Archive for December, 2015

Balangir administration to set up seasonal hostels for migrant kids

Following is a report from the http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/Balangir-Administration-to-Set-up-Seasonal-Hostels-for-Migrant-Kids/2015/12/19/article3185526.ece

BALANGIR: The district administration is all set to open  seasonal hostels for children of migrant labourers.

At present, 101 hostels are functioning in the district where 3,070 children are staying. Last year, the administration had opened 106 centres in which 3,621 children were accommodated.

Sources said this year the State Government has set a target of 5,000 children of migrant workers for the district administration to be accommodated in the seasonal hostels. The hostels will be opened in Bangomunda, Turekela, Muribahal, Belpara, Patnagarh and Khaprakhol blocks of the district.

As per the guidelines, the survey for identification of migrant families will be conducted and a proposal will be submitted to the State Government for opening the hostels by the Education Department of the district. During their six to eight months stay at the hostels, education will be provided to them.

Sources said huge distress migration occurs every year from Balangir and other KBK districts to brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh due to lack of work after kharif crop.

The number of migrant workers is estimated to be around two lakh and the number of migrant children is around 25,000.

The district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is also providing all technical support to the district administration in opening and management of the hostels.

District Project Coordinator of Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan (SSA) Dhananjay Mohapatra said seasonal hostels will be set up in the migration-prone villages before they migrate to other States.

Consultation meetings with migrating parents are going on to finalise locations for the proposed centres.

Similarly, recruitment of caretakers, village-level education coordinators and cook for hostels will be conducted soon, he added.

Advertisement

December 31, 2015 at 5:54 am Leave a comment

Demands grow for the creation of Kosal state

1982345_729751513826752_5548607250933887480_n

December 24, 2015 at 5:38 am Leave a comment

Birla Global University Bill passed in Odisha Assembly

Following is a report from the IE:

Amidst a walk out and protest by Congress and BJP members, the Odisha Assembly today passed the Birla Global University, Odisha, Bill – 2015.

The Bill, which was introduced by state Higher Education Minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi, was passed in absence of opposition Congress members who protested rejection of some of their amendments.

“The objective of the bill is to impart quality education in the state through the Kolkata-based Birla Academy of Art
and Culture, a non-profit making trust registered under the Indian Trust Act, 1982,” Panigrahi said.

Stating that academic activities in the proposed university would start in two years, the Minister said the
institute would become a private self-financed unitary university in the state.

There would be seven schools like management, architecture and planning, social science and humanities, law,
natural science, marine science, and communication to function under the Birla Global University, Panigrahi said.

The state government has already provided 29.4 acres to Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) at
Gothapatna, Bhubaneswar and the promoters have created physical infrastructure to set up the institute, Panigrahi
said, adding the proposed university would be run by a board of governors, board of management, academic council and finance committee.

December 11, 2015 at 8:22 am Leave a comment

Central team finds crops badly hit in Kalahandi, Balangir districts

Following is a report from the TNIE:

BALANGIR/BHAWANIPATNA:An inter-ministerial team from the Centre visited the drought-affected areas of Kalahandi and Balangir on Friday. The team members, divided into two groups, visited several villages in both the Western Odisha districts and held discussions with affected farmers.

In Balangir, the five-member team led by Commissioner of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy, SK Dutta arrived in Sibtula village and then proceeded towards Bhutiarbahal, Singhamunda, Bandupalla. The members spoke to farmers about the extent of crop loss, availability of irrigation and prevailing drought situation in the villages.

They also convened a meeting with members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at Bandhapada gram panchayat office on various farmers’ issues. Later on, they visited Brahmanijoar village under Deogaon block and went round a minor irrigation project in the village, which has been lying defunct for the last 15 years.

In Kalahandi, the four-member Central team, led by KS Srinivasan, Joint Secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, interacted with farmers and villagers to take stock of the crop damage. Srinivasan, the team leader, expressed concern over widespread damage to crops, including paddy, due to the drought. They visited Karlapada, Haldi and  Kendububka in Bhawanipatna block; Utkela, Patikudi and Nasigaon in Kesinga block; Gunjermal, Ulikupa, Saria, Nisanpur in Narla block of Kalahandi district and interacted with farmers.

On Thursday evening, the team members held meetings with the Collector and district-level officials. The officials had informed them about the need of Rs 18.45 crore for distribution of agriculture input subsidy to 35,247 farmers.

The district administration sought financial assistance of Rs 145.5 crore to tide over the drought situation.

The drought, triggered by failure of monsoon, has affected 1,642 villages spread over 234 gram panchayats out of a total 2,248 villages in Kalahandi district, according an assessment by the  Agriculture Department.

The Department assessment had revealed that 49,304 ha of paddy land and 21,743 ha of non-paddy land had been adversely affected due to erratic monsoon and moisture stress condition.

Srinivasan said crops in both the districts have been badly affected due to deficit rainfall and they would submit a report to the Central Government in this regard.

Farmers Agitation

Sambalpur: Farmers under the aegis of Paschim Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti (POKSSS) will begin a three-phase agitation across Western Odisha districts on December 18 over their demands. They will conduct public hearing by roping in family members of farmers who committed suicide. The first such hearing will be held in Bargarh district on December 20, said POKSSS leader Lingaraj. The agitation will conclude with a farmers’ convention in February next year.

December 7, 2015 at 7:40 pm Leave a comment

Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary gears up for tourist season

Following is a report from the TOI:

BARGARH: Unlike other wildlife sanctuaries in the state, the Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary in Bargarh district is a much sought after destination for tourists as it offers easy and better sighting of animals, thanks to the park’s proximity to the Hirakud water reservoir. And now that winter has set in, tourists will start arriving in droves.

The reservoir is the main source of water for the prey and wild animals. Besides, there is less human interference here. While the route between Dhodrokusum to Chourasimal has been identified as the bison route, the stretch from Dhodrokusum to Damkighati is known for the presence of herbivores such as boar, spotted deer and sambar. Leopards are sighted on the route from Lakhanpur to Badduma.

Divisional forest officer (Hirakud wildlife division) Sudeep Nayak said sighting is best between 4 and 6 pm.

“Mostly tourists from West Bengal flock the sanctuary between December and March. The eco-tourism cottages at Barakhandia have been designed in such a way overlooking the reservoir that tourists can watch migratory birds such as ducks, geese and waders from the cottages. To see animals along specific routes, permission has to be sought from the range office at Dhodrokusum,” Nayak said.

The eco-cottages can accommodate 20 people and they are booked to capacity during the season. “According to our records, during the lean season, 25 per cent of the rooms are booked. In a year, around 2,000 people come to stay in the cottages. Other visitors, who come for sight-seeing take passes. On an average, 1,000 tourists visit the sanctuary in a month,” said the senior officer. According to a rough estimate, the sanctuary is home to about 400 ‘sambars’, he added.

Debrigarh, which is spread over 353 sq km, comprises two reserve forests, Lohara and Debrigarh. To maintain the serenity of the place, the wildlife department has decided not to allow more than 21 vehicles into the park in a day. “Because of limited entry of tourists, we have been able to ensure an undisturbed core area. This is the reason, animals roam freely here,” said Nayak.

The water bodies ringing 60% of the sanctuary area form a natural barrier against poaching. “The sanctuary hasn’t recorded poaching in the past two years,” he said.

December 2, 2015 at 8:15 am Leave a comment

Central team to visit drought hit Nuapada, Kalahandi, Balangir and Bargarh districts

Following is a report by PTI http://www.ptinews.com/news/6802853_Central-team-to-visit-drought-hit-Odisha.html

Bhubaneswar, Dec 1 (PTI) A 10-member Central team led by Union Joint Secretary, Agriculture, K Srinivas is scheduled to undertake a visit to Odisha’s drought affected areas from Thursday, officials said today.

The team, which will reach the state capital tomorrow, will visit the drought hit areas in separate groups on December 3 and 4, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Mohapatra said.

The team will have a meeting with state officials here on December 5,

Mahapatra said the Centre has constituted an inter- ministerial team led by Srinivas after the state government submitted an interim memorandum on drought.

The team will fly to the affected districts of Nuapada, Kalahandi, Balangir and Bargarh in two groups in a helicopter. After visiting the four districts, the team might take a decision to visit other drought affected districts, the SRC said.

The team will leave for New Delhi on December 6.

December 1, 2015 at 7:38 pm Leave a comment

Categories

Feeds

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 464 other subscribers
%d bloggers like this: