctioned by the Railways but are progressing slowly, are completed and made operational. Those lines are:
a. Khurda Rd – Balangir (passes through Nayagarh and Boudh) – This line was sanctioned in 1994-95 is progressing very slowly.
b. Bhadrachalam Rd (Andhra Pradesh) – Malkangiri – Jeypore – Nabarangpur – Junagarh – Lanjigarh Rd – passing through Kandhamala – Boudh – Angul – Talcher – Bimlagarh: Several segments of these lines are approved but progressing slowly. Those segments are Junagarh – Lanjigarh Rd and Talcher – Bimlagarh. Angul – Talcher is operational.
(iv) With the above lines operational, development should be brought into Kandhamal, Boudh, Gajapati, and KBK districts (including Kalahandi and Malkangiri) through 1-2 Rail factories and public sector units that can use the steel and aluminum and power produced in abundance in Orissa.
Sir: You may be advised by the Indian Railways, which has no qualms in taking profits made from Orissa to its other projects outside Orissa that the cost of the above lines would be too much, but let me point to some data.
(a) As per the calculation in http://kbkrail.orissalinks.com/ Indian Railways is scheduled to make profit of 2679.72 crores/year from its operations in Orissa. If 1500 crores of this money (the rest may go to Indian Railway's current plans for Orissa) is put into Orissa, in just 2-3 years the above mentioned lines could be completed.
(b) While we do not begrudge IR related developments in the rest of India, we would just like to point the following to counter the common IR retort (including one given by the Railway Board chair to an Oriya-American gathering in Canada earlier this year – please see http://www.orissalinks.com/orissagrowth/archives/1550 ): The Indian Express article at http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Rlys-brochure-lists-what-Lalu-has-done-for-Bihar/355013/ says the following:
That Bihar has been one of the top beneficiaries of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's largesse in the last four years is no secret. Now, armed with an 18-page brochure, his ministry is going all out to drive home the point that Bihar bagged railway projects worth Rs 52,323 crore during his term.
Sir: We are very happy for Bihar and also for the regions benefitted by the IR's other 11th plan grand plans such as the freight corridor, metro rails and high speed rail corridors, none of which touch Orissa.
But shouldn't immediate attention be paid to bringing connectivity to the backward, forested, badly connected areas of Orissa that includes the trouble spots of Kandhamala and Malkangiri. This is especially puzzling when IR makes a lot of profit from Orissa (details at http://kbkrail.orissalinks.com/) and spends only a small part of it in Orissa. We understand that redistribution of profits and tax collections across regions of a country are normal, but does it make sense to take from the poor (Orissa) and give to the rich, especially when this act creates chaos with the poor (Kandhamala, Orissa).
Sir: We sincerely hope that you will now see the common thread running through the several large scale violent events in Orissa in 2008 and address the key issues of lack of connectivity and development in these areas.
Sincerely
Appendix:
1. Estimated profit Indian Railways will make from Orissa in 2008-09:
Zone in Orissa Total Route Kms Route kms in Orissa Estimated Orissa's proportional
2008-2009 share of the profit
profit in 2008-2009
(in crores)
ECOR 2430 1607 3077.15 2034.97 crores
SECR 1599 51 2529.89 80.69 crores
SER 2577 589 2467.88 564.06 crores
Total 2247 2679.72 crores
2. One of the earlier planning commissions has noted in http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/stateplan/sdr_orissa/sdr_orich2.doc
"Railways have always played an important role in economic development and rapid social transformation in all parts of the globe. It is one of the key economic infrastructures. However, it is most unfortunate that in a poor and backward state like Orissa, development of rail networks has received much less attention of the Central Government in the post-independence period. There are as many as seven districts like Boudh, Kandhamal, Deogarh, Nayagarh, Kendrapara, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur out of the 30 districts of the state, which do not have any railway line passing through them. In the year 1998-99, the density of railway route length per 1000 sq. km of area in Orissa was only 15.03 km as against 42.66 km in West Bengal and 19.11 km. at all-India level".
3. The tribal population percentage of the KBK districts are as follows: Malkangiri 58.36% ST (+19.96% SC), Rayagada 56.04% ST (+14.28% SC), Nabarangpur 55.27% ST (+15.09% SC), Koraput 50.67% ST (+13.41% SC), Nuapada 35.95% ST(+13.09% SC), Kalahandi 28.88% ST (+17.01% SC), Sonepur 22.11% ST (+9.5% SC), Balangir 22.06% ST (+15.39% SC). Two adjacent districts also have high tribal population. They are Kandhamala 51.51% ST (+18.21% SC) and Gajapati 47.88% ST(+8.77% SC).
4. The literacy rates in the KBK districts are abysmally low. Malkangiri 31.26%, Nabarangpur 34.26%, Rayagada 35.61%, Koraput 36.2%, Nuapada 42.29%, Kalahandi 46.2%, Balangir 54.93%, Sonepur 64.07%. Two adjacent districts also have low literacy: Gajapati 41.73% and Kandhamala 52.95%. The state average is 63.1%.
5. Population below the poverty line in southern Orissa (of which KBK is a part) is reported to be 89.17% of the people according to the 1999-2000 NSS data and 72% of the families according to the 1997 census.
--
Chitta Baral
Professor and Chair
Department of Computer Science & Engineering
Arizona State University
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
Cc: Mr. Naveen Patniak, Chief Minister of Orissa
Cc: Shri Muralidhan Chandrakant Bhandare, Governor of Orissa
Subject: The common thread of large scale violence in Orissa in 2008; proposed solution to be taken on war footing
Dear Dr. Singh:
While the nation's eye is focused on the recent Kandhamala violence, I would urge you to go over the following news reports about large scale violence, most initiated by Naxalites and Maoists, in Orissa in 2008. These large scale violent events happened in Nayagarh, Malkangiri, and Kandhamal districts, and have spread to nearby districts such as Gajapati and Boudh. To really solve the Kandhamala violence and to ensure that it does not happen again, one needs to dig a bit deeper and find the fundamental issues that need to be addressed. Just more police is not enough as we can never have enough police to guard over the thousands of villages in these areas. The news snippets are:
February 15 2008 (Deecan Herald): "Fifteen people including 13 policemen, a civilian and a gram rakhi (village guard) were killed when armed Naxalites unleashed a wave of attacks on police establishments like stations, district police armoury and police training centre in Nayagarh town … Twelve policemen and women have also sustained injuries in the attacks and have been hospilised. The condtion of some of the injured police personnel is stated to be critical. In a daring and meticulously planned wave of attacks, the ultras virtually laid a siege to the town. The Naxals who included women cadres have looted huge quantities of arms and ammunitions from the district armoury in a truck and a bus they hijacked, besides setting on fire the police stations and vehicles. The arms looted by the ultras included light machine guns and assault rifles. … According to Rajesh Kumar, the Superintendent of Police(SP), Nayagarh, nearly 400 to 500 armed Naxals launched simultaneous attacks on the police stations and other establishments taking the security personnel by surprise."
June 29 2008 (AFP): "At least 39 members of an elite Indian anti-insurgency unit were missing feared drowned in the east of the country Sunday after their boat capsized following an attack by Maoist rebels, police said. The boat, which was carrying 64 people, came under heavy rebel fire while patrolling a reservoir near Malkangiri in the south of the coastal state of Orissa, police said."
July 16 2008 (Times of India): "In the second major strike by Maoists in Orissa in less than three weeks, 21 Orissa policemen were feared killed in a land mine explosion and firing by the ultras in Malkangiri district on Wednesday. The van carrying the members of the Special Operations Group was on its way from MPV 126, 50km from here, to MPV-41, when the landmine went off. The SOG personnel were going to the place where the house of a BJP leader was attacked by the Maoists on Tuesday night."
Dec 27 2007 (Times of India): "Eleven churches and prayer houses were ransacked and torched in several areas of Kandhamal district in Orissa in the early hours on Thursday. Seven churches and prayer houses were attacked and set afire in Gandapadar, Badahapanga, Bhandarapada, Pisupadar, Masapadar, Minia and Adigara under Phulbani Sadar police station area, police said."
August 23 2008 (Times of India on Oct 3' 2008): "Many Christians have been killed, and an estimated 50,000 forced to flee their homes in the eastern state as attacks on Christians have escalated across the country after a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides were shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his Jalespata Ashram in Kandhamal district on August 23."
Oct 4 2008 (The Hindu): "The Orissa State committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) on Saturday claimed that it killed Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Lakshmanananda in Kandhamal district on August 23. Talking to a team of journalists from Bhubaneswar in a forest in Kandhamal, the spokesperson of the party's Orissa unit, Sabyasachi Panda, alias Sunil, said it became necessary to eliminate the Swami as he was forcing tribals and Dalit Christians in Kandhamal to convert to Hinduism. "After the December 2007 communal violence in Kandhamal, we threatened to kill him if he and his supporters did not refrain from harassing tribals and Dalit Christians to change their religion," said Mr. Panda."
Now let us dig into the geography of Nayagarh, Malkangiri and Kandhamal.
Nayagarh is about 100 kms from Bhubaneswar close to the Dasapalla forest. It is also 65.6 kms away and the fifth station from the Khurda Rd station on the Khurda Rd - Balangir railway line which was sanctioned in 1994-95, but has made very little progress. The other proposed stations from the Khurda Rd side include Dasapalla (110.25) and Boudh (198). Dasapalla is considered deep jungle and an often used hide out for the Maoist rebels. Boudh is the town where disturbances spread to from Kandhamala.
Malkangiri is to the southwest of Koraput, the farthest district heard quarter town from Bhubaneswar and close to Andhra Pradesh and Chhatisgarh, and again a major operation area of the maoists. It is the second major town (Motu on the border is the first) on the Orissa side on the proposed Vijyawada-Ranchi highway. Also, for several years now the Orissa government has been proposing survey of a Railway line linking Jeypore to Malkangiri and beyond.
The Kandhamal district (earlier called Phulbani) is probably the worst connected district of Orissa, with large tracts of dense and open forested areas. One way to connect it would to the mainstream is to have a railway line from Lanjigarh Rd in Kalahandi cutting across the district, touching Boudh on the under construction Khurda Rd - Balangir line and then go across Mahanadi to Talcher.
The attached map shows these districts are surrounded by large tracts of dense and open forested areas, and partly explains why the naxalites and Maoists are able to make them their base.
(NOTE: Phulbani is now called Kandhamala)
(Note: The lines in red are the ones that are needed to bring rail connectivity to the Kandhamala, Nayagarh and Malkangiri districts and criss-cross the big connectivity gap in the heart of Orissa. The crossed segments are already approved but progressing very slowly.)
Dear Prime minister: As an economist and a world leader you must know that lack of connectivity, entrenched forest and mountainous areas together with a different population base is a recipe for the sprouting of troubled areas. This is true all across the world; from J& K and North eastern areas of India to caucuses in Asia. While one cannot and should not get rid of the mountains or the people, the problem can be solved by making the areas well connected and bringing development. The Indian government is doing that in J & K and in the northeast; but has mostly forgotten about the similar areas in Orissa, Chhatisgrah, and Andhra Pradesh, which are the favorite bases of the naxalites and Maoists.
Sir: We would like you to pay the same attention to these areas in terms of connectivity as you do to the North east and J & K. In particular we would request that following be done in a war footing within the 11th plan.
(i) The Vijaywada-Ranchi highway that passes through many of these areas be completed.
(ii) Broadband connectivity be brought to these districts with adequate access locations.
(iii) Two Railway lines, parts of which have already been sanctioned by the Railways but are progressing slowly, are completed and made operational. Those lines are:
a. Khurda Rd – Balangir (passes through Nayagarh and Boudh) – This line was sanctioned in 1994-95 is progressing very slowly.
b. Bhadrachalam Rd (Andhra Pradesh) – Malkangiri – Jeypore – Nabarangpur – Junagarh – Lanjigarh Rd – passing through Kandhamala – Boudh – Angul – Talcher – Bimlagarh: Several segments of these lines are approved but progressing slowly. Those segments are Junagarh – Lanjigarh Rd and Talcher – Bimlagarh. Angul – Talcher is operational.
(iv) With the above lines operational, development should be brought into Kandhamal, Boudh, Gajapati, and KBK districts (including Kalahandi and Malkangiri) through 1-2 Rail factories and public sector units that can use the steel and aluminum and power produced in abundance in Orissa.
Sir: You may be advised by the Indian Railways, which has no qualms in taking profits made from Orissa to its other projects outside Orissa that the cost of the above lines would be too much, but let me point to some data.
(a) As per the calculation in http://kbkrail.orissalinks.com/ Indian Railways is scheduled to make profit of 2679.72 crores/year from its operations in Orissa. If 1500 crores of this money (the rest may go to Indian Railway's current plans for Orissa) is put into Orissa, in just 2-3 years the above mentioned lines could be completed.
(b) While we do not begrudge IR related developments in the rest of India, we would just like to point the following to counter the common IR retort (including one given by the Railway Board chair to an Oriya-American gathering in Canada earlier this year – please see http://www.orissalinks.com/orissagrowth/archives/1550 ): The Indian Express article at http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Rlys-brochure-lists-what-Lalu-has-done-for-Bihar/355013/ says the following:
That Bihar has been one of the top beneficiaries of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's largesse in the last four years is no secret. Now, armed with an 18-page brochure, his ministry is going all out to drive home the point that Bihar bagged railway projects worth Rs 52,323 crore during his term.
Sir: We are very happy for Bihar and also for the regions benefitted by the IR's other 11th plan grand plans such as the freight corridor, metro rails and high speed rail corridors, none of which touch Orissa.
But shouldn't immediate attention be paid to bringing connectivity to the backward, forested, badly connected areas of Orissa that includes the trouble spots of Kandhamala and Malkangiri. This is especially puzzling when IR makes a lot of profit from Orissa (details at http://kbkrail.orissalinks.com/) and spends only a small part of it in Orissa. We understand that redistribution of profits and tax collections across regions of a country are normal, but does it make sense to take from the poor (Orissa) and give to the rich, especially when this act creates chaos with the poor (Kandhamala, Orissa).
Sir: We sincerely hope that you will now see the common thread running through the several large scale violent events in Orissa in 2008 and address the key issues of lack of connectivity and development in these areas.
Sincerely
Appendix:
1. Estimated profit Indian Railways will make from Orissa in 2008-09:
Zone in Orissa Total Route Kms Route kms in Orissa Estimated Orissa's proportional
2008-2009 share of the profit
profit in 2008-2009
(in crores)
ECOR 2430 1607 3077.15 2034.97 crores
SECR 1599 51 2529.89 80.69 crores
SER 2577 589 2467.88 564.06 crores
Total 2247 2679.72 crores
2. One of the earlier planning commissions has noted in http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/stateplan/sdr_orissa/sdr_orich2.doc
"Railways have always played an important role in economic development and rapid social transformation in all parts of the globe. It is one of the key economic infrastructures. However, it is most unfortunate that in a poor and backward state like Orissa, development of rail networks has received much less attention of the Central Government in the post-independence period. There are as many as seven districts like Boudh, Kandhamal, Deogarh, Nayagarh, Kendrapara, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur out of the 30 districts of the state, which do not have any railway line passing through them. In the year 1998-99, the density of railway route length per 1000 sq. km of area in Orissa was only 15.03 km as against 42.66 km in West Bengal and 19.11 km. at all-India level".
3. The tribal population percentage of the KBK districts are as follows: Malkangiri 58.36% ST (+19.96% SC), Rayagada 56.04% ST (+14.28% SC), Nabarangpur 55.27% ST (+15.09% SC), Koraput 50.67% ST (+13.41% SC), Nuapada 35.95% ST(+13.09% SC), Kalahandi 28.88% ST (+17.01% SC), Sonepur 22.11% ST (+9.5% SC), Balangir 22.06% ST (+15.39% SC). Two adjacent districts also have high tribal population. They are Kandhamala 51.51% ST (+18.21% SC) and Gajapati 47.88% ST(+8.77% SC).
4. The literacy rates in the KBK districts are abysmally low. Malkangiri 31.26%, Nabarangpur 34.26%, Rayagada 35.61%, Koraput 36.2%, Nuapada 42.29%, Kalahandi 46.2%, Balangir 54.93%, Sonepur 64.07%. Two adjacent districts also have low literacy: Gajapati 41.73% and Kandhamala 52.95%. The state average is 63.1%.
5. Population below the poverty line in southern Orissa (of which KBK is a part) is reported to be 89.17% of the people according to the 1999-2000 NSS data and 72% of the families according to the 1997 census.
--
Chitta Baral
Professor and Chair
Department of Computer Science & Engineering
Arizona State University
No President Rule but Stop violence in Kandhamal: Letter to the PM
To
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Honorable Prime Minister of India, New Delhi, India,
Copy to:
Smt Pratibha Patil, The President of India
Smt. Sonia Gandhi, President: Indian National Congress
Mr Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Orissa
Shree Somnath Chaterjee, Speaker of Lok Sabha
The Media
Dear honorable Prime Minister Dr Singh,
I am surprised to read in few media section on possibility of President Rule in Orissa though statements issued by both central Government and Orissa state Government clearly indicate there was an infrastructure failure in Kandhamal for which security people from out side the district could not reach on time.
Unfortunately, cooperation between state and central Governments is missing in the latest violence in Kandhamal and has been become a political battle field for both UPA and NDA due to up coming national and state elections next year.
Practically if the state Government has failed to stop communal violence in Orissa, then morally union Government of India has also failed to stop terrorism and communal violence in other states which is clear from recent consecutive terrorist activities in Bangalore, Ahemadabad, Delhi, Maligaon and violence in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala etc.
Along with Kalahandi, Balangir and Koraput (KBK), Kandhamal is also one of the backward districts in the country.
Since independence, there is no railway line passing through this district though it is geographically located towards the center of the state. Theoretically, the district has potential to act as bridging point to connect North-East to South-West and South-West to North-East of Orissa. However, this was not the case due to severe failure of road infrastructure in the district.
Though officially NDA Government declared NH217 passing thorough some of the small towns in Kandhamal, in actual road condition have not yet improved as there was no support from the present central Government to this project.
Except a heart line like road from Tumudiband to Phulbani via Baliguda and G.Udayagiri there is no alternative road in manageable condition to Phulbani or Bhanjanagar from Tumidibandh.
Blockade of this route can easily make difficult for security movement in the region as was in the recent case. Most of the buses which were traveling from state capital to KBK districts are now diverted to some other routes as these routes passing through Kandhamal are in worst in condition. Other state roads in the district such as Lanjigarh road – Tumudibandh-Simanbadi - Daringbadi- Bhagbanpur-Gunduribadi –Bhanjanagar, G.Udayagiri – Paburia – Bandhaguda – Nuagaon and Raikia – Simanbadi are unusable in normal standard.
If there was no political ill treatment then Vijawada – Ranchi highway which was proposed by Orissa Govt. recently should have passed though whole Kandhamal district from Tumudibadh to Puruna Cuttack instead of just few kilometer as proposed now and brought more development in road infrastructure in Kandhamal.
Our railway minister is now also eager to implement President Rule in Orissa, however, no proposal has been considered yet for Lanjigarh road – Phulbani- Anugul railway link passing through whole Kandhamal district, the rail route that is one of the major hopes for railway development in this backward and highly tribal and Christian populated district.
On the other hand most of the railway projects in KBK are hanging since decades. Kantabanji – Khariar – Dharamgarh – Nabarangpur – Jeypore which passes most backward pockets in the country (Nabarangpur, Koraput and Kalahandi parliament constituency were recently ranked at the bottom 5 Lok Sobha constituency in Socio-economic development by India Today, Sept 22, 2008) is not yet surveyed and approved whereas railway minister’s home constituency gets railway projects of tens of thousands of crores in last 3 years.
When both state and central Government has equally failed since decades to develop road and railway infrastructure of a remote and backward place (which was already known for communal tense between tribal and minorities since years) then it is foolish to think that President Rule in Orissa would solve the problem permanently.
A sensitive issue like communal violence in Orissa can not be solved unless there is a political seriousness to solve the problem. Kandhamal is not a new issue, tension between two tribes, one supported by missionary group and other by Viswa Hindu Parisad in Kandhamal was there since years. Most of the major national political parties are well aware of this thing.
The story on communal tension as presented in the national media and by national political leaders is not all about the case, one need to unearth the hidden tension between two tribes of Kandhamal in the context of communalism.
It would be nice if both state and central Government look the matter in the local level before bringing national politics to it and bring more infrastructure and educational development to this remote pocket which would help to solve the problem permanently.
Implementing President Rule may satisfy some of the UPA partners but will never solve the problems in Kandhamal permanently. Rather it would bring a dark spot for a Prime Minister (who is largely respected among intellectual mass in the country) simply due to toppling a democratically elected Government not because Naveen Patnaik Government has failed but because when Central Government itself has been failing to control terrorism and communal violence in other places in the country.
On the other hand politically it may bring more controversy as when Graham Strain was brutally killed in Orissa with his children there was no implementation of President Rule in Orissa at that point of time (the time when both center and state were rules by Indian National Congress party). Thus, it may further help Hindu fundamentalists to spread their ideas and bring more communal tension to a naturally beautiful place like Kandhamal and rest of the country.
President Rule in Orissa would also add another political struggle to the list severely affecting state and center relation in years to come.
I sincerely hope your Government would not take such a step which would harm Orissa state and the nation in general and request both Orissa state and central Governments of India to come forward and cooperate to stop communal violence and bring back peaceful normal life to Kandhamal.
Thank you and best regards
Digambara Patra
Dr Digambara Patra
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
American University of Beirut
Bliss Street-P.O. Box: 11-0236
Beirut, Lebanon
Email: digpatra@rediffmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/digpatra/index.html
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Honorable Prime Minister of India, New Delhi, India,
Copy to:
Smt Pratibha Patil, The President of India
Smt. Sonia Gandhi, President: Indian National Congress
Mr Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Orissa
Shree Somnath Chaterjee, Speaker of Lok Sabha
The Media
Dear honorable Prime Minister Dr Singh,
I am surprised to read in few media section on possibility of President Rule in Orissa though statements issued by both central Government and Orissa state Government clearly indicate there was an infrastructure failure in Kandhamal for which security people from out side the district could not reach on time.
Unfortunately, cooperation between state and central Governments is missing in the latest violence in Kandhamal and has been become a political battle field for both UPA and NDA due to up coming national and state elections next year.
Practically if the state Government has failed to stop communal violence in Orissa, then morally union Government of India has also failed to stop terrorism and communal violence in other states which is clear from recent consecutive terrorist activities in Bangalore, Ahemadabad, Delhi, Maligaon and violence in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala etc.
Along with Kalahandi, Balangir and Koraput (KBK), Kandhamal is also one of the backward districts in the country.
Since independence, there is no railway line passing through this district though it is geographically located towards the center of the state. Theoretically, the district has potential to act as bridging point to connect North-East to South-West and South-West to North-East of Orissa. However, this was not the case due to severe failure of road infrastructure in the district.
Though officially NDA Government declared NH217 passing thorough some of the small towns in Kandhamal, in actual road condition have not yet improved as there was no support from the present central Government to this project.
Except a heart line like road from Tumudiband to Phulbani via Baliguda and G.Udayagiri there is no alternative road in manageable condition to Phulbani or Bhanjanagar from Tumidibandh.
Blockade of this route can easily make difficult for security movement in the region as was in the recent case. Most of the buses which were traveling from state capital to KBK districts are now diverted to some other routes as these routes passing through Kandhamal are in worst in condition. Other state roads in the district such as Lanjigarh road – Tumudibandh-Simanbadi - Daringbadi- Bhagbanpur-Gunduribadi –Bhanjanagar, G.Udayagiri – Paburia – Bandhaguda – Nuagaon and Raikia – Simanbadi are unusable in normal standard.
If there was no political ill treatment then Vijawada – Ranchi highway which was proposed by Orissa Govt. recently should have passed though whole Kandhamal district from Tumudibadh to Puruna Cuttack instead of just few kilometer as proposed now and brought more development in road infrastructure in Kandhamal.
Our railway minister is now also eager to implement President Rule in Orissa, however, no proposal has been considered yet for Lanjigarh road – Phulbani- Anugul railway link passing through whole Kandhamal district, the rail route that is one of the major hopes for railway development in this backward and highly tribal and Christian populated district.
On the other hand most of the railway projects in KBK are hanging since decades. Kantabanji – Khariar – Dharamgarh – Nabarangpur – Jeypore which passes most backward pockets in the country (Nabarangpur, Koraput and Kalahandi parliament constituency were recently ranked at the bottom 5 Lok Sobha constituency in Socio-economic development by India Today, Sept 22, 2008) is not yet surveyed and approved whereas railway minister’s home constituency gets railway projects of tens of thousands of crores in last 3 years.
When both state and central Government has equally failed since decades to develop road and railway infrastructure of a remote and backward place (which was already known for communal tense between tribal and minorities since years) then it is foolish to think that President Rule in Orissa would solve the problem permanently.
A sensitive issue like communal violence in Orissa can not be solved unless there is a political seriousness to solve the problem. Kandhamal is not a new issue, tension between two tribes, one supported by missionary group and other by Viswa Hindu Parisad in Kandhamal was there since years. Most of the major national political parties are well aware of this thing.
The story on communal tension as presented in the national media and by national political leaders is not all about the case, one need to unearth the hidden tension between two tribes of Kandhamal in the context of communalism.
It would be nice if both state and central Government look the matter in the local level before bringing national politics to it and bring more infrastructure and educational development to this remote pocket which would help to solve the problem permanently.
Implementing President Rule may satisfy some of the UPA partners but will never solve the problems in Kandhamal permanently. Rather it would bring a dark spot for a Prime Minister (who is largely respected among intellectual mass in the country) simply due to toppling a democratically elected Government not because Naveen Patnaik Government has failed but because when Central Government itself has been failing to control terrorism and communal violence in other places in the country.
On the other hand politically it may bring more controversy as when Graham Strain was brutally killed in Orissa with his children there was no implementation of President Rule in Orissa at that point of time (the time when both center and state were rules by Indian National Congress party). Thus, it may further help Hindu fundamentalists to spread their ideas and bring more communal tension to a naturally beautiful place like Kandhamal and rest of the country.
President Rule in Orissa would also add another political struggle to the list severely affecting state and center relation in years to come.
I sincerely hope your Government would not take such a step which would harm Orissa state and the nation in general and request both Orissa state and central Governments of India to come forward and cooperate to stop communal violence and bring back peaceful normal life to Kandhamal.
Thank you and best regards
Digambara Patra
Dr Digambara Patra
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
American University of Beirut
Bliss Street-P.O. Box: 11-0236
Beirut, Lebanon
Email: digpatra@rediffmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/digpatra/index.html
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Plea of not getting land for Central varsity in Kalahandi false
The Pioneer, Sept 24, 2008
Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar
To divert public demand of a Rs 350-crore Central University in Kalahandi since two decades, the State Government is rather generating false propaganda saying that the district does not have land for a Central University though there are plenty of lands available in Kalahandi, alleged leading non-resident Oriya Digambara Patra.
Patra, who is Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the American University in Beirut, in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has stated that if the State and Central Governments could use forestland, unused land and even agricultural land for IIT, Central University, industries in other parts of the State and country, it is foolish to argue that such a step cannot be taken in Kalahandi.
The State Government is providing thousands of acres of lands to Posco, Arcelor-Mittal, Vedanta, Tatas, Jindal and Bhushan, across the State which are not only agricultural, private and Government lands but also large section of the lands acquired for industrialisation in the State comes under forest lands.
Kalahandi has a geographical area of 7920 sqkm out of which 2538 sqkm (32 per cent) are forest land (private independent sources claim in actual only 10-18 per cent are left over as forest land in Kalahandi by now due to deforestation and rest of the forest lands are only unused land by now (though officially it belongs to Forest Department).
Despite high population and congestion major cities like Pune, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Chennai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Delhi can find land for establishing new Central institutes, universities in their vicinity for development, then it is useless to repeat Orissa Government cannot find land in Kalahandi and it can find in Koraput when Kalahandi has plenty of land like but not limited to forest and unused lands in Karlapada and Jaring near Bhawanipatna and agricultural land near its vicinity, stated Patra.
The population density of Kalahandi is 169 per sq km, much less than the State (236 per sqkm) than Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack. Vedanta Alumina could easily acquire 2000 acres of land in Kalahandi for its refinery therefore arguing Kalahandi does not have 500 acres of land for a central University is based on false propaganda, political ill motivation and ignorance towards Kalahandi rather than factual data by the State Government, alleged Patra.
Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar
To divert public demand of a Rs 350-crore Central University in Kalahandi since two decades, the State Government is rather generating false propaganda saying that the district does not have land for a Central University though there are plenty of lands available in Kalahandi, alleged leading non-resident Oriya Digambara Patra.
Patra, who is Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the American University in Beirut, in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has stated that if the State and Central Governments could use forestland, unused land and even agricultural land for IIT, Central University, industries in other parts of the State and country, it is foolish to argue that such a step cannot be taken in Kalahandi.
The State Government is providing thousands of acres of lands to Posco, Arcelor-Mittal, Vedanta, Tatas, Jindal and Bhushan, across the State which are not only agricultural, private and Government lands but also large section of the lands acquired for industrialisation in the State comes under forest lands.
Kalahandi has a geographical area of 7920 sqkm out of which 2538 sqkm (32 per cent) are forest land (private independent sources claim in actual only 10-18 per cent are left over as forest land in Kalahandi by now due to deforestation and rest of the forest lands are only unused land by now (though officially it belongs to Forest Department).
Despite high population and congestion major cities like Pune, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Chennai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Delhi can find land for establishing new Central institutes, universities in their vicinity for development, then it is useless to repeat Orissa Government cannot find land in Kalahandi and it can find in Koraput when Kalahandi has plenty of land like but not limited to forest and unused lands in Karlapada and Jaring near Bhawanipatna and agricultural land near its vicinity, stated Patra.
The population density of Kalahandi is 169 per sq km, much less than the State (236 per sqkm) than Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack. Vedanta Alumina could easily acquire 2000 acres of land in Kalahandi for its refinery therefore arguing Kalahandi does not have 500 acres of land for a central University is based on false propaganda, political ill motivation and ignorance towards Kalahandi rather than factual data by the State Government, alleged Patra.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Alumina smelter in Koraput soon: Pangi
The Pioneer, Sept 19, 2008
Sunabeda: The State Government plans to establish an alumina smelter plant in Koraput district in order to utilise the alumina powder in State instead of exporting it to other countries, said Pottangi MLA Jayaram Pangi at a meeting organised by the Nalco Mazdoor Sangh on the occasion of National Labours Day. It is to be noted that about 50 per cent of the alumina powder is being exported to other countries. Pangi, who joined the meeting as the chief guest, advised the members of the Sangh to work for the development of Nalco. ARGM of Nalco Bira Narayan Mohanty was the guest of honour, while All India Secretary of the Sangh Paban Kumar joined as the chief speaker. RD Biswal proposed the vote of thanks.
Sunabeda: The State Government plans to establish an alumina smelter plant in Koraput district in order to utilise the alumina powder in State instead of exporting it to other countries, said Pottangi MLA Jayaram Pangi at a meeting organised by the Nalco Mazdoor Sangh on the occasion of National Labours Day. It is to be noted that about 50 per cent of the alumina powder is being exported to other countries. Pangi, who joined the meeting as the chief guest, advised the members of the Sangh to work for the development of Nalco. ARGM of Nalco Bira Narayan Mohanty was the guest of honour, while All India Secretary of the Sangh Paban Kumar joined as the chief speaker. RD Biswal proposed the vote of thanks.
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