Posts filed under ‘Sundargarh-Rourkela-Panposh-Bonai’
NTPC to set up medical college at Sundargarh: Shinde
Following is a report from express buzz:
BHUBANESWAR: Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Saturday announced establishment of a medical college in Sundargarh district and promised allocation of 50 per cent electricity from the two proposed ultra mega power projects.
“The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) will set up a medical college and hospital with 400-bed capacity at Sundargarh,” Shinde told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.
The proposed medical will extend quality health services to the tribals of Sundargarh district, he said adding, the intake capacity of the medical college will be increased to 500 in ensuing period. Work for the medical college will begin shortly, he added.
Two Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), one each at Angul and Sundargarh, would be established for imparting vocational training to local youths. They will meet the skilled manpower requirement of the State which is going to be a power hub of the country.
The Union Minister told the Chief Minister that it would not be possible on the part of the Centre to allocate additional 700 MW of electricity from NTPC’s super thermal power project at Kaniha.
“Since the Centre has signed power purchase agreement (PPA) with other states, it will not be possible to allocate additional 700 MW for Odisha,” he said adding that the State would receive 2,000 MW power each from the two proposed UMPPs at Bedababahal and Darlipali.
Describing his discussion with the Chief Minister as “very good”, Shinde said that the dispute over the price fixation for the proposed Super Thermal Power Station at Gajamara in Dhenkanal district had been solved.
“Both of us had agreed that the issue will now be solved at the regulatory commission,” he said.
The Union Minister said that Rs 60,000 crore would be invested in the power sector in the State in the near future.
Faced with acute power shortage, the State Government has been demanding its share from the NTPC-Kanhia which it had surrendered earlier.
Apart from two UMPPs, NTPC is also setting up a 3,200-MW power plant at Gajamara.
FIITJEE plans a ‘global school’ in Rourkela
Following is a report from http://www.thehindubusinessline.com (Thanks to Orissalinks blog for the pointer):
After having set up its foot firmly in providing guidance to students appearing for IIT-JEE and other engineering entrance examinations and rolling out four “world schools” in Hyderabad, FIITJEE Ltd plans to set up four “global schools” across the country in the next two years.
FIITJEE, which is likely to clock a turnover of Rs 360 crore in 2011-12 (Rs 280 crore in 2009-10), also plans to go for an initial public offering in the next two-to-three years, said Mr C.V. Kalyan Kumar, director and head of corporate communication, FIITJEE.
IN TALKS WITH INVESTORS
The first of the global schools to be set up in Bhopal is likely to be operational by the end of this year. “We are in talks with investors for setting up schools in Kolkata, Bengaluru and Rourkela,” Mr Kumar said. The school will have classes from kindergarten to XII.
According to Mr Kumar, the primary differentiating factor between FIITJEE’s World School and Global School would be in terms of the infrastructure and curriculum.
“The world school in Hyderabad is not a residential school and is based primarily on the State board syllabus. The global school, on the other hand, will have both day scholar and boarding facilities, the infrastructure will also be of higher standards and it will offer three curriculum options (CBSE, ICSE and State board) to students to choose from,” Mr Kumar said.
The average cost of setting up the infrastructure for the Global School would be close to Rs 150 crore, he said. FIITJEE will look at roping in equity partners for investing for setting up the Global School. “The World School was set up with internal accruals, but we are looking for suitable investors for the Global School,” Mr Kumar said.
COACHING CENTRE
FIITJEE – which currently has 52 coaching centres across the country and two overseas, in Doha and Bahrain – plans to spread its wings to newer territories. “We are planning to set up FIITJEE centre in Dubai and Europe. This apart, we are also looking at expanding our presence in the domestic market, primarily in the Tier II and III towns,” Mr R L Trikha, head of department, distance education, FIITJEE said.
The educational institute, which so far has been catering primarily to engineering examinations, also plans to roll out specialised classes for students appearing for medical entrance examination.
BPUT(Biju patnaik University of Technology) campus still a distant dream
Following report is from the Samaja:
State of 2011 health care in Odisha far from rosy
Following is a report from TOI:
BHUBANESWAR: Patient care going for a toss due to prolonged strike of junior doctors across all government medical colleges sums up the situation of healthcare in the state this year even as the government announced a number of new initiatives.
Around 800 house surgeons and PG students, the backbone of healthcare services for both indoor and outdoor patients in the three medical colleges, went for tool down, demanding “proper security to them during duty”. Several surgeries had to be postponed and emergency care was affected in the three apex institutions.
Junior doctors in Burla stopped work on September 5 following alleged attacks on them a day earlier on September 4. After the state announced a sine die closure of the college on September 7, the medics reassembled for an indefinite stir in the state capital on September 9. Their counterparts in Cuttack and Berhampur joined them on September 15 and 16 respectively, expressing solidarity with their demands of security, arrest of alleged main culprit Sisir Dandia and withdrawal of “false” charges against the demonstrators. Several rounds of talks with the government failed to bring back the medicos to their work and classes. Despite hectic parleys with the government, the strike went on till September 24. The Orissa high court had to intervene to end the stalemate ultimately. The HC asked the government to improve security on the campus and remove encroachments inside the Burla hospital campus.
Meanwhile, despite tall posturing by the government to have taken initiatives for several new medical college proposals, nothing concrete materialized during the year, either in private or in the government sector.
While the year saw no progress in the 2004 proposal of Western Orissa Development Council to set up a medical college in Balangir, Sahyog Healthcare and Research Foundation (SHRF) of India is yet to acquire land for its proposed college in Keonjhar. The SHRF a few days ago got some New York-based venture capitalists to invest $100 million in the project for a period of five years though.
Besides, the fate of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation’s proposed medical college at Bhubaneswar still hangs in balance with nothing more than a boundary coming up at the proposed site, government sources said. ESIC had proposed in 2008 to set up a medical college in Odisha. The state government had allotted 25 acres of land in the city for the Rs 800-crore project in 2009.
The planning and coordination department of the state government had sanctioned Rs 10 crore each for medical colleges in Rourkela, Jaring (Kalahandi district) and Balangir in public-private partnership. The government provided 25 acres of land each to these proposed colleges, being facilitated by WODC. Though the colleges in Rourkela and Jaring are in advanced stages of completion, uncertainty still prevails about their likely date of commissioning.
Similarly, the government also failed to initiate a kidney transplant facility at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, this year. It has now set a target of early 2012 to launch the programme.
The state government can, however, boast of at least four major initiatives such as launching the Centre-funded Janani O Sishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), Mamata scheme for pregnant women and commissioning of the e-blood bank service this year. “It has been one of those happening years in health. Initiatives such as JSSK and Mamata were launched for pregnancy and neonatal care. We also started Dots Plus for TB patients,” said Dr Upendra Kumar Sahoo, director of health services.
Under the JSSK, the government promises to bear all expenditure related to delivery and newborn care. The free entitlements under the programme of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) include free and cashless delivery, free Caesarean Section, free treatment of sick newborns up to 30 days, exemption from user charges, free drugs and consumables, free diagnostics, free diet during stay in the health institutions (three days in case of normal delivery and seven days in case of C-section), free provision of blood, free transport from home to health institutions, free transport between facilities in case of referral as also drop back from institutions to home after 48 hours stay. “It would go a long way to reduce neonatal and maternity deaths,” the DHS said.
The state launched Mamata scheme in July, under which the government promises to give Rs 5,000 to pregnant women in villages. An estimated seven lakh pregnant women and newborn babies in rural areas would benefit from the scheme every year. As per the scheme, aid would be given to each pregnant woman in four installments. First Rs 1,500 would be paid after six months of pregnancy with registration and vaccination in an anganwadi centre. The second Rs 1,500 would be given when the newborn is three months old. The third and fourth installments of Rs 1,000 each would be paid when the newborn is six and nine months old respectively.
Critics dismiss both Mamata and JSSK, however, as pre-poll sops ahead of panchayat elections in the state in February.
Among the most commendable initiatives in the year passing by was the e-blood bank initiative. Earlier this month, the government started bar-coding of blood bags to ensure blood collected first is used first in 100% cases. The web-enabled system facilitates electronic monitoring of blood collection, testing, storage and final use or disposal. Timings of all these steps can now be known from anywhere in the blood bank network.
The electronic screening can detect professional donors as all blood banks are interlinked to eliminate professional donation, which is still around three to four per cent. “It is for the first time in the country that such an initiative was launched in blood safety,” said Mangala Prasad Mohanty, honorary secretary of Odisha branch of the Indian Red Cross Society.
Ailing health care system of Odisha: update on WODC medical colleges
Following is a report from expressbuzz:
BHUBANESWAR: The Congress on Monday walked out of the Assembly over the deteriorating health care facilities in the State. Making a statement on the admissibility of an adjournment motion notice on the issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Raghunath Mohanty said, in the absence of Health Minister Prasanna Acharya, doctors had been appointed during the last three years to fill up vacancies. He said 408 and 311 doctors were appointed in 2009 and 2010 respectively. The Minister said the OPSC has brought out an advertisement for regular appointment of 750 more doctors. Special recruitment drive for appointment of 353 doctors, belonging to SC and ST categories, has started. Ad hoc appointment has been given to 590 doctors in 2010 and 2011 and the process is on for engagement of 153 more, he said.
Stating that 863 beds have been increased in the three medical colleges and hospitals, the Minister said the daily allowance for food for patients has been increased from Rs 20 to Rs 50. Naba Kishore Das (Cong) said the state of health care in Government sector can be gauged from the fact that the Chief Minister had to be treated in the Apollo Hospitals instead of the Capital Hospital which is nearer to his home when he injured his leg last month. He alleged that health infrastructure has not improved despite spending hundreds of crores.
His party colleagues Prafulla Majhi and Surendra Prasad Pramanik also came down heavily on the Government for the ‘non-existent’ health services in rural areas. Raising a point of order, Leader of BJP Legislature Party K V Singhdeo advised the Government to expedite setting up of the AIIMS near Bhubaneswar. Once the AIIMS starts operation, majority of problems in the health sector will be taken care of, he said. Referring to the delay in the establishment of a medical college at Balangir, Singhdeo said the party, to which Rs 10 crore was sanctioned from the WODC, had already left. He wanted to know what action the Government has taken to recover the money. He also wanted to know the progress of the proposed medical college in Kalahandi. The BJP leader said a proper system for disposal of medical waste should be put in place. Besides, he demanded setting up of a mental asylum by the Government in view of growing number of mental patients.
NTPC may set up a medical college and hospital in Sundergarh district
Following are some reports from expressbuzz and DNA:
http://expressbuzz.com/states/orissa/special-cell-to-fasten-land-acquisition-for-ntpc/327084.html
BHUBANESWAR: The Government on Tuesday decided to set up a special cell to expedite the land acquisition process for the two mega power projects of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
The issue of land acquisition was taken up by the NTPC mandarins at a high-level meeting presided by Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik here. TheCentral PSUis setting up two mega power projects of 3200 MW each at Darlipali in Sundargarh district and Gajamara in Dhenkanal district. The State Government will get 50 per cent of the power generated at the two thermal projects.
While the Darlipali plant requires over 2,700 acres of land, it is about 2,900 acres for the Gajamara plant. However, NTPC is facing problems with regard to private lands. The families likely to be displaced by the project are demanding Rs 40 lakh per acre.
NTPC Executive Director (Eastern Region) JD Nanda requested the Chief Secretary for a special land acquisition cell with a senior revenue officer in-charge to expedite the process. The Chief Secretary directed Revenue Secretary RK Sharma to do the needful.
NTPC had already received bids for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and the techno-commercial bids are under evaluation. The evaluation process will be completed by the end of November, official sources said.
LANDFORHOSPITAL: The proposed medical college and hospital (MCH) by NTPC at the district headquarters hospital in Sundargarh is facing similar problem. While the hospital has earmarked 11 acres within its campus for the MCH, the district administration is required to arrange another 14 acres in the vicinity which is yet to be done.
NTPC has also agreed to the State Government proposal for upgradation of the district headquarters hospital with an intensive care unit (ICU). A power management institute of international standards at Dhenkanal is also in the offing.
The Chief Secretary requested the NTPC executives to take expeditious steps for the expansion of the 420 MW Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) which is fully dedicated to the State. NTPC has agreed to set up two super critical power units of 660 MW each. TTPS has the infrastructure facilities for the proposed expansion.
The Orissa government today asked central public sector NTPC to acquire land after receiving the consent of owners for its two proposed ultra mega power projects.
“The NTPC has been told to acquire land after taking the consent of the local people and spend five per cent of its profits towards peripheral development,” Chief Secretary BK Patnaik said.
Patnaik presided over a review of NTPC’s progress on two proposed two projects at Darlipali in Sundergarh district and Gajamara in Dhenkanal district.
He asked the district collectors of Sundergarh and Dhenkanal to assist the NTPC which would require about 2900 acre and 2700 acre respectively for establishment of 3200 MW power plants each.
Though the CPSU was ready to start work on the projects, it was facing opposition from the local people who demanded 40 lakh per acre of private land, an NTPC executive pointed out at the meeting seeking the intervention of the state administration.
The state government was to get 50 per cent of power from the NTPC’s two UMPPs.
The state government has also asked the CPSU to begin expansion work on its Talcher Thermal Power Station without delay as it has the land and other requirements.
NTPC proposed to set up two additional units of 660 MW capacity each at its Talcher Thermal Power Station.
This apart, the NTPC was also asked to fund the water resources department’s proposed barrage and watershed project in Sundergarh district.
The NTPC has committed to set up a medical college hospital in Sundergarh district and upgrade the existing district headquarters hospital to 100 beds with ICU.
Sundargarh loses out on ESIC medical college
Following report is from expressbuzz.com:
ROURKELA: With the State Government deciding to go ahead with the ESIC medical college and hospital atBhubaneswar, the Opposition parties are gearing up to renew their agitations.
This has put an end to the hopes of the residents of Sundargarh district who had been fighting for the facility. Since Sundargarh district is central in the dense industrial area, the facility would have o benefited Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Keonjhar as well, which have the highest number of insured persons.
Social activist Bideshini Patel flayed the BJD Government for neglecting western districts in matters of advanced healthcare.
Orissa CPM secretariat member and State CITU general secretary Bishnu Mohanty claimed that they have not abandoned the demand and an action committee, involving various trade unions and apolitical organisations, has been formed to pursue the demand.
Criticising the State Government, Mohanty said the private Hi-Tech Medical College and Hospital atRourkelacould in no way compensate the advanced healthcare needs of the working class and poor population. He asserted that they would fight for the cause tooth and nail. Newly-appointedRourkelaunit Congress president Nihar Ray also blamed the local minister and described the State Government’s decision as politically motivated.
BPUT(Biju Patnaik University of Technology) land for sale
Following is a report from the Samaja (18.07.2011, Katak edition):
After eight years, BPUT campus yet to take shape
Following report is from express buzz.com:
ROURKELA: Eight years have gone by. Today what meets the eye at the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) campus is the framework of incomplete structures. The construction work at Rourkela is running behind schedule with no known timeframe for its completion.
Even as the varsity authorities continue to draw flak for operating from Bhubaneswar, the abrupt halt in the construction has assumed a political tone with conspiracy theory about shifting of the campus elsewhere flying high.
The issue has witnessed several protests in the past even as work progressed at a limping pace till 18 months back when it was abruptly stopped.
Around 150 acres of land have been allotted for the campus. Building blocks for the five major buildings to house the administrative block, library and computer science department, student complex, centre for advance study and vicechancellor residence have been erected as the total expenditure runs into nearly `25 crore.
The executing agency, IDCO refused to take responsibility for the slow pace of work. “We are waiting for design clearance from the BPUT,” said IDCO Divisional Manager AK Mishra.
If administrative sources are to be believed, the delay is being attributed to the late realisation on the part of state industries department and BPUT, who have belatedly found fault with the main architecture designs. Neither the Government nor the BPUT is ready to take a decision on the new design, it is being alleged.
Despite repeated attempts BPUT vicechancellor Jitendra Satpathy remained incommunicado.
On the other hand, BJP’s Panposh organisational district president Dhiren Sepati alleged that it is a ploy to get the varsity shifted from Rourkela. The party will stage a dharna in front of the Chief Minister’s residence in Bhubaneswar next month, he added.
Western Odisha not priority for CM: Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD)
Following report is from The Pioneer:
Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) secretary general Baidyanath Mishra on Wednesday targeted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as being Bhubaneswar-centric and not at all caring for western Odisha. He said that wester Odisha was not a priority for the CM.
Mishra told reporters here that the progress of work on the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) at Rourkela is still sluggish even eight long years after its foundation. A couple of months back, local MLA and Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak had promised for commencement of the BPUT construction work, but it has been stopped without rhyme or reason, Mishra said.
The BPUT, which is managing more than 150 professional colleges, only has a makeshift office at the UGIE that has become a dumping yard of sacks and trunks of examination paper. The vice-chancellor and a finance officer, along with some junior executives, are running the show.
The university land in the Chhend area is gradually encroached upon by unauthorised persons as there is none to protect the land, Mishra pointed out.
So, he said, an early review of the BPUT’s progress by the Chief Minister is required so that appropriate steps are taken before its head office is finally shifted to Bhubaneswar much to “the delight of a Bhubaneswar-centric Chief Minister,” Mishra said.
On the Western Odisha Development Council; (WODC)-sponsored medical college and hospital, he urged the Government to take steps for getting the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) nod to a hi-tech medical college at Rourkela so that local aspirant students can take admission in MBBS and BDS courses. He also urged the Government to spell out the actual percentage of seat reservation made for the students of western Odisha nativity.
Mishra said Rourkela is deprived of the Commissionerate-II of the Central Excise for the last 14 years. Like the WODC headquarters in Bhubaneswar, some vested interests in the State capital are trying their best to retain this Commissionerate-II office in Bhubaneswar though the July 22, 1997 notification made it clear that the headquarters of the Bhubaneswar-II Commissionerate would be shifted to Rourkela as its jurisdiction is western Odisha.
If these demands are not heeded by the Government, the KKD would have no other option than to launch agitation, he threatened.
Mishra also demanded passenger air line facility for Jharsuguda and Rourkela and an ESIC Medical College in Sundargarh district. He said the State Government should demand another rail coach factory to be set up at Narla, Kalahandi, as promised by former Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee. This was hijacked by Naveen Patnaik elsewhere. Similarly, the Government must take early steps to start a medical college at Balangir at its own initiative.
Mishra said that from July 8 to15 a fact-finding team of the KKD would be touring various parts of western Odisha. Among others, KKD working president Sagar Singh Manki, Rourkela unit president Rama Chandra Amat and founder-member Surama Mishra were present at the news conference.
Kosal Discussion and Development Forum 