A potrait of the sky bySudhirMishra/Bolangir(India)

A portrait of sky

By SudhirMishra/Bolangir(india)

Samsung-G355H

Date-26-05-2015;16.35

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BLAME CASTE FEELING, ILLEGAL LIQUOR SALE, SAYS EX-MP Sunday, 31 May 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

BLAME CASTE FEELING, ILLEGAL LIQUOR SALE, SAYS EX-MP

Sunday, 31 May 2015 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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The brutal rape and murder of a SC minor girl of Sarigpali village of Maharpadar Panchayat on May 22 last is mainly due to acute caste feeling and discrimination prevailing in the village and the deceased’s family members’ strong opposition to illegal liquor sale in the village, said former Jajpur MP Mohan Jena who led a seven- member fact finding team that visited the village under Kaprakhol area.

The civil society team led by Jena comprised activists Sangram Mallick, Jugal Ranjit, Sangeeta Kisan and Kshirod Rout, among others. It met the family members on May 29 last.

It would be pertinent to mention that the minor SC girl of Sargipali was brutally raped and murdered by unscrupulous people on May 22 and her private part was also cut with sharp weapon while acid was poured on her face so that no proper identification of her could be made later.

There was acute caste feeling among the villagers. Both caste (Dalit and upper caste people) lodged complaints against each other with police. A section of people was carrying out illegal liquor business in the village. Maa Bhairabi SHG led by Dalimba Chhatria Bhanumati and other members was in the forefront against the illegal liquor sale.

In November, 2014, the SHG members had come to Khaprakhol police station for action and when nothing happened, they went to the SP office against the illegal liquor business. Finally, the illegal business was stopped with the intervention of the SP.

Critical of the apathy of the administration shown to the SCs/STs in the district, Jena said the administration had not identified the area prone to attack on Dalits. Moreover, the district level vigilance monitoring committee was not functioning properly and its meetings were a mere formality, Jena said.

“Meanwhile, the district administration has only given Rs 5,000 as assistance from the Red Cross fund, which is inadequate. We demand immediate arrest of culprits involved in the incident and Rs 5 lakh assistance to the deceased family, besides an end to the practice of caste discrimination in the village,” said Jena. 

NGT issues notice to Govt on Suktel project Monday, 25 May 2015 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

NGT issues notice to Govt on Suktel project

Monday, 25 May 2015 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Kolkata has asked the Odisha Government and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to file their replies within four weeks that why injunction will not be granted in respect of the ongoing construction work of the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project.

Upon hearing a petition filed by Satya Narayan Banchhor, a project-affected person and secretary of the Lower Suktel Budi Anchal Sangram Parisad and Balkrishna Sendha, Justice Pratap Kumar Ray and Professor PC Mishra have issued notice to the State Water Resources Development Department in this regard on Friday.

The petitioners contend that the validity of environment clearance granted in 1998 has lapsed because of non-commencement of construction work within five years of the granting of environment clearance.

The department admitted in its compliance report to the Ministry of Environment and Forest that the project has started construction work only in April 20013. The petitioners further contend that all the construction works going since 2013 are illegal and amount to an offence under the Environment Protection Act 1986.

It is worthwhile to mention that the Lower Suktel project is acquiring around 5,000 hectares of land including 637 hectares of forestland, 16 villages fully and 10 villages partly affecting 4,160 families.

The agitating villages have been opposing the forceful land acquisition. Advocate Sankar Prasad Pani has conducted the case at the NGT.

SCARE AS LEOPARD SNEAKS INTO B’NGIR ORPHANAGE Sunday, 24 May 2015 | PNS | Balangir | in Bhubaneswar

News in English dailyThe Pioneer

SCARE AS LEOPARD SNEAKS INTO B’NGIR ORPHANAGE

Sunday, 24 May 2015 | PNS | Balangir | in Bhubaneswar

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The inmates of an orphanage here went scary after a leopard sneaked into their premises. Though the eyewitnesses of the leopard are two inmates of the orphanage, on a tip-off, the Forest department soon swung into action and deployed guards to keep a tab on the situation. Sources said the leopard was sighted at a cowshed of Parbatigiri orphanage located at Pathar Chepa along the Balangir-Patnagarh road on the outskirts of Balangir town on Thursday night at around 9.30 pm. Hearing commotion in the cowshed, two inmates of the orphanage, Kartika and Sumit, rushed to the spot to ascertain what had happened.

They had, however, carried mobile phones with them and in the light of the phones they could notice the leopard. Even though terrified by the sight of the big cat, they very carefully came back from there and locked the door of the orphanage so that the other inmates remained safe inside their room. By that time, the leopard had injured a calf and a cow and fled the spot.

“I have visited the spot. In recent times this is first such incident of leopard injuring a calf in Balangir area. Although no pug marks could be located, but going by the eyewitness version, it seems to be an adult leopard, which strayed into the area. There are leopards in Kharsel and Mathkhair reserve forests besides in other adjoining forest areas,” told Divisional Forest Officer Balangir Rashmi Ranjan Nayak. Nayak added, “We are keeping a tab on the situation and forest guards have been deployed there. We have advised the orphanage inmates not to go outside after sunset or before sunrise.”  

Bonded workers to move NHRC for rehab aid Saturday, 23 May 2015 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

News in the English daily The Pioneer

Bonded workers to move NHRC for rehab aid

Saturday, 23 May 2015 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Labourers in western Odisha, who have either been rescued or released by district administrations form workplaces outside their home districts, have resolved to write to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) soon for availing rehabilitation assistances under the Bonded Labour systems(Abolition and Rehabilitations) Act 1976.

The bonded labourers took this decision on the concluding day of a tow-day leadership development training programmed organised for them here. It was revealed that a total of 591 bonded labourers of Bolangir, Bargarh, Nuapada and Sonepur districts are yet to get rehabilitation assistance. Balangir district has the highest number of 372 labourers to get rehabilitation assistance. Similarly, 102 labourers each in Nuapada and Bargarh district and 15 in Sonepur district in the list.

The labourers expressed unhappiness that they are not being provided jobs under the MGNREGA projects and the district administration are still to prepare livelihood plans for them. Such lackadaisical attitude of the Government would certainly encourage poor people to go outside in search of work, apprehended activists working for them.

“We are yet to get tag of nirman shramiks (construction workers). The amount given to us as rehabilitation assistance is woefully inadequate,” said some participants. The programme organised by the Migration  Information Resource Centre, Aide Et Action, Bhubneshwar, was inaugurated jointly by UMI Daniel and SarojBarik, Satyajit, Prasant Nayak Dayasagar. Bonded labourers belonging to the above four districts shared their ordeal.

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Bonded labourers of West Odisha to move to NHRC to ensure Rehabilitation Assistance.

By

SudhirMishra/Bolangir

22^nd May2015.

Bonded labourers of West Odisha to move to NHRC to ensure Rehabilitation Assistance.

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Bolangir; The rescued and released labourer under the Bonded Labour systems(Abolition and Rehabilitations) Act of 1976,of Western Odisha have resolved to  write to National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, to intervene and ensure  their speedy rehabilitation assistance which has   pending with  government for years.

At the conclusion of two day leadership development training of bonded labourers, in Bolangir it was revealed in the meeting that a total of 572 Bonded labourers of Bolangir,Bargarh,Nuapada Sonepur district are yet to get their rehabilitation assistance.

The total number of Bonded Labour of Bolangir district yet to receive their rehabilitation assistance stands at 372, the number ofBolandedLabour in Nuapda district stands at 102, in Bargarh it stands 102and in Sonepur it stands at 15.

While the rehabilitation of bonded labour has not been completed as the Livelihood plan prepared, more shocking is the non availability of work under the MGNREGA. The non availability of work under MGNREGA would further” increase the distress migration from the district, increasing their vulnerability and subject to exploitation” pointed out the bonded labourers during discussion

All the Bonded labourer has not been “included in NIrman Shramik” (construction Worker”) The amount provided to Bonded labourers as rehabilitation assistance “is woefully inadequate and should be hike to reasonable amount” they pointed out further.

Organised by  Migration  Information Resource Centre, Aide Et Action Bhubneshwar, it was inaugurated by UMI Daniel and SarojBarik,Satyajit,PrasantNayak Dayasagar facilitated  various session of this two days leadership development training which was attended by released Bonded labourers of Bolangir,Bargarh,Nuapada andSonepur district  who shared their ordeal during the  leadership development training.

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The Golden Sky;By SudhirMishra/Bolangir(India) 18thMay2015

MP lays stone for Kalyan Mandap in B’ngirMonday, 18 May 2015 | PNS | in Bhubaneswar

Monday, 18 May 2015 | PNS | in Bhubaneswar

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MP lays stone for Kalyan Mandap in B’ngir

Balangir: Local MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo on Sunday laid foundation-stone of a Kalyan Mandap in the College Chowk area. Singh Deo said an auditorium is going to be constructed at the Rajendra College with a cost of Rs 1.5 crore and already Rs 25 lakh has been sanctioned for this work. Among others, Balangir Municipality Chairperson Satoshini Behera, Executive Officer Santosh Behera and Councillors including Upen Deep were present.

JAUNDICE TOLL NOW 4 IN BALANGIR; ENGINEER AXED Sunday, 17 May 2015 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

JAUNDICE TOLL NOW 4 IN BALANGIR; ENGINEER AXED

Sunday, 17 May 2015 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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The jaundice death toll in Balangir town has risen to four with the death of a youth on Friday.

Puran Rajput, a native of Gandhinagarpada of the town, was suffering from jaundice since two weeks ago. His family members had admitted him to a private hospital in Raipur in neighbouring Chhattisgarh where he died.

Balangir Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Rabi Narayan Tripathy told media, “I have heard about the death. Rajput’s family members are saying he has died due to jaundice. But it would not be right to jump to any conclusion at this stage. Let us wait for the postmortem report, which would reveal whether the death was due to jaundice or some other disease.”

It may be mentioned that the Government had on Friday suspended Balangir Public Health Department (PHD) Executive Engineer Bhagyadhar Sahu for negligence in performing his duty to control the spread of the waterborne disease in the district.

The Government had said that preliminary investigation had revealed the presence of jaundice virus in the drinking water supplied by the PHD.

“As per the standard operating procedure, the department should check all sources of drinking water before it is supplied. Since the Government has felt that the department had not taken any steps, it had ordered the suspension of the Executive Engineer,” the PHD Chief Engineer had said.

Meanwhile officially, the total number of persons affected due to jaundice in Balangir has gone up to 95 from 93.