Shodasa puja begins at Tara Tarini Shakti Peeth

The Sodasha Puja or Shodasa dinatmaka Upachara of Maa Tara Tarini in the run up to the Dussehra festival started from Mulastami on 27 September at the hill shrine near Berhampur city in Odisha. The Sodasha Puja began with Chandi Path and Yagna, also known as DEVI- UTTHAPANA.  With the chanting of religious hymns in the spiritual ambiance of the Hill Shrine and the ritualistic worship by the devotees surcharged the festive atmosphere with an exhilarating blend of spirituality. The Secretary TTDB, other officials of TTDB, temple authorities and thousands of devotees were present on that day at the hill top shrine.

With the commencement of the puja after 3.00 pm on Mulastami and amidst chanting of hymns the Sevakas of Maa Tara Tarini temple brought 108 pots of water from the holy River Rushikulya flowing at the foot hill of this ancient Shrine. After the rituals of Snana, Majana, Maha Arati and commencement of Yagna in the established tradition the goddess gave darshan to her devotees in the Rajarajeswari Besha and the entire process continued till 7.30 pm. As per the information from the Shrine the Chandi Patha and Yagna will continue till last day of Vijayadashami / Dussehra.

Durga Puja is a festival, which is celebrated in different ways in India. In major Shakti Peethas like Kamakshya, Daksinakali, Bimala, Vaishnodevi, Chamundeswari and particularly in Adi Shakti Peeth of Maa Tara Tarini the Durga Puja is observed for 16 days, starting from Krushna Paksha Ashtami to Shukla Paksha Navami of the Hindu Calendar, also known as Shodasa Dinatmaka Upachara. The Goddess Durga is also worshiped by devotees in different Pendals for a period of either nine days or less across the states of eastern India.

Out of the 16 days the Navratri Puja at the Tara Tarini shrine will start from October 05 and will culminate till october13. The Sodasha Puja and particularly Navratri are very important and major festival in the religious calendar of the Shrine. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped i.e., on theFirst day of Navratri – Shailputri, Second day of Navratri – Bhramcharini, Third Navratri – Chandraghanta, Fourth Navratri – Kushmanda, Fifth Navratri – Skandmata, Sixth Navratri – Kaatyayani, Seventh Navratri – Kaalratri, Eighth Navratri – Mahagauri/Mahakali and Ninth Navratri – Siddhiratri are worshipped. The tenth day is known as Vijayadashami and the Sharad Sodasha Puja culminates in Durga Puja or "Dussehra".  During this entire 16 days period the Sanctum of Maa Tara Tarini Shakti Peeth remains open round the clock for Darshan of the devotees.

Petrochemical hub to come up in south Odisha’s Ganjam district at a cost of Rs 15,000 cr

Source: The Sambad

A consortium headed by Hyderabad-based Greenko Group has proposed to set up a petrochemical hub at Sonepur in south Odisha's Ganjam district. The project coming up as a part of the energy and oil city involving an investment of Rs 15000 crore, will be implemented by Sonepur Energy & Oil City Ltd, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed for the purpose. The petrochemical hub includes a 7.5 million tonne per annum (mtpa) petroleum refinery. A gas cracker unit will also come up at the hub with a capacity of 0.3 million tonne of ethylene. The principal end products will be polypropylene (PP) and high density polyethylene and linear low density polyethylene. A captive power plant of 500 Mw capacity and desalination plant of 120 million litre per day have also been proposed within the hub.

Sonepur (Berhampur)

The SPV also intends to set up a high-tech energy academy aimed at providing knowledge and skills in  both upstream and downstream sectors of oil and gas industry. The academy will be equipped with facilities to train engineers, geologists and other technical persons based on international industry standards in collaboration with major international oilfield companies. As part of the academy, an incubation centre to promote micro entrepreneurs in the petroleum business and rig oil & oil well simulators for training. Besides, there will be facilities for research & development (R&D), manpower development, consultancy and benchmarking. This academy would be set up a cost of Rs 100 crore. While the energy academy has got the nod of the High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) of the Odisha government, the SPV has now sought government approval for the entire oil city project. "The HLCA was kind enough to accord approval for the High-Tech energy academy. It is necessary to mention here that the academy is totally dependent on the other projects for on-the-job training and placement. It cannot function independently as a training institute as the very objective of on-the-job training and skill development will be defeated. It is unthinkable of the high-tech energy academy without the petroleum and petrochemical units”, D Singh Deo, director, Sonepur Energy & Oil City Ltd wrote to chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The Oil City project when fully commissioned would create direct jobs for 20,000 people besides generating indirect employment avenues for over 100,000 others.

Source: Business Standard

Hotel management institute to be set up in Berhampur

Tourism department has proposed establishment of a ‘State Institute of Hotel Management’ in Berhampur. According to Ganjam district tourism officer Sanatan Nayak, this proposal has been sent to the State government. As per the proposal this institute would be established on a five-acre patch of land near the city. The institute is expected to benefit students of south Odisha interested in taking up a career in hotel management.

Source: The Hindu

Survey for Silk City ring road begins

The proposed 45-km peripheral ring road around the Silk City may be a reality soon. Survey for the long-awaited project started on Monday. The survey to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) was stalled due to enforcement of model code of conduct for urban polls. A Bhubaneswar-based consultant would prepare the DPR after completing the survey while public works department (PWD) would execute the project, said executive engineer, PWD (Berhampur), and nodal officer for the project P K Das. The project was conceived about a decade ago by the Berhampur Development Authority to ease traffic in the city. The project aims at connecting peripheral areas with the city too. While 13-km Raghunathpur-Ratanpur bypass road would be constructed by the National Highways Authorities of India, 15-km stretch connecting Dakhinapur with Lathi and Haladiapadar and 17-km stretch connecting Mandiapalli-Karapalli and Phulta would be taken up by the works department.

Land acquisition is likely to made in some areas as the width of the ring road is proposed to be 300 metre, including green and commercial zones on side of the road, Das said. The cost of the project would be known only after preparation of the DPR. The proposed road assumes significance as the city is witnessing heavy traffic congestion during peak hours. "The ring road will not only ease traffic in the city but also make plying of proposed city buses smooth," said Berhampur Development Authority chairman Kailash Rana. The ring road is also important as the urban body has decided to construct a bus terminal at Haladiapadar, on the outskirts of the town, he added. The city bus service in Berhampur and its adjoining towns will start soon as the government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore and formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for facilitating the project.

Source: Times of India

TAKE STEP FOR HIGH COURT BENCH FOR SOUTH ODISHA AT BERHAMPUR TOO: Rama Chandra Panda

BJP leader and former Assembly Deputy Speaker Rama Chandra Panda on Sunday demanded that the State Government recommend to the Centre for establishment of a permanent Bench of the Odisha High Court for southern Odisha at Brahmapur along with the recommendation in favour of western Odisha at one go.

In a letter to Governor SC Jamir, Panda stated that the lawyers of Brahmapur have been agitating for three decades for setting up of a HC Bench at Brahmapur, which played a pivotal role in the unification of Odisha and is the commercial nerve-centre of the southern part of the State. The city has the required infrastructure for the purpose. The century-old Bar of Brahmapur has produced several eminent jurists like Justices Jagannath Das and Lingaraj Panigrahi.

Now that the State Government is contemplating to recommend to the Centre for a HC Bench in western Odisha, it should also make recommendation for a HC Bench for the southern region simultaneously. Or else, people of Brahmapur would be forced to take the issue to the street, Panda cautioned.

Panda in his letter appealed to the Governor to advise the Government to consider the case of Brahmapur too without adopting discriminatory tactics. The copy of the letter was released to the Press. Source: The Pioneer

High Court Benches in South and Western Odisha: Ganjam lawyers to hold meet

BERHAMPUR, September 25, 2013: Steering committee of Ganjam Bar Association on Tuesday demanded that the Odisha government immediately recommend to the Central government establishment of permanent benches of Odisha High Court in south Odisha and Western Odisha.

The steering committee of the Ganjam Bar Association convened a meeting under the chairmanship of its president Kapileswar Patnaik to discuss their future course of action regarding the continuing agitation by lawyers for the demand of a High Court bench for south Odisha in Berhampur. It may be noted that on last four days of every month lawyers of Ganjam Bar Association continue to boycott courts for the demand of establishment of High Court bench in the city.

The steering committee decided to convene a meeting on Sept 28, to discuss in detail their future course of action.

According to Mr Patnaik, presidents and secretaries of all other bar associations in Ganjam and Gajapati districts who are part of the action committee formed for the demand of High Court bench in Berhampur would be invited to this meeting. It was hoped that on that day the lawyers may decide to intensify the agitation in future to make it more visible.

Mr Patnaik claimed that 15 bar associations of south Odisha were in support of the demand of Ganjam Bar Association for establishment of High Court bench in Berhampur. “These 15 bar associations are also observing two-day ceasework every month to express their solidarity with the demand,” Mr Patnaik said. Source: The Hindu

Editorial Observation 

In Karnataka HC is in Bengaluru and Benches are at Hubli-Dharwad & Gulbarga, in Madhya Pradsh HC is in Jabalpur and Benches are in Gwalior & Indore, in Tamil Nadu, HC is in Chennai and Bench is in Madurai and Maharashtra HC is in Mumbai Benches are in Nagpur& Aurangabad. So why not multiple Benches are possible in Odisha?

Traffic-clogged roads in Berhampur city; State govt. silent on the ring-road project

Source: The Sambad

Special package demanded for South Odisha

Source: Pragativadi

Next challenge for Naveen is to select the new Mayor for Berhampur city

Source: The Sambad

Prestigious Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) goes to ruling party

The BJD got a clear majority in the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC), the only municipal corporation that went to the polls along with other urban bodies of the State on September 19.

Out of the 40 wards in the BMC, the BJD bagged 24, the Congress 15, and independent one. The BJP put up a dismal show as none of its 35 candidates won.

Mayor Siba Shankar Das won the election but there was no way of donning the post again as it was reserved for OBC women.

Deputy Mayor Sanjukta Samal lost to her Congress rival. In the previous elections, she had got elected to the Berhampur Municipality on the BJP ticket, but later shifted her loyalty to the BJD.

Defectors who changed party just before the elections suffered defeat. They included former chairperson of the Berhampur Municipality Sulochana Swain and former president of city unit of the BJD and former deputy chairman of Berhampur municipality Niranjan Jena. Both of them had left the BJD just before the elections to contest on Congress ticket. Similarly, Congress leader Badrinarayan Nayak, who defected to the BJD, lost the election. However, Congress candidate Ranjit Nayak, who is in jail, won the election.

The election witnessed a high profile and keen contest. Four Ministers and several BJD MLAs camped in Berhampur to monitor the party’s campaign.

Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik gave a boost to the campaign in the last phase by promising to develop the city if BJD won the elections.

The Congress too roped in all its leading personalities, including its national general secretary in-charge of Odisha V.K. Hariprasad to campaign for the party.

The campaign witnessed grave allegations of criminalization of politics, with both the BJD and Congress indulging in blame game. The BJD could successfully tackle the allegations against the Mayor and the anti-incumbency factor. But the Congress preferred to highlight and project Ramesh Jena, party MLA from Kukudakhandi and who hails from the city. Mr. Jena too had some allegations against him and the court barred him from campaigning in the city. This proved costly for the Congress, as it fared badly in its traditional stronghold in wards of the old city area as well as in wards where middle class educated voters were in majority. Source: The Hindu

Mouth watering delicious food items of Silk city Berhampur, Odisha

Odisha civic polls: All eyes on Berhampur Corporation

Chief Minister lines up 11 meetings in Berhampur 

KV Singh Deo leads BJP poll campaign in Berhampur

Former Union Minister Chandrasekhar Sahu spearheading Congress campaign

With only three days remaining for the campaign to end for the urban civic polls, political parties are leaving no stones unturned to woo the voters as the results will indicate the preference of the electorate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

All eyes are on the election to the prestigious Berhampur Municipal Corporation as the ruling BJD, BJP and the Congress have much at stake. The importance Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has accorded to the polls can be gauged from his hectic campaign schedule since September 5. He will address as many as 11 meetings in Berhampur city on Monday to give a boost to the chances of BJD candidates. The BJD has fielded candidates in 39 out of 40 wards of the corporation.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Surjya Narayan Patro, who is camping along with three other ministers - Kalpataru Das, Bikram Arukha and Usha Devi - and half a dozen MLAs and senior leaders of the BJD at Berhampur, was confident that the BJD will retain the corporation.

The Congress camp, which was banking on Union minister and Telugu superstar K Chiranjeevi to campaign for the party candidates in Berhampur and other urban bodies in Ganjam district, has been disheartened as his programme has been cancelled. Former Union minister Chandrasekhar Sahu, who is spearheading Congress campaign in Berhampur, however, said the Congress has a good chance to win. Two former OPCC presidents, Niranjan Patnaik and Sarat Patnaik, also campaigned for party candidates in Berhampur. All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Odisha in-charge B K Hariprasad will arrive in Berhampur to campaign in the BMC on September 17.

Meanwhile the BJP president KV Singh Deo lead the campaign in Berhampur visiting every ward for mobilizing support in the city.  Referring to the “utter failure of the Government” in ensuring welfare programmes for the denizens of this historic Silk City,  Singh Deo said that though the Chelligada Water Project was recommended by him as Minister to the Centre for approval in 2007, it is yet to be implemented for supply of drinking water to Brahmapur. Similarly, though the Chief Minister laid the foundation-stone of a Sanskruti Bhavan at Brahmapur in 2009, it is yet to be executed.

Recalling the agitations over the scarcity of drinking water in Berhmapur and inadequate water for farmers of Ganjam district for irrigation and demand for interlinking of rivers Rushikulya and Mahanadi, Singh Deo said the State Government has put such citizen-centric proposals in cold storage. Singh Deo further pointed out that as many as 46 faculty positions at the Khallikote Autonomous College and 40 faculty positions at the MKCG Medical College are lying vacant for years. Source: The New Indian Express 

MISMANAGEMENT, SCAM HIT BERHAMPUR VARSITY LIBRARY

The Prof. RP Padhi Central Library of the Berhampur University is in bad shape now thanks to corruption and mismanagement for years.

The library, according to some faculty members and intellectuals, is ‘university’s greatest shame,’ as it could not attract the best students or retain top faculty as its potential stakeholders due to non availability of nascent learning resources, peer reviewed high quality foreign journals and absence of a dynamic and competent librarian.

The university library is currently starving intellectually and suffering from a heap of irregularities and unfair practices by violating standard procedures as well as accounting norms. The library is crippled by inadequate library facilities including latest text books of credible authors, OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) service for users, Institutional Repositories (IR) for scholars and faculty, RFID technology to check the inherent pilferage of priceless documents, digitisation of learning resources and finally lack of  a solid financial commitment from the State exchequer and the UGC to construct a new and  larger fully digitized  multi-storey  library.

Unfortunately, none of the Vice-Chancellors, who are learned academicians and researchers par excellence, have given due attention to the library which is considered as the nerve centre of the institution.

According to the information available, the library is reportedly having a weak list of low-quality books, cheaply produced, but procured at exorbitant prices ignoring the heads of department (HoDs) and other faculty members, subject specialists, and more importantly the Professor in charge of the library. Librarians being the experts at making such judgments have reportedly been ignored while making such purchases.

Surprisingly, a senior Professor, who has been appointed as In-Charge of the library, too was reportedly ignored while selecting documents and taking purchase decisions. Ironically, some officers who have hardly any idea about the library and close to the university administration were given the task of purchasing books worth rupees lakhs to appease a specific supplier apparently for vested interests, sources said.

Even some HoDs were neither consulted nor asked to recommend titles for procurement of learning resources during last three years. During last two years, the university’s library reportedly purchased books worth Rs 42 lakhs out of the UGC grant bypassing the Professor I/C of the library, sources said.

The library is currently having a total collection of 1, 25,132 volumes including some valuable documents. Due to lack of vision and forward planning, the library’s automation programme is also in a state of jeopardy.

Many attribute such grim situation to the non-availability of a com petent senior librarian with strong ICT back ground to lead the library’s automation programme which has gone directionless.

According to confirmed sources, the university library purchased SOUL library software package (designed under INFLIBNET programme of the UGC) on February 20, 2003 and using this software, 17,807 data entries were completed by three staff members.

But later, under the pretext of technical problems, the software was discontinued, causing huge loss of manpower and money from the library exchequer. Again the university library procured NewGenlib software in 2009 using which a database of 73,116 books was reportedly created.

Again on the ground of non-compatibility, technical snags, failing to meet the myriad approaches of the readers, the university is now contemplating to shift to the SOUL software. According to library experts, while both the softwares were open source softwares and available freely, why the university had purchased the software for its automation programme?

Now lakhs of rupees spent on training of the library staff, salary for data input, other overhead expenditure incurred for the automation has become sheer wastage of university fund which need to be probed, feel an insider who did not wish to be identified.

The post of university librarian is lying vacant for about last five years due to apathetic attitude of the Government and lack of interest and internal politics of the university administration.

Out of the eighteen professional staff members (including four regular, seven temporary, two outsourcing, and five trained  professional/technical assistants), five professional assistants who  were trained in automation at the cost of the university were deliberately transferred from the  library to different sections of the university for some vested interests which brought automation work to a halt.

Such transfers were surprisingly made without consulting the Professor in Charge of the library. How could the technical staff who received training to lead automation work were transferred to different sections  to carry out secretarial work without consulting the Professor I/C?

According to reliable sources, the library reportedly does not have its proper stock register from 1967 to 2011 in regard to its furniture, fittings and fixtures and equipment which surprised many.

During this long period of 43 years, furniture, fittings and fixtures and equipment worth crores of rupees have been purchased. To avoid audit objection and administrative action for misappropriation, the stock registers were allegedly destroyed for vested interests, feel an observer.

The stock register has reportedly been maintained by the library only since July 2011, the date from which the Professor I/C of the library PK Padhi took over the charge. The physical verification of the library has not been conducted for about a decade. One server and half a dozen computers are lying defunct causing set back to library’s automation programme.

Similarly, though lakhs of rupees are claimed to have been spent by the university in the name of repair and renovation of a sitting room for the Professor I/C of the library, but surprisingly, the room has neither been brought to habitable condition, nor the Professor I/C has been given a room for his office inside the library yet.

The library has reportedly collected Rs 14 lakh, including Rs 13 lakh as user’s fee and Rs 1 lakh as fine, is yet to be deposited in the library’s account for the reasons known to the university administration.

Mention may be made that, the Syndicate of the university has reportedly decided to deposit the sum in the library’s account. The library authority could have utilised this amount in library automation or for infrastructural development. Since 2007-08, one of the servers worth lakhs of rupees in the library has been lying defunct from lack of attention.

Surprisingly, no bills pertaining to purchase of equipment, fittings and fixtures are available with the library which has raised many eyebrows.

There is a strong public perception that the stock and store of the university library should be audited by an independent agency as materials and learning resources worth crores of rupees have reportedly been purchased during the last three successive VCs which remained under cloud.

Thousands of valuable books are reportedly missing. The new VC Prof Deepak Behera, however, has given priority for the development of the library and completion of automation programme. But the intellectuals feel that the reported misappropriation of fund and loss of valuable documents require a thorough investigation by an independent investigating agency. Source: The Pioneer 

Ganesh Puja at Panchama Binayak Pith, Berhampur

Source:  The Sambad

Berhampur LIC leads in micro policies in the Eastern Zone

Berhampur division of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has become leader in the growth rate of micro-insurance policies in the eastern zone. Speaking to newsmen during a press conference, organized to commemorate insurance week, senior divisional manager of the LIC, Ramesh Ch. Khora said micro-insurance policies were best ways to reach out to south Odisha, still out of reach of any insurance cover. He reiterated that the LIC had targeted to get all insurable persons under insurance cover by the end of 2020.

During the year 2012-13, the target of this LIC division was for 18,000 micro-insurance policies. But this target was exceeded. During current financial year the target for micro-insurance for this division was 20,000. “Till now we have achieved around 5000 micro-insurance policies and we are hopeful that the target would surely be reached,” said Mr Khora.

It was also claimed that at present Berhampur division of the LIC was making 90 per cent of its policy settlement payments through National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT). Under this scheme the settlement payments were being directly transferred to the bank accounts of policy holders or their nominees. Officials of the LIC felt they would be able to have 100 per cent settlement payments through NEFT. According to Mr Khora, as part of social responsibility, Berhampur division of the LIC was planning to provide modern ophthalmic care to people living in rural areas. This project is worth around Rs 22 lakhs. Authorities of the Berhampur division of the LIC have sent this proposal to their headquarters for approval.

This project would involve a mobile unit capable of advanced eye checkups. If approved this proposed project would be taken up in collaboration with an eye hospital of the city. During last financial year 131 crore rupees had been collected from this division towards the premium of 2,53,992 new policies. As per performance and growth Berhampur division of the LIC was placed in 16{+t}{+h}position among 113 divisions of the corporation in the country.  Source: The Hindu 

Ganjam Bar Association to intensify stir for permanent High Court bench at Berhampur

Source: Berhampur

Different organisations demand rail link from Berhampur to Kandhamal

It may be noted that this district of Odisha is yet to be connected by railway track. Its inhabitants have to depend on Berhampur or Bhubaneswar railway stations for their transportation through rail service. Different organisations and citizens of the Kandhamal district have formed an organisation named ‘Kandhamal Rail Sangram Samity’ to strengthen their demand for railway link.

Sadasib Patra, a key activist of this organisation said although this demand for railway link is continuing from Kandhamal district since decades, successive governments have not shown much interest towards it.

According to him railway connectivity could become a major catalyst of development for this under developed region. Assistant standing counsel of East Coast Railway, Naren Barik, who is also in support of the demand said although railways is planning to invest around Rs. 2 lakh crore for development of infrastructure, the share of Odisha in it was not as desired.

Panel formed

The ‘Kandhamal Rail Sangram Samity’ has formed an advisory committee which included the MPs and MLAs of the area as well eminent personalities of different fields. Different organisation of the district including the district bar association and leaders of different political parties have extended their support to the demand of the organisation.

According to the inhabitants of Kandhamal district railway connectivity from Berhampur would increase tourism prospects of this virgin natural region. It would also increase market prospects of the forest and organic agricultural produce of tribal people and dalits of Kandhamal district.

The activists of the organisation proposed that railway link for Kandhamal district can materialise through two ways.

There should be new railway connectivity between Berhampur and Phulbani in Kandhamal district via Aska and Bhanjanagar, which till date have no railway connectivity. Apart from it a railway track from Phulbani can be connected to the proposed railway track between Khurda and Bolangir at Charichhak.

They have decided to put forward their demand before different forums and authorities. In coming days we may take up democratic agitation for the demand, said leaders of the organisations. Source: The Hindu