Tathya.in, April 4, 2011
Bhubaneswar:4/April/2011
Gobardhan Dash has decided to ‘ekla chalo’ over the demand for a rail coach factory in Kalahandi.
Lawmaker from Junagarh in Kalahandi in protest walked out of the Odisha House and sat down under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi to draw attention.
For last 3-4 days the Congress lawmaker was demanding an adjournment motion to be tabled on the House on the issue of setting up a rail wagon factory in the most backward region of Odisha-Kalahandi.
However though he tried his best to raise the issue, but finding no support from both opposition and others, Mr.Dash rushed outside of the Assembly and sat down under the statue of the Father of the nation.
Speaking to scribes, Mr.Dash said that though land is available in Kalahandi, BJD Government is adamant to set up the proposed rail coach factory in Ganjam district.
He said that unused government lands are available and he has collected all the details from the District Administration.
Mr.Dash said that sufficient land is available in different railway stations in the district, which can be utilized for this purpose.
However the State Government is adamant over establishing the rail coach factory near Berhampur in Ganjam district.
It may be pointed out Bhakta Charan Das, Congress MP from Kalahandi is also demanding for the same since long time.
Not only the MP is raising the issue in Lok Sabha, but also he has met the Chairman Indian Railway Board to impress upon him about the suitability of establishing the rail coach factory in Kalahandi.
Apart from that Non Resident Odias (NRO)s led by Digambara Patra, who is teaching in American University of Beirut is trying hard for the rail project.
Dr.Patra along with is friends and well wishers are flooding PMO, CMO and Ministry of Railways with e-mails demanding the rail wagon factory in the tribal and most backward region of the country.
Congress legislator stages dharna
Expressbuzz, April 5, 2011
BHUBANESWAR: Demanding establishment of the proposed rail wagon factory in the backward district of Kalahandi, Congress MLA Gobardhan Dash today launched a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on the premises of theOrissa Assembly.
Dash, an MLA from Junagarh segment in Kalahandi district, raised the issue in the zero hour before walking out of the Assembly in protest.
Criticising the State Government for misleading the House by stating that suitable land was not found near railway track in Kalahandi to house the proposed wagon factory, the Congress MLA announced the dharna till the promise was fulfilled.
Dash told reporters at the dharna site that it was unfortunate that while the State Government could arrange land for Vedanta and other industries in Kalahandi, it could not find suitable land for a rail wagon factory.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2010-11 budget had announced a rail wagon factory for KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) region.
However, the project is yet to come up because the State Government failed to arrange a land for the purpose, he alleged.
Alleging that the State Government deprived Kalahandi of a rail wagon factory on political considerations as the ruling BJD was rejected by the people in the last elections, Dash said vast vacant fields were available for the purpose.
Opposition leader Bhupinder Singh also raised the issue and requested Deputy Speaker Lal Bihari Himirika to convince Dash to call off the agitation. Government chief whip Rabi Narayan Pani persuaded Dash to end his dharna.
The Railway Minister had also assured Orissa MP Bhakta Charan Das that the Railway Ministry had no hesitation to sanction another rail wagon factory for Kalahandi if land was provided by the State Government.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
MLA launches dharna demanding rail wagon factory in Kalahandi
IBNlive, April 4, 2011
Bhubaneswar, Apr 4 (PTI) Demanding establishment of the proposed rail wagon factory in backward Kalahandi district, Congress MLA Gobardhan Dash today launched a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the premises of the Orissa Assembly.Dash, a MLA from Junagarh segment in Kalahandi district, raised the issue in the zero hour before walking out of the assembly in protest.Accusing the state government of "misleading" the house by stating that no suitable land was found near railway track in Kalahandi to house the proposed wagon factory, the Congress first time MLA said, "I will launch a sit on dharna near Gandhiji's statue." While the state government could arrange land for Vedanta and other industries in Kalahandi, it was "sad" to say that it failed to get required land for a rail wagon factory, Dash told reporters at the dharna site.The Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2010-11 budget had announced to set up a rail wagon factory in KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) region. However, the project was yet to come up because the state government failed to arrange a land for the purpose, he alleged.State transport and commerce minister Sanjeev Sahoo while replying to a bugetary debate last month had informed the house that the government identified Santipalli near Berhampur town in Ganjam district, for setting up the proposed rail wagon factory.Alleging that the state government deprived Kalahandi a rail wagon factory on political consideration as the ruling BJD was rejected by the people in the last elections, Dash said vast vacant fields were availble for the pupose.Meanwhile, Railway minister Banerjee had assured Orissa MP Bhakta Charan Das that the Railway ministry had no hesitation to sanction another rail wagon factory for Kalahandi if land was provided by the state government. PTI AAM
Bhubaneswar, Apr 4 (PTI) Demanding establishment of the proposed rail wagon factory in backward Kalahandi district, Congress MLA Gobardhan Dash today launched a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the premises of the Orissa Assembly.Dash, a MLA from Junagarh segment in Kalahandi district, raised the issue in the zero hour before walking out of the assembly in protest.Accusing the state government of "misleading" the house by stating that no suitable land was found near railway track in Kalahandi to house the proposed wagon factory, the Congress first time MLA said, "I will launch a sit on dharna near Gandhiji's statue." While the state government could arrange land for Vedanta and other industries in Kalahandi, it was "sad" to say that it failed to get required land for a rail wagon factory, Dash told reporters at the dharna site.The Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2010-11 budget had announced to set up a rail wagon factory in KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) region. However, the project was yet to come up because the state government failed to arrange a land for the purpose, he alleged.State transport and commerce minister Sanjeev Sahoo while replying to a bugetary debate last month had informed the house that the government identified Santipalli near Berhampur town in Ganjam district, for setting up the proposed rail wagon factory.Alleging that the state government deprived Kalahandi a rail wagon factory on political consideration as the ruling BJD was rejected by the people in the last elections, Dash said vast vacant fields were availble for the pupose.Meanwhile, Railway minister Banerjee had assured Orissa MP Bhakta Charan Das that the Railway ministry had no hesitation to sanction another rail wagon factory for Kalahandi if land was provided by the state government. PTI AAM
Saturday, April 2, 2011
On relating controversial Vedanta issue with shifting of present Wagon Factory from Kalahandi: Is Tata's industrial park a justification for shifting near to Berhampur?
Some readers try to relate controversial Vedanta issue with shifting of present Wagon Factory from Kalahandi.
We think both the issues are different.
We think both the issues are different.
- Vedanta in Kalahandi has been controversial for many reasons.
- Record shows the company has been alleged all over the world for wrong reasons though it is not of our interest.
- People opposing Vedanta in Kalahandi comes from all over the globe.
- It’s the outside force which makes substantial contribution to oppose Vedanta in Kalahandi except one section of local Dongria Kond and a section of political party and NGOs do oppose it.
- A section of district people do advocate industrialization in Kalahandi.
- Total strength of Dongria Kondh tribal group including in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts is about 8000. Population of Kalahandi district could be about 15 lakhs or more by 2011.
- When the oppostion of Vedanta issue is in Lanjigarh, why the people in Kesinga, Jungarh, Dharamgarh, M.Rampur, Naral, Golamunda, Bhawanipatna etc suffer from this. Does it mean in Gopalpur people opposed TATA's Steel Plant, so one should NOT encourage other industries including indusrial park by TATA, Titanium plant and Wagon Facotry in Ganjam? It also means no other industry for opposing POSCO or TATA in Jagatsingpur or Jajipur.
- If few local congress leaders are opposing Vedanta, then local BJD is also supporting Vedanta, why should one read only one party line. In India its not new that opposition party takes a different stand while industrialization and it is being practiced since decades, Srikant Jena, Braja Kishore Tripathy, etc all of them opposed Vedanta University in Puri. Does it mean Braja Babu would not have encoruged Biju Patnaik Steel Institute in Puri or Srikant Babu for Plastic/Polymer park in Balasore?
- Except Vedanta Refinery there is little private investment in Kalahandi.
- Even excluding major private investment climate districts like Jagatsingpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jharsuguda, Cuttack, Khordha, Puri, Sundergarh, Sambalpur etc, MoUs signed for total investment in any moderate districts such as Ganjam, Rayagada, Balangir, Sonepur is higher than Kalahandi by March 2011, of course few districts like Nuapada, Kandhamal etc have received negligible private investment by this time.
- State Govt. initially said no land is available in Kalahandi and 500 acres of land is available in Chhatrapur, Ganjam for Wagon Facotry, this was even discussed in the parliament on March 4, 2011.
- On March 17, 2011 tranport and commerce minister Sanjeev Sahoo said in the state assembly that there is no land availble in Bhubaneswar and Narla in Kalahandi as proposed by central Govt for Wagon Factory
- When we and local people repeatedly appeal that Kalahandi do have 1000 acres of land in Narla (Samja, March 25, 2011) and only 100 acres of land is enough for the Wagon Factory now state Govt. found 101 acres of land near Berhampur and recommended to railway ministry, how?
- When availability of 100 acres of land in many places in Kalahandi (indeed 100 acres of unused land is available with IDCO near to railway track in Kesinga), now some argument is concentrated on location of TATA group's industrial park near the proposed site.
- If we think about availability of raw materials, then why we do not think and visualize in the national level for the convenience of Indian railway, in that case Bhilai, Raipur, Rourkela, Visakhapatnam etc would be more ideal place than Berhampur, because the raw materials requirement could be easily met with the existing steel plants and industrial parks there.
- Secondly, TATA’s proposed industrial park is not yet to start and its Steel Plant proposal in Gopalpur failed and other steel plant in Kalinga Nagar has been struggling since past 8 years. In this circumstance why Indian railway does not prefer where there is already existing infrastructure?
- There is not much difference while transporting raw material from Kalinga Nagar or Rourkela to Berhampur than from Bhilai or Rourkela to Kesinga at this moment.
- Indeed Wagon Factory in Kalahandi would boost the industries in KBK region. Titilagarh do have some steel/iron related industries, it might get boost if Wagon Factory come in Kesinga (13 km from Titialgarh by train).
- Establishment of HAL in Sunabeda, Koraput also disapproved that industry can not come without available of raw materials nearby.
- Compared to Sunabeda in those years, presently Kesinga/Narla has better infrastructure as per railway connectivity and urbanisation.
- When any Govt. is serious any kind of argument could be made. For example if state Govt. were serious it could say they want industry and development to come in a backward place like their argument for Vedanta issue to justify inclusive growth, if Govt does not want here it can make suitability/land/infrastructure an issue, which has changed time to time.
- This is clear that politics is the major criteria and other arguemnts are secondary to eyewash the wrong doing.
- This also exposes state Govt. is interested on Vedanta for other reasons than actual development of Kalahandi.
SC to hear OMC’s plea against MoEF
Financial Express, April 2, 2011
Indu Bhan
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear the Orissa Mining Corporation’s plea challenging the ministry of environment and forest’s (MoEF) decision to block Vedanta Aluminium’s (VAL) plan to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri hills of Kalahandi district in Orissa.
A bench headed by Justice R V Raveendran, however, directed that the application of the Orissa government’s mining entity Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) be converted into a writ petition and suggested the mining corporation to file a contempt petition, if they thought that the Supreme Court’s orders of November 23, 2007 and August 8, 2008 that give a green signal to the project.
Senior counsel KK Venugopal, appearing for OMC, contended that the order was illegal, arbitrary and in violation of the apex court’s direction.
The mining contractor for the Niyamgiri project was a joint venture company with 76% stake of Sterlite Industries, a the listed-subsidiary of Vedanta Resources and the remaining with OMC.
Since the mining lease at Niyamgiri hills was in the name of OMC, the corporation had found itself in a tight spot after MoEF had on August 24, last year, rejected Stage-II forest clearance for the Anil Agarwal firm’s mining project in Lanjigarh, which is spread over Lalahandi and Rayagada districts of the state.
Vedanta wants to dig open-cast mines in the Niyamgiri hills to feed an alumina refinery it has already built in the area, as part of an $800 million project expected initially to produce one million tonnes of alumina per year.
The ministry had last year had struck down plans by the state-owned OMC and Sterlite Industries to mine bauxite to supply Vedanta’s nearby aluminium refinery on the ground that the British firm had showed “blatant disregard” for local tribal groups in the eastern state who deem the land as sacred.
OMC, on behalf of the state government, has filed an application against the ministry for over ruling the the apex court’s orders of November 23, 2007 and August 8, 2008 on the allocation of Niyamgiri bauxite mine to Sterlite.
It said that the ministry’s decision has effectively neutalised the Supreme Court’s orders that granted clearance to the special purpose vehicle for diversion of 660.749 hectare of forest land to undertake bauxite mining on the Niyamgiri Hills.
OMC said that the arbitrariness and the adhocism of MoEF’s rejection was further apparent from its own decision in granting forest clearance to SAIL for carrying out mining in the Chiria Iron Ore Mines.
MoEF in the case of SAIL has “relied on principles of sustainable development which are conspicuously absent in the impugned decision of MoEF rejecting the clearnce to OMC,” the application stated.
The Supreme Court in 2007 and 2008 declined permission to VAL to mine bauxite for its proposed aluminium project in Orissa, but had left a door open for Sterlite Industries to extract the mineral in collaboration with state agencies.
A bench headed by Justice R V Raveendran, however, directed that the application of the Orissa government’s mining entity Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) be converted into a writ petition and suggested the mining corporation to file a contempt petition, if they thought that the Supreme Court’s orders of November 23, 2007 and August 8, 2008 that give a green signal to the project.
Senior counsel KK Venugopal, appearing for OMC, contended that the order was illegal, arbitrary and in violation of the apex court’s direction.
The mining contractor for the Niyamgiri project was a joint venture company with 76% stake of Sterlite Industries, a the listed-subsidiary of Vedanta Resources and the remaining with OMC.
Since the mining lease at Niyamgiri hills was in the name of OMC, the corporation had found itself in a tight spot after MoEF had on August 24, last year, rejected Stage-II forest clearance for the Anil Agarwal firm’s mining project in Lanjigarh, which is spread over Lalahandi and Rayagada districts of the state.
Vedanta wants to dig open-cast mines in the Niyamgiri hills to feed an alumina refinery it has already built in the area, as part of an $800 million project expected initially to produce one million tonnes of alumina per year.
The ministry had last year had struck down plans by the state-owned OMC and Sterlite Industries to mine bauxite to supply Vedanta’s nearby aluminium refinery on the ground that the British firm had showed “blatant disregard” for local tribal groups in the eastern state who deem the land as sacred.
OMC, on behalf of the state government, has filed an application against the ministry for over ruling the the apex court’s orders of November 23, 2007 and August 8, 2008 on the allocation of Niyamgiri bauxite mine to Sterlite.
It said that the ministry’s decision has effectively neutalised the Supreme Court’s orders that granted clearance to the special purpose vehicle for diversion of 660.749 hectare of forest land to undertake bauxite mining on the Niyamgiri Hills.
OMC said that the arbitrariness and the adhocism of MoEF’s rejection was further apparent from its own decision in granting forest clearance to SAIL for carrying out mining in the Chiria Iron Ore Mines.
MoEF in the case of SAIL has “relied on principles of sustainable development which are conspicuously absent in the impugned decision of MoEF rejecting the clearnce to OMC,” the application stated.
The Supreme Court in 2007 and 2008 declined permission to VAL to mine bauxite for its proposed aluminium project in Orissa, but had left a door open for Sterlite Industries to extract the mineral in collaboration with state agencies.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Public funded and PPP institutions and establishments in Odisha
Note: Undivided Kalahandi, Undivided Koraput and Undivided Boudh-Phulbani were only districts not having any state and/or central Govt higher/technical institutions till 2008, whereas most of the undivided districts had multiple institutions, Orissa has not equally even disitributed in the undivided disitrct level (which is 13). Going back to divided district level (which is 30) again KBK and Western Orissa districts are more sufferer, for example Govt. has made efforts for Gajapati, Puri/Khordha, etc before even establishing any institution in undivided Boudh-Phulbani. Similarly higher education task force has recommneded at least a University campus along with Govt. college in all the divided district in costal Orissa including Gajapati, but Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Boudh, Bargarh, Malkangiri, Jharsuguda, Sonepur and Deogarh are missing for any such campus except Govt. college. The task force has also mentioned to have at least one PPP or Govt. medical college in the undivided district level whereas medical college, University and special instituion are being recommneded in Gajapati, part of undivided Ganjam having medical college, University and engineering institute. Our argument is simple, if the state Govt could afford 30, then establish in all the 30 districts, if it can't then establish in at least 13 undivided district. One logical approach would be to make 13 University and medical college in each undivded district whereras all those divided districts not having Universties should get university campuses and nursing/phamacy colleges. Undivided/divided district that already have these facilties should not need to have establish or upgrade new one. As you can see from the list below now the focus has to shift to other undivided district and after that divided district level.
Undivided Ganjam, Puri and Cuttack districts together (39-40 % population and less than 30% area)
Before Naveen Babu’s term
Solely Public Funding
Solely Public Funding
Rest of Orissa together (above 60% population and above 70 % area)
Before Naveen Babu’s term
Solely Public Funding
After Naveen Babu’s term
Solely Public Funding
Main Controversial Issues
Location of IIT (700 crore): Though Sambalpur, Berhampur and Rourkela were seriously making their efforts, there was no promise or confirmation on this issue. Demand was limited to political level.
Location of Central University (800 crore): Chief Minister promised the delegation from Kalahandi but later on changed his stand; largely allegation was that due to influence of a certain BJD leader and keeping far political sight of BJD in mind such a decision was made. When NISER in Orissa was announced in the same budgetary scale of IISER by the prime minister, in Orissa chief minister did not do for Kalahandi in the same scale of Central University, which had initiated KBK central University demand in 2000 with 80,000 signatures and 4000 post card letters campaign.
Location of ESIC Medical College (700 crore): State Govt. had initiated four possible sites including Balangir which was rejected based on ESIC members, whereas Rourkela region having largest number of ESIC members was rejected and the medical college was located in Bhubaneswar.
Location of Wagon Factory (200 - 1000 crore): It was announced in 2010-11 railway budgets to be located in Bhubaneswar/Kalahandi. Often railway minister Ms Banerjee had expressed to establish in Kalahandi, but the chief minister of Orissa recommended near Berhampur for the same citing land and suitability.
Major Losers in the Controversy: Kalahandi and Rourkela
Consolation: Kalahandi was allotted two state level institutions of less than 30 crore budget instead of 800 crore Central University and Rourkela was promised for ESIC nusring and dental college instead of 700 crore ESIC medical college, on the other hand there was no any official announcement and promised made to Berhampur, still Berhampur was given a state level engineering institution (10-20 crore) and promised for IIIT (100 crore) in exchange of IIT demand. Wagon Factory was also shifted to Berhampur region by the chief minister of Orissa.
Undivided Ganjam, Puri and Cuttack districts together (39-40 % population and less than 30% area)
Before Naveen Babu’s term
Solely Public Funding
- Utkal University Bhubaneswar
- Sri Jagganath Sankrit University Puri
- Utkal University of Culture Bhubaneswar
- OUAT Bhubaneswar
- CET Bhubaneswar
- Institute of Physics Bhubaneswar
- Central Rice Research Institute Cuttack
- Regional Medical Research Centre Bhubaneswar
- Institute of Matallury (formerly Regional Research Laboratory)
- Central Institute of Fresh Water Aquaculture Bhubaneswar
- Central Institute of Plastic and Engineering Technology Bhubaneswar
- National Research Center for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar
- Central Tuber Crops Research Institute Regional Centre Bhubaneswar
- National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research, Olatpur, Cuttack
- ICAR institutes
- Dr.Avirna Chandra Homeopathy Medical College & Hospital, Bhubaneswar
- SCB Medical College Cuttack
- Phamacy College Cuttack (under SCB medical college)
- School of Nursing, Cuttack (under SCB medical college)
- School of Nursing, Berhampur (under MKCG medical college)
- Berhampur University
- MKCG Medical College
- Fishery College Rangeilunda Berhampur
- Gopabandu Ayurved Mahavidyalay Puri
- Kaviraj Ananta Tripathy Sharma Ayurveda College, Akuspur, Berhanpur, Ganjam
- Biju Pattnaik Homeopathy Medical College & Hospital, Berhampur
- Women Polytechnic Berhampur
- Mancheswar Rail Coach Repair Unit (newly added)
- STPI Bhubaneswar
- Paradeep Port
- Bhubaneswar Airport
- State Capital at Bhubaneswar
- Regional station (RDCs) at Bhubaneswar
- Regional station (RDCs) at Berhampur
- High Court at Cuttack
Solely Public Funding
- NISER Bhubaneswar (800 crore)
- IIIT Bhubaneswar (100 crore)
- IIT Bhubaneswar (700 crore)
- World Class Central University (800 crore)
- Ravenshaw University Cuttack (100 crore)
- National Law University Cuttack
- Orissa Open University Bhubaneswar (under proposal)
- Capital Medical College Bhubaneswar (fully state Govt.)
- AIIMS (700 crore)
- NIFT Bhubaneswar
- NIA Bhubaneswar (proposed)
- National Research Centre on Foot and Mouth Disease, Bhubaneswar
- Institute of Life Sciences Bhubaneswar
- Biju Patnaik National Institute of Steel Puri
- Parala Engineering College Berhampur
- IIIT Berhampur (site already identified)
- 40 crore budget for Berhampur University
- ESIC Medical College Bhubaneswar
- Railway Medical College Bhubaneswar (proposed)
- Institute of Material Science Bhubaneswar
- Up gradation of SCB Dental College Cuttack
- Up gradation to Khalikote University (CM has announced about the proposal)
- SCB Medical up gradation to University (under proposal)
- MKCG Medical College to University (under proposal)
- Institute of Mathematics and Application Bhubaneswar
- Flying Training Institute Rangeilunda Berhampur
- Marine Institute (proposed)
- Branch of BPUT functioning at Bhubaneswar
- IIPH (proposed)
- Excluding 80 or more engineering, management or medical institutions
- Excluding private one like LV Prasad, Appolo, KIMS, HighTech, IMS, and many others
- Excluding private parties like Vedanta Univ Puri, XIMB University Puri, Sri Sri Ravishankar University, Centurion University and other proposals
- Medical College in Jagatpur or Naraj under PPP (under proposal)
- Paradeep Refinery and Petrochemicals by IOC in Paradeep
- Second Software Technology Park in Bhubaneswar
- Soft Ware Tachnology Park in Berhampur
- Thermal Plant in Sakhigopal by NTPC
- Wagon Factory in Berhampur by Railway Ministry
- East Coast Railway Zone Bhubaneswar
- World Class Railway Stations at Bhubaneswar
- World Class Railway Stations at Puri
- International Airport Bhubaneswar (under proposal)
Rest of Orissa together (above 60% population and above 70 % area)
Before Naveen Babu’s term
Solely Public Funding
- Sambalpur University
- VSS Medical College Burla
- School of Nursing Burla (under VSS medical college)
- UCE Burla
- Orissa Medical College of Homeopathy & Research, Sambalpur
- Agriculture College Chiplima Sambalpur
- Utkalmani Homeopathy Medical College & Hospital, Rourkela
- NIT Rourkela
- Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology Saarang, Dhenkanal
- Indian Institute of Mass Communication Dhenkanal
- Govt Ayurvedic College Balangir
- Institute of Food and Craft Titilagarh, Balangir (polytechnic but may get upgrade to hotel management)
- North Orissa University Baripada
- Fakir Mohan University Balasore
- ISRO Balasore (includes Proof and Experimental Establishment)
- Orissa School of Mining Keonjhar (polytechnic)
- SAIL Rourkela
- MCL, Sambalpur
- NACLO Damanjodi, Koraput
- HAL Sunabeda, Koraput
- NTPC Talcher, Angul
- NALCO, Angul
- DRDO, Balasore
- Ordinance Factory Balangir
- Regional station (RDCs) at Sambalpur
After Naveen Babu’s term
Solely Public Funding
- Central University Koraput (800 crore)
- Govt. Engineering College Kalahandi (10-20 crore, part of the money comes from VAL’s local development program to construct hostel, similarly a BSc Science college and an International School by Vedanta in Lanjigarh comes under Lanjigarh development project as per Supreme Court ruling which are private investments like hundreds of college and schools coming in other parts of the state)
- Agriculture College Bhawanipatna (10 crore) under OUAT
- College of Horticulture Chiplima, Sambalpur under OUAT
- VSSUT Burla (10-20 crore)
- SU-IIIT (Self financed course where state Govt contributes 10 crore)
- Up gradation of VSS Medical College (proposal)
- BPUT Rourkela\
- ESIC Dental and Nursing College (under proposal)
- Medical College in Talcher, Angul
- NTPC Power Management Institute, probable location Angul or Dhenkanal
- NTPC Medical College, probable location Angul or Dhenkanal
- Up gradation of Orissa School of Mining to degree college, Keonjhar
- Advanced Plastic Research Centre Balasore
- Atronaut Training Centre, Balasore (proposed)
- Upgradation of IFC to Hotel Management Institute in Balangir (proposal)
- IIHT Bargarh (indeed is a polytechnic institution)
- WODC sponsored private medical college at Rourkela
- WODC sponsored private medical college at Jaring, Kalahandi
- WODC sponsored private medical college at Balangir (proposed and has not started)
- Medical college in Keonjhar under PPP (10 crore and land)
- XIMB campus proposed in Balangir (Govt may provide land only for Balangir)
- XIMB campus in Sambalpur (Govt may provide land)
- Thermal Plant in Sundergarh by NTPC
- STPI Rourkela
- Plastic/Polymer Park Balasore
- Domestic Airport Jharsuguda (under proposal)
Main Controversial Issues
Location of IIT (700 crore): Though Sambalpur, Berhampur and Rourkela were seriously making their efforts, there was no promise or confirmation on this issue. Demand was limited to political level.
Location of Central University (800 crore): Chief Minister promised the delegation from Kalahandi but later on changed his stand; largely allegation was that due to influence of a certain BJD leader and keeping far political sight of BJD in mind such a decision was made. When NISER in Orissa was announced in the same budgetary scale of IISER by the prime minister, in Orissa chief minister did not do for Kalahandi in the same scale of Central University, which had initiated KBK central University demand in 2000 with 80,000 signatures and 4000 post card letters campaign.
Location of ESIC Medical College (700 crore): State Govt. had initiated four possible sites including Balangir which was rejected based on ESIC members, whereas Rourkela region having largest number of ESIC members was rejected and the medical college was located in Bhubaneswar.
Location of Wagon Factory (200 - 1000 crore): It was announced in 2010-11 railway budgets to be located in Bhubaneswar/Kalahandi. Often railway minister Ms Banerjee had expressed to establish in Kalahandi, but the chief minister of Orissa recommended near Berhampur for the same citing land and suitability.
Major Losers in the Controversy: Kalahandi and Rourkela
Consolation: Kalahandi was allotted two state level institutions of less than 30 crore budget instead of 800 crore Central University and Rourkela was promised for ESIC nusring and dental college instead of 700 crore ESIC medical college, on the other hand there was no any official announcement and promised made to Berhampur, still Berhampur was given a state level engineering institution (10-20 crore) and promised for IIIT (100 crore) in exchange of IIT demand. Wagon Factory was also shifted to Berhampur region by the chief minister of Orissa.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Chief Engineer (DPI & Roads), Orissa has been requested vide Works Department Letter No. 2850 by CMO to take immediate necessary action for M.Rampur - Kantamal road
OUR CONCERN
The proposed route of Vijayawada – Ranchi highway by state Govt. does not serve the economic reason between above two cities except passing through Maoists influence districts in Odisha. Indeed a better short and convenient route with economic reason would be a Vijayawada-Ranchi route passing through Motu, Malkangiri, Jeypore, Dasmantpur, Kashipur in Rayagada, Bhawanipatna, Madanpur Rampur, Kantamal in Boudh, Sonepur, Sambalpur and Rourkela. This would have covered large part of KBK region benefiting 5 out of 8 districts and major towns like Jeypore, Bhawanipatna, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Rourkela. Major part of this route is state highway except Madanpur Rampur to Kantamal. A bridge is required to connect Madanpur Rampur directly with Kantamal which will reduce the distance further. Why Vijayawada-Ranchi route is not proposed in this route and a new route Koraput - Baripada is NOT proposed in the Maoist prone districts in Odisha. People in KBK are suffering as there is no direct route between Kantamal and Madanpur Rampur, this inter district route could be made a state highway by extending SH6A from Madanpur Rampur to Gantapada to meet SH41. Why this has not been done? If steps have been taken in this regard, when and what are these?
Reply from CMOTo
Digambara Patra
.........................
....
Chief Engineer (DPI & Roads), Orissa has been requested vide Works Department Letter No. 2850 dated 14.03.2011 to take immediate necessary action as deemed proper for quick redressal of the grievance petition.
( Chief Ministers Office )
Under Secretary
State Govt.'s confusion exposes favoritism while establishing Wagon Factory
Initially BJD MPs in the parliament and other leaders claimed that 500 acres of land has been identified near Chhatrapur in Ganjam for Wagon Factory, the commerce and transport minister Sanjeev Sahoo also made a statement in Odisha assembly that there is no land in Narla in Kalahandi and Bhubaneswar for Wagon Factory.
Through our email letters (Dated March 1, March 5, and March 9, 2011) when we brought this issue to the notice of Odisha state Government that 100 acres is enough for Wagon Factory and plenty of land is available in Kalahandi (some state media also separately published land details with plot numbers), now the state Government has sent a new proposal to establish the Wagon Factory near Berhampur citing convenience of railway and proposed TATA industrial park near the site. It also now points out that site for Kesinga, Narla, etc was not suitable as per railway, when the proposal for Chhatrapur was already submitted.
TATA might be establishing an industrial park near the proposed Wagon Factory in Ganjam, but that is nothing to do with why Wagon Factory could not be established in Kalahandi as the region has plenty of lands near to railway track in Kesinga, Narla, Bhawanipatna, Jaring etc.
Raipur or Bhilai could have better infrastructure in terms of establishing Wagon Factory compare to present site indentified near Berhampur, does it mean Wagon Factory should come in Bhilai? This is totally injustice for Kalahandi when backward Kalahandi has a golden opportunity to have a Wagon Factory.
A joint inspection team of east coast railway authority and district administration of Ganjam made inspection for site selection in that district, but in Kalahandi no joint inspection team was formed, after seeing the site in Ganjam the railway officials hurriedly visited few places in Kalahandi and gave a recommendation to suit the Govt. This shows the intention was deliberate to shift to Ganjam.
If state Government had recommended the site in Kalahandi to central Govt. and central Govt. had not agreed then the situation could have been different. This is too when railway minister is openly favoring to have a Wagon Factory in Kalahandi in the parliament as well as other public meeting. Wagon Factory was also announced for Bhubaneswar or Kalahandi in the railway budget 2010-2011. Then how could state Government proposed in Ganjam?
This should be rectified by Orissa Government sending for a second proposal to have a second Wagon Factory in Kalahandi in the line of railway minister’s statement in the parliament on March 3, 2011.
Through our email letters (Dated March 1, March 5, and March 9, 2011) when we brought this issue to the notice of Odisha state Government that 100 acres is enough for Wagon Factory and plenty of land is available in Kalahandi (some state media also separately published land details with plot numbers), now the state Government has sent a new proposal to establish the Wagon Factory near Berhampur citing convenience of railway and proposed TATA industrial park near the site. It also now points out that site for Kesinga, Narla, etc was not suitable as per railway, when the proposal for Chhatrapur was already submitted.
TATA might be establishing an industrial park near the proposed Wagon Factory in Ganjam, but that is nothing to do with why Wagon Factory could not be established in Kalahandi as the region has plenty of lands near to railway track in Kesinga, Narla, Bhawanipatna, Jaring etc.
Raipur or Bhilai could have better infrastructure in terms of establishing Wagon Factory compare to present site indentified near Berhampur, does it mean Wagon Factory should come in Bhilai? This is totally injustice for Kalahandi when backward Kalahandi has a golden opportunity to have a Wagon Factory.
A joint inspection team of east coast railway authority and district administration of Ganjam made inspection for site selection in that district, but in Kalahandi no joint inspection team was formed, after seeing the site in Ganjam the railway officials hurriedly visited few places in Kalahandi and gave a recommendation to suit the Govt. This shows the intention was deliberate to shift to Ganjam.
If state Government had recommended the site in Kalahandi to central Govt. and central Govt. had not agreed then the situation could have been different. This is too when railway minister is openly favoring to have a Wagon Factory in Kalahandi in the parliament as well as other public meeting. Wagon Factory was also announced for Bhubaneswar or Kalahandi in the railway budget 2010-2011. Then how could state Government proposed in Ganjam?
This should be rectified by Orissa Government sending for a second proposal to have a second Wagon Factory in Kalahandi in the line of railway minister’s statement in the parliament on March 3, 2011.
Monday, March 28, 2011
An analysis: Favoritism towards Ganjam by state Governement
Earlier some of the readers alleged that there is no favoritism towards Ganajm by state Govenrment rather the opposite and some of us are making issue out of this. We are putting following points for further discussion.
Historical favoritism towards Ganjam by Orissa Government
Correction: Another comparison between Rourkela and Berampur, this CM does not know anything except Bhubaneswar and Berhampur
http://www.rourkelacity.com/top-news/rdf-urged-for-municipal-corporation-status-to-rourkela/
Historical favoritism towards Ganjam by Orissa Government
- Number of proejcts being inagurated in Ganjam district in past 10 years by the Chief Minister is one of the highest in Orissa
- IIIT (central Govt funded information technology institute) in Orissa was proposed in Berhampur by the state Govt.
- CM and Higher Education minister had announced that Khallikote College will be a University soon even without announching much needed state University in South Western part of the state (KBK).
- Confidentially one University personal infomed a senior NRO that the state Govt. provided 40 cores of AID to Berhampur University and merely 10 crore to Sambalpur University in the name of SU-IIIT.
- State Governemnt has recommended for a High Court Bench in Berhampur for South Orissa when the location is less convinient to the people in KBK.
- Proposed railway Wagon Factory in the budget 2010-11 was shifted from Bhubaneswar/Kalahandi to Berhampur (Ganjam), home dist of CM.
- Berhampur has one of the highest numbers of soley state Government funded higher/technical education instutions in Orissa after the state capital compared to any other district or city in Orissa.
- Khordha and Ganjam are neighbouring districts but every thing (administrative offices) are established in Ganjam in the name South Orissa and not in far off place from state capital. It is much convinient for the peopple of Ganjam to reach Bhubaneswar than people in KBK to reach Ganjam, what sort of logic is operational except to exploit marginalized people in the state? If it was the case why not administrartive office in Rourkela?
- Despite without having any iron ore, coal, chromium, Biju Patnaik had politically convienced TATA to establish second steel plant in Gopalpur in Ganjam, fortunately political favorotim did not suit the company later on and TATA moved to Kalinga Nagar (though there is serious problem in Kalinga Nagar TATA group still prefers Kalinga Nagar over Gopalpur for steel plant which expose the political favoritim towards Ganjam by Biju Patnaik)
- Among the district Ganjam has highest population but its size (5th in Orissa) is comparable to Kalahandi and less than Mayurbhanj, Sundergarh, Keonjhar and Koraput. It has the maximum number of SH plus NH per 1000 sqkm of area, one of the highest in Orissa. Road should be constructed based on area rather than population. For example UP is 1.55 times larger by area than Orissa and 5.3 times larger by population than Orissa, but the NH in UP is 1.8 times than that of Orissa. Is Orissa following a similar guide line among its districts? Are the SH and NH in Kalahandi and Ganjam comparable? Last year state Govt spent 180 cores for highways in Ganjam compared to 18-30 crore in Kalahandi. Similarly, should Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Koraput not have more SH and NH compared to Ganjam?
- Railway is a concern for Ganajm, but its not by state Govt rather by the central Govt for which state Govt is not able to favor its favorite district. However, there are districts in Orissa without having any rail network like Nabarangpur, Kandhamal whose size would be more than the half of size of Ganjam.
- For conservation of ecologically sensitive stone mountains (LANDA PAHADA), Orissa Govt last year spent 100% of the budget in Ganjam, when Ganjam has ~ 30%, Balangir has ~ 20%, Kalahandi has ~ 20%, Koraput has another substantial percentage of LANDA PAHAD in the state, why the budget was not distributed based on percentage? There is serious speculation that if there could have a substantial share in any of the other coastal district budget distribution would have been different. If its in KBK or Western Orissa policy is different.
- If one village has population 250 and another having 2000, than both the villages may need one school, but one having 2000 population may need more class rooms, teachers, books, blackboard etc. In the mean time first one must have a school. Ganjam has two times population than that of Kalahandi but it has 3212 villages compared to 2236 villages in Kalahandi. Is there a fairness in alloting budget in health, education and infrastructure?
- Ganjam receives highest number of MGNREGA schemes, which is acceptable as per population but not the SH and NH.
- Similarly regional institutions should come based on convinience and geography. If neighbouring undivided Ganajm could be considered for regional offices based on population than why not other neighbouring undivided Cuttack district for the same, when each undivided Cuttack and undivided Puri districts (capital and central RDC) had more population than undivided Ganjam district?
- MLA, Sri Jayanarayan Mishra alleged in the assembly of Orissa in past years that 30 % of Chief Minister's releif fund was spent only in Hinjilikatu contituency.
- Another one alleged that the money spent from state Govt. budget only in Hinjilikatu could be more than that of state Govt fund being spent in district like Malkangiri/Nuapada (exluding central Govt fund)
Correction: Another comparison between Rourkela and Berampur, this CM does not know anything except Bhubaneswar and Berhampur
http://www.rourkelacity.com/top-news/rdf-urged-for-municipal-corporation-status-to-rourkela/
Naveen bats Ganjam rail plant
Note:
Bhubaneswar:28/March/2011
Naveen Patnaik has favored the proposed Rail Wagon manufacturing factory in Ganjam.
The Chief Minister in a letter to the Union Minister Railways has specified about the land available for the wagon factory to be taken up in Public Private Partnership (PPP) or Joint Venture (JV) mode.
Once the announcement to set up a Rail Wagon factory in Odisha in the Railways Budget for 2011-12, East Coast Railways moved fast to identify the land for such Greenfield project in the State Government.
They scouted in various places of the state including that of Kalahandi for which Bhakta Charan Das is making serious efforts to impress upon the Union Government.
However the State Administration moved fast and along with experts of the Indian Railways in East Coast Railways have located a patch of 101 acres of plot at Sitapalli near Jagannathpur Railway Station, in Berhampur tahsil said sources.
Experts feel that this place will be eminently suitable as the land is available in a contiguous patch.
Secondly it will be suitable from the railway point of view as it will only require 2.5 kilometer rail link.
And the proposed link will pass through the agricultural field for which land acquisition shall not be a problem.
Under this backdrop, the Chief Minister has urged upon the Minister Railways to take early steps for setting up the wagon factory at an early date.
Odisha faces serious problem for land acquisition required for industries.
East Coast Railways has found out that the entire rail link will be extended solely to be used by Indian Railways authorities.
Other report in Sambad: http://www.orissasambad.com/news_article.php?id=50251
- It is not clear why a joint inspectection team of east coast railway authority and district administration of Ganjam made inspection for site selection, whereas NO such joint inpection was done in Kalahandi, if state Govt. was serious Kalahandi as a site.
- Some of the land available in Kalahandi such as one in Kesinga, Jaring (Badchergaon) does not need even 2.5 km rail link, they are touching railway track.
- Most of the lands in Kalahandi does not need acquisition of agricultural field like the state Govt. identified site in Ganjam.
- There is land of similar scale even 2-3 km from the Bhawanipatna town itslef if urbanisation was by chance a criteria.
- There is definitely an internal agreement between state Govt. and east coast railway authority to favor home district of the Cheif Minister
- As per sources (need to be confimed) railway ministry has asked to find land in Bhubaneswar/Kalahandi, then how Ganjam came to picture if the state Govt. was not keen?
- This clearly exposes another mean mindedness of Naveen Babu's Government in the history of Orissa knowing the fact that state Govt is all in all while identifying land and site for any project.
Bhubaneswar:28/March/2011
Naveen Patnaik has favored the proposed Rail Wagon manufacturing factory in Ganjam.
The Chief Minister in a letter to the Union Minister Railways has specified about the land available for the wagon factory to be taken up in Public Private Partnership (PPP) or Joint Venture (JV) mode.
Once the announcement to set up a Rail Wagon factory in Odisha in the Railways Budget for 2011-12, East Coast Railways moved fast to identify the land for such Greenfield project in the State Government.
They scouted in various places of the state including that of Kalahandi for which Bhakta Charan Das is making serious efforts to impress upon the Union Government.
However the State Administration moved fast and along with experts of the Indian Railways in East Coast Railways have located a patch of 101 acres of plot at Sitapalli near Jagannathpur Railway Station, in Berhampur tahsil said sources.
Experts feel that this place will be eminently suitable as the land is available in a contiguous patch.
Secondly it will be suitable from the railway point of view as it will only require 2.5 kilometer rail link.
And the proposed link will pass through the agricultural field for which land acquisition shall not be a problem.
Under this backdrop, the Chief Minister has urged upon the Minister Railways to take early steps for setting up the wagon factory at an early date.
Odisha faces serious problem for land acquisition required for industries.
East Coast Railways has found out that the entire rail link will be extended solely to be used by Indian Railways authorities.
Other report in Sambad: http://www.orissasambad.com/news_article.php?id=50251
Move to shift wagon factory from K’handi sparks resentment
The Pioneer, March 28, 2011
SWARNENDU PATTNAIK, Dharamgarh
Of late, the people of Kalahandi district are an apprehensive lot after getting the information that the proposed rail wagon industry promised by Railway Minister Mamata Banarjee is likely to be shifted from the district to Ganjam.
According to sources, the Railway Minister has assured local MP Bhakta Charan Das to set up rail wagon industry in the district in Parliament but other sources said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, meanwhile, has written a letter to Mamata Banerjee proposing to set up rail wagon industry in Ganjam district.
Kalahandi is one of the country’s most poverty-stricken districts. Huge funds pumped in for development of poor have not yielded fruitful results.
The political leadership as the past is now suspected again to fail to bring the rail wagon factory like the Central University was shifted from Kalahandi to Koraput.
The Chief Minister during his visit to Kalahandi recently was presented with a memorandum by the aggrieved political parties, intellectual forums, different organisations, demanding to recommend the Central Government to set up the proposed rail wagon industry in the district.
However, sources said the Chief Minister has not yet taken any steps on the demand of the locals and this has triggered resentment and a feeling that the district again will be betrayed.
SWARNENDU PATTNAIK, Dharamgarh
Of late, the people of Kalahandi district are an apprehensive lot after getting the information that the proposed rail wagon industry promised by Railway Minister Mamata Banarjee is likely to be shifted from the district to Ganjam.
According to sources, the Railway Minister has assured local MP Bhakta Charan Das to set up rail wagon industry in the district in Parliament but other sources said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, meanwhile, has written a letter to Mamata Banerjee proposing to set up rail wagon industry in Ganjam district.
Kalahandi is one of the country’s most poverty-stricken districts. Huge funds pumped in for development of poor have not yielded fruitful results.
The political leadership as the past is now suspected again to fail to bring the rail wagon factory like the Central University was shifted from Kalahandi to Koraput.
The Chief Minister during his visit to Kalahandi recently was presented with a memorandum by the aggrieved political parties, intellectual forums, different organisations, demanding to recommend the Central Government to set up the proposed rail wagon industry in the district.
However, sources said the Chief Minister has not yet taken any steps on the demand of the locals and this has triggered resentment and a feeling that the district again will be betrayed.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Petitin to Prime Minister
Dear Honorable Prime Minister Dr Singh,
I would like to petition for the following issue.
In the railway budget 2010-11 railway minister you (Smt Mamata Benerjee) had proposed one of the railway Wagon Factories in Bhubaneswar/Kalahandi.
http://india.gov.in/images/rlybudget_eng_highlights_10-11.pdf (See page 4 in the report)
However, the state Government had pointed out that there was no 500 acres of land available in Kalahandi for the proposed Wagon Factory and sent a proposal for railway Wagon Factory in Ganjam even without intimating the local district administration of Kalahandi for identification land for the proposed Wagon Factory in Kalahandi. (Dharitri, March 1, 2011 http://www.dharitri.com/010311/story10.asp )
There was serious debate in the parliament on March 3, 2011 on this issue and all the MPs from Odisha irrespective of political parties unanimously said they are not opposed to establishment of Railway Wagon Factory in Kalahandi. Indeed railway minister Ms Banerjee had categorically pointed in the same debate that if land is provided in Kalahandi another Wagon Factory could be established (available in parliament record on March 3, 2011 and reported in Samaja, March 4, 2011).
When the local people and intellectual of Odisha realized the politics played by Odisha state Government to shift the Wagon Factory from congress party dominated Kalahandi district to the home district of Chief Minister, they opposed the move.
We brought to the notice of Odisha Government that Wagon Factory in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal is being established in less than 100 acres of land (Reported Frontier India on Sept 14, 2010, http://frontierindia.net/new-wagon-factory-to-be-built-at-kulti and Decan Chronicle, Feb 28, 2011, http://www.deccanchronicle.com/karimnagar/confusion-rail-unit-369 ) and there are plenty of land available in Kalahandi.
Now another explanation is provided for the injustice saying the railway authorities visited Kesinga, Narla Road, Lanjigarh Road, and Bhawanipatna area of Kalahandi to find out 100 acres of land adjacent to the rail track and the railway administration could not find a suitable place for the purpose and moved to coastal district, Ganjam, for feasible locations for wagon factory (The Pioneer, March 25, 2011, http://www.dailypioneer.com/326657/Berhampur’s-Santipalli-to-have-wagon-factory.html ).
Anywhere in this world, a Wagon Factory just needs access to a railway track, and such connection is also easily made by railway department to link with the factory. Many coal based industries in India do have railway connection (track) and in the name of feasibility study it is surprising why Wagon Factory could be established in Ganjam and not in Kalahandi, if both the locations have access to railway track within affordable distance of available land.
It also sounds fishy why the railway authorities could not contact local Kalahandi district administration while visiting the sites in Kesinga, Narla, Lanjigarh road and Bhawanipatna.
On the other hand the major Odia local daily Samaja (March 25, 2011) elaborated with plot number details on 1000 acres of Government land available in Narla adjacent to railway track for possibility of a Wagon Factory in Kalahandi.
( http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2011/03/1000-acres-of-government-land-available.html ).
Fortunately, all these state Government records on availability of land is proving that commerce and transport minister of Odisha had given false statement in last assembly session on March 17, 2011 (Dharitri, March 18, 2011, http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2011/03/odisha-govt-says-it-is-unable-to-find.html ) saying there was no land for Wagon Factory in Narla.
In the similar line other major Odia daily Sambad (March 23, 2011) reported that hundreds of acres of land is also available in Kesinga, Thumaul Rampur and Narla region for possible Wagon Factory.
Beside that as per information collected there is another 100 acres of Government land near Jaring (perhaps the village name is Badchergaon) adjacent to railway track (Junagarh – Lanjigarh road railway line). Government land is also available within 2 - 3 km of Bhawanipatna railway station, 2-3 km distance is not far and acceptable for any factory and industries like INDAL, Vedanta, etc have established more than 15 km of railway track to connect their factories with main railway track.
If there is no problem with available land and there is access to railway track from these land area, we do not see why sites in Kalahandi would fail the feasibility study for a Wagon Factory.
There is serious dirty politics by Odisha Government collaborating with East Coast railway authorities while establishing railway Wagon Factory in Odisha and a backward region like Kalahandi is being marginalized.
When railway ministry and central railway board have suggested Kalahandi as one potential location for proposed Wagon factory, it is irrelevant to argue that the sites are not suitable for a Wagon Factory if land is available within affordable distance from railway track. To our knowledge, many of these locations in Kalahandi are suitable for Wagon factory in Kalahandi and injustice is being made by railway authority of East Coast railway division and Odisha Government.
I pray you to kindly look into this matter and stop approving railway Wagon Factory in Ganjam, home district of Chief Minister of Odisha, instead of Kalahandi.
Anticipating your acknowledgement in this regard
Thank you and best regards
Digambara Patra
I would like to petition for the following issue.
In the railway budget 2010-11 railway minister you (Smt Mamata Benerjee) had proposed one of the railway Wagon Factories in Bhubaneswar/Kalahandi.
http://india.gov.in/images/rlybudget_eng_highlights_10-11.pdf (See page 4 in the report)
However, the state Government had pointed out that there was no 500 acres of land available in Kalahandi for the proposed Wagon Factory and sent a proposal for railway Wagon Factory in Ganjam even without intimating the local district administration of Kalahandi for identification land for the proposed Wagon Factory in Kalahandi. (Dharitri, March 1, 2011 http://www.dharitri.com/010311/story10.asp )
There was serious debate in the parliament on March 3, 2011 on this issue and all the MPs from Odisha irrespective of political parties unanimously said they are not opposed to establishment of Railway Wagon Factory in Kalahandi. Indeed railway minister Ms Banerjee had categorically pointed in the same debate that if land is provided in Kalahandi another Wagon Factory could be established (available in parliament record on March 3, 2011 and reported in Samaja, March 4, 2011).
When the local people and intellectual of Odisha realized the politics played by Odisha state Government to shift the Wagon Factory from congress party dominated Kalahandi district to the home district of Chief Minister, they opposed the move.
We brought to the notice of Odisha Government that Wagon Factory in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal is being established in less than 100 acres of land (Reported Frontier India on Sept 14, 2010, http://frontierindia.net/new-wagon-factory-to-be-built-at-kulti and Decan Chronicle, Feb 28, 2011, http://www.deccanchronicle.com/karimnagar/confusion-rail-unit-369 ) and there are plenty of land available in Kalahandi.
Now another explanation is provided for the injustice saying the railway authorities visited Kesinga, Narla Road, Lanjigarh Road, and Bhawanipatna area of Kalahandi to find out 100 acres of land adjacent to the rail track and the railway administration could not find a suitable place for the purpose and moved to coastal district, Ganjam, for feasible locations for wagon factory (The Pioneer, March 25, 2011, http://www.dailypioneer.com/326657/Berhampur’s-Santipalli-to-have-wagon-factory.html ).
Anywhere in this world, a Wagon Factory just needs access to a railway track, and such connection is also easily made by railway department to link with the factory. Many coal based industries in India do have railway connection (track) and in the name of feasibility study it is surprising why Wagon Factory could be established in Ganjam and not in Kalahandi, if both the locations have access to railway track within affordable distance of available land.
It also sounds fishy why the railway authorities could not contact local Kalahandi district administration while visiting the sites in Kesinga, Narla, Lanjigarh road and Bhawanipatna.
On the other hand the major Odia local daily Samaja (March 25, 2011) elaborated with plot number details on 1000 acres of Government land available in Narla adjacent to railway track for possibility of a Wagon Factory in Kalahandi.
( http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2011/03/1000-acres-of-government-land-available.html ).
Fortunately, all these state Government records on availability of land is proving that commerce and transport minister of Odisha had given false statement in last assembly session on March 17, 2011 (Dharitri, March 18, 2011, http://kalahandia.blogspot.com/2011/03/odisha-govt-says-it-is-unable-to-find.html ) saying there was no land for Wagon Factory in Narla.
In the similar line other major Odia daily Sambad (March 23, 2011) reported that hundreds of acres of land is also available in Kesinga, Thumaul Rampur and Narla region for possible Wagon Factory.
Beside that as per information collected there is another 100 acres of Government land near Jaring (perhaps the village name is Badchergaon) adjacent to railway track (Junagarh – Lanjigarh road railway line). Government land is also available within 2 - 3 km of Bhawanipatna railway station, 2-3 km distance is not far and acceptable for any factory and industries like INDAL, Vedanta, etc have established more than 15 km of railway track to connect their factories with main railway track.
If there is no problem with available land and there is access to railway track from these land area, we do not see why sites in Kalahandi would fail the feasibility study for a Wagon Factory.
There is serious dirty politics by Odisha Government collaborating with East Coast railway authorities while establishing railway Wagon Factory in Odisha and a backward region like Kalahandi is being marginalized.
When railway ministry and central railway board have suggested Kalahandi as one potential location for proposed Wagon factory, it is irrelevant to argue that the sites are not suitable for a Wagon Factory if land is available within affordable distance from railway track. To our knowledge, many of these locations in Kalahandi are suitable for Wagon factory in Kalahandi and injustice is being made by railway authority of East Coast railway division and Odisha Government.
I pray you to kindly look into this matter and stop approving railway Wagon Factory in Ganjam, home district of Chief Minister of Odisha, instead of Kalahandi.
Anticipating your acknowledgement in this regard
Thank you and best regards
Digambara Patra
Friday, March 25, 2011
1000 acres of Government land available in Narla for possible Wagon Facotry: Samaja, March 25, 2011
Thanks to Dr Baba Mishra for sharing this news.
Note: Earlier we had siad more than 500 acres of Governemnt land available in Narla and this report correctly present 1000 acres of Govt. land available in Narla for a possible Wagon Facotry in Kalahandi.
Samaja, March 25, 2011
Note: Earlier we had siad more than 500 acres of Governemnt land available in Narla and this report correctly present 1000 acres of Govt. land available in Narla for a possible Wagon Facotry in Kalahandi.
Samaja, March 25, 2011
Berhampur’s Santipalli to have wagon factory
Note: Thank you Situn babu for sharing this and for his comment
P.S: How the rail authority did not find suitable land when railway minister is saying where ever state Govt would allot land, railway would establish wagon factory. Its confusing. Was the district administration aware when railway authority visited locations in Kalahandi?
The Pioneer, March 25, 2011
PNS, Bhubaneswar
The railway authorities after inspecting number of places in KBK districts and not finding them suitable have identified Santipalli at Berhampur in Ganjam district to set up the proposed rail wagon factory.
According to sources, a rail wagon factory is to be set up in KBK districts of Odisha as per the 2010-2011 Railway Budget. Accordingly, the railway authorities visited Kalahandi, Kesinga, Narla Road, Lanjigarh Road, and Bhawanipatna Railway Station area to find out 100 acres of land adjacent to the rail track and submit a feasible report to the Government of Odisha for acquisition of land. However, the railway administration could not find a suitable place for the purpose and moved to coastal districts for feasible locations for wagon factory.
The Ganjam district administration and rail officers made a joint inspection in the district and found a place at Santipalli near Jagannathpur Railway Station of Berhampur. The State Government has approved to provide the 100 acre of land at Santipalli and the proposal has been sent to Railway Ministry, for their final consent for further plan of action. The project would be taken up in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
P.S: How the rail authority did not find suitable land when railway minister is saying where ever state Govt would allot land, railway would establish wagon factory. Its confusing. Was the district administration aware when railway authority visited locations in Kalahandi?
The Pioneer, March 25, 2011
PNS, Bhubaneswar
The railway authorities after inspecting number of places in KBK districts and not finding them suitable have identified Santipalli at Berhampur in Ganjam district to set up the proposed rail wagon factory.
According to sources, a rail wagon factory is to be set up in KBK districts of Odisha as per the 2010-2011 Railway Budget. Accordingly, the railway authorities visited Kalahandi, Kesinga, Narla Road, Lanjigarh Road, and Bhawanipatna Railway Station area to find out 100 acres of land adjacent to the rail track and submit a feasible report to the Government of Odisha for acquisition of land. However, the railway administration could not find a suitable place for the purpose and moved to coastal districts for feasible locations for wagon factory.
The Ganjam district administration and rail officers made a joint inspection in the district and found a place at Santipalli near Jagannathpur Railway Station of Berhampur. The State Government has approved to provide the 100 acre of land at Santipalli and the proposal has been sent to Railway Ministry, for their final consent for further plan of action. The project would be taken up in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Agriculture education gets a boost
Expressbuzz, March 23, 2011
BHUBANESWAR: The Government today announced setting up of one agriculture polytechnic in each of the 10 agro-climatic zones of the State.
Replying to the demand discussion on Agriculture, Cooperation and Fisheries and Animal Resources Department Minister Damodar Rout said two such polytechnics opened at Boudh and Deogarh with assistance from the Western Orissa Development Council fund have started functioning from the current academic session.
The proposed polytechnics have received concurrence of the Finance Department. Construction work of the institutes will start shortly after finalisation of the locations. The objective of opening more polytechnics is to expand education on agriculture.
Admitting that agriculture extension services have suffered due to staff shortage, the Minister said a dedicated machinery will be put in place for the extension works.
There will be a statelevel coordinator to monitor the overall extension works, while each district will have project director research (PDR) and two deputy PDRs under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA).
At the block level, there will be a block technology manager and two subject matter specialists, while a farmer friend will be posted at the village level. Each farmer friend will be in charge of two villages and he will assist the farmers by extending all the programmes of the Government. The farmer friend will be given an annual remuneration of Rs 4,000.
Dismissing the opposition charges that the Government has failed to protect interest of the farmers, the Minister said despite vagaries of nature the State has maintained its food surplus status. Even as Bargarh district suffered 50 per cent crop loss due to insufficient rain and another 70 per cent to unseasonal rain, it has recorded a surplus paddy production of over one lakh tonne compared to the last kharif season.
Asserting that there is no shortage of fund, the Minister said the orientation of the farmers needed to be changed. The farmers need to be sensitised and encouraged to make a shift from the traditional to scientific farming. The Government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 1,167.97 crore for 201112 as against Rs 648.72 crore in last fiscal, he added.
Initiating the discussion, Anup Sai of the Congress said the State was at the bottom of the list so far as agriculture production is concerned. This is because of continuous neglect to the farm sector by the Naveen Patnaik Government for 11 years.
While many farmers are committing suicide due to crop loss and increasing loan burden, the Government is not ready to accept the fact and take corrective measures.
Sai attributed the low farm production of the State to low irrigation facility. While the Government has not been able to redeem its promise to provide irrigation to at least 35 per cent of agriculture land in each block, fertiliser consumption in the State is one of the lowest in the country, he rued.
Senior BJD leader Pradip Maharathy provided some valuable suggestions to the Government for value addition to farm production.
BHUBANESWAR: The Government today announced setting up of one agriculture polytechnic in each of the 10 agro-climatic zones of the State.
Replying to the demand discussion on Agriculture, Cooperation and Fisheries and Animal Resources Department Minister Damodar Rout said two such polytechnics opened at Boudh and Deogarh with assistance from the Western Orissa Development Council fund have started functioning from the current academic session.
The proposed polytechnics have received concurrence of the Finance Department. Construction work of the institutes will start shortly after finalisation of the locations. The objective of opening more polytechnics is to expand education on agriculture.
Admitting that agriculture extension services have suffered due to staff shortage, the Minister said a dedicated machinery will be put in place for the extension works.
There will be a statelevel coordinator to monitor the overall extension works, while each district will have project director research (PDR) and two deputy PDRs under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA).
At the block level, there will be a block technology manager and two subject matter specialists, while a farmer friend will be posted at the village level. Each farmer friend will be in charge of two villages and he will assist the farmers by extending all the programmes of the Government. The farmer friend will be given an annual remuneration of Rs 4,000.
Dismissing the opposition charges that the Government has failed to protect interest of the farmers, the Minister said despite vagaries of nature the State has maintained its food surplus status. Even as Bargarh district suffered 50 per cent crop loss due to insufficient rain and another 70 per cent to unseasonal rain, it has recorded a surplus paddy production of over one lakh tonne compared to the last kharif season.
Asserting that there is no shortage of fund, the Minister said the orientation of the farmers needed to be changed. The farmers need to be sensitised and encouraged to make a shift from the traditional to scientific farming. The Government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 1,167.97 crore for 201112 as against Rs 648.72 crore in last fiscal, he added.
Initiating the discussion, Anup Sai of the Congress said the State was at the bottom of the list so far as agriculture production is concerned. This is because of continuous neglect to the farm sector by the Naveen Patnaik Government for 11 years.
While many farmers are committing suicide due to crop loss and increasing loan burden, the Government is not ready to accept the fact and take corrective measures.
Sai attributed the low farm production of the State to low irrigation facility. While the Government has not been able to redeem its promise to provide irrigation to at least 35 per cent of agriculture land in each block, fertiliser consumption in the State is one of the lowest in the country, he rued.
Senior BJD leader Pradip Maharathy provided some valuable suggestions to the Government for value addition to farm production.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
K'handi villagers hold annual meet on area growth
The Pioneer, March 22, 2011
PNS, BHAWANIPATNA
An annual meeting was convened at Dhanrabhata village in the district here by the Badaka Anchala Vikas Parishad (BAVP) to discuss over various issues related to the development of the areas.
Badaka Anchala is an undeveloped and backward region comprising of five Panchayats Duarsuni, Talbelgaon, Chancher, Sagada and Jugsaipatna under Bhawanipatna Sadar block mostly populated by the Adivasis, Harijans and backward class. Even after 63 years of Independence, the region is allegedly being neglected in the education, communication, water, electricity and health sectors by the State Government.
The tardy progress in the region always irks the locals who often take out rallies and demonstrate before the administration.
The meeting was participated by hundreds of villagers who discussed with the forest officials on land rights and pattas invited by the Parishad.
Though Badaka Anchala is gradually being developed by the joint efforts of the NGOs, the Friday's third annual meeting was convened by the Jana Kalyan Sanstha who has also constructed a Sudama Shanti Ashram at Dhanrabhata sheltering around thirty children studying in the nearby schools.
PNS, BHAWANIPATNA
An annual meeting was convened at Dhanrabhata village in the district here by the Badaka Anchala Vikas Parishad (BAVP) to discuss over various issues related to the development of the areas.
Badaka Anchala is an undeveloped and backward region comprising of five Panchayats Duarsuni, Talbelgaon, Chancher, Sagada and Jugsaipatna under Bhawanipatna Sadar block mostly populated by the Adivasis, Harijans and backward class. Even after 63 years of Independence, the region is allegedly being neglected in the education, communication, water, electricity and health sectors by the State Government.
The tardy progress in the region always irks the locals who often take out rallies and demonstrate before the administration.
The meeting was participated by hundreds of villagers who discussed with the forest officials on land rights and pattas invited by the Parishad.
Though Badaka Anchala is gradually being developed by the joint efforts of the NGOs, the Friday's third annual meeting was convened by the Jana Kalyan Sanstha who has also constructed a Sudama Shanti Ashram at Dhanrabhata sheltering around thirty children studying in the nearby schools.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Copy of forwarded letter from PMO for appropriate action to HRD Ministry on railways
Copy of Email Letter on Railway dated 24 Dec 2010
To
The President of India, Smt. Patil
The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Singh
UPA Chairperson, Smt. Gandhi
The Speaker of Lok Sabha, Smt. Kumar
The Railway Board
The Chief Minister of Odisha, Sri Patnaik
Leader of Opposition, Odisha Assembly, Sri Singh
Chairman of the Railway Expert Committee, Dr Maitra
MPs from Odisha
Respected Sirs and Madam,
New Year Greetings in Advance!
Though separate East Coast Railway Zone has been established, the new zone has not given much importance towards train connection in place like Kalahandi. Among the far off places Kalahandi is one of the worst sufferers in terms of train connectivity with Odisha’s state capital.
Despite strong local demand to extend Bhubaneswar – Balangir intercity express upto Kesinga and extension of Raipur-Puri intercity express via Titilagarh to via Kesinga, the local people’s desire has not been fulfilled.
Though the railway track distance between Titilagarh and Kesinga is just 13 km, due to lack of a bridge over Tel River there is no direct short road route between Kesinga and Titilagarh that needs additional 40 km to connect these two towns. Extension of Raipur-Puri intercity express via Kesinga may take maximum additional half an hour for the train but will benefit whole Kalahandi region to reach state capital, Bhubaneswar and Raipur, both are two important cities for administrative and commercial need of the region.
Subsequently with Bhawanipatna railway link being operative I request you to kindly extend Howrah-Titilagarh Ispat Express, Bhubaneswar-Balangir express, Raipur – Kesinga passenger, Vizag - Rayagada passenger, Vijaywada – Rayagada passenger and Jharsuguda-Titlagarh passenger trains till upto Bhawanipatna in the coming railway budget. Similarly, new train should be introduced from Bhawanipanta to Vishakhapatnam.
Considering KBK-Kandhamal railway network under economically unviable but socially desired projects a new Railway division at Bhawanipatna, a central location in KBK-Kandhamal, should be established under East Coast Railway Zone to focus railway development for KBK, Kandhamal, Boudh, Gajapati and Bargarh districts.
In the budget kindly allot substantial amount to complete Khurdha - Balangir line as soon as possible, this line will directly connect Balangir, Sonepur and Boudh with Bhubaneswar.
In the budget 2010-11, approve 100 crore for Kantabanji – Jeypore line considered as heart line connecting Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Koraput districts. This will facilitate first time a rail connection to Nabarangpur district by this line.
Speed up the progress of under survey Lanjigarh road - Phulbani – Talcher line connecting Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Titilagarh (Balangir dist), Nabarangpur and Rayagada districts with Bhubaneswar (Orissa’s state capital) by joining with Khurda-Balangir line near Puruna Cuttack (or Charichok). This will not only bring first time railway network to Kandhamal district but also make accessible to large part of inaccessible KBK and Kandhamal region from the state capital directly. Beside that this line will facilitate alumina/coal transportation for NALCO from its refinery in Damajodi to its Smelter in Angul by reducing distance about 100 km.
In the budget 2010-11, kindly consider to survey for Raipur - Rajim - Debhog - Dharamgarh – Junagarh and Lanjigarh road-Gopalpur railway lines directly connecting Bhilai steel plant with Gopalpur port. Beside social development in KBK-Kandhamal-Ganjam region this line may be exploited commercially by many steel, iron and coal plants in Bhilai and Raipur regions to connect with Gopalpur port.
As East Coast Railway Zone is one of the larger profit making zone, more funds should be allotted to this zone for the development of economically unviable but socially desired projects such as KBK-Kandhamal region, I hope all of you will look into this matter for immediate action.
Thanking you and best regards
Madhusmita Panda
Copy of forwarded letter from PMO for appropriate action to HRD Ministry on Tribal University Off Campus
Copy of Email Letter Sent on Dec 4, 2010
Dear esteemed Prime Minister Dr Singh,
In July 2009 I was informed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, as per attached letter, that
“on receipt of letter from late Sri Bikram Keshari Deo, former member of Parliament about the locating of the Central University of Orissa in Kalahandi district instead of Koraput district as recommended by the state Government, the Ministry of Human Resource Development had decided that Indira Gandhi National Tribal University could consider establishment of one of its off-campuses in Kalahandi district during the 11th plan period, subject to availability of sources”.
Central University is an emotional issue for the people of Kalahandi since over two decades. People of Kalahandi were first to raise such a demand in Orissa. Many protest letters and memorandums have been submitted by people in this respect to both the central and state Governments since past decade.
Though initially promised by the Chief Minister of Orissa, Orissa state Government played foul at the last moment and recommended for location of central university of Orissa at Koraput instead of Kalahandi when Kalahandi is the central location among KBK districts and has better train communication to most of the major cities in India.
Orissa state Government’s apathy towards Kalahandi has recently increased as the district has opted for Congress Party by electing maximum percentage of MLAs from congress party from any district in Orissa presently. The leader of opposition in Orissa assembly comes from the district and local MP Bhakta Charan Das won in highest margin of vote among any elected congress candidate in Orissa.
Kalahandi district is well known for backwardness and about 30% of its population is tribal and 15 % population is scheduled caste. It is also centrally located not only among KBK districts but also among all the tribal dominated districts in Orissa such as KBK, Kandhamal, Boudh, Gajapati and Bargarh, justifying itself as ideal location for branch of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Orissa .
As we are now towards the end of 11th plan period, I request you to kindly consider establishing an off-campus of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Kalahandi in the academic year 2011-12.
Thank you and warm regards,
Yours sincerely
Madhusmita Panda
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Sakhigopal is other site for second UMPP in Orissa
Note: Earlier state Govt. had proposed Balangir and Bhadrak for second and third UMPPs beside first one at Bedabahal. It is not clear yet why neither Balangir nor Bhadrak materialized.
UMPPs get rolling again, two in Orissa, one in TN next fiscal
Financial Express, March 19, 2011
New Delhi: The ultra mega power project (UMPP) scheme which has faced slippages due to various reasons, is set to get a boost in the next financial year, with the government planning to bid out at least three such projects over the next few months.
Among the three projects, two will be in Orissa and one in Tamil Nadu. There is also the possibility of a fourth to be explored in Gujarat even though this proposal is at an initial stage, a power ministry official told FE, asking not to be named.
Out of the three, the proposed UMPP at Bedabahal in Orissa is at advanced stage as it has received all clearances. It is awaiting clarity over the use of captive coal mines which have come under the environment’s ministry recent no-go categorisation restricting any mining activity.
Power Finance Corporation (PFC), the nodal agency for UMPP programme, is also working at a feverish pitch to get two other projects —one at Cheyyur in Tamil Nadu and the other at Sakhigopal in Orissa —cleared so that these could also be put up for bidding in 2011-12. In addition, Gujarat has offered four different sites in the districts of Porbandar, Junagarh, Navsari and Kutchh for setting up a second UMPP in the state, but this is yet to be vetted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
“We hope to get clearances for the three projects and a fourth will be a bonus,” said a PFC official involved in the UMPP programme.
The government is reviving the UMPP programme, since just a few such projects of 4,000 mw each could add substantial capacity to the Indian generation basket.
Though the scheme was launched with much fanfare in 2006, only four UMPPs have been allotted so far, of which three were bagged by Reliance Power in Sasan (Madhya Pradesh), Krishnapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Tilaiya (Jharkhand). The fourth, at Mundra in Gujarat, was bagged by Tata Power. No UMPP was put under bidding in 2010-11.
The power ministry plans to set up nine such plants, with four projects at pithead and five in coastal locations, to help meet the electricity generation target of 100,000 MW for the 12th Plan period (2012-17). UMPPs are large-sized power projects requiring investment between R16,000 and R20,000 crore. The projects will use super-critical technology to achieve higher levels of fuel efficiency with less green house emissions. The UMPP at Bedabahal in Orissa was put under initial bidding last year, but the last date for submitting requests for qualification (RFQ) was extended several times, since there is no clarity on captive coal blocks. The latest extension expires March 31. “We expect the project to be cleared after it gets another extension for a couple of months. The environment ministry has already shown flexibility in giving clearance for the captive coal blocks and a group of ministers (GoM) is examining the 'go, no-go' policy of MoEF,” the power ministry official said. In the case of Cheyyur project, clearance for the port — to ship coal as the project will be based on imported fuel — is expected soon. The committee set up to examine the port project in the light of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) provisions will submit its report to the government soon, after which clearances will be given. The project also requires forestry clearance, for which PFC is in touch with MoEF. The government’s capacity addition programme has been grossly inadequate in the past.
In the 9th and 10th Plans, less than half the targeted capacity was added. In the ongoing 11th Plan, while the Centre had originally planned to add 7,68,577 mw of capacity, the power ministry has now scaled down the target to 62,000 mw.
Capacity addition is critical as the country faces a huge energy deficit of 8.6% (2010-11 up to February) and peak deficit of 10.3%. The UMPPs, due to their sheer size, are positioned to play a key role in the government’s power capacity addition programme. Only a handful of such projects can deliver power equivalent to several conventional-sized power projects.
UMPPs get rolling again, two in Orissa, one in TN next fiscal
Financial Express, March 19, 2011
New Delhi: The ultra mega power project (UMPP) scheme which has faced slippages due to various reasons, is set to get a boost in the next financial year, with the government planning to bid out at least three such projects over the next few months.
Among the three projects, two will be in Orissa and one in Tamil Nadu. There is also the possibility of a fourth to be explored in Gujarat even though this proposal is at an initial stage, a power ministry official told FE, asking not to be named.
Out of the three, the proposed UMPP at Bedabahal in Orissa is at advanced stage as it has received all clearances. It is awaiting clarity over the use of captive coal mines which have come under the environment’s ministry recent no-go categorisation restricting any mining activity.
Power Finance Corporation (PFC), the nodal agency for UMPP programme, is also working at a feverish pitch to get two other projects —one at Cheyyur in Tamil Nadu and the other at Sakhigopal in Orissa —cleared so that these could also be put up for bidding in 2011-12. In addition, Gujarat has offered four different sites in the districts of Porbandar, Junagarh, Navsari and Kutchh for setting up a second UMPP in the state, but this is yet to be vetted by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
“We hope to get clearances for the three projects and a fourth will be a bonus,” said a PFC official involved in the UMPP programme.
The government is reviving the UMPP programme, since just a few such projects of 4,000 mw each could add substantial capacity to the Indian generation basket.
Though the scheme was launched with much fanfare in 2006, only four UMPPs have been allotted so far, of which three were bagged by Reliance Power in Sasan (Madhya Pradesh), Krishnapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Tilaiya (Jharkhand). The fourth, at Mundra in Gujarat, was bagged by Tata Power. No UMPP was put under bidding in 2010-11.
The power ministry plans to set up nine such plants, with four projects at pithead and five in coastal locations, to help meet the electricity generation target of 100,000 MW for the 12th Plan period (2012-17). UMPPs are large-sized power projects requiring investment between R16,000 and R20,000 crore. The projects will use super-critical technology to achieve higher levels of fuel efficiency with less green house emissions. The UMPP at Bedabahal in Orissa was put under initial bidding last year, but the last date for submitting requests for qualification (RFQ) was extended several times, since there is no clarity on captive coal blocks. The latest extension expires March 31. “We expect the project to be cleared after it gets another extension for a couple of months. The environment ministry has already shown flexibility in giving clearance for the captive coal blocks and a group of ministers (GoM) is examining the 'go, no-go' policy of MoEF,” the power ministry official said. In the case of Cheyyur project, clearance for the port — to ship coal as the project will be based on imported fuel — is expected soon. The committee set up to examine the port project in the light of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) provisions will submit its report to the government soon, after which clearances will be given. The project also requires forestry clearance, for which PFC is in touch with MoEF. The government’s capacity addition programme has been grossly inadequate in the past.
In the 9th and 10th Plans, less than half the targeted capacity was added. In the ongoing 11th Plan, while the Centre had originally planned to add 7,68,577 mw of capacity, the power ministry has now scaled down the target to 62,000 mw.
Capacity addition is critical as the country faces a huge energy deficit of 8.6% (2010-11 up to February) and peak deficit of 10.3%. The UMPPs, due to their sheer size, are positioned to play a key role in the government’s power capacity addition programme. Only a handful of such projects can deliver power equivalent to several conventional-sized power projects.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Kalahandi protest against liquor unit
The Pioneer, March 18, 2011
Bhawanipatna: The irate inhabitants of Dengsaru village under Barabandha GP in M Rampur block are on a dharna before the Collectorate here since Wednesday morning protesting against the newly-opened country liquor industry there. The Panchayat is dominated by the Adivasis and Harijans and the industry has been opened on the main road of the village. While a memorandum has already been submitted with the Kalahandi Collector, the agitating villagers were seen continuing their dharna till the filing of the report.
Bhawanipatna: The irate inhabitants of Dengsaru village under Barabandha GP in M Rampur block are on a dharna before the Collectorate here since Wednesday morning protesting against the newly-opened country liquor industry there. The Panchayat is dominated by the Adivasis and Harijans and the industry has been opened on the main road of the village. While a memorandum has already been submitted with the Kalahandi Collector, the agitating villagers were seen continuing their dharna till the filing of the report.
Like varsity, proposed K'handi rail wagon unit a mirage!
The Pioneer, March 18, 2011
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE, DHARAMGARH
An aura of apprehensions writ large over the faces of the people of Kalahandi district here anticipating that the venue of the proposed Rail Wagon Factory is going to meet the same fate of the Central University.
Sources confided that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has, meanwhile, written a letter to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to set up the proposed rail wagon project in Ganjam district instead, represented by him while Didi has assured Kalahandi MP and her former counterpart Bhakta Charan Das in the Parliament for Kalahandi as it has earned a dubious distinction at the national level for being one of the country's most poverty-ridden districts.
Needless to mention that despite the huge flow of funds over the years for the development of the district, poverty still stares in the face yielding no fruitful results yet.
The main cause can be attributed to lack of political will, able leadership and MLAs and MPs being at loggerheads following which the past bitter experience has already been evident in the case of setting-up of the Central University that got unfortunately shifted from Kalahandi to Koraput even though both being a part and parcel of the so-called favoured triangle of the KBK region.
Moreover, the Chief Minister, during his visit to Kalahandi recently, was presented a memorandum by the aggrieved political parties, intellectual forums and different organisations here reiterating the mass demand and urging him to recommend for the setting-up of the proposed rail wagon factory in Kalahandi.
However, reliable sources revealed that Naveen has not yet taken any steps in this direction and has rather recommended for his own home turf Ganjam for the project following which a strong wave of resentment is brewing among the people across the district here as yet another betrayal is looming large like that of the Central University.
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE, DHARAMGARH
An aura of apprehensions writ large over the faces of the people of Kalahandi district here anticipating that the venue of the proposed Rail Wagon Factory is going to meet the same fate of the Central University.
Sources confided that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has, meanwhile, written a letter to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to set up the proposed rail wagon project in Ganjam district instead, represented by him while Didi has assured Kalahandi MP and her former counterpart Bhakta Charan Das in the Parliament for Kalahandi as it has earned a dubious distinction at the national level for being one of the country's most poverty-ridden districts.
Needless to mention that despite the huge flow of funds over the years for the development of the district, poverty still stares in the face yielding no fruitful results yet.
The main cause can be attributed to lack of political will, able leadership and MLAs and MPs being at loggerheads following which the past bitter experience has already been evident in the case of setting-up of the Central University that got unfortunately shifted from Kalahandi to Koraput even though both being a part and parcel of the so-called favoured triangle of the KBK region.
Moreover, the Chief Minister, during his visit to Kalahandi recently, was presented a memorandum by the aggrieved political parties, intellectual forums and different organisations here reiterating the mass demand and urging him to recommend for the setting-up of the proposed rail wagon factory in Kalahandi.
However, reliable sources revealed that Naveen has not yet taken any steps in this direction and has rather recommended for his own home turf Ganjam for the project following which a strong wave of resentment is brewing among the people across the district here as yet another betrayal is looming large like that of the Central University.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)