Tampara lake to be developed as major eco-tourism destination

• Rs. 40 crore will be spent under master plan, says official 
• Tourism department and district administration planning to hold summer cultural festival
• There will be a floating restaurant and house boats under the master plan, says official

Tampara lake, a large water body near Chatrapur in Ganjam district, will be developed as a major eco-tourism destination of Odisha through a mega tourism project. Natural beauty of this water body adjacent to the Bay of Bengal as well as its water sports potential would be tapped for the purpose. Ganjam District Culture and Tourism Officer Krushna Chandra Nishank said around Rs. 40 crore would be spent to develop this tourist destination. According to him, first phase work on this project had already started with sanction of Rs.1.1 crore. Mr Nishank said funds for development of Tampara lake as a major tourist destination would be available through projects of destination tourism, silk route tourism, Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project etc. He said there would be no dearth of funds for it. Development of this eco-tourism destination would also add to the livelihood prospects of fishermen families living in the area. These plans provide hope that the scenic and tranquil Tampara would soon bustle with tourists. Tourism department and district administration are also planning to hold a summer cultural festival at this destination. Tampara lake is around 5.8 km long and 670 metre wide. For the past few years this water body is being used for water sports and boating.

As part of the development plans facilities like parking, public conveniences, eco-parks, jetties, tents and cottages will be added up as infrastructure to this spot of natural beauty. The master plan of the project would also have scope for floating restaurant and house boats, said Mr Nishank. Apart from the large water body Tampara area also includes a virgin beach, lush green forest. This can be easily used as natural trekking zone for tourists. According to officials sources, tourists still do reach out to Tampara but their number is low. During past few years average tourist flow to Tampara was over 25,000 per year. It is hoped that once it is developed under the new project it will attract at least one lakh nature loving tourists every year. Source: The Hindu

Berhampur Municipal Corporation Budget presented by Mayor

Source: The Sambad

Rail Budget leaves Berhampur and south Odisha deeply disappointed

Source: The Sambad

Indian Coast Guard Station at Gopalpur commissioned

Indian Coast Guard Station (ICGS) Gopalpur, was commissioned on Tuesday. This ICGS was formally commissioned by the chief secretary of Odisha Bijay Kumar Patnaik at a function organised on ICGS campus at Chatrapur. Commandant of Army Air Defence College (AADC) Gopalpur, Lt Gen. V.K.Saxena, Commander Coast Guard Region (North- East) K.C.Pande and senior officers of administration, Army and Indian Navy attended this function. "The new CG station will definitely play a major role in coastal security as several port projects have been planned along the Odisha coast," Patnaik said. "The station will act as a hub for coastal security operations in the sea off Gopalpur and along South Odisha coast," said Pande. "The station will coordinate with different departments of the state government like fisheries, forest, police and district administration, Gopalpur port authorities and local fisherfolks to augment coastal surveillance security network along the Odisha coast," he added. The station at Gopalpur is assigned with the responsibility of coordination of various maritime operations like anti-poaching operation, search and rescue and pollution response (to give protection to Olive Ridley turtles), Pande added.

Commissioning of the Indian Coast Guard Station Gopalpur in Ganjam district (OdishaReporter.in)

The ICGS, Gopalpur would function under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (NE), Kolkata through the Commander Coast Guard District Headquarters-7 located at Paradeep. Commandant Ramendra Rajkamal has been appointed as the Commanding Officer of the station. This new Coast Guard station would enhance security of eastern coast as it is located between the ICGS at Paradeep and Visakhapatnam. The new station is part of ongoing efforts of Indian Coast Guard to strengthen maritime and coastal security and the assets based at Gopalpur. It would augment patrolling along the south Odisha coast for safeguarding Indian maritime interests.

It may be noted that Goplapur port which is being transformed into an all weather major port of Odisha would open up for cargo traffic in near future. Addressing during the commissioning ceremony, the chief secretary Mr Patnaik lauded efforts of the Indian Coast Guard in maintaining a high state of vigil off the Odisha coast. According to him, opening of a second ICGS on Odisha coast hinted at rapid development of the State. Development had boomed in the western coast during last century and it was now time for the eastern coast to rise to the tunes of development, he added.

Source: The Hindu, Times of India

Go Gopalpur: Tranquility-on-sea by Jaideep Deo Bhanj (The Hindu

Looking for the perfect weekend getaway? Jaideep Deo Bhanj visits Gopalpur-on-Sea to find that it’s not just a sleepy fishing town

Gopalpur-on-Sea is the kind of a place you would rather not tell people about. Once the word spreads, after all, the sound of the ocean may be drowned by noisy tourists. The endless expanse of soft, golden sand, calm waters and a beach without litter is paradise for those used to the din, garbage and stench of the beaches in Vizag.

While taking a walk on the beach at sunrise you find that the only company you have are the fishermen bringing home the catch of the day. Strike a conversation and he will sell you the freshest ingredients for your lunch or may even offer to take you for a ride in his boat. Bob around in the blue waters all day, chase crabs, build a sandcastle or just enjoy the calm. Gopalpur-on-Sea is the perfect weekend getaway from the city.

Gopalpur was a bustling port when the East India Company was trading with Burma. It has since become a sleepy fishing village.

The promenade has a line of tiny hotels catering to the budget traveller. The biggest attraction apart from the beach is the quaint lighthouse on one end of the beach. It was set up in 1871 and has an Enid Blyton feel to it. At night the light shines every five seconds, which gives the place a unique glow.

Heritage

The town became famous as a tourist destination when a young Italian, Signor Maglioni from Sicily, established the Palm Beach in 1914. In Gopalpur’s glory days between the two World Wars, rich Bengali families, British traders and soldiers frequented Maglioni’s hotel. In 1947, Rai bahadur M.S Oberoi, on a chance visit to what had again become a fishing village, bought the hotel. He renamed it ‘Oberoi Palm Beach’ and opened its doors to the who’s who of the country. By 2002 the Oberoi group shut down the hotel as it had become quite dilapidated.

Today the Mayfair group owns this historic property. It was renovated and reopened in December as The Mayfair Palm Beach Resort. The hotel has managed to preserve the heritage of Gopalpur-on-Sea and may revive the town’s reputation as a luxury destination.

Beach festival

Every year between December 24 and 28 a beach festival is organized. The weather is perfect at the time and as the festival coincides with the holiday season it attracts a number of tourists from West Bengal. Every Sunday there is also a cultural programme organized on the beach.

Gopalpur is an hour’s drive from Chilka Lake, which is visited by thousands of migratory birds every year. An early boat ride in the lake in the winter is a nature lover’s dream come true. You can spot Irrawady dolphins swimming along with your boat if you are lucky. Taptapani, a hot water spring famous for its medicinal qualities is another attraction that is a hot favourite with the locals. The Rushikulya Rookery located 45 minutes away is known for the endangered Oliver Ridley turtles that come here to lay eggs every year. Visitors can even take a boat ride and see the turtles mating in the water. Trips to see the migratory birds and turtles need to be planned well as you can see them only in season. But the birds and the turtles all do come back every year. They can’t be wrong, can they?

Places to stay

The 99-year-old resort now known as the Mayfair Palm Beach Resort, with its suites and plunge pools, is what put Gopalpur on the map. The Swosti Palm resort is a mid-range hotel popular for its sea food. There is also the OTDC Panhanivas to suit every budget.

Getting there

It is advisable for people from Vizag to drive down in a taxi or their private cars as the NH 5 is an excellent road. Also, trips to Chilka and other surrounding areas are easier with your own vehicle. Take the NH 5 towards Berhampur. Look out for a turn to your right after crossing Ichhapuram. It is 10.5 km from the highway. If you are attentive, you won’t miss the turning. Berhampur is the nearest railway station 16 km away.

Season

October-April is the best time to visit as the summers are hot and sultry. December-January is the best time for spotting migratory birds.

Source: The Hindu

Seminar held in Gopalpur to promote beach tourism

Gopalpur-on-Sea (Berhampur)

Good road connectivity, cleanliness of beaches, proper lighting, pollution control and security are key to a tourism boost in the beach towns of the state, most of the speakers at a seminar held on Tuesday here said. They added that the role of local people and hoteliers was also important. "Barring a few ones, most of the beaches in the state lack these basic amenities," president of the Beach Protection Council of Odisah (BPCO) Jagannath Bastia said. There are 26 beaches on the 482-km long Odisha coast, he added. The seminar on development of beach tourism was organized by the BPC0 in association with the department of tourism and culture of the state government. Gopalpur MLA Pradip Panigahi, however, said the government had taken several steps for the development of beach tourism, particularly at Gopalpur beach. Besides holding the beach festivals, the district administration had started holding culture programmes on every Sunday to attract tourists. He also stressed on the cooperation of hoteliers and local fishermen for development of tourism at Gopalpur. District tourist officer K C Nishonk said the administration had proposed to bring folk dance groups from Kerala, Rajasthan, Manipur and Karnataka to the sea beach town to perform on Sunday evenings. This apart, the state government has sanctioned around Rs 36 lakh for beach cleaning, the tourist officer added. Ganjam district hotel association president Uma Shankar Panigrahi, however, pointed out there was no bus communication between Berhampur to Gopalpur. "Even though the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) promised a bus service some years ago, it has not turned into reality," Panigrahi added. Source: Times of India

Source: The Sambad

Railway Budget 2013-14; Odisha gets a raw deal while Berhampur ignored once again

• Union Railway Min Pawan Bansal announces new wagon factory at Sitalapali in Ganjam (However, sanctions a meager Rs 1 crore for the project like the previous year)
• Rs 2.84 crore sanctioned for an additional platform at Berhampur Railway Station
• Two Railway over-bridge projects in Berhampur get additional funding

Trains for Berhampur

• Howrah – Chennai AC Express (Bi-weekly)
• Kamakhya (Guwahati) – Bangalore AC Express (Weekly)
• Tirupati – Bhubaneswar Express (Weekly) Via Visakhapatnam
• Bhubaneswar –Bhawanipatna- Junagarh Express

City buses in Great Berhampur to roll out in July

Source: The Sambad

Berhampur Municipal Corporation wards increase to 40, parties demand for direct election of Mayor

Source: The Sambad

Source: The Sambad

Ganjam district's wish list for Railway Budget

People of Ganjam have sought more funds for the proposed wagon factory near Berhampur, new railway lines from Gopalpur to Rayagada and Berhampur to Sambalapur via Phulbani and a direct train from Berhampur to New Delhi in the Railway Budget scheduled for Tuesday.

Besides daily trains from Berhampur to New Delhi, Surat, Rourkela and Puri; according model station status to Berhampur have also been demanded by several organizations of the District. "I have already apprised railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal of the grievances of the people of the region and urged him to give priority to these projects in the railway budget," said BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Renubala Pradhan. A railway wagon factory was announced to be set up at Sitalapalli in the 2011-12 railway budget. In the last budget, Rs 1 crore was allotted for it. The state government has also identified around 100 acre for factory.

The Planning Commission accorded 'in principle' approval to the railway ministry's proposal for laying of 258-km railway line from Gopalpur to Rayagada in June, 2012. The estimated cost of the new railway line was about Rs 1,392.32 crore.

Congress leader and former union minister Chandra Sekhar Sahu said he has written a letter to the railway minister to provide more funds for these projects and sanction a train from Berhampur to New Delhi. The survey work for Gopalpur-Rayagada line was conduced when Sahu was union minister. "It's my dream to see the port town is connected to the industrial town," Sahu said.

"These rail projects are necessary as several major industries and port projects are coming up. Since the state government is ready to extend all cooperation for execution of the projects, we hope the union minister will allocate funds for these projects," said MLA (Gopalpur) Pradeep Panigrahi. Development of Berhampur station is needed, said Arjuna Sahu, president of senior citizens' forum here.

Source: Times of India

MKCG unit on wheels eyes Southern hinterland

A tele-ophthalmology unit (TOU), a modern mobile eye treatment facility for rural areas, will be soon made operational at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here. The project, sanctioned under the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), includes an air-conditioned minibus fitted with the modern and latest equipment, which make rounds of rural areas. Doctors, undergraduate medical students and a trained technician on board will collect data and photographs of patients and transmit these online to the ophthalmology department of the medical college where experts will suggest treatment through videoconferencing, said a senior. "Surgery if required will be conducted in the hospital," head of ophthalmology department B Nageswar Rao Subudhi said. The central government has provided Rs 60 lakh for the project while state government has agreed to bear the operational cost. Subudhi said equipment to be fitted in the minibus have already been procured and order placed for a minibus. "The minibus is likely to be delivered in a week and equipment will then be fitted in the vehicle. The unit will start functioning from next month," he said.

The medical college will tie-up with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for internet and other facilities for online transfer of data, he said. The department has also requested the government for an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), the latest machine to diagnose and treat retinal aliments. The instrument will cost around Rs 35 lakh. "We hope the government will consider our request," he added. The minibus will initially ply on the dusty tracks of Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal and Rayagada district. Depending on the success of the pilot scheme, the project will be extended to other districts in Southern Odisha, sources said.

Source: Times of India

Berhampur News

Bharat Bandh brings Silk city to grinding halt

Vending Zone in Berhampur

Khallikote College Foot overbridge work at snails pace

Funny Street in Berhampur

Berhampur Municipal Corporation Budget proposals

18th Century Market in Berhampur (Victoria/Giri Market)

IOB New Branch in Berhampur

Olive Ridley turtles start mass nesting near Rushikulya Mouth in Ganjam

Over three lakh Olive Ridley turtles have laid eggs near River Rushikulya Mouth in Ganjam district within a span of only one week informed the Forest & Environment Minister of Odisha Bijoyshree Routray. Mr.Routray said that the mass nesting began in River Mouth on 13 February. Last year, the turtles had congregated for mass nesting at the Rushikulya beach on February 29. While around 2.60 lakh turtles had laid eggs in the Rushikulya rookery in 2008-09, 1.07 lakh turtles had nested in the beach last year. "This time, they broke the previous record and over three lakh Olive Ridley Turtles laid eggs so far," confirmed Divisional Forest Officer, Berhampur SS Mishra. Despite rains lashed in the area on Sunday evening, over 8,700 Olive Ridley turtles laid eggs in the wee hours of Monday, he said. Since some more turtles were floating in the sea, DFO said the nesting was likely to continue for some more days. The Olive Ridleys, listed under Schedule 1 of the endangered species list, nested in two places this time. While around 2.50 lakh were nested in the 3.50-km long Sandbar between Kantiagada and Podampeta, another 50,000 turtles nested near Purunabandh area, he said.  The mass nesting began today followed by the sporadic nesting in the area.

Clean nesting sites and conducive atmosphere are some of the reasons attributed to the record number of Olive Ridleys visited the rookery for nesting, experts said. This time, the turtles started nesting about a fortnight earlier in the rookery, forest officials said. Forest officials made elaborate arrangements for smooth and safe nesting of the turtles. The entire area was divided into 32 sectors. Forest personnel and local volunteers have been deployed in each sector for counting the eggs. They also provided protections to the eggs in absent of their mother turtles, said DFO. After laying eggs, the female turtles go to the deep sea without waiting to see the hatchels, which generally emerged around 45 days of the nesting. "The local people in the area are cooperating with the forest personnel to protect the eggs," said Rabindra Nath Sahu Secretary of the Rushikulya Sea Turtles Protection Committee.

Sources: Tathay.in & FirstPost.com

Berhampur Municipal Corporation promises infrastructure boost for Silk City

Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed to build up parking places in different parts of the city to ease traffic congestion. Speaking to newsmen regarding developmental plans of the BMC, city mayor Siba Shankar Dash said a major parking place was proposed to be constructed at the old bus stand area of the city. It would be developed into a multi-storeyed parking lot, he said. It may be noted that this old bus stand had been cleared off encroachments a few months ago. According to Mr Dash during the year 2013-14 digital traffic signals would be installed at some more major squares in the city. A new amusement park cum water sport complex would come up at Agulabandh tank in Gosaninuagaon area of the city, he added. Apart from it new vending zones were also on the anvil to provide employment opportunity to vendors who had lost their livelihood due to anti-encroachment drive. According to the mayor, since 2008 the BMC had taken strict measures to remove encroachment so that major roads in this traditional city could be streamlines for traffic. Till now encroachments had been removed from 28 major locations in the city.

The BMC is all set to have a Rs 70-crore-worth solid waste management project for Berhampur. As per the authorities of the BMC, such a project is being taken up for the first time in any urban area of the state. This project would be taken up on Private Public Participation (PPP) mode.  This project is being taken up with collaboration with International Financial Corporation (IFC), which is providing technological and tactical support for the solid waste management project of the BMC. The site demarcated for the project was located near Mohuda village on the outskirts of the city. As per the plans the BMC would be in charge of collection of waste from each and every household of the city from the doorstep of the inhabitants. The BMC would collect some monthly fee from households and other establishments for it. The waste collected from the city would be transported to the solid waste management plant at Mohuda by trucks by an agency selected through tender by the IFC.

Source: The Hindu

Source: The Sambad

Historic Berhampur Barracks stadium to be renovated

In a bid to conduct national level cricket tournaments in Berhampur Barracks stadium, Odisha government has decided to renovate the ground and install a water reservoir with sprinkling system. Sports and Youth Service department of the state government has sanctioned about Rs 56 lakh for the project. While around Rs 20 lakh would be spent for renovation of the playground, Rs 36 lakh is meant for of a four lakh litre capacity underground reservoir, official sources said.

The project also includes facilities like sprinkler irrigation system, which is now available in various major stadia in the country. "The projects are expected to be completed in the next two months. With these facilities, we can conduct national cricket events in the stadium," said president of Ganjam district cricket association (GDCA) R C Patra. "Under the playground renovation project, new soil would be added with chemical treatment. The grass will be planted in the ground like any other major grounds in the country," he said.

Greenery of the ground would be maintained all over the year through sprinkler system, he added. Even though the Ranji Trophy cricket matches were conducted in nineties in the stadium here, the same ground was declared unfit to conduct Odisha Premier League (OPL) cricket match, conducted by the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) last year. The technical committee of OCA has suggested renovation of the playground with maintaining of its greenery.

Presently there is no sparkling in the ground due to non-availability of the water. "The water supply department only supplies water to the sports hostel," said in-charge superintendent of the sport hostel Dharma Rao. While around 38 inmates were in the sports hostel, there are nine girls in the Centre of Excellence in weightlifting. Apart from weightlifting for girls, the hostel has facilities to train the inmates in volley ball, Basket Ball and weightlifting. Source: Zee News

Source: The Sambad

Multi-speciality Hospital by Tata Steel to come up near Berhampur; to be converted to a medical college later

Source: The Sambad

S.B.R. Govt Women's College on expansion mode

Source: The Sambad

Second ISKCON Temple in Berhampur city

To know more about the ISKCON temple at Berhampur and for contributions Click Here.

Apollo Clinic inaugurated in Berhampur city

Source: The Sambad

Rs 3.85 cr sanctioned for construction of Social Science and Language Block of Khallokote College at Berhampur

Ganjam farmers oppose water project

Rushikulya River

The proposed project to provide water to the Krushnaprasad block within the limits of Chilika Lake in Puri district is being opposed by farmers of Ganjam block. They have approached Chief Minister Naveen Patniak on the issue through a memorandum. They have also suggested alternatives to the proposed project. They have threatened to launch a ‘jail bharo’ agitation in April, if the State government did not show any sympathetic attitude towards the issue.

On Monday, a group of local leaders of Ganjam block spoke to media in the city. According to them, the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Department has proposed a project worth Rs. 2,500 crore to take water from Kansarigand natural reservoir on the Rushikulya river near Potlampur to Krushnaprasad block through a pipeline. The natural reservoir is also the recharging source for three wells near Badamadhapur which provide water to Berhampur city. The Ruhsikulya river bed remains almost dry from December to June. They feel taking away water from the Kansarigand reservoir will affect the collection of water from the three wells the water levels of which have already gone down.

“There are several lift irrigation points on the periphery of this reservoir and some of them have already dried up. If water supply in the reservoir gets further reduced due to the proposed project, then more numbers of lift irrigation points may get dry,” says one of the leaders. This area happens to be a major zone for vegetable cultivation due to availability of irrigation facility.

Source: The Hindu

Source: The Sambad

Ramlingam Pantulu block opened at City High School

Pandit Ramlingam Pantulu, who was chairman of Berhampur Municipality in British era, was also involved in the development of City High School which was established in 1930. A statue of his was also established on the school campus which was garlanded by his descendants of new generation. His grandchildren and great grandchildren have come forward to build Pandit Ramlingam block on the premises of City High School. Several of them were former students of this school. Now members of this extended family are also scattered in different parts of the country and abroad. But all of them extended their hands of support to take up this project for development of their old school. The main donors for the project were Janaki Sastry, who lives in UK, and P.Santa Kumari of Visakhapatnam. During the inauguration ceremony Ms Santa Kumari announced two awards for meritorious students of the school in memory of her grandfather. Several dignitaries of the city attached to this school attended the inaugural function of this new block which has three class rooms. According to head master of the school, Subash Chandra Pradhan, new class rooms were an extreme need of the historic institution.

Source: The Hindu

Fresh syllabus at Berhampur varsity in new session

The Berhampur University has decided to revamp syllabuses in all post-graduate courses.  The new courses of studies will be introduced from the coming academic session. The revised courses of studies will be made keeping an eye on the change of curriculum in the National Eligibility Test (NET), conducted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and jointly by the UGC and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (for science and engineering subjects). Subjects, existing in honours curricula in graduation classes, would not be repeated in the new syllabuses, said vice chancellor J K Mohapatra. "We have already directed the Board of Studies (BoS) of all the departments to prepare their new courses of studies accordingly," he said. The exercise started on January 28 and is scheduled to be completed on February 8," said a senior faculty member. The revised courses of studies would be placed before the academic council of the university for approval before introduction from the next academic session, the vice chancellor said. Besides senior faculty members of respective departments, at least two faculty members from other universities and professionals in the BoS are preparing the new courses of studies. The members of the BoS also study existing syllabuses of other universities and incorporate the local needs while preparing the new courses of studies, sources said.

The need to revise the syllabi was felt by the university authorities after the new NET syllabus came into effect in 2011. The university has also started coaching classes for NET aspirants with the revised pattern of the questions. "With these steps, we hope more and more number of students will get opportunities to clear the NET and be eligible to get junior research fellowship (JRF) and lectureship in different universities," the VC added.

Source: Times of India

Rajya Sabha member pitches for rail wagon factory in Ganjam

BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Renubala Pradhan has urged the railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal to expedite construction of proposed railway wagon factory at Sitalapalli in Ganjam district and make budgetary provisions for Gopalpur-Rayagada and Berhampur-Sambalpur new railway lines. The Planning Commission had accorded 'in principle' approval of the ministry's proposal for laying 258-km Gopalpur-Rayagada railway line in June last year at an estimated cost of Rs 1,392.32 crore, she said. "The railway line assumes significance as a number of industries are coming up in Rayagada while a mega port is being constructed at Gopalpur and a satellite port of the Paradip Port Limited is proposed at Bahuda near Gopalpur. Moreover, Gopalpur is a famous tourist town and draws tourists throughout the year. The new track will also pass through Maoist-hit areas of Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal and Rayagada districts," she said in the memorandum to the railway minister. Similarly, the railway minister had announced to set up the railway wagon factory at Sitalapalli in the 2011-12 railway budget. In the last budget around Rs 1 crore was allotted for it. The government has also identified around 100 acre at Sitalapalli, about 20 km from here, she said.

Source: Times of India

Historic Jaugada rock edict relics near Berhampur city wallow in govt. apathy

The special Ashoka Rock Edict at Jaugada of Ganjam District in Odisha 

At a time the state government busy conducting the International Buddhism conference in Udayagiri, a famous spot in Ganjam district is lying neglected.

The Asokan rock edict at Jaugada near Purushottampur, around 35 km from here, which dates back to 260 BC, has the emperor's directive to Mauryan officers inscribed on it, including the famous declaration "all men are my children".

Photograph of the hillside with
 the rock-cut Asoka inscriptions at Jaugada, Ganjam District,
 taken by Joseph David Beglar in 1874-76.

The rock edicts also contain the famous Asokan doctrine that "conquest through love is greater than conquest by sword". The inscription is in Prakrit and the script is written in Bramhi, historians said. The inscription is engraved on three different tables on the vertical face of a rock in an old fort, near the bank of river Rushikulya.

"Though it is an important monument from the historical perspective, the spot is in a very sorry state because of lack of attention of the authorities. The alphabets are almost defaced and nearing oblivion," said Shishir Kumar Panda, a retired history professor of Berhampur University. He added that while some portions have been disfigured, other things have been smuggled out. Source: ToI 

Work on Sanskriti Bhavan in Berhampur likely to start this month

Construction of long awaited ‘Biju Patnaik Sanskriti Bhavan’ in Berhampur was expected to start from February or March. It may be noted that that this project is already much delayed as its foundation stone was laid in 2004. As per the authorities this project was delayed as the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) which had been assigned the construction work did not take up the project. Now this project would be constructed through the Roads and Building division of the State government. District culture and tourist officer Krushna Chandra Nishank said this project would cost around Rs. 4 crore. Department of culture of the State government had already released Rs. 1.31 crore for the project in the first phase.

Completion of ‘Biju Patnaik Sanskriti Bhavan’ would fulfil the need for a well equipped auditorium for cultural activities in the city. As per the plans the auditorium of this project would have capacity of around 1,000 audience. At present the city lacks a modern auditorium to accommodate a large audience. The ‘Biju Patnaik Sanskriti Bhavan’ would be a three-storied building on around 1.2 acres of land. Its ground floor would be used for parking purpose. Its first floor would be meant for the auditorium. The second floor of the building would house the Berhampur museum which is now running in a rented house as well as district office of the State Culture Department. According to Mr. Nishank, two drains pass through the proposed site of the ‘Biju Patnaik Sanskriti Bhavan’. “We have approached the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) for shifting of these two drains so that the construction work would not be hampered”, he said.

Source: The Hindu & Berhampurphoto.Blogspot

JSPL eyes 49% stake in Gopalpur port

Jindal Steel & Power Ltd ( JSPL) is keen to acquire 49% stake in Gopalpur Port Ltd (GPL), which is currently engaged in developing the seasonal port at the beach town in south Odisha’s Ganjam district into an all-weather port. This is the second investment proposal of JSPL in port sector in Odisha as the company is vying to set up a captive port Bahuda Muhan also in Ganjam district. “After we pick up stake in GPL, we will have the first right of refusal for developing a port at Bahuda Muhan as the site is within 50 km radius of the Gopalpur port”, said a JSPL official.

JSPL had evinced interest in acquiring stake in GPL after exit of one its original promoters, the Hong-Kong based Noble Group in May 2010. GPL was floated as a consortium of three partners with the other two companies being Odisha Stevedores Ltd (OSL) and Delhi-based Sara International Ltd (SIL). The port's total capacity was envisaged at 54 million tonne per annum (mtpa) and it was to be developed at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore. “Since the original promoters have to retain at least 51% equity as per the terms of the concession agreement, we are ready to pick up the residual 49% stake. The promoters are okay with our entry into the SPV. But, we are waiting for the state government to respond. As per Rules of Business, any change in the shareholding pattern for the port has to be approved by the government”, said the JSPL official.

Charchit Mishra, director, OSL said, “JSPL has evinced interest to pick up stake in GPL but no final decision has been taken yet. As regards the government's employment clause, there are no issues since we have agreed to it. The port's second phase expansion is expected to begin from March this year.” Phase-I of GPL, which involved anchorage port operations, started in January 2007 but PHase-II construction work was yet to begin. The Union ministry of environment & forests (MoEF) had granted environment clearance for the project on March 30 this year. Land measuring 393.67 acres has already been leased out in favour of GPL and 120.16 acres was under the possession of the port authorities. Steps are also afoot to lease out additional 140.2 acres of land for the port. GPL has already claimed to have achieved financial closure of Rs 1,400 crore for the first stage of Phase-II of the deep sea port, with the signing of loan agreement with a consortium of 11 banks.

For the proposed captive port at Bahuda Muhan in Ganjam, JSPL has already given a presentation to the state government regarding its plan. The port involves a capital cost of Rs 1424.4 crore while the operational cost of running the port would be to the tune of Rs 152 crore per annum. The captive port is expected to handle Capesize vessels (150,000 dead weight tonnage) for coal and coke and Handymax vessels (50,000 dead weigh tonnage-dwt) for general cargo. Phase-I of JSPL's captive port is scheduled to be operational by 2017.

Source: Business Standard

Training camps for exotic plant cultivation proposed

Ganjam District Flower Growers’ Association (GDFGA), has decided to propose to the State government to hold training camps for ornamental horticulture for interested general public at the flower market and training centre for floriculture. This modern flower market-cum-training centre in Ambapua area of the city aimed at promoting floriculture in six districts namely Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Kandhamal, Boudh and Nayagarh. The first training programme for floriculture for farmers started at this centre from Wednesday. According to the officials of the Horticulture Department and GDFGA leaders apart from the flower growers and peasants, training programmes would also be held for educated youth in future to develop their entrepreneurial skills in this field. Although attraction for growing flowers and ornamental plants is quite high among general public in Ganjam district, most of them lack the basic technical knowhow. So, the GDFGA has decided to put forward a proposal before the Horticulture department of the State government, so that the general public interested in floriculture as a hobby may get to know the scientific method to grow them.

Source: The Hindu