Orissa News

17,000 poultry birds culled on Day 1

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

BHUBANESWAR: At least 17,000 poultry birds were killed on Day One of the culling exercise which began at the Central Poultry Development Organisation (CPDO) here on Sunday. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and Khurda district administration pressed in seven teams to cull the birds at the farm, which boasts of huge parent stock of poultry and is a major supplier to eastern Indian states. The CPDO has a total stock of 29,000 poultry birds. Earlier, the BMC had planned to start culling at the CPDO and the bird farm of the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) simultaneously on Sunday. However, culling could begin only at the CPDO while the exercise at the OUAT will start on Monday. We expect that the entire culling exercise will be completed in the next three to four days. Our teams are on the job and adequate bio-safety measures are being adopted, Director of Veterinary Services Benudhar Das said. Over the next few days, the administration has to cull over 27,000 birds. According to estimates, the OUAT farm has about 7,584 birds while in the 3-km radius of the CPDO, the poultry population is expected to be about 10,000 (as per the 2007-08 census). While five surveillance teams were engaged by the veterinary wing, the Health department will deploy a 37-member contingent from Monday thereby augmenting the monitoring and surveying measures in the alert zone which comprises 29 wards of the BMC. As the culling started with heightened security, the Health department provided chemo-prophylaxis to the 50 persons engaged in handling, culling, transporting and burying of the dead birds. Municipal Commissioner Vishal Dev said a dozen RRTs will be on job from Monday. Two squads each will be pressed at the CPDO and the OUAT, while another eight will collect birds from the wards. At least 20 poultry and related product shops have been closed down and sanitisation has been carried out.

11-day-long Adivasi Mela concludes

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

BHUBANESWAR: Curtains came down on the 11-day Adivasi Mela, the annual State-level tribal festival, at the Adivasi Exhibition Ground here on Sunday evening. Attending the valedictory function as the chief guest, Governor M C Bhandare said the Adivasi Mela has been promoting tribal culture and traditions over the years. He felicitated 10 personalities from various tribal groups in fields like ethno-medicine, creative writing, performing arts and athletics. Likewise, he declared the ITDA stalls from Rairangpur, Gunupur and Kuchinda as the winners for best stalls for their creation of Santhal, Lajia Saura and Kisan hutments respectively. Similarly, the Odisha Tribal Empowerment and Livelihood Project (OTELP) was given a special award for its work on the theme of the Mela Better Livelihood, Happy Life. Earlier, the Chief Minister paid a surprise visit to the Mela last week. He had interacted with the Bonda women, who came all the way from Malkangiri to sell their ware. He also visited the tribal arts, painting and handicraft segments and appreciated the works of tribal artisans. Cultural shows, including tribal dances, were presented every evening. The main attraction of this years mela was the Tribal Village, where as many as 29 tribal huts of different tribal groups were set up by tribals themselves. Almost all the makeshift tribal huts at the exhibition showcased skilled art and craft used in the daily life of the tribals. Each of the huts was daubed with red soil or cow dung or even with plant dyes and beautiful paintings were made on them. Each house had a section for cooking and separate pens for poultry and cattle were displayed in almost all the huts. Pumpkin and gourd shells were hung outside the huts. Like every year, the visitors purchased tribal and forest produces like turmeric, mustard, kandula, paluaa, jhuna, black gram, chilly powder, mung and broom sticks from the Tribal Haat and all other stalls of the Government and non-government undertakings. The exhibition recorded a business of over ` 1.5 crore this year.

Prophets birth anniversary celebrated

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: Idd-e-Miladun Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad, was celebrated by the Muslim community amidst religious fervour in the twin cities on Sunday. Thousands took part in the ceremonial processions in the Capital city and Cuttack covering major thoroughfares to offer mass prayers at the designated places. In Bhubaneswar, a rally was taken out under the Jama Masjid Habibiyah from the masjid through the main streets of Bhubaneswar to Satyanagar graveyard and back. People not only from the community but also the Hindus and the Christians took part. A mass prayer was offered at the Qabrastan seeking blessings of God for humanity, love and peace as preached by Prophet Mohammed, president of the Masjid Haji Mohammed Shahnawaj said. Bhubaneswar Central MLA Bijay Mohanty and Mayor AN Jena were present among others. At Cuttack, a procession with more than a thousand participants started from Jobra Masjid through major thoroughfares of College Square, Ranihat, Mangalabag, Buxi Bazaar to Kadamrasool. Mass prayers were held to commemorate the occasion. The procession was attended by City Congress president Md Mokim, former minister and BJP leader Samir Dey among others.

Implement food safety act

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

BHUBANESWAR: The two-day seminar on Emerging trends in food production and safety that concluded here on Sunday strongly urged the State Government to implement the Food Safety Act and post a senior officer as Food Safety Commissioner. An officer, not less than the rank of Secretary, should be posted as the Food Safety Commissioner, the experts unanimously agreed at the end of the seminar which was addressed by Health Secretary Anu Garg. There was consensus that there is need for meeting food safety standardisation keeping in view the national and regional needs and inspection as well as surveillance programmes must be strengthened. Ensuring health surveillance effectively will make risk management decisions easy, the seminar concluded and called for systems on hazard analysis and critical control point system. The seminar was jointly organised by Institute of Quality and Environment Services Pvt Ltd, Rotary Club of Bhubaneswar Heritage and Institute of Hotel Management, Bhubaneswar.

Sun, sand and surf

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

BHUBANESWAR: The Sun and the sand, the jamming sessions and the ultraviolet art, dance and films, and above all the wave riders. The golden beaches at Ramchandi on the Puri-Konark Marine Drive are set to glitter to a unique sporting celebration as the three-day Indian Surf Festival (ISF) gets underway on February 7. The first of its kind festival, organised by Surfing Yogis, has brought together not only pro-surfers and enthusiasts but also music bands, filmmakers, photographers and artists from across the world. Around 50 participants from India, including Surfing Swamis and Kalaile Surfing Club of Puducherry, Bay of Life of Chennai and Shaka Surf Club of Mangalore along with around 20 surfers from France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Israel, Australia, Morocco and Brazil are turning up for the festival. It is not a competition of surfing but a conglomeration of fun and frolic, dance, music and art combined with an audacious display of astute skills, dare-devilry and artistry by the ones who rule the waves. The idea is to rid surfing of its alien character and promote it as an activity that encapsulates the indomitable human spirit, said Surfing Yogis founder and head of Rangers Adventure Foundation Sanjay Samantray. Worldwide, surfing events are never stand alone. They are accompanied by art, music, photography and films. So while the surfers will beat the waves, the beaches will be throbbing with activities through the day and the dusk. The festival will see the screening of Mother India, Father Surf by French filmmaker Kevin Perree documenting surf trips around South India. Then there will be the critically-acclaimed Ocean Monk by Sanjay Rawal of the Chinmayanand Ashram, New York, that tries to explore spirituality and tranquility through the eyes of a group of monks who indulge in the extreme sport of surfing. The festival will also feature mainstream 2011 cinema Soul Surfer, based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, who had lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing at Kauai in Hawaii in October 2003, but has braved odds to tame the waves again. While Mumbai-based installation art collective Nova Arts will spread its magic on the glistening sand, bands like I20DUB of Argentina, experimental music and jammers Tribal Flora of Mumbai along with The Mavyns Rock Band from the same city will keep the visitors engrossed. Shaka, a four-member Afrikaan band, devoted to surfing music using traditional Afrikaan instruments as Kabako, will also wow audience. The whole festival will be filmed by international movie and documentary makers, said Samantray. The highlight of the festival would, however, be introduction of stand up paddle (SUP) surfing of flat water surfing in the State. A stretch of still sea waters has been demarcated for the purpose. Around 50 surf enthusiasts would be provided training on SUP that enables gliding on the still waters of lakes and rivers using a paddle board. This is not only eco-friendly but also a health activity, spokesperson Dr Debabrata Das added.

Explosives stocked by Maoists seized

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

KORAPUT: Huge quantity of explosives stocked by Maoists were recovered by security forces during combing operation in the district, police said on Sunday. At least 282 gelatin sticks, each weighing 125 grams, 10 bundles of live wire, 28 tiffin boxes used to pack landmines and other Maoist belongings were recovered from a forest in Machkund area on Saturday evening, they said. The explosives were dumped inside the forest in a plastic drum. Security personnel chanced upon the dumped explosives and recovered them, Koraput Superintendent of Police Avinash Kumar said. As no one was present at the spot, no arrest has been made, he said. The Maoists had probably stocked the explosive materials for use during the ensuing panchayat elections in the State to disrupt the process, Kumar added. Combing operation and patrolling have been intensified in the area after the seizure.

Chalk painting on environment at Bakul Library

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

BHUBANESWAR: The road in front of the Bakul Childrens Library here will get a three-dimensional life. The road will get a makeover with bright colours in chalk when American artist Tracy Lee Stum will create street art during her visit to the Library on Monday. Tracy, who holds a Guinness World Record for the largest chalk painting, will use chalk pastels and tempera paints to create an illusory two-dimensional image that will appear to be three-dimensional when viewed from a specific point. The street visual art will be created outside the Library on the theme of environment. Visitors can catch a glimpse of Tracy in action, said Sujit Mohapatra, founder-secretary of the Bakul Foundation. She will also hold a day-long workshop for children and interact with them about street painting and other forms of art. 3D PAINTING CHARMS PURI: Meanwhile, Puri witnessed a colourful jugalbandi on Sunday as Tracy created a 3D masterpiece near the beach. Tracy worked from Saturday morning to gift the people a wonderful 3D painting that the city had rarely witnessed. Hundreds of people gathered at the beach near the Mayfair Hotel to witness the jugalbandi of sand art by Sudarsan Pattnaik and chalk art by Tracy. Both the artists created dolphins and Olive Ridleys on an area of 3,000 sq ft. The event was organised by the US Consulate General, Hyderabad, and the Tourism Department.

Boy run over by judicial officers car

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

SAMBALPUR: It was on August 11 last year when seven-year-old boy Guddu Prasad was allegedly run over by the car of a probationary judicial officer. The boy was on his way to school. The accident snatched Guddus parents of their only son and since then they have been running from pillar to post seeking justice. The officer has since been transferred. Guddus mother Rupa Prasad met Collector Mrinalini Darswal and SP NK Kanodia on Saturday seeking justice, but in vain. Since the matter is sub judice, both the Collector and the SP expressed helplessness to help her out. In her petition to the Collector, Rupa questioned whether the police would have allowed the accused to go scot-free had the victim been son of a judicial officer. Saying her son was good at studies and sports, the mother said she looked forward to Guddu for support in her old age.

Prophets birth anniversary celebrated

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

SEC hearing on Congress manifesto issue

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

BHUBANESWAR: The State Election Commission (SEC) has issued notices to both the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress for a hearing on the manifesto issued by the latter for the panchayat polls. The hearing will be held on February 7. In a memorandum submitted to the SEC on January 31, the BJD had requested it to issue a direction to the Congress for the withdrawal of the manifesto, describing it as offensive. The manifesto is a brazen contravention of various provisions of the model code of conduct issued by the SEC and particularly various clauses of chapter-I, II, V and IX A read with Odisha Grama Panchayat Act, 1964 and the IPC 1860, it said. The BJD had also taken exception to the description of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as abhijukta (accused). The manifesto had also named 13 other ministers for their involvement in scams and irregularities. The document unfortunately contains extremely offensive language, particularly against the Chief Minister and pictorial images of the Chief Minister, which are inappropriate in the course of a public discourse and election campaign, it said. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) had requested three days time to reply to the notice from the SEC. The SEC had issued notice to the OPCC asking it to explain the contents in pages 3, 9 and 10 of the manifesto. In its reply, the OPCC said it has not violated the model code of conduct by mentioning about corruption charges against the Chief Minister and other ministers in its manifesto as these were old issues and well known. Replying to the notice of the SEC, the Congress said reports about the scams and irregularities and the alleged involvement of the Chief Minister and some of the ministers have been published by newspapers. The Congress and other Opposition parties have informed about these to different constitutional authorities and courts many times, it said.

Bird Flu: Districts cautioned on egg provision

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

BHUBANESWAR: The avian influenza outbreak has prompted the Women and Child Development Department to direct all districts to adopt caution while providing eggs to beneficiaries under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP). While just two districts have reported H5N1 outbreak, it is the flying birds which are a cause of concern. The W and CD Department cautioned the Collectors that since some districts are witnessing mysterious death of crows and other birds, there is need for strong precautionary measures. The Collectors have been asked to instruct the child development project officers, anganwadi supervisors and workers to monitor that eggs used in SNP are of best quality and prepared well before being provided in the meals.

Headmaster held for molesting Dalit student

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

BERIPADA: A school headmaster was arrested on the charges of misbehaving with a minor Dalit girl in a residential school in Badampahad area of Mayurbhanj district. Bhandan Sevashram headmaster Krupasindhu Dalai (45) has been produced in the court and remanded in judicial custody on Sunday. Police said Dalai, a native of Bahugram village under Udala police limits, allegedly molested the 13-year-old girl who is a student of Class VII. He, however, let her go when the cook of the school spotted him and raised an alarm. A case was registered against the headmaster following the complaint of the girl. As soon as the news spread, tension ran high in the area as the locals besieged the school demanding dismissal of the headmaster and stringent action against him. They were pacified after the local officials assured them to look into the safety of the students.

Red shadow over Malkangiri campaigning

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

MALKANGIRI: While politicians in other parts of the State are busy campaigning for the panchayat polls, Maoist threat has cast a shadow on electioneering here even as the first phase of the five-phase poll will be held on February 11. Campaigning is yet to begin in many Maoist-hit areas like Podia, Motu, MV-79, Kalimela, Chitrakonda, cut-off region and Govindpalli. This comes against the backdrop of Maoists releasing posters and banners urging people to boycott the elections as a mark of protest against the State Governments apathy towards them. However, the rebels have so far not issued any threat to any particular candidate. The Maoist threat has compelled us to confine our campaign to a limited area. Campaigning in the interior areas against the Maoist dikat is certainly a risky affair, said a ZP candidate contesting from Kalimela region, requesting anonymity. Sources said the situation is similar to the last Assembly election when the Maoists had unleashed a reign of terror by killing former ZP chief Nanda Kartami and ZP member Somnath Madkami just days before the poll. As per reports, the ultras have their control over as many as 108 gram panchayats in the district. The district administration, however, is hopeful of a peaceful polling. It has been decided to deploy paramilitary forces at the polling booths as a precaution. Naveen to Campaign Today: With the BJD candidates in MV-79 and Mathili Zilla Parishad zones facing stiff opposition from their Congress rivals, the party supremo Naveen Patnaik will campaign for them on Monday. The Chief Minister would address the first meeting at MV-79 and then proceed to Mathili. In MV-79 area, BJD candidate Paritosh Sarkar in zone 11 is facing opposition from his BJP rival Nimai Pal and Krishna Mondal of Congress. The other candidates in fray include Raghunath Majhi (CPI) and independent candidates, Subhranshu Sahu and Bishnu Swain. In Mathili too, both Congress and BJP candidates have posed tough challenge to the BJD nominees in Zone I and II.

JSPL-hit call Bandh Tuesday

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

ANGUL: People of the JSPL-affected villagers have called a dawn-to-dusk bandh on Tuesday demanding immediate fulfilment of their 20-point charter of demands. Expressing dissatisfaction over the decisions taken at the tripartite meeting on Friday, the villagers under the aegis of Praja Sangh took the bandh decision on Sunday. We stick to our guns and the Sangh has rejected the decisions taken at Fridays meeting, said Sanatan Sahu, the secretary of the Sangh. Sahu was critical that no help came in the way of the injured villagers even after 13 days since the violence broke out on the plant premises. Even as the JSPL authorities have been publicly offering to help the injured villagers and bear all their expenses, help of any kind is yet to reach the affected villagers. The people alleged that lack of administrative will had resulted in the deadlock as a result of which, hundreds of villagers, including women, have been suffering. Meanwhile, the company on Sunday deposited ` 10 lakh with the local Sub-Collector for treatment of the injured villagers, said JSPL Executive Director Rajesh Jha. Another ` 5 lakh will also be released for the purpose. The company, in a release, claimed that it followed the State Rehabilitation Policy of 2006 in letter and spirit for providing jobs to the land oustees and the completely displaced families. It assured people to give them more employment opportunities as and when project works progress. It also assured to provide job cards within three months with the help of district administration. On the land acquisition, the company said the matter was settled in 2008 as per the State Governments rule and the decision of the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee. The company also offered to engage in more talks with the people as agreed to in the last tripartite meeting to sort out the remaining issues.

Anjali cornered on home turf

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

NUAPADA: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday said his Government believes in work and not words. He visited the district and addressed election meetings at Club Grounds and Nilji village in Sinapali block. In a departure from his monotonous speeches, he touched upon Backward Region Grants Fund (BRGF) and development of the district. He said special attention is being given for utilisation of BRGF and reiterated the commitment of the State Government in bringing about development of backward areas like Nuapada. Impressing upon the people about the good work done by the BJD Government, Naveen laid thrust on development of villages. Elaborating on the welfare schemes launched by the State Government, he sought support of the people for realising dreams of Biju Babu. He said Odisha was topper in the implementation of the Forest Rights Act in the country. He also hit out at the Opposition saying it is doing nothing and only obstructing development of the State.

BJP, Congress are here for money: CM

Mon, 06 Feb 2012

SAMBALPUR: The common man is the sarathi of the Vikash Rath. Reiterating the BJDs commitment to rural development, party supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said this during his whirlwind tour of Sambalpur and Jharsuguda on Wednesday. He addressed public meetings at Bisalkhinda under Rengali Assembly segment, Kundaposhi in Kuchinda block and Gobindpur in Bamra block under Kuchinda Assembly segment in Sambalpur and Laikera block in Jharsuguda. Naveen everywhere blasted the Congress and the BJP and said that two parties are here just to make money. BJD relies on the four crore people of the State, he said. He said that Odisha topped in the implementation of the Forest Rights Act. Underscoring the need to elect right candidates, he promised that the BJD and its candidates would stand by the people. He also elaborated on the welfare schemes launched by the State Government and said that BJD would continue its endeavour for overall development of western Odisha. Naveen was flanked by Sambalpur district BJD president Rohit Pujari and Rajya Sabha members Sushree Pramila Bohidar and Kishore Mohanty.