Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Odisha Unable to utilise DMF fot Tribals;Modi in his speech during visit to Bolangir on 15thJan2019


Felling of trees for PM visit triggers row Monday, 14 January 2019 | PNS | BALANGIR


Felling of trees for PM visit triggers row

Monday, 14 January 2019 | PNS | BALANGIR 
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Balangir on Tuesday, hundreds of trees have been cut down for creation of a helipad near the railway station in the town.
Following the hue and cry, the Balangir DFO on Sunday ordered for a probe into the matter.
As per the Forest Department, around 30,000 saplings had been planted in the town in 2015-16 and 2016-17 under the Urban Plantation programme at a cost of Rs 10 lakh. Out of the total saplings, 3,500 were planted near the railway station.
Balangir DFO Sameer Satpathy said nearly 1,000 to 1,200 trees have been felled to make a temporary helipad near the PM’s meeting venue.
“When our staffs tried to stop cutting of trees, the site in-charge said that there have been strict instructions from ‘higher authorities’ to make space for the helipad. The value of the trees which have been cut down would be nearly Rs 2.5 lakh,” Satpathy said.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party State president Rabi Behera has petitioned the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the felling of the trees.
In the petition, Behera said the PWD and the Railways felled 3,500 trees for construction of the helipad for the PM’s visit to Balangir without the permission of the Forest and Environment Department and the local administration.
He alleged that the action is illegal and detrimental to the local environment. He urged the NGT to inquire into the matter and punish the guilty officials.
However in reaction to the controversy, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said those who have become jittery due to the PM’s visit are spreading false propaganda through the DFO.
Pradhan said the local administration takes decision on where the PM’s helicopter would land. Is the DFO complaining against the district Collector and SP, he questioned.
The State Government had felled thousands of trees for a beer factory in Dhenkanal district sacrificing the interest of people. But alarmed with the PM’s visit, “these people” are spreading canards, Pradhan alleged.

Railway station name change resented


Railway station name change resented
Thursday, 10 January 2019 | PNS | BALANGIR
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The change of name of the Bhainsapali railway station to Bichhupali railway station on the Khurda-Bolangir route, while bringing cheers among villagers of Jharbalangir and Bichhupali, has trigged resentment among Bhainsapali locals.
A villager of Bhainsapali said, “We will oppose the name change and stage demonstrations on this issue demanding to restore the old name.”
Notably, Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Balangir on January 15 to inaugurate a train from Balangir to Bichhupali and address a public meeting.
DRM Sambalpur Jaideep Gupta and Patnagarh MLA KV Singh Deo and his supporters on Wednesday visited the Balangir railway station and nearby areas to take stock of the situation before Modi’s visit.


Hundreds of animals sacrificed at Sulia Yatra Wednesday, 09 January 2019 | PNS | BALANGIR

Hundreds of animals sacrificed at Sulia Yatra

Wednesday, 09 January 2019 | PNS | BALANGIR
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Much to the dismay of animal lovers, killing of hundreds of animals once again continued at the Sulia Yatra at Khairguda village in the district this year on Tuesday. Buffaloes, sheep, goats, hens and birds were sacrificed by the tribal devotees.
Notably, to propitiate the presiding deity, the devotees throng the Khairguda village of Kultapada panchayat under the Tusura police station of the district on the second Tuesday of Pousa month every year with hens and goats for sacrifice.
The devotees believe that offering blood of animals and birds to Sulia, their traditional deity, brings good harvest resulting in prosperity and happiness to their families and the community as a whole, said a tribal leader  Satyanaryan Bhoi.
“This year as the administration has put on no restrictions on killing of animals, people and devotees from the district and outside offered hens, goat, sheep and even buffaloes to the Goddess,” added Bhoi.
“We were suffering from various diseases. We prayed to goddess Sulia and recovered from it and hence I am taking a buffalo to offer it to the Goddess, said a devotee J Meher of Athagaon village.
“Five platoons of police were deployed to maintain land order at Sulia Yatra. Moreover, we are also took steps to curb the incident of pick pocketing and other untoward incidents during the occasion,” said Balangir SDPO KS Naik.

Private insurance firms are cheating farmers;7thJanuary2019;Bolangir News in English daily the Pioneer


Congress promises free education for girls.Bolangir7thJanuary2019


Modi’s Odisha visit rescheduled to January 15Monday, 07 January 2019 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR


Modi’s Odisha visit rescheduled to January 15
Monday, 07 January 2019 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Odisha on January 16 has been advanced by a day.
BJP Legislature Party Leader KV Singh Deo informed media on Sunday that the Prime Minister would visit the western Odisha district of Balangir on January 15.
Modi would address a public meeting and attend official programmes during the day, Singh Deo said.
Notably, this would be the Prime Minister’s third visit to Odisha in less than a month’s time, after Khordha on December 24 and Baripada on January 5.


Guv underscores importance of cow;Sunday, 30 December 2018 | PNS | BALANGIR


Modi to visit Balangir on Jan 16
Saturday, 29 December 2018 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Balangir to attend a mega public rally, Swabhiman Samabesh, on January 16, informed BJP State general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan here on Friday.
This would be his second visit to Odisha in the month of January. Prior to his Balangir programme, Modi is scheduled to visit Baripada on January 5 to attend a rally there.
Notably, Modi came to Odisha on December 24 to launch a basket of projects including a new campus of the IIT Bhubaneswar and foundation-stone laying of the IISER Brahmapur besides addressing a Swabhiman Samabesh at Khordha.
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Youth dies in B’ngir road mishap
Sunday, 30 December 2018 | PNS | BALANGIR
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A youth, Gopal Mishra, of Gandhinagar Pada was killedc after being hit by a speeding truck near Mahadev Mandir Square here on Friday night while he was returning home.
After the incident, irate locals held road blockades at several places and set ablaze two trucks and damaged some other others trucks.
Police and Fire Services officials along with the Balangir Sub-Collector reached the spots and held discussions with the agitating people, following which the blockades were called off.
Notably, before 10 pm, many trucks wait outside the town because of a no-entry rule and once they start plying, they move with great speed.
The present incident clearly shows the traffic congestion is increasing in the town and construction of a Balangir bypass is very much necessary to minimise the traffic rush and reduce accidents, said Balangir Action Committee member Gopalji Panigrahi.
The committee has been demanding construction of a bypass since 2013 but to no avail, he added.
Notably, the Balangir bypass project has been held up as the Central Government has asked for clarification from the State Government on the inflated rates quoted for compensation for acquisition of land.
Guv underscores importance of cow
Sunday, 30 December 2018 | PNS | BALANGIR
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Governor Prof Ganesh Lal on Saturday inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Prithiraj Goshala in Balangir.
The Prithiraj Goshala was set up by former Maharaja of the Patna State Prithiraj Singh Deo in 1919 and the land was given in 1918, informed an organiser.
Appreciating the steps taken by people at the Gosala, the Governor informed that in Haryana there are 416 Goshalas. He said cow is the backbone of Indian economy, narrating the role cow played in earlier times. Even if a cow doesn't give milk yet it can provide economic benefits of Rs 40,000 through its urine and cow dung, Lal told.
Lal donated Rs 1 lakh to the Goshala. He also visited the Budhabahal village and interacted with SHG members. Earlier, the Governor worshipped in the temple inside the Goshala and fed a cow.
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Balangir farmers set afire paddy plants Monday, 29 October 2018 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR


Balangir farmers set afire paddy plants
Monday, 29 October 2018 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR
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Farmers set on fire pest-affected paddy plants in several acres of land in some villages in Balangir district on Saturday evening.
According to information, Anil Hota of Sahajbahal village set ablaze paddy plants on two acres of land as the crops were destroyed ‘Chakada Poka’ (Brown Plant Hopper) attack.
Similarly, Ashok Pradhan, a famer of Jhareibahali village, set afire paddy plants on 10 decimal area for the same reason.
Deputy Director of Agriculture, Balangir, Sridhar Das, admitting such incidents, said a team of agriculture officials has been sent to assess the situation in the two villages.
“We would appeal to farmers not to burnt the paddy plants as it will create problem in making crop loss assessment for insurance claims. Besides, plant burnings will destroy micro nutrients present in the soil,” said he.
Notably, a Central team and the Deputy Director of Agriculture had visited the pest-affected paddy field and advised some measures, including use of insecticides, for pest control.
According to sources, Kharif paddy in a total of 4,000 hectares of land has been affected due to pest attack in Balangir. Of the damaged crops, loss in 1026 hectares crossed the Economic Threshold Limit (ETL).
Interestingly, there was also incident of pest attack last year but farmers didn’t get any relief as they were supplied substandard pesticide only.
Even as insecticide samples were collected and tested in Haryana, no results were known yet.
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Balangir farmers torch damaged crops
Saturday, 04 November 2017 | PNS | BALANGIR / JHARSUGUDA/ BRAHMAPUR
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Close on the heels of farmers of several other parts of the State torching their paddy crops due to damage caused by pest attack, farmers in Balangir district also burnt their paddy crop due to damage.
According to reports, a farmer of Khapraphol in Balangir, Brundaban Barik, on Thursday set fire to his paddy crops after it was
affected due to Chakada or Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) pest attack.
Barik has a total of eight acres of land, out of which three acres are having irrigation facility and rest five acres are non-irrigated.
He had appraised the district administration about his problems. Agriculture Department officials had advised him to spray insecticide.
But although the crop condition was good, the unseasonal rainfall, hot and humid conditions accelerated the pest attack, sources said.
Normally, the BPH pest occurs in the summer paddy crop. But the rainfall after Durga Puja and hot and humid conditions led to BPH pest attack in the Kharif paddy crop. Due to this pest attack at the roots of plants, the nutrition and other supplies to the plants are cut off, resulting in death of the plants, said Balangir Deputy Director of Agriculture Sridhar Das.
Asked to comment on substandard insecticide being sold in the market and provided to farmers, Das said, “We have collected samples of the insecticide and sent them to the State laboratory for test.”
“We have got reports of the pest attack from Gudvella, loisingha and Khapraphol blocks and a report is being prepared for submission to the Government, he added.
In Jharsuguda district, farmers in Siriapalli village set fire to their crops after attack by pests. Reports said more than 50 farmers set their damaged crops ablaze on Friday.
Besides, in Rampa village of Chikiti block of Ganjam district, a farmer set on fire his damaged crops. 
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Padayatra held to protect G’mardan from forest fire and other forest fire news and stories of Bolangirand odisha since2013

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