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Friday, November 30, 2012

Heritage tag demand for Utkal Ashram in Berhampur

The 90-year-old Utkal Ashram, which saw leaders of the Odia movement chalking out strategies for the formation of a separate state on the basis of language, deserves a heritage tag, feel eminent citizens. Odisha was formed on April 1, 1936, and this building was a mute witness to this historic change. Basant Kumar Panigrahi, a senior advocate, said, "The government should declare it a heritage building." He also felt the government should set up a museum inside the building to display all relevant documents of the movement and photographs of frontline leaders. History says, the Rambha Palace of Harihar Mardaraj, the king of then Khallikote, was the first to invite all Odia leaders to help strategize the movement in 1902. The palace has now been leased out to a hotel. Retired professor Prahallad Panda said, "In the absence of a heritage status, the building is being called Utkal Ashram." 
The annual conference of the Ganjam Jatiya Samiti was held in Berhampur on April 11 and 12, 1903. This conference provided infrastructural support for the inception of the birth of Utkal Sammilani, which held its first conference at the Idgah Ground in Cuttack. The place for the ashram was donated by the then zamindar of Sheragada estate. A thatched house was built like an ashram to provide shelter to the leaders. Later, a separate building was constructed for collecting donation, Panigrahi added. Almost all leaders from Odisha visited the ashram during the movement. Since the place played a pivotal role in the formation of a separate state, the road that passes through it was named Utkal Ashram Road by the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC). "As the place played a significant role in the formation of a separate state and to help promote Odia language and culture, it needs to be declared a heritage building," said Mohapatra Bhaskar Gantayat, a noted Odia litterateur. Source: Times of India

50 years of MKCG Medical College (Berhampur): The more things change, The more they stay the same

Source: The Sambad

Thursday, November 29, 2012

SOSA demands upgradation of MKCG Medical College, Berhampur to AIIMS-like Institution

Hon’ble Chief Minister Sir,
As you are aware, Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati (MKCG) Medical College & Hospital in Berhampur, Odisha is completing the 50th year of its establishment this week. Established in 1962 and named after the architect of Modern Odisha, Maharaja Shri Krishna Chandra Gajapati, the medical college is the only referral hospital for the backward districts of KBK, Boudh, Kandhamal and Gajapati of south Odisha.
This half century old Institution is considered as the lifeline of the region, but the quality of healthcare in this Medical College has not seen much improvement over the decades. While the State Government has often claimed that the development of this Medical College is an over-riding priority but the quality of medical care and infrastructure is now forcing patients of the region to prefer medical facilities outside the state and in cities like Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Chennai. Infact, the MKCG, Medical College has come under the scrutiny of the Medical Council of India (MCI) several times in recent years for its shortage of staff, lack of modern equipments and infrastructure. The state government on its part has only provided assurances without any follow-up action on the ground.
We urge you through this letter to reverse this deplorable state of affairs afflicting this premier Medical Institution of the State through tangible steps to convert it into a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for medical education and for providing quality medical care to the people of the State and the most backward southern region in particular.
In this respect, inclusion of the MKCG Medical College, Berhampur as one of the Medical Colleges for upgradation to AIIMS-like as proposed under the 12th Five Year Plan under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY) would go a long way in improving the deficient infrastructure of this Institution.
While multiple Medical Institutions from other states have been elevated under the Scheme so far, the Central government has completely neglected the state of Odisha. Considering that none of the 26 approved upgrades since the launch of the PMSSY are from Odisha, the State government should push for the upgradation of the MKCG government medical college, Berhampur to AIIMS-level during the 12th Plan given the critical role of this Medical College in improving access to affordable healthcare in south Odisha.
Sir, as a matter of fact, you had very effectively raised the issue of upgradation of MKCG Medical College to AIIMS level Institution besides raising the number of seats for admission to MBBS Course from 150 to 250 in your recent meeting with the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi on 5th March 2012. However, the issues pertaining to the up-gradation of MKCG Medical College are yet to be addressed by the Union government and we do hope that your government will continue pursuing this matter with the Central government.
Today when the MKCG Medical College is preparing to celebrate its Golden Jubilee year of establishment, it should become a moment for reflecting on the state of healthcare and medical education in Odisha. The Golden Jubilee Celebration of this Institution is the time for espousing the collective resolve of the State to ensure massive up-gradation of healthcare infrastructure in one of the poorest and backward regions of the country. The high-incidence of poverty and backwardness coupled with high rates of infant and maternal mortality, high degree of malnutrition and high prevalence of communicable diseases presently witnessed in South Odisha doesn’t bode well for a state like Odisha aspiring to secure its development destiny. We urge you to accord the priority that the MKCG Medical College, Berhampur deserves and ensure its upgradation to AIIMS-level in its Golden Jubilee Year. 
Warm Regards,
Ram Prasad Tripathy
President, SOSA

Upgradation of MKCG Medical College demanded
South Odisha Students’ Association (SOSA) has demanded up-gradation of MKCG Medical College and Hospital in the city to AIIMS-like institution under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Members of SOSA have written to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik requesting him to initiate measures for the purpose. It may be noted that MKCG Medical College and Hospital that was established in 1962 would celebrate its golden jubilee on December 1. It happens to be the only medical college and referral hospital in south Odisha. But at present lack of infrastructure in this institution was compelling patients to reach out private medical institutions outside the State, SOSA activists alleged.
Several times in the past the Medical Council of India has pointed out shortage of staff, lack of modern equipment and infrastructure in MKCG Medical College and Hospital. But till now nothing much had happened regarding the suggestions of the MCI part from promises. SOSA demanded the State government initiate measures so that the medical college could be transformed into a centre of excellence for medical education providing quality medical care to the people of underdeveloped southern parts of Odisha. According to president of SOSA R.P. Tripathy, the MKCG Medical College and Hospital could be upgraded to an AIIMS-like institution. Source: The Hindu
Link:  http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/upgradation-of-mkcg-medical-college-demanded/article4145498.ece

Students Body urges Centre to upgrade MKCG to AIIMS-like Institution under PMSSY
Report by Manorama Dhir, Berhampur: South Odisha Students' Association (SOSA) demand for upgradation of MKCG Medical College (Berhampur) to AIIMS-like Institution under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
SOSA said that Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati (MKCG) Medical College & Hospital in Berhampur, Odisha is completing the 50th year of its establishment this week. Established in 1962 and named after the architect of Modern Odisha, Maharaja Shri Krishna Chandra Gajapati, the medical college is the only referral hospital for the backward districts of KBK, Boudh, Kandhamal and Gajapati of south Odisha…………………………………. Link:    
http://orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=37952

 Odisha: Students Body urges Centre to upgrade MKCG to AIIMS-like Institution under PMSSY
Berhampur: South Odisha Students' Association (SOSA) demand for upgradation of MKCG Medical College (Berhampur) to AIIMS-like Institution under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
SOSA said that Maharaja Krishna Chandra Gajapati (MKCG) Medical College & Hospital in Berhampur, Odisha is completing the 50th year of its establishment this week. Established in 1962 and named after the architect of Modern Odisha, Maharaja Shri Krishna Chandra Gajapati, the medical college is the only referral hospital for the backward districts of KBK, Boudh, Kandhamal and Gajapati of south Odisha……………………Link:   http://indiaeducationdiary.in/Shownews.asp?newsid=17348

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Queen of the Mission Festival concludes in Berhampur

Queen Mission Church, Berhampur

Thousands of Christians from different parts of the State and Andhra Pradesh gathered in Berhampur city on Tuesday to attend the concluding ceremony of ‘Queen of the Mission Festival’. It is a more-than-150-year-old festival observed at the Queen of the Mission cathedral in the city. Thousands of devotees marched through the streets of Berhampur holding burning candles in their hands in honour of Mother Mary on Friday evening. It is celebrated to commemorate the appearance of Mother Mary before St Catherina Laboure of France on Nov 27, 1830. So, this festival concludes on Nov 27. This festival has been celebrated in the Queen of the Mission Cathedral of the city since its inception in 1855. The main attraction of this festival is a large candle procession taken out by the devout on Nov 27 evening every year. The festival is also called ‘Candles’ Day festival by the common mass.
As part of the concluding day rituals a special holy mass was held at the cathedral on Tuesday morning. This mass was attended by Bishop Sarat C. Nayak of Berhampur diocese and around 70 priests. In the evening thousands of Christian devotees took part in the procession with lighted candles in their hands. They marched forward singing songs in praise of Mother Mary. An idol of Mother Mary on a decorated vehicle was carried along with the procession. Tight security arrangements had been made around the cathedral and on the roads through which the procession passed. People of different religions paid respect to the idol of Mother Mary at different squares.
Source: The Hindu & berhampurphoto.blogspot.com

Berhampur city News

Source: The Sambad

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Gopalpur beach festival to be held from 24 to 28 December 2012




The famous Gopalpur Beach Festival (www.gopalpurbeachfestival.com) has been scheduled to start from 24th of December 2012. This five-day cultural festival aimed at promoting the serene Gopalpur beach resort is expected to draw large number of tourists to this popular beach town on the outskirts of Berhampur city. Date of the festival has been chosen to coincide with the Christmas festivities to attract more tourists to this beach resort. This time this beach festival is being organised jointly by the Ganjam district Culture Department, Tourism Department, Gopalpur Notified Area Council (NAC) 
 and GDHA. Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy is the president of the organising committee. According to the organisers like past years this cultural festival would showcase folk art forms from different parts of Ganjam district, other areas of Odisha and outside the State. A handicraft mela would also be part of this beach festival. Details of programmes of this beach festival would be decided at a meeting to be held on November 29, Mr. Panigrahy said. Organisers have suggested that renovation and widening work of Berhampur-Gopalpur road and Karapalli-Gopalpur road should get completed before the beach festival for smooth flow of traffic. Usually these roads get totally jam packed with traffic congestions during the beach festival in past years. Source: The Hindu

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Ball set rolling for city bus services in Berhampur

City Bus Stand, Berhampur
The state government has decided to soon introduce city bus services connecting Berhampur to its adjoining towns like Chhatrapur and Gopalpur. The decision is based on a survey by a Mumbai-based consultant on bus services in the biggest town in southern Odisha. The final project report will be submitted to the state government before tender is issued, which will invite private companies to work through public private partnership. The government is likely to provide the buses while the chosen private company will be responsible for services management. Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) will act as a nodal agency. "The government is likely to provide the required buses as no transport operator was coming forward to provide buses when the BDA floated the tender earlier," said BDA chairman Kailash Rana.

At a high-level meeting, held recently in Bhubaneswar, the consultant recommended introduction of at least 25 buses in the first phase in Berhampur, Gopalpur and Chhatrapur. "The district administration will extend all support to BDA in this," district collector Krishan Kumar said. "We have already discussed the matter with the government and talks are in advanced stage," said Purna Chandra Pathy, vice-chairman, BDA. On project cost, he said it was not finalized. Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Notified Area Councils of Gopalpur and Chhatrapur will be other stakeholders in the project. "We have been asked to identify the bus stops within the town. We will soon do that," said BMC commissioner A K Mohanty. 

The Berhampur civic body had introduced town bus services in the 1990s. But the services were withdrawn after the municipality incurred heavy losses. Now, there is no government transport service linking Chhatrapur, the district headquarters town, and Gopalpur, a tourist spot, with Berhampur and people have to depend on trekkers and matadors. With rise in population and tourist visits, authorities feel the services will be feasible this time.
Source: Times of India

Berhampur Mayor proposes new multi-purpose stadium in the city


Friday, November 23, 2012

MKCG getting decked up for Golden Jubilee Celebrations

Herbal garden to come up in Berhampur City

A herbal garden showcasing major medicinal plants available in the State will come up in the Berhampur city. Plan of this herbal garden came to the fore during the inauguration of Kalinga herbal fair 2012 in the city on Wednesday. Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy and member secretary of State Medicinal Plant Board (SMPB) R.P. Mallik attended the programme as guests. Mr. Mallik said market for medicinal plant products in the State was around Rs. 150 crore per year. He said that plans were on to form four producers’ companies involving Vana Surakshya Samities (VSS) to streamline trading of these valuable plant products. These companies, to be established under the Companies Act, were planned to be established in Berhampur, Baripada, Bolangir, and Koraput. The herbal fair is being held in the city for the fifth time. Earlier it was held for three days but this year due to public demand it was extended to five days, said Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) S.S. Mishra. Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Mishra said amount was allocated for the proposed herbal garden in the city. Suitable land for the purpose was being earmarked. He also said that efforts were also being made to promote plantation of medicinal plants in the city. A nursery was started to produce at least 50,000 saplings of various medicinal plants. These saplings would be ready by July next year. These saplings would be distributed for plantation to the inhabitants of Berhampur and its periphery. The medicinal plants which would be promoted through this include Tundapoda, Pasaruni, Rakta Chandan, Satabari, Ashoka, and Amla.
Fifty stalls by producers of herbal products from different parts of the State were opened in the fair. During the fair, free ayurveda health check-up would be provided by traditional vaidyas and modern ayurveda experts. There would be yoga camp every morning and experts would provide lectures on health care and herbal remedies in the evening. 
Source: The Hindu

Odisha Chief Minister reiterates his demand for new airports in the State at Gopalpur, Jeypore and Jharsuguda


Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik raised the issue of development of new airports in the State at Gopalpur, Jharsuguda and Jeypore during his meeting with the Union Civil Aviation Secretary K N Srivastava on Wednesday. Srivastava during his meeting with the Chief Minister informed about the impending up-gradation of the Biju Patnaik Airport at Bhubaneswar to international standard. rivastava said the work for new terminal of the airport will be completed by December second week. The new terminal will become operational by January, 2013, he said. Srivastava said the proposal to accord international status to Biju Patnaik Airport here will be brought before the Union Cabinet in April next year after completion of all necessary work.

Naveen, who had met Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh in New Delhi in September, had raised the issue of infrastructure inadequacy in the aviation sector for air connectivity within the State. Singh had suggested during discussions that Odisha should explore the possibility of developing Jharsuguda airport in public private partnership (PPP) mode. On development of airports at Gopalpur and Jeypore, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is expected to take up feasibility studies. 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Conference of Southern Odisha District Collectors held in Berhampur

Source: The Sambad

Classroom teaching to go hi-tech at Berhampur University


Blackboards, chalks and dusters will soon be things of the past at Berhampur University with the introduction of e-classrooms. Vice-chancellor J K Mohapatra said in the first phase, five selected departments would have at least one e-classroom each.
The e-classrooms will include an interactive board, overhead projector and audio-visual gadgets. The five departments chosen for the programme are business administration, electronics, computer science, industrial relations and personal management (IR&PM) and journalism and mass communication (J&MC). "We expect to hold classes at the e-classrooms from the beginning of the next academic year," the VC added. 
A senior professor said e-classrooms would undoubtedly facilitate the learning process. The interactive board could be connected to internet, if needed, he said.
Several private universities and a few Kendriya Vidyalays in the state have already set up state-of-the-art smart classrooms on their campus. "Once the system becomes functional, our university will be on a par with any modern private institute in terms of academic infrastructure," the VC added.
An estimated Rs 5 lakh will be spent for each of these advanced classrooms. "The university recently received Rs 2.40 crore from the University Grants Commission as ad-hoc grant for general development assistance under the 12 th five year plan (2012-17). This fund will be used for the project," Mohapatra said, adding the varsity might ask for more funds from the UGC when e-classrooms are set up for other departments.
The university also plans to buy books and laboratory equipment, besides expanding its guest house and building boundary wall for the girls' hostel, using the UGC grant,.
Source: Times of India

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Rajya Sabha MP Renubala Pradhan demands Geographical Indication for Berhampuri Silk

Source: The Sambad

State Government dilly-dallying on the merger of 26 nearby Panchayats, Gopalpur and Chatrapur under Berhampur Municipal Corporation

Source: The Sambad

Deepavali and Kali Puja in Berhampur

Source: The Sambad

Friday, November 9, 2012

PIL filed over delay in construction of MahendraTanaya River Projects


BERHAMPUR: A PIL was filed in the High Court regarding in delay in construction of projects on Mahendratanaya river in Gajapati district even after four years of foundation stone laying ceremony. This PIL was filed by social activist Srikant Padhi, the convenor of ‘Mahendratanaya Bachao Andolan (MBA)’ an organisation that had been a major catalyst behind the decision of the State government to propose construction of irrigation projects on Mahendratanaya river. Mr. Padhi said he was compelled to approach court of law as even after four years of foundation stone laying ceremony the State government had not started groundwork of this much publicised project on Mahendratanaya river in Gajapati district. Few years ago this irrigation project proposed by the State government was talk of the State as it was a retaliatory action of the State government against Andhra government’s decision to take up project on the same river.
On April 4, 2008 the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh had laid the foundation for its proposed project on Mahendratanaya river at Regulapadu in Srikakulam district. As per Odisha government Andhra government had had violated the 1962 inter-State agreement by taking up this project on Mahendratanaya river without consulting Odisha. There were also protests against Andhra project on the river in south Odisha with fear that it would affect flow of water in the stretch of river passing through Odisha. Mahendratanaya is a tributary of Bansadhara river. It originates from a place near Tuparasingi village in Gajapati district, and flows through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. A large portion of its river bed is in Gajapati and Rayagada districts of Odisha.
The State government had come out with retaliatory projects on Mahendratanaya to counter project of Andhra Pradesh on the downstream of the river. On April 30, 2008 at Dambapur in Gajapti district, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid foundation stone for the proposed projects on Mahendratanaya river. At the time of stone laying ceremony it was claimed that project would be completed within two years. Two barrages were to be constructed on the river near Dambapur and Champapur villages of Gajapati district. Location of these proposed barrages was at a distance of around 40 kilometres from Andhra Pradesh border. The initial proposed cost of construction of these two barrages was Rs. 38 crore. After their construction in two years they were to irrigate 3,050 hectares of land. Apart from it these barrages were also to provide water to Paralakhemundi town in Gajapati district.
The petitioner Mr. Padhi alleged that Odisha government had failed to keep up its promise. According to him the State government had also not deputed sufficient number of staff to expedite groundwork of the project. Tenders for construction of these two barrages were called twice. No major construction company showed interest in them. A construction firm has taken up the Dambapur barrage project but the same company has not shown interest in the other barrage, he said. He suggested that if Maoist menace is a stumbling block for the project then the project could be handed over to Military Engineering Service. Through his PIL Mr. Padhi had pleaded before the High Court to direct State government to speed up construction of the project through allocation of sufficient funds and adequate staff.
Source: The Hindu

Cyclone Nilam brings life to standstill in Berhampur and South Odisha

Source: The Sambad