Regional Business center of LICHFL opened in City

Berhampur: LIC Housing Finance Limited (LICHFL), a subsidiary of the public sector, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is targetting to provide Rs 560 crore home loan in the eastern region, consisting of east and north east states, during the current financial year.The target is Rs 160 crore more than the loan disbursement of Rs 400 crore achieved in 2008-09. The total loan portfolio of the company in the region reached Rs 1583 crore by the end of March, 2009 across 37,820 accounts, said AK Mahato, the regional manager of the LICHFL. In order to achieve the target, the company has opened two more Business Centers in the region. They are located at Berhampur and Cuttack in Orissa. The new office in Berhampur would cater to the needs of the customers of southern Orissa districts including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Kalahnadi and Kandhamal.

Claiming the LICHFL is the second largest housing loan finance company in the country, the Mahato said, it has 126 marketing units across the country with 934 direct selling agents (DSA), 4865 home loan agents (HLAs) and 485 customer relationship associates (CRAs). The company is providing loans for homes, construction activities and corporate housing schemes. It also gives loans against rental income, property and to builders and corporates at nominal interest rate.

Source: Business Standard

Test runs on Gunupur-Naupada railway track

BERHAMPUR: A regular broad gauge engine made its debut run on the newly constructed Gunupur-Naupada railway track on Sunday. This test run of the engine on the track seemed to be a homage to the erstwhile king of Paralakhemundi, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, whose birth anniversary was celebrated on Sunday. The erstwhile narrow gauge track between Gunupur and Naupada was the work of the former royal family of Paralakhemundi. This narrow gauge track was converted to broad gauge. On Sunday a team of engineers of the East Coast railways led by its chief administrative officer and chief engineer took part in the test run of the engine on this track.
The engine started from Naupada at around 10.30 am. It reached Paralakhemundi at around 1.30 pm. The railway official said they would now apply to the Railway Safety Commissioner for safety clearance of track so that passenger and goods trains could be run on the track.Around 109 years ago the erstwhile royal family of Paralakhemundi had formed ‘Parlakimedi Light Railway’ (PLR) to lay this two-foot six-inch gauge railway to connect the capital Paralakhemundi with Naupada.
The British government had sanctioned the project in 1898. It opened for traffic in 1900. This narrow gauge railway line was built at a cost of Rs. 700,000 . There were demands to convert the track to broad gauge after independence. Surveys were made for gauge conversion in 1950, 1964 and 1967. But the foundation stone for the Gunupur-Naupada gauge conversion work was laid at Naupada on Sept. 27, 2002.
From 2003, this railway track became a part of the East Coast Railways. The former narrow gauge track was totally closed for gauge conversion on June 9, 2004. People await for the day when passenger trains would again run on the historic track.

Source: The Hindu

South Orissa lawyers observe ‘black day’

ERHAMPUR: Lawyers of the Ganjam Bar Association boycotted court and observed black day on April 22. They were protesting against the lathicharge against the senior lawyers on the Berhampur court premises on the date, a year ago. The lawyers wore black badges and boycotted court proceedings. They held demonstration in front of the Berhampur court demanding the establishment of a permanent High Court bench in the city. It is noteworthy that the Ganjam Bar Association had resorted to strike of over five months on the issue. The long agitation had totally disrupted legal process in Berhampur and at several other courts of South Orissa. They called off their strike in May 2008. Since the day the lawyers have been continuing their token strike for the demand of permanent High Court bench. They have been boycotting court on last four days of every month for their demand. It may be noted that.
During their demonstration, the general secretary of the Ganjam Bar Association, Mr. Panda and other lawyers of the association criticized Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for sidelining the issue by forming a commission to enquire into it. “The commission that had been formed to enquire into the matter is yet to furnish its report even after a year,” alleged the senior lawyers of the association. They also pointed out that even the police had failed to submit charge sheet against the 30 lawyers it had arrested on April 22, 2008.
The Pradeep Panda said they decided to hold a general body meeting of the association after the declaration of election results. At the meeting, they would decide their future course of action regarding their long-standing demand and the modes to take it up with the new government in the State.

The Hindu

Tripathy and Rao make Berhampur proud

Non-Resident Berhampurians (NRBs) have again made the city proud at the national level. This time Shri Upendra Tripathy and Shri R. Venkat Rao have been honoured for distinguished achievements in their personal fields. Shri Tripathy recently bagged the prestigious PM’s award for excellence in Public Administration. Karnataka cadre IAS officer Upendra Tripathy, who is credited with turning around the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation into a profit-making entity, hails from a village near Berhampur in Ganjam District. Similarly, Shri R. Venkat Rao who hails from Berhmapur city has been appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the prestigious law institution, the National Law School (NLS) of India University, Bangalore.

Thakurani Jatra: Ghata Parikrama begins

BERHAMPUR: The famous biennial Thakurani Jatra festival in the city entered twelfth day on April 20. But the traditional procession of the ‘ghatam’ representing the goddess Budhi Thakurani, a major ritual of the festival started from April 18 night. This ritual had been deferred at the request of the administration and police due to continuing election process.
Usually the ‘ghatam’ visits the ‘Mausima Street’ on seventh, fourteenth and last day of the festival. But due to elections the ‘ghatam’ procession was taken out to the ‘Mausima Street, on the eleventh night of the festival, on April 18. The holy ‘ghatam’ was first carried to the palace of Mahuri dynasty, the erstwhile rulers of Berhampur. From there it was taken in a decorated procession through Bada bazaar, Khaspa Street, Narasimha street and different areas of the old city area. Thousands of devotees offered puja to the ‘ghatam’ at different places. Slowly the festivities of Thakurani Jatra is picking up in the city. On April 19 a large number of visitors from rural areas came down to the city to enjoy the festival. The number of devotees in garbs of mythological characters has also started to increase. A few ‘tiger dance’ performers were also seen on the streets of the city during Sunday.
Carnival spirit
With the Thakurani Jatra picking up its gusto, carnival spirit is slowly gripping the whole city. Youth and children have started moving all around the city in the attire of mythological characters. For the poor who cannot afford the costly attires there is the ‘Chhod Gajia Vesha”, which needs only torn clothes and black shoot as body colour.

The Hindu

First health spa of the state opened in silk city

BERHAMPUR: Sai Life Style Spa, the first modern multipurpose health-spa in the state, was inaugurated in the Silk City on April 19. It hinted at the increase in interest towards physical health and personal grooming among city dwellers. This new health-spa is spread across an area of 10,000 square feet. The health spa boasts of having the biggest swimming pool in the city. It would be the best attraction of the spa as there was dearth of swimming facility in the city. The city has a large number of tanks but most of them are so polluted that they are no more suitable for a swim, which the citizens used to have a few decades back.
The newly inaugurated spa has a well-equipped air-conditioned multi-gym, steam bath and Jacuzzi facility. It would have aerobic and dancing sessions at its dance floor under special trainers. To attract the children and the youth it also has a skating floor for roller skating freaks. As inaugural offer the spa has introduced special membership offers for children and women. It may be noted that the rise in health consciousness had become evident with the opening of several gyms, health clubs, walkers’ clubs, yoga groups in the city. Opening of this up-market spa adds up to the health business in the city.
The Hindu

Two mega food parks to come up in south Orissa

The Orissa government is planning to set up two mega food parks in south Orissa’s Ganjam and Gajapati districts at an investment of Rs 200 Crore. The proposal to set up the parks is pending before the Union Government’s concerned departments.Of the total investment, the Union Government is likely to bear 50 per cent of the cost, while the balance 50 per cent will be provided by the Orissa government. Two mega food processing units are likely to be set up in the food parks to facilitate vegetable and fruit processing. The proposed food parks will offer marketing avenues for different agricultural and horticultural products from the farmers after these products are scientifically processed.

Source: www.hospitalitybizindia.com