Archive for December, 2010
Rourkela Development Forum (RDF) and Rourkela Rail Fanning Association (RRFA) demand for ECoR division HQ in Rourkela
Following report is from The Pioneer:
The members of Rourkela Development Forum (RDF) and Rourkela Rail Fanning Association (RRFA) have urged for creation of a new East Coast Railways (ECoR) division headquarters at Rourkela.
In a memorandum to the Union Railways Minister, the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and other higher authorities of the Indian Railways, the members spelled that, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Kendujhargarh districts account for the heavy revenue generation under the Chakradharpur (CKP) Division of the South Eastern Railways (SER), but surprisingly, these areas are most uncared for in rail connectivity and amenities in comparison to other parts of the country.
Pertinent to note that, the mineral-rich Chhotanagpur Plateau region, popularly known as “Ruhr of India” due to its innumerable industries and mines, comprising the mineral rich Sundargarh, Kendujhargarh and Jharsuguda districts from where iron ore and other minerals are transported to all over the country.
Further, the region houses a number of heavy industries like Rourkela Steel Plant, OCL-Rajgangpur, Adhunik Metalliks, L&T-Kansbahal, Bhusan Steel and Power and Vedanta that pay huge revenue to the railways for transportation of raw materials as well as their finished products.
A lot of freight activities are noticed in this region and have made the CKP the highest revenue-generating division in the country a number of times.
Out of the total 741.705 km of route of CKP, 405.907 km is located in the State of Odisha covering about 50 stations out of the total 87 stations under CKP.
Only from Sundargarh district, it generates revenue to the tune of about `800 crore annually, which accounts for 40 per cent of the total revenue generated by CKP.
Similarly, Jharsuguda is an emerging industrial hub with a number of operating mega projects while a number of industries are in the offing. Kendujhargarh is also popular for its innumerous mines.
People here have high expectations from the Railway Budget every year, but it is alleged that most of the times they are dismayed.
The region, considered as one of the most backward pockets of the country with a gigantic tribal population, has been deprived of the basic railway infrastructure which is the biggest stumbling block in the development of the region.
Lack of proper communication facilities and infrastructure has also attributed to the increase in Naxalite activities in the region.
Less number of trains, poor maintenance of stations, uncared for on developmental activity, poor connectivity, zero railway projects and lack in proper healthcare are also bright examples about the apathetical attitude of the Railways for the region.
Even a number of times, many organisations from Rourkela have raised these vital issues with the SER authorities, but all in vain.
Every time due to natural calamity or any insurgent activity, Rourkela has to bear the brunt as trains are either cancelled or diverted as it has been happening for the last five months in case of the Utkal and Samaleswari Express with no alternative arrangements.
The Talcher-Bimalagarh railway route, which could have been a boon to the tribal districts of Sundargarh and Keonjhar and also provide connectivity to Coastal Odisha, is being disregarded since 1885 after the positive cost and benefit analysis.
Even, now the funding is much less for this project and the current rate will take more 20 years to be completed.
On the contrary, the ECoR has created a saga of success and development since its establishment in 2003. The rapid growth of the ECoR can be judged by its excellent maintenance of even its low class stations, they further added.
Currently Waltair (Visakhapatnam) Division of the ECoR is considered to be developed as a new railway zone, including the Andhra districts of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagram.
Hence, in the same justified manner, the Rourkela Division should be constituted with the Odisha districts of Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Jharsuguda, which will benefit more than 50 lakh people.
Tel valley civilization: Riverside kingdom traced in copper plates
Following is a report from The Telegraph:
Balangir, Dec. 8: Eminent historian and epigraphist Sadananda Agrawal revealed that both sides of Tel river valley were dotted with principalities in the late 8th century AD.
Agrawal came to this conclusion after going through copper plates which were found in Kapsila village near Balangir.
Recently, a local Brahmin had handed over the copper plates to Sadashiva Pradhan, a professor of archaeology in Utkal University. He, in turn, sent it to epigraphist Sadananda Agrawal for deciphering.
Talking about his discovery to The Telegraph, Agrawal said that the copper plates talked about history of Tel river valley in Balangir in 8th century AD.
“The charter issued consisted of three copper plates tied together by a circular ring and issued by a king named Khadgasimha. Paleographically, the charter has been assigned to late 8th century AD and it informs us about new rulers in the Tel valley,” Agrawal said.
Agrawal said that small principalities in the valley were established by chieftains.
“The copper plates do not mention anything about any particular dynasty or place. So it is certain that both sides of the Tel river valley had small states ruled by local chieftains belonging to different clans. The Udayapur area, the capital of Rashtrakuta kings, who ruled in the valley, is still dotted with standing structures and ruins. These are mostly found at Amathgad. Ruins of a medieval fort is also found there,” Agrawal said.
“Proper archaeological exploration is needed to enrich the medieval history of the area,” he added.
Four copper plates, which were found earlier in Teresingha, also spoke of the Tel valley civilisation.
Sadashiva Pradhan, archaeologist at the Utkal University had earlier excavated the Gumagad site in the Tel valley, where he found that a strategic military hub existed in 1st century BC. It was set up by a king contemporary to king Kharavela.
“Last year, we had submitted a memorandum to the governor demanding preservation and further excavation of the area. The area needs extensive excavation”, he said.
Following is another report from expressbuzz.com:
BALANGIR: While Gumagad, the first century BC military strategic hub, speaks volumes of a flourishing kingdom in the Tel river valley, a copper plate recently found at Kapsila village in Balangir district hints at existence of several kingdoms on either side of the valley.
Historians, who recently evinced interest in exploring more facts about the valley civilisation, opined that further excavation can unravel the history buried under the earth. This copper plate was interestingly found near the archaeological site of Kharligad near Gumagad.
Utkal University Archaeology Prof Sadasiva Pradhan, who got the copper plate from a Brahmin, said it contains information regarding the civilisation. He, however, had sent it to eminent epigraphist Sadananda Agrawal for deciphering.
According to Agrawal, as per the information on the copper plate, the civilisation dates back to the 8th century AD.
“The Udayapur area, the capital of Rashtrakuta kings who ruled the valley, is still dotted with standing structure and ruins. These are mostly found at Amathgad. Ruins of a medieval fort too exist here,” said Agrawal.
Earlier, Prof Pradhan had excavated the Gumagad site, where he found a strategic military hub of the first century BC. It was set up by a contemporary of King Kharavela.
Studying further into the formation on copper plate, Agrawal said that a king called Khadgasingha had donated a village Remudaka (modern Remanda) in Saintala. This also throws light on the civilisation.
He feels that further excavation by expert archeologists with the government’s support would shed more light on the civilisation.
The other four copper plates found earlier at Terssingha village also spoke of the Tel valley civilisation.
Those plates had information regarding the two capitals – Udayapur and Parbatadwaraka – which were under the rule of Rashtrakutas and local chieftains belonging to different clans.
Spandan:Folk dances of Balangir
Following are some excerpts from http://spandan.anuragrath.com/balangir:
Just as the heart beats are essential for one living, the musical rhythms and beats of a folk dance are required for survival of a society. After a season of hard toil in the fields, the harvest time is celebration time. As in several old cultures, the native people of Balangir, a remote district, also celebrate the harvest season with several folk dances. Apart from this, a number of dances popular among the natives owe to the variety of festivals spread throughout the year.
Following is the layout of Spandan’s website:
Kantabanjhi Railway Users’ Association demand halts trains
Following is from The Telegraph:
Balangir, Dec. 7: An agitation at Kantabanjhi railway station disrupted railway traffic on the Visakhapatnam-Raipur route for over nine hours today.
Kantabanjhi Railway Users’ Association blocked the tracks to press for their longstanding demand of extending the Howrah-Titilagarh superfast Ispat Express to Kantabanjhi.
Hundreds of agitated residents of Kantabanjhi stopped the Kesinga-Raipur passenger train at the railway station and squatted on the track. This led to several other trains getting stranded at various stations on the route.
The Puri-Durg Intercity Express was stranded at the Muribahal station while Visakhapatnam-Raipur Passenger was detained at Turekela station. The Bilaspur bound Raipur-Bilaspur passenger train was also stopped at Khariar Road station.
Normality returned to the route after police arrested nearly 50 demonstrators.
Secretary of Kantabanjhi Railway Users’ Association Anil Kumar Agrawal said: “We have been fighting for this (extension of Ispat Express upto Kantabanjhi) since 2005. However in 2008, the train was extended from Sambalpur to Titilagarh instead of Kantanbanjhi. The railway authorities cited unavailability of track in the station as the Bilaspur-Kantabanjhi passenger was making a night halt at Kantabanjhi. The problem no more exists as the passenger train has been extended upto Raipur.”
Agrawal further said they had been drawing the attention of the railway authorities about the demand in regular intervals. “Last Friday we had been invited to Titilagarh where the district collector and the divisional commercial manager (DCM) of Sambalpur Railway Division informed us that Kantabanjhi had been included in the time table of Ispat Express. In the past also there have been such assurances but nothing had happened. We are looking forward to the railway board meeting in Goa next month. If nothing comes about, we will intensify the agitation”, he said.
DCM, Samabalpur Railway Division, N.M. Patjoshi said: “We have done whatever is possible at our level. We have put Kantabanjhi in the timetable of Ispat Express and intimated it to the railway board. The board will take the final decision.”
“Though Kantabanjhi is an important business hub we have to go to Titilagarh or Balangir to catch trains,” said activist Surath Behera
