Bandh over Medical College Total

The New Indian Express (Bhubaneswar), Aug 29, 2015

BHUBANESWAR: Life was hit on the second day of 48-hour bandh called by Kalahandi Medical College Kriyanusthan Committee demanding Government take-over of the Sardar Rajas Medical College at Jaring on Friday.

Like Thursday, all the business establishments remained closed while vehicular traffic came to a grinding halt.

Members of Kalahandi Merchants Association, truck owners, auto and Bar associations extended their support to the bandh call and so did members of all political parties. Road blockades and street corner meetings were organised by the agitators who threatened to intensify the agitation, if the State Government does not agree to their demand.

K’HANDI LOCALS URGE CM FOR VEDANTA BAILOUT

The Pioneer, Aug 29, 2015

Over 100 local people of Lanjigarh block and Bhawanipatna met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Naveen Niwas here on Friday and submitted a memorandum.They sought urgent intervention by the Government to bail out Vedanta’s alumina refinery from the current crisis which it faces in absence of bauxite from Odisha.

 

They demanded that the Odisha Government should immediately take steps to secure bauxite from Niyamgiri for the refinery and informed that once the refinery is closed, nearly 10,000 people will be directly affected. They demanded that the Government must ask the company not to go for a shutdown. 

 

They sought personal intervention of the Chief Minister in the issue. The delegation was accompanied by MLAs Balbhadra Majhi, Anama Naik and Dibyashankar Mishra.

 

All efforts should be made to keep the project operational as it is essential for the development of the local economy, said Majhi.Meanwhile, sources have confirmed that the Ministry of Steel and Mines will convene an urgent meeting on Saturday and has invited MP Kalahandi and all regional MLAs including of Lanjigarh, Junagarh, Bhawanipatna and Narla along with the company officials to discuss the issue.

2nd day Kalahandi Bandh

Sambad, Aug 29, 2015

For Medical College, Bandh on

The New Indian Express (Bhubaneswar), Aug 28, 2015

BHAWANIPATNA:The 48-hour Kalahandi bandh, called by Kalahandi Medical College Kriyanusthan Committee demanding Government take-over of the Sardar Rajas Medical College at Jaring, threw normal life out of gear on Thursday.

Members of Kalahandi Merchants Association, Truck Owners, Auto and Bar Associations extended their support to the bandh call besides members of all political parties. All the business establishments remained closed while vehicular traffic came to a grinding halt.

The bandh was total in Junagarh, Kesinga, Dharamgarh, Kalampur and Jaipatna. Work was also hit in Government offices and courts. On Monday, the committee members had met the Chief Minister at Bhubaneswar demanding Government take-over of the medical college and hospital in larger public interest. Not satisfied with the talks, they called for the bandh. This year, apparently, the MCI did not give permission for admission to the medical college for 2015-16 academic session owing to several shortcomings. Set up by Tamil Nadu-based Selvam Education and Charitable Trust at Jaring in Kalahandi district, the medical college has no adequate faculty and infrastructure and the hospital functions with skeletal staff.

The MCI had approved 100 seats for the medical college for 2013-14 academic session on the condition that it would meet infrastructure and staff requirement. Accordingly, medical college went ahead with the admission.

 Last year, the MCI barred admission to the medical college as infrastructure was not upgraded nor staff strength increased. The situation is the same this year too.

KALAHANDI MEDICAL COLLEGE TAKEOVER DEMANDED IN HOUSE

The Pioneer, Aug 28, 2015

Members cutting across party lines on Thursday urged the State Government to take over the Sardar Rajas Medical College and Research Centre at Jaringi in Kalahandi district soon in order to safeguard the future of 128 MBBS students and to provide healthcare to poor tribal people in the whole KBK region.

Raising the issue in the Assembly, BJP Legislature Party Leader Basant Panda said future of 124 MBBS students who had taken admission in the medical college has been pushed into dark as the MCI has already withdrawn its approval for poor infrastructure. As there is no medical college and people are not getting proper healthcare in the KBK area, the Government should take over it as soon as possible, he demanded.

His party colleague KV Singh Deo supported Panda and urged the Speaker to direct the Health Minister to hold talks with concerned officers, including Kalahandi Collector, and take necessary action soon so that the future of students can be saved.

Intervening into the issue, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said the person who had founded the college is a fraud, and as the MCI has withdrawn recognition, the House should know what steps the Government has taken to safeguard the students. He urged the Speaker to direct the Minister to make a Statement in the House.

Among others, Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati, BJD MLAs DS Mishra, Anam Nayak, Balabhadra Majhi and Ranendra Pratap Swain too supported the issue.

The Health Minister made a statement, saying the issue is now pending with the High Court. The Government is waiting for the court order and would act accordingly, he said.

48-HR BANDH HITS NORMAL LIFE

The Pioneer, Aug 28, 2015

A two-day Kalahandi bandh was held on Friday demanding Government status to Jaring-based Sardar Raja Medical College. Normal life was disrupted in Kalahandi with shops and daily market remaining closed on account of the bandh.

The central action committee of the Kalahandi medical college has called the bandh, backed by various political parties and the district lawyers’ association. Both the aggrieved citizens and the students are also participating in the stir against the private management of the college. They demand that the State Government take over the institute as soon as possible to save the future of the students. Moreover, the private bus owners’ association, traders’ association and labourers’ union have also pledged support to the bandh.

Notably, with the Medical Council of India (MCI) approval, the medical college had taken 124 students in academic year 2013-14. But, the MCI cancelled the student-intake approval in 2014-15 citing poor infrastructure and lack of faculties as reasons. However, the college took 30 students in the same year as the Supreme Court gave a ruling in favour of it.

The State Government would apprise the MCI for its approval to permitting 124 medicos to pursue their courses in the different medical colleges of the State, Junagarh MLA Captain Dibya Shankar Mishra said.

Kalahandi Bandh for Converting Sardar Raja Medical College: Discussion in the Odisha Assembly

Sambad, Aug 28, 2015

Vedanta to close down Lanjigarh refinery due to falling metal prices

The Indian Express, Aug 26, 2015
The Niyamgiri hilltop, which Vedanta wanted to mine, contained an estimated 72 million tonnes of bauxite. 

Written by Debabrata Mohanty | Bhubaneswar | Published:August 27, 2015 1:19 am

Anil Agarwal-owned Vedanta has decided to close down its one million tonne alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district due to non-availability of bauxite ore and falling global metal prices.

Vedanta’s chief operating officer KK Dave said with the current market turmoil, “which is not likely to improve soon and in absence of access to bauxite ore from within the state,” the company was forced to start the process of closure. He said the plant is operating with a daily loss of Rs 3 crore. The Niyamgiri hilltop, which Vedanta wanted to mine, contained an estimated 72 million tonnes of bauxite. But the company could not mine due to opposition from Dongaria Kondh tribals residing on the hill slopes.

The Odisha government also showed its helplessness today saying it can’t provide bauxite as no lease was available with its mining PSU Odisha Mining Corporation. State steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallick said OMC has no running bauxite mine. In 2009, OMC had formed South West Bauxite Mining Company, a joint venture with 26 per cent equity of Vedanta for supply of bauxite from deposits in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts to feed the alumina refinery. Though Vedanta officials did not say when the refinery would be shut down, they indicated that it may be done in a fortnight. The shutdown would affect over 1000 employees. In December 2012, Vedanta had shut down its unit temporarily for over 7 months due to economic non-viability and shortfall in bauxite ore supply. Earlier in August, Vedanta decided to suspend production at the rolling mill at Korba in Chhattisgarh as aluminium prices dipped down. 

Kalahandi Bandh on Aug 27 and 28: Demand for converting Sardar Raja Medical College to a Govt. Institution

Odisha Sun Times, Aug 27, 2015

48-hour bandh paralyses life in Odisha’s Kalahandi

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhawanipatna, Aug 27:

Normal life was disrupted in Odisha’s Kalahandi district today following a 48-hour bandh called by Kalahandi Medical College Kriyanusthan Committee demanding government status to Sardar Rajas Medical College at Jaring in the district.

File Pic

All trading establishments remained closed while vehicular traffic came to a grinding halt in Bhawanipatna, Kesinga, Junagarh and Dharmagarh towns in the district.

However, essential services like supply of drinking water and health services were kept out of the purview of the bandh by the Committee.

Several opposition political parties and the Kalahandi District Bar Association have extended support to the bandh call. Besides, the private bus owners’ association, traders’ association and labour unions have also supported the bandh.

“There was a massive agitation by the people in the district in 2004 demanding a 500-bedded medical college and hospital. As there is no speciality hospital in the district, the patients usually move to Vizag, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Burla and Raipur to get better treatment spending a lot of money. Following the agitation, the state government had entrusted the Rajas Group of Institutions to set up a medical college and hospital in the district. But the fact remains that the Rajas Group of Institutions has no medical colleges and the teaching faculty. Besides, the company is not financially sound to set up a medical college and hospital which requires an investment of at least Rs 400-500 crore,” senior Congress leader and former Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das told the media today.

The issue cropped up during Zero Hour in the State Assembly today with members cutting across party lines drawing the attention of the Speaker and demanding government takeover of the medical college and hospital keeping the future of the students in view.

“The matter is presently sub judice in the Odisha High Court. The state government, after the verdict of the court, will take necessary steps in consultation with the Medical Council of India (MCI),” Health and Family Welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said in his reply.

The minister also requested the agitators to withdraw the bandh call.

Hoping that ovt. (A) College Bhawanipatna will be considered under RUSA

When we wrote:

Rural: For solving rural problems and generating high quality human resource in the socially backward rural pockets, India should build National Rural University in the line of Central University in each rural, backward and economically poor pocket and cluster across the nation. Kalahandi is a central place in KBK, Kandhamal region, thus, a National Rural University should be established in Kalahandi.

The reply from center is:
The Ministry has launched Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) - a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), in 2013 to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education.

WE HOPE UNDER RUSA, Govt. (A) College Bhawanipatna will be considered for a University status, which is our long standing demand.

Medical Council of India halts renewal of 250 MBBS seats in Odisha

DNA, Aug 24, 2015

The number of MBBS seats for Odisha has come down by 250 from this year. The Medical Council of India (MCI), the apex medical education body, has not renewed 250 MBBS seats in Odisha’s three medical colleges for the academic session 2015-16.

The MCI denied permission for admitting students to Hi-Tech Medical College, Rourkela, and Sardar Rajas Medical College, Kalahandi. Besides, the council slashed the number of seats at Kalinga Institute of Medical Science (KIMS) Bhuabaneswar, to 100 from 150 on the grounds of lack of the adequate infrastructure.

Notably, both Hi-Tech and Rajas had admitted 100 students each last year.

Official sources said the MCI had asked these colleges to improve infrastructure to consider the renewal.

There are a total of 650 MBBS and 150 BDS seats in the state of which counselling would begin for 85% of seats by the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) on Monday. SCB Medical College in Cuttack will be the nodal centre for counselling. Students can register themselves for counselling till August 28.

23rd day: Govt. needs to act on Sardar Raja Medical College

Sambad, Aug 23, 2015

Local liquors consumption growing in Bhawanipatna

Reported by Sri Debendra Bisi
Sambad, Aug 22, 2015

Ramjas MBBS students may be moved to other

Times of India, Aug 22, 2015
Bikash Khemka & Ashok Pradhan,TNN | Aug 22, 2015, 03.40 PM IST

BHUBANESWAR/BHAWANIPATNA: The state government is likely to transfer 124 students of Sardar Ramjas Medical College in Kalahandi district to other institutions, a government response to a petition in Orissa high court said.

The students have been agitating in front of their college since July 30 seeking government intervention to rescue them from the continued uncertainty since the college has no infrastructure and faculty to meet statutory norms of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Hearing a petition filed by students, the high court on August 19 said advocate general S P Mishra had submitted in the court that the state "would take all necessary steps to try and ensure that the future educational needs of the students are not in any manner affected". To this end, the AG has asked for time to initiate discussion with health secretary Arti Ahuja and institutions where these students could possibly be accommodated, the bench of I Mahanty and D P Choudhury said.

On August 4, the HC had asked the health secretary and the director medical education and training P C Mohapatra to visit Selvam Educational and Charitable trust, which runs the Kalahandi college, and submit a report before the court.

MCI counsel R C Mohanty told the court that if the state government requested for transfer of the students who have already been admitted, it would deal with the matter forthwith.

The HC will hear the matter again on August 25.

Junagarh MLA Divya Shankar Mishra told reporters in Bhubaneswar that since the future of the students is involved, the government would take a positive stand. "Hopefully, the students will be moved to other colleges if MCI gives its nod," he said.

While 100 students took admission in 2013-14, 24 others were enrolled in 2014-15. The MCI had given provisional approval to the college in 2013-14. Since the institution could not meet the eligibility norms, the MCI declined recognition in 2014-15. The college managed to admit the students that academic year on the basis of a Supreme Court order on its petition.

Addressing a news conference in Bhubaneswar, the students on Friday said the college did not have a single permanent faculty member while the hospital was completely defunct. "The state must intervene since the college is a public private partnership project," they said.

The college was established by the Tamil Nadu-based Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust. The state government had given Rs 10 crore and 25 acre land after the trust signed an MoU with the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC). The WODC had taken the initiative to establish the institution to remove inequality in medical care in the tribal dominated area.

48 hours all party mass movement for Agriculture University in Kalahandi

Sambad, Aug 22, 2015

Strike of medical college continues for 23 days

Samaja, Aug 22, 2015

Working committee to meet CM and Health Minister on Jaring Medical college

Prameya, Aug 22, 2015

Protest from village level for Govt. medical college

Sambad, Aug 21, 2015

Drought-like situation in Kalahandi

The Statesman, Aug 19, 2015

Kalahandi district is facing a drought-like situation and farmers are alarmed over the failure of monsoon and the continuing moisture stress condition in the soil.

Paddy and non paddy plants in non irrigated pockets in all the 13 blocks of the district have been reportedly affected by the long dry phase and moisture stress.

Agriculture field staffs have been directed by district administration to conduct field assessments in all blocks to ascertain the situation and to take curative measures in every way possible.

Farmers hoped for a good khariff crop in June when it rained ( 300 mm average across the district as against 240 mm normal rainfall). They took to preparing the land, broadcasting of paddy and sowing of non paddy crops like cotton and maize.

But to their dismay July and the first two weeks of August have turned out to be dry. The dry spell disturbed all calculations.

In July, except Thuamul Rampur and Junagarh blocks, the other 11 blocks had poor rainfall, which is 264 mm against the normal rain fall of 327 mm for the month. The little rain that occurred was erratic.

August showed no improvement, till 11 August the district has received only 27 mm rain fall.

For the current Kharif it is targeted to cover 185005 hectors under paddy and 198716 hectares under non paddy crops. In the month of June and July paddy broadcasting area was covered in 89738 hectares but operation of the broadcasted paddy was possible only in 20790 hectares. Paddy nursery raised in 9527 hectares for transplanting. So far transplanting of paddy has been done in 41946 mostly in irrigated pockets as against the target of transplantation in 95267 hectares due to long dry phase and moisture stress. This is based on the latest field assessment report of Agriculture department. Besides paddy there is also apprehension that non paddy crops like cotton and Maize may also be affected due to this dry phase and moisture stress. Yellowing of paddy seedlings in nursery bed has been reported.

All Party Meeting in Junagarh for Sardar Raja Medical College

Sambad, Aug 18, 2015

Crops Wilt as Rain Plays Truant

The News Indian Express (Bhubaneswar), Aug 18, 2015

BHAWANIPATNA: Paddy saplings that were transplanted in non-irrigated pockets of all the 13 blocks of the district a month back have turned yellow due to long spell of dry weather and moisture stress condition. Agriculture department’s field staff have been directed by district administration to assess the crop situation in all the blocks.

Though the district experienced good rainfall in June (300 mm average rainfall against 240 mm of normal rain), the amount of rain gradually declined in July and August. Hoping a good rainy season ahead, the farmers took up land preparation, nursery raising, broadcasting of paddy and sowing of non-paddy crops like cotton and maize. However, the dry phase of July and August has resulted in moisture stress condition.

In the current kharif season, paddy crop was targeted to be cultivated in 1,85,005 hectares and non-paddy crops in 1,98,716 hectares. In June and July, paddy broadcasting was done in 89,738 hectares but beausaning could be done only in 20,790 hectares.

In July, except Thuamul Rampur and Junagarh blocks, 11 other blocks had poor rainfall of 264 mm against the normal 327 mm. This month, there has only been 27 mm rainfall in the district so far whereas the normal rainfall is 355.4 mm.

According to Agriculture department reports, paddy saplings were raised in 9527 hectares but the saplings could be transplanted in 41,946 hectares of irrigated pockets against the target of 95,267 hectares.

Deputy Director of Agriculture Laxman Kumar Palatasingh said the district is facing severe moisture stress condition in non-irrigated pockets. Paddy saplings have turned yellow and as far as other crops are concerned, they are not growing properly in absence of rain. Crops in sandy soil have also been critically affected. He said cotton was grown on 46,162 hectares and all of it has wilted. Similar is the plight of maize crop.

NATIONAL LEVEL HEALTH INSTITUTE CAN END K’HANDI STIR

The Pioneer, Aug 18, 2015

The State Government has maintained a devilish silence over agitation in Kalahandi over a sorry state of affairs in the Sardar Raja Medical College in Jaring despite the stir has entered its 13th days.

It should be noted that Selvam Educational Trust had signed a MoU with the Odisha Government in 2004 to establish a medical college in Kalahandi. The State Government had provided Rs 10 crore during 2004-07 besides 25 acres of free land to the trust. As per the MoU, the  trust should have established the medical college within five years since signing the MoU. But it took almost a decade when the Medical Council of India (MCI) approved the medical college to take 100 students in 2013-14. Subsequently, in 2014-15, the MCI rejected the approval based on poor infrastructure. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court ruling for private medical college came as a relief and the college took another about 30 students in the year 2014-15. Now all these 130 students are nowhere in their medical education and their dream to be doctors has fallen like nine pins. Thanks to poor infrastructure, faculty crunch and administrative hurdles created by MCI and Sambalpur University, the college’s fate is hanging in balance.

The local people had warned the State Government about the duplicity of the Selvam Educational Trust which was not able to invest adequate amount to improve the infrastructure in the Sardar Raja Medical College in past 11 years. Its track record makes it clear that the trust has minimum expertise in establishing a medical college. Almost all the physical infrastructure building of the Sardar Raja Medical College has come from the Rs 10 crore given by the State Government through the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) and free land given to the trust. Since from the beginning the trust had not taken the project seriously, people of Kalahandi have been appealing to the State and Central Governments to establish a Government medical college (instead of WODC initiated private medical college) that would benefit poor and tribal population locally.

KBK region is one of the most backward and tribal dominated pockets in India. The health scenario, especially secondary and tertiary health facilities, is extremely poor. Kalahandi is a central district and Bhawanipatna is a central town in the KBK region. A Central Government medical institution at Bhawanipatna will give additional advantages in terms of secondary and tertiary health need for the poor people in an affordable way who are now forced to depend on hospitals outside the State. Such institution will also meet human resource requirement in the Health Department at the local level and poor and lower middle class students in the region can access medical education unlike in the private medical college.

Since the Odisha Government has failed to take appropriate steps and has ignored the genuine need of public demand in last five years, the public in Kalahandi has lost faith on it. It is unfortunate that when the Central Government is planning to establish 60 new Government medical colleges across India, it failed to take note of the need of a backward region like Kalahandi.

The situation in the district is deteriorating by the day. The Centre needs to intervene immediately and establish a Post Graduate Medical College and Research Center or KBK Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences in Bhawanipatna, which would be in the line of North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences and resolve the ongoing strike in Kalahandi.

(The writer is Associate Professor of Chemistry, American University of Beirut, Lebanon and a native of Kalahandi)

Good initiative: For the first time Ghumura dance was performed by Girls

Note: Interestingly when I suggested to some of our Ghumura experts in Bhawanipatna to adopt Ghumura dance for girls and integrate more dance form five years ago, some of them said it is impossible for Girls to perform Ghumura dance. Today for the first time girls from KISS performed Ghumura dance. Nothing is impossible, Girls and Women could perform even better than man and may attract more audience. If we do not do, some one may do it and take the credit. Therefore, we should be creative and innovative with time. I hope now Kalahandia girls are encouraged for this great dance of Kalahandi to advance this dance form like Odishi.

Odisha: Independence Day Celebrated at KIIT & KISS
Orissadiary, Aug 16, 2015

Report by Odisha Diary bureau, Bhubaneswar: 69th Independence Day was celebrated in KIIT University and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). Heads of the departments of different schools hoisted the National Flag in their respective schools in KIIT University.  In KISS Padmashree Bibek Debroy, Eminent Economist & Member, NITI Aayog, Govt. of India hoisted the National Flag in presence of Dr. Malcolm J. Woodfield, the global Vice President of SAP. Among others Saswati Bal, President, KIIT & KISS; R. N. Dash, Secretary, KIIT & KISS, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS, Prof. P. P. Mathur, VC, KIIT University; Surjyakant Mohanty, COO, KISS; Dr. Prashant Routary, CEO, KISS; Dr. P. K. Das, Director, KISS were also present.  After flag hoisting March-past was performed by the students of KISS. The students also performed colourful cultural programme. For the first time, Ghumura, the Tribal dance of Kalahandi was performed by girl students of KISS. - 

Patriotic Fervour Marks I-Day Celebration

The New Indian Express, Aug 17, 2015

ROURKELA: Patriotic fervour marked the 69th Independence Day celebration by various Government and non-Government organisations in Sundargarh district on Saturday.

At Uditnagar parade ground of Rourkela city, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (North) NBS Rajput hoisted the Tricolour. As many as 70 contingents of OSAP, APR, Civil Defence, NCC, Scout and Guide, Red Cross and civilian troops participated in the parade.

Among others, IGP (WR) RK Sharma, Rourkela ADM K Sudershan Chakravorty and Rourkela SP Anirudh Singh were present.

After hoisting the National Flag at the district headquarters town Sundargarh, Collector Bhupendra Singh Poonia called for concerted efforts to fight against poverty, illiteracy, inequality and superstitions in the society. Around 32 contingents participated in the march past.

The celebration by Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) at Ispat Stadium was marked by patriotic fervour and pageantry. RSP CEO GS Prasad unfurled the Tricolour, inspected the parade and took the salute at an impressive march past by 84 contingents.

Prasad exhorted all to take pledge to work towards making Rourkela a dream destination for all and to contribute towards the growth of the State and nation.

Bhawanipatna: Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi hoisted the National Flag at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium here on the occasion of Independence Day. Addressing the gathering, Majhi recalled the sacrifices of tribal freedom fighters including martyr Rindo Majhi of Kalahandi who sacrificed his life in 1855. “We have to go a long way to fulfil the dreams of our freedom fighters and meet the aspirations of people.” 

The Minister also distributed awards to winners of ceremonial parade and students securing highest marks in different examinations in the district.

Jharsuguda: The Independence Day was celebrated all over the district with patriotic fervour. At a function organised at Manmohan School Ground, Minister of State for Textiles, Handloom and Handicrafts Snehangini Churia hoisted the Tricolour and took the guard of honour in presence of Collector Parmeshwaran B and SP Umashankar Dash.

The toppers of Class X and Plus II of the district were awarded. Five schools were also felicitated with Prakruti Mitra award for outstanding contribution in plantation. A blood donation camp was also organised on the occasion. The Day was also celebrated on Ib Thermal Power Station, TRL Krosaki and Vedanta premises.

Nayagarh: Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda called upon the people to work hard and contribute towards the growth of the country here on Saturday on the occasion of Independence Day.

The Minister took the guard of honour in a colourful march past by 48 contingents comprising police, Homeguards, NCC and students of schools and colleges. Collector HK Padhi, SP Manoranjan Mohanty and DIPRO Pramod Kumar Nayak were present.

Panda also felicitated the freedom fighters of the district. Blood donation camps were organised by Rotary Club of Nayagarh.

Paradip: The Independence Day was celebrated at Paradip Refinery Project with Executive Director Ramjee Ram unfurling the National Flag at Refinery Sports Complex.  He also inspected the parade by CISF, DGR Security and students of Delhi Public School.

On the occasion, Pratibha Samman and Samuhik Upalabdhi Puraskar were given. Scholarships were awarded to 41 students of 13 schools under six panchayats. CISF contingent of Paradip Refinery presented a demonstration on weapons, security procedures and practices.

Jagatsinghpur: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Bijayshree Routray unfurled the National Flag in the town and spoke on the contributions of freedom fighters like Nabakrushna Chaudhury, Gopabandhu Das, Malati Chaudhury and Rama Devi. He also highlighted welfare schemes of the State Government for the poor and weaker sections of the society.

Around 30 contingents participated in parade and students of different schools performed cultural shows on the occasion. Collector Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, SP Sudha Singh, ADM Saran Kumar Jena and Sub Collector Narahari Sethi were present.

Koraput: Despite Maoist threat, the Independence Day was celebrated in the district with Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das hoisting the Tricolour at Koraput Police Ground. Over 500 participants of different educational institutions joined the parade. Collector VJ Kumar and SP CS Meena were present.

At Jeypore, Sub-Collector Puma Tudu hoisted the National Flag and took the guard of honour.

The day was also celebrated in Narayanpatana, Bandhugam, Laxmipur, Boipariguda, Nandapur, Semiliguda, Potangi and Lamataput blocks where the Maoists had called for boycott of Independence Day celebration.

Dhenkanal: In his Independence Day speech here, Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak highlighted development schemes and welfare programmes of the State Government.

He unfurled the National Flag at Main Stadium. Collector Roopa Roshan Sahoo and SP Nikhil Kumar Kanodia were present.  

Sambalpur: Inauguration of electronic surveillance system for monitoring operations marked the celebration of Independence Day at Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) headquarters here on Saturday. The surveillance system was inaugurated by CMD of MCL AN Sahay after the colourful parade.

Chief Vigilance Officer Deepak Srivastava briefed about the operations of e-surveillance system. Director (Technical/Operations) AK Tiwari, Director (Technical/Projects and Planning) JP Singh and Director (Finance) KK Parida were present.

After MCI decree, fate of 124 med students uncertain

Times of India, Aug 14, 2015
BHAWANIPATNA: The careers of 124 students of Sardar Rajas Medical College hang in balance as the Medical Council of India (MCI) decided not to renew permission for admission to the college for the third academic session (2015-16).

The students have been sitting on strike since July 30 in front of the Kalahandi collectorate demanding that the state government intervene.

Nilakantha Sahu, father of Jyotirmaya Sahu (20) of Ganjam's Hinjilikatu, had arranged for Rs 4.25 lakh in a single day after their son passed the 3rd counseling round and was admitted to Sardar Rajas Medical College in 2013. In the second academic year, Jyotirmaya's parents took an education loan of Rs 4 lakh. And now this.

About 124 students (first year and second year batches) are staring at an uncertain fate. They have been demanding faculty members, laboratories, libraries and other facilities that the MCI norms stipulate.

Members of the Kalahandi Medical College Action committee led by retired professor Akhaya Kumar Nanda are also picketing in support of the students. All political parties too are backing them.

Last week, a meeting was convened by the Kalahandi bar association and it was unanimously decided that the students and representatives would meet the CM and health minister shortly to resolve the issue.

Sardar Rajas college union president M Samirkrishnan Reddy said they had not received any assurances from the government even after 15 days had passed.

"The state government should take over the college as soon as possible," Reddy added.

Following orders from the Supreme Court, the fact-finding team of MCI had made a surprise visit to the medical college to verify the information provided by the management of the college to the apex court on February 10, 2015, sources said.

The Council Assessors' report of MCI stated that the executive committee of the council had decided to recommend to the Union government not to renew permission for admission of the third batch of students for the 2015-16 academic year following 41 deficiencies found in the college, the sources added.

The executive committee of the council decided on March 5, 2015 to invoke/forfeit the bank guarantees submitted by the institute and directed the institute to submit fresh bank guarantee within two weeks.

‘The fate of tribal people of Kalahandi is at stake’

The Statesman, Aug 14, 2015

The fate of Indravati multipurpose project and economy of tribal people dependant on Buflamali hills of Kalahandi is at stake said state secretary of CPI-M Alli Kishor Patnaik after visiting the area on Thursday and taking note of the proposed bauxite mining proposal of Utkal Alumina.

Both the union government and the state government need to study the impact of the proposed mining on the Kalahandi side of Buflamali hills since the Indravati reservoir is located just below the hill. Indravati is the lifeline of Kalahandi district and the tribals are dependent on the hill, he noted.

People are apprehensive that the mining may lead to siltation of the reservoir as several streams from the hill and flow down to the Indravati. This may reduce the life of the reservoir and endanger the irrigation project, he said.

Besides this, 164 land less tribal families of Durmushi and Suryagarh areas who were issued with land patta in the hills by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during his tour to Thuamul Rampur in 2011 are also facing eviction by the mining project, he alleged.

The CPI-M leader said the Ministry of Water Resources and Environment should intervene. Some modalities should evolved seriously so that the future of Indravati project and of tribal families can be safe guarded. Industry has its own economics importance but not at the cost of an important Irrigation and power generation project, he noted.

The Kalahandi portion of Buflamali and the origin places of the streams from the Mali discharging in to Indravati reservoir should be protected.

The CPI-M leader told reporters that resentment amongst local people is brewing and it is high time measures should be taken by government. Among others senior party leader Nabakishor Patnaik and the Kalahandi district wing secretary of CPI-M Satyajit Chatarjee were also present at the press meet.

14th day of strike for converting Sardar Raja Medical College to Govt.

Sambad, Aug 14, 2015

Strike reaches 14 days to convert Sardar Raja medical college to Govt. institution

Sambad, Aug 13, 2015

Resolve ongoing agitation in Kalahandi by establishing Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences in Kalahandi (instead of Sardar Raja Medical College)

Aug 11, 2015

To

The Honorable Health & Family Welfare Minister Sri Nadda

cc

Honorable Prime Minister Sri Modi

Honorable Chief Minister of Odisha Sri Patnaik

Dear Honorable Minister of Health & Family Welfare Shri Nadda,

Students, intellectuals, leaders from all political parties including BJP, BJD, Congress, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, CPI etc. and general public in Kalahandi (Odisha) have been protesting to convert Sardar Raja Medical College in Jaring to a Govt. institution. The state Government of Odisha has maintained splendid silence on the issue despite 13 days of continuous public agitation, which is still continuing.

It should be noted that Selvam Educational Trust had signed a MoU with Odisha state Govt. in 2004 to establish a medical college in Kalahandi, for which state Govt. of Odisha had provided 10 crores of rupees during 2004-07 and 25 acres of free land to the said trust. As per the MoU, the said trust should have established the medical college within five years time period after signing MoU. But it took almost a decade when Medical Council of India (MCI) approved Sardar Raja Medical College established by Selvam Educational Trust to take 100 students in 2013-14. Subsequently, in 2014-15 MCI rejected the same  Sardar Raja Medical College based on poor infrastructure. Nevertheless, Supreme Court ruling for private medical college came as a relief and the said college took another about 30 students in the year 2014-15. Now all these 130 students are nowhere in their medical education and their dream to be a doctor is shattering day by day due to poor infrastructure, lack of faculty and administrative hurdles created by MCI and Sambalpur University.

The local people have been warning Odisha state Govt. about Selvam Educational Trust as the said trust was not capable to invest adequate amount to improve the infrastructure in the Sardar Raja Medical College in past 11 years, it has also minimum expertise in establishing medical college. All most all the physical infrastructure building of Sardar Raja Medical College has come from the 10 crore rupees given by Western Odisha Development Council (of Govt. of Odisha) and free land given to the trust by state Govt. Since from the beginning the trust had not taken the project seriously, people of Kalahandi have been appealing to the state and central Govt. to establish a Govt. medical college (instead of WODC initiated private medical college) that would benefit poor and tribal population locally.

KBK region is one of the most backward and tribal dominated pockets in India. The health scenario, especially secondary and tertiary health facilities, is extremely poor. Kalahandi is a central district and Bhawanipatna is a central town in the KBK region. A central Govt. medical institution at Bhawanipatna will give additional advantages in terms of secondary and tertiary health need for the poor people in an affordable way, who are now forced to depend outside the state. Such institution will also meet human resource requirement in the health department in the local level, and poor and lower middle class students in the region can access medical education unlike in the private medical college.

Since Odisha Govt. has failed to take appropriate steps and has brazened out the genuine need of public demand in last five years, public in Kalahandi are losing fastly faith. Recently your ministry and central Govt. of India is planning to establish 60 new Govt. medical colleges across India but at the same time it is failing to nourish a failing institution like Sardar Raja Medical college in backward location like Kalahandi.

The situation in Kalahandi is deteriorating day by day. Therefore, I request you to intervene immediately and establish a Post Graduate Medical College and Research Center or KBK Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences in Bhawanipatna, which would be in the line of North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences and resolve the ongoing strike in Kalahandi.

Thank you and best regards

SCHOOL KIDS JOIN SARDAR MED COLLEGE TAKEOVER STIR

The Pioneer, Aug 12, 2015

Over a thousand of schoolchildren joined the ongoing protest meeting in front of the Kalahandi district Collector’s office here on Tuesday seeking immediate takeover of the Sardar Raja Medical College by the State Government.Notably, the college, which had taken a total of 130 students in the last two years, is yet to create adequate infrastructure required as per MCI norms. Hence, fate of these students is at stake now.

 

“We want to meet the Chief Minister to put forward our demand of takeover of the medical college,” a student said.A total of 52 students 23 boys and 29 girls along with some local leaders are on fast now. Another student said the State should take over the college in order to meet health service need in the KBK region.

Members of the Kalahandi Medical College Action committee led by retired professor Akhaya Kumar Nanda are also picketing in support students’ demand.

“We want takeover of the medical college by the Government for the betterment of the Kalahandi. As many as 600 students our joined the protest to boost the strength,” said Pramod Kumar Panda, Headmaster-in-charge of the Government Girls High School, Bhawanipatna.

Centre insists on DGPS survey before grant of bauxite leases to L&T

Business Standard, Aug 11, 2015

Lack of any end use plant had aborted L&T's earlier attempts of winning the ML

Jayajit Dash  |  Bhubaneswar August 11, 2015 Last Updated at 15:52 IST

The Union mines ministry has stressed on DGPS(Differential Global Positioning System) survey of Kutrumali and Sijimali bauxite deposits before grant of mining lease (ML) to engineering & construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

"The ministry has asked us to commission the DGPS survey of Kutrumali and Sijimali bauxite deposits. The survey is ongoing and we hope to send the report to the ministry after its completion. Apart from the survey, there is no other roadblock for L&T to get the ML", said an official source.

Since L&T already has a subsisting prospecting license (PL) over these twin deposits, it is hopeful to bag them. Both Kutrumali and Sijimali, spread across Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, have combined reserve of 300 million tonne of bauxite.

Despite being a PL holder over Kutrumali and Sijimali bauxite leases, L&T's bid to bag the deposits had come unstuck. The lack of any end use plant had aborted L&T's earlier attempts of winning the ML.

L&T had won PL for Sijimali and Kutrumali bauxite mines in 1992. But the PL had expired two years later, after which the state government had denied ML to L&T since it had no end-use plant.

In 2005, L&T through a joint venture with Dubai Aluminium (Dubal), had proposed a Rs 30,000 crore aluminium complex comprising three million tonne per annum (mtpa) alumina refinery at Rayagada, 1.5 mtpa smelter plant and a captive power plant (CPP).

Though a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called Raykal Aluminium was formed for the purpose, the project has so far remained a non-starter.

Seven years later, in 2012 when Dubal walked out of the SPV, Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (now Vedanta Ltd) bought 24 per cent stake in the project.

The grant of ML to L&T over the bauxite deposits can also come to the rescue of Vedanta refinery at Lanjigarh, which is facing raw material crunch due to denial of supplies from Niyamgiri mines on environmental grounds and local protests. The refinery is currently keeping its operation barely afloat by importing bauxite from states like Chhatisgarh and Andhra Pradesh and also from places abroad like New Guinea.

The state government's counsel in the Supreme Court Uday U Lalit, in 2013, had given a legal opinion in favour of L&T for grant of ML over Kutrumali and Sijimali. The counsel had also opined that long-term supplies to Vedanta's refinery from the two bauxite deposits of L&T is legally tenable.

Public support boosted for converting Sardar Raja Medical College to a Govt. institution

Dharitri, Au 11, 2015

NRI PROFESSOR URGES CM TO RESOLVE ISSUE

The Pioneer, Aug 10, 2015

Educationist Digambara Patra has urged the Chief Minister of Odisha to handle the student agitation in the Sardar Raja Medical College discretely and refrain from taking any action against the agitating students.

He said that any violent form of reprisal could further aggravate the situation.

In a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Prof Patra of the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, who is a native of Kalahandi district, urged Patnaik to personally monitor the situation in the Sardar Raja Medical College.

Patra said that the agitation is not limited to the medical college now; rather it has been an issue of non-availability of proper health facilities in Kalahandi district.

This is the reason why locals from Bhawanipatna, Dharamgarh, Jungarh, Kesinga and other places in Kalahandi have come in support of the students in the last week.

All political parties in Kalahandi too have backed the stir strongly.

Patra lamented that the people of Kalahandi are yet to get sophisticated healthcare facilities and have to depend on Visakhapatnam for any major health problem. “The infrastructure handicaps in the Sardar Raja Medical College are well known to whole of the State over past 11 years. The WODC and the Odisha Government should have been woken up to the issue much earlier,” said Patra.

The profesor has suggested that instead of further aggravating the public anger towards the administration and the State Government, it will be wise to resolve the issue peacefully as soon as possible by either converting the medical college into a health university or asa full State Government Medical College and Hospital. 

All party meeting for Sardar Raja Medical College

Sambad, Aug 10, 2015

Central Govt to set up Software Park in Jeypore by 2017

Odisha News Insight, Aug 8, 2015

Jeypore, Aug 8: The Central government will set up a software technology park in Jeypore of Koraput district with an outlay of Rs. 10 crore in the first phase. The project is expected to complete by the end of 2017.

The government has proposed a three-acre of land situated at Phulabada area under Umri mouza. The proposed site is located at a distance of around 10 km from the Jeypore town, alongside of NH-26. A two-member team visited the proposed site on Friday.

The two-member team comprising Manas Ranjan Panda, Director of Software Technology Park of India (STPI) and Aditya Mohapatra, Deputy Secretary of Odisha IT Department, visited the site and discussed with the officials about the facilities like – nearest railways station, airport, engineering colleges and town. The team will submit a detail report about their visit to the central government as well as the state government.

Around 20 multi-national software companies are expected to function in this propose software park in Jeypore spread across in three acres of land. Apart from Jeypore, five more places – Angul, Jajpur, Sambalpur, Rayagada and Bhawanipatna may also get software technology parks.

Bafalimali mining may threat to Indravati dam!