Orissa Governor Bhandare visits riot affected Kandhamal district

The Governor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare has visited riot affected Kandhamal district . The Governor arrived at Phulbani Circuit House on Wednesday evening. Collector Dr Krishan Kumar and SP S. Prabin Kumar received the Governor .

The Governor visited the ITI at 9.30 am on Thursday and interacted with the tribal boys and girls of the ITI. The Governor then visited riot affected Bilabada village of Beheragan Panchayat under Tikabali Block and inspected the settlement projects and intracted with the riot affected peoples. The Governor distributed the beneficiaries under Mo Kudia, Madhubabu Pension scheme, Special PDS, etc.

The Governor also inaugurated a tribal girls hostel in Chudipada under Khajuripada Block. The Collector Dr Krishan Kumar , SP S. Prabin Kumar , DRDA Project Director Pradip Rath, District Welfare Officer , PA of ITDA project, and Khajuripada BDO were present. The District Administration arranged tight security in view of the visit of the Governor.

Riot victims demonstrate at Naveen''s meet

PTI | 11:10 PM,Oct 25,2010
Phulbani (Orissa), Oct 25 (PTI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik faced demonstrations by riot affected people demanding a CBI probe into the 2008 ethnic violence and additional compensation during his visit to Kandhamal district today. The demonstrators under the banner of Christian Jan Kalyan Samaj shouted slogans against the manner of rehabilitation and waved placards at the venue of the meeting which was addressed by Patnaik to draw his attention. "We demand CBI inquiry, compensation is not adequate," said the placards, which were seized by the superintendent of police S Praveen Kumar. However, none was arrested in connection with the incident, police said. Later a member of the Samaj Issac Digal said the demonstartion was staged as its application for a meeting with the chief minister was not accepted. Patnaik during a review meeting later in the day inquired about disbursement of compensation among the victims and directed district officials to complete the process soon. "Patnaik also indicated a hike in the compensation amount," said a senior official adding the state government had given compensation to about 4800 riot affected families. The state government had given Rs 50,000 for completely damaged houses and Rs 20,000 for partially damaged houses. The next of kin of the persons killed in the riot were given Rs 2 lakh from the state government and Rs 3 lakh from the Centre.PTI COR AAM SKN KK

APL victims to get cheap rice

PTI | 07:10 PM,Oct 25,2010
Phulbani (Orissa), Oct 25 (PTI) Orissa government has extended its cheap rice scheme today to cover all victims of the ethno-communal riots in Kandhamal, including above poverty line (APL) families. "About 23,000 APL riot-hit families will be benefitted.All the riot victims will be provided with 25 kg of rice every month at the rate of Rs 2," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said at a public meeting at Shankarakhol, about 25 km from here. Though all the people, including APL families, in poverty stricken KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) region were earlier covered under the scheme, it was for the first time extended to include such families hit by 2008 ethno-communal riots in Kandhamal where at least 38 persons were killed.

Assuring all help to the riot-hit families, Patnaik said his government was "very particular" about rehabilitation of riot victims. Biju Kandhamal Yojana, a special package, would be implemented to help people in the district. "I appeal to all the people in Kandhamal to maintain peace, harmony and fraternity to ensure better development of the district," he said after inaugurating a district-level exhibition and an extension building of a college at Shankarakhol.

Referring to the state government's efforts to resolve the long-standing land dispute issues in Kandhamal, Patnaik said 40 new revenue inspector offices, 10 new tehsil offices and an additional sub-collector office had been set up at G Udaygiri to address the problem. "My government is working for the uplift of scheduled tribes and scheduled castes. Housing programme like 'Mo Kudia' (my hut) for the poor and 'Mission Shakti' for women empowerment have been successful in Kandhamal," he claimed. The state government has identified horticulture and tourism as potential development scopes for Kandhamal. "Both the sectors are getting the priority from the state government," Patnaik said. During his day-long Kandhamal tour, Patnaik laid the foundation stone for a driving training institute at G Udaygiri, a horticulture training institute at Kalinga, inaugurated the sub-collector's office at G Udaygiri, regional information office at Gumagada and tehsildar's office at Phiringia. He is scheduled to review the law and order situation in Kandhamal before returning to Bhubaneswar.

CCI nod for upgradation of Orissa roads on Vijayawada-Ranchi route

New Delhi, October 6, 2010
The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI), at its meeting here yesterday, approved the improvement of 600 km of State roads in Orissa as part of the plan to develop, in a phased manner, the entire 1632 km long Vijayawada-Ranchi corridor at an estimated cost of Rs 1200 crore.


An official press release said the project, located in left-wing extremism affected areas, would be completed in the next three years by March 2014.


It said the project would provide a good communication network between the tribal districts of Orissa and other developed areas in the State as well as to the neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

The project will cover Malkangiri, Jaypore, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhmal, Boudh, Sambalpur, Angul, Deogarh, Koenjhar and Mayurbhanj districts in Orissa.


The Centre and the State Governments concerned had taken up the route from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Ranchi in Jharkhand for development as an integrated project in view of the growing activities of left-wing extremists in that area.


In September 2009, the Government took a decision to sanction remaining stretches of National Highways on Vijayawada-Ranchi route in Orissa for widening to two-lane standards and undertaking preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for 600 km length of State roads which were not covered under any other programme.

Southco draws up Rs 492 crore paln for ATC loss

PTI | 02:10 PM,Oct 06,2010
Berhampur (Orissa), Oct 6 (PTI) Southco, a unit of Reliance Energy and one of the power distribution companies in Orissa, has drawn up a Rs 492 crore plan for next four years to reduce the aggregate transmission and commercial (ATC) loss by 21 per cent by 2013-14. The present loss of ATC in Southco was estimated at 50 per cent. With this fund, the company seeks to reduce the loss to 29 per cent in the next four years, while 3 per cent in the current year. Out of the total estimated cost, the state government will provide Rs 109.33 crore as a soft loan at 4 per cent interest, Rs 136.67-crore as nil interest. While the rest Rs 246 crore will be spent by the distribution company from its own resources as the counter funding. Besides reducing the ATC loss, the fund will also be utilized for the improvement of power distribution system and to avoid low-voltage in some parts of the distribution area.Southco has taken responsibility to distribute power in 10 southern Orissa districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangapur, Malkanagiri, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Kandhamal and Boudh. The other three distribution companies including Wesco, Nesco and Cesu were also getting funds from the state government to reduce their ATC losses. The state government will spend around Rs 2400-crore for this purpose. Out of this, Southco will get Rs 492 crore, vice-president of Southco Tapan Mishra said.