Berhampur City bus fares to be revised

It has been proposed to revise the rate of tickets of city bus service for greater Berhampur to make it more competitive. The Ganjam Urban Transport Services Limited (GUTSL) which runs this city bus service through the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) proposed to revise the price of tickets to make it competitive with the private operators. Details of this rate revision were discussed at a meeting of the GUTSL held in the city on Tuesday.

The meeting was chaired by Ganjam district collector Prem Chand Choudhary and attended by officials in the GUTSL including its chief executive officer, the Berhampur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ajit Mishra, Mayor K. Madhavi, Berhampur Superintendent of Police (SP) Aniruddha Singh etc.

Speaking to newsmen after meeting the collector said, proposal for revision of ticket rate would be sent for approval to the urban development department of State government. New rates would be implemented as per the approval and recommendation of the urban development department. Mr. Choudhary added that very soon flying squads would be formed to check for ticketless travel. The erring passengers may have to pay up to Rs. 500 as fine. The GUTSL would also procure electronic ticket machines for city buses.

The city bus service for greater Berhampur would be fully functional with 32 buses by end of June. Apart from routes inside Berhampur, this city bus service also runs between Berhampur and Gopalpur, Chatrapur, Hinjili.

The authorities of the GUTSL also held discussions with private passenger vehicle operators on Tuesday in a separate meeting. Majority of private operators are opposing the city bus service as it would hampering their income. But the GUTSL authorities said city bus service had been started by government for benefit of the common man and any attempt to hinder its service would be dealt with strict action. It may be noted that the city bus service from Berhampur railway station is also facing opposition of autorickshaw owners, who feel it would affect their livelihood. Source: The Hindu

AIRPORT, MODERN RAILWAY STATION IN BRAHMAPUR CITY DEMANDED

A seminar marking the third death anniversary of founder and convenor of the Ganjam Zilla Vikas Manch Suresh Kumar Sahu was organised by the Manch here on Sunday. The Manch members paid their floral tributes to Sahu, who was a great social worker and vibrant reformer. The seminar was presided over by advocate Siba Prasad Mishra.

Most of the speakers stressed the need of developing the railway network and modernisation of the Berhampur railway station; development of a regular airport in Brahmapur; establishment of a permanent Circuit Bench of the Odisha High Court at Brahmapur; implementation of the Chheligada water project; undertaking plantation of trees in all the villages and towns of the district which has been severely affected by the cyclone Phailin to ensure a compatible climate; houses for slum dwellers; widening of roads; construction of a link road; construction of a modern and greater bus terminal for the city; and to make the city crime-free.

If these genuine demands are not met by the Government, the Manch would be forced to create mass opinion in favour of the demands through agitation in the days ahead, Mishra cautioned.

Manch secretary Dillip Choudhury offered a vote of thanks. Among others, veteran trade union leader Govind Das, Manch president Bhukant Sahu, Gopal Satapathy, P Subas Patra, Manoj Sahu, K Rabindra Kumar Das, Basanta Pattnaik, Sagar Ranjan Tripathy, Sushant Sabat, Ranjan Kumar Maharana, Debi Prasad Mahapatra, Aditya Nayak, Prabhat Sahu, Ramesh Chandra Sahu, Jogesh Chandra Sahu and a galaxy of trade union leaders, social workers, and scribes attended the seminar. 

Source: The Pioneer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Yjfq6f7SU

Berhampur University to work on model villages

Berhampur University (BU) has decided to create 10 model villages in different districts of southern Odisha.

Varsity sources said volunteers of National Service Scheme (NSS) will work for all-round development of Laxmipur and Dharampur (Ganjam district), B Sitapur and Kharidhepa (Gajapati district), Banamaliput and Old Simaneda (Koraput district), Antarigada (Rayagada), Paburia (Kandhamal), Gandiguda (Malkanagiri) and Jatiguda (Nabarangapur) in collaboration with the local administration.

"National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, an autonomous body under ministry of rural development, would extend necessary assistance to NSS for creating awareness on sanitation, health, plantation, literacy, water conservation and plantation," BU vice-chancellor Deepak Kumar Patnaik said after attending the university-level NSS advisory committee meeting on Friday.

The university had signed an MoU with the institute in August last year for collaborative research in the field of rural development, he added.

NSS coordinator P K Swain said the university has 225 NSS units with 11,250 volunteers. "The units have adopted one village each in their respective areas," he said. Source: The Times of India

BRAHMAPUR RAILWAY STATION RENOVATION TO BE OVER BY JUNE’

The century-old Brahmapur railway station was severely damaged during the Phailin super cyclone and incessant rains and had been left uncared since then. The Railways department had almost lent a deaf ear to repeated appeals by the locals and political leaders for renovation of the station, even as the station generates revenue worth `60 crore annually.

However, all of a sudden, a team of railway officials headed by Chief Commercial Manager of South Eastern Railways KC Pradhan visited the station on Saturday to take stock of the post-Phailin damages and particularly the progress of the work of platform (4). He said that by the end of June next, the platform repair and renovation work would be completed.

The Brahmapur station is in Class-A category for being one of the busiest stations of the State. However, in terms of its development and passenger amenities, including sanitation, the station could not achieve its target at par with other stations in the country. The quality of lighting, flooring, sanitation and cleanliness both inside and outside the platforms is below average.

Pradhan expressed his concern over the inordinate delay in repair work and said that the construction of a new gate was delayed as some portions of the land of station had been encroached.

Still, the Railways will complete its work soon and after construction of the new gate, an entry point and booking office will be opened near gate (4) which is slated to be completed by August this year. Provision of drinking water, a food plaza and a night shelter for the passengers will also be made available soon, Pradhan assured.

Among others, Station Master Durga Prasad Brahma and Commercial Inspector Subas Chandra Pati were present. Source: The Pioneer

Berhampur city bus service to be completed by June

The city bus service for greater Berhampur will be completed in June with 31 buses running under the project. This was declared during a high level meeting held in the city on Monday to discuss the city bus service for greater Berhampur, which had been inaugurated on February 26. The meeting chaired by Ganjam district collector Prem Chand Choudhary was attended by chairman cum managing director of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) Manoj Kumar Chabra, senior officials who are part of the Ganjam Urban Transport Services Limited (GUTSL).

The GUTSL has entered into an agreement with the OSRTC for running of the city bus service for greater Berhampur. At present 16 buses meant for this service have reached and 12 of them are running on various routes. With inclusion of new buses total number of buses of this city bus service would be increased to 31 by June, said the authorities of the GUTSL.

Mr. Chabra said due to restrictions imposed because of imposition of election code of conduct, new appointments of drivers and conductors could not be made.

Replying to a question regarding allegation of passengers that the fare of city buses was higher than private operators, the collector said this issue would be resolved during the next meeting of the GUTSL on May 27. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GUTSL Ajit Mishra informed that several new routes have been proposed. This city bus service was proposed to run buses on routes inside Berhampur and three other routes connecting Berhampur with Chatrapur, Gopalpur and Hinjli. Running of city buses inside the city has also faced hiccups as private autorickshaw operators continue to oppose the service. This issue would also be discussed in the next meeting of the GUTSL. Source: The Hindu

Seek solace at Taratarini Shrine

BY: BIBHUTI BARIK

Bhubaneswar, May 18: When chief minister Naveen Patnaik started his electoral journey after paying an obeisance to the famous deity at Taratarini three weeks ago, people of Ganjam and the entire south Odisha were extremely happy.

Before beginning anything auspicious, an average person from undivided Ganjam district and the entire south Odisha would always seek blessings of Goddess Taratarini. It is believed that if you go to the temple with a wish in your heart, then it would definitely be fulfilled.

Situated in Raipura village under Purushottampur block in Ganjam district, lakhs of tourists from nearby areas in Odisha and also from Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Bengal visit the famous shrine.

The temple on the summit of a hillock is on the right bank of the beautiful and meandering Rushikulya river. The shrine is just 7km away from Purushottampur and 30km away from Berhampur.

Travel writer from Chhatrapur, district headquarters town of Ganjam, Sujata Patnaik, said: “Taratarini shrine has now achieved tremendous popularity for the twin goddesses Tara and Tarini. Both are ancient deities and were worshiped on the hilltop at a small temple for decades in the past. The original structure was demolished in 2005 and the new temple replaced the old one with the Kalingan temple architecture. With beautiful Khandolite stone the temple looks beautiful from the road near the foothill.’’

Nityanand Mondal, a visitor from Bhubaneswar, who came to the shrine with family said: “The ropeway has added a new dimension to the tourism scene. Unlike the ropeway at Nandankanan Zoological Park, which is abandoned now, the cars here give you a feeling of a safe ride. A person can also come to the hilltop without hiring a vehicle and go back by the ropeway.’’

The state government has also taken up widening of the road to the shrine that was earlier narrow. “The road widening work is a good step taken by the authorities. The endowment department should go for facilitating basic amenities near the shrine outside the temple compound,’’ said Nigam Nayak, a tourist, who came from Berhampur with friends.

The twin deities, crudely fashioned in stone, have beautiful silver eyes attached to them. Legends connect the deities to Sakta cult in the past.

Historians say that the Bhanja dynasty rulers of the former Ghumsar state in the undivided Ganjam district installed the enshrining deity. At present the endowment department looks after the temple, but Taratarini Development Board administers the day-to-day affairs.

Interestingly, monkeys in groups often create problems for visitors. “You must not flash a banana or coconuts openly while returning from the temple before getting into the vehicles. You should hide them with a dupatta or a bag,’’ said Nayak.

While the kalpa bata or the banyan tree which fulfils wishes is outside the temple and gets offerings of red scarves, bangles and clothes, a point near the gate also attracts visitors to put their offerings on a platform.

Offerings such as laddu and khichdi are available at a counter near a gate with a nominal price.

Getting there is easy as taxis and auto-rickshaws available at Berhampur and Chhatrapur. There are several places to stay. Moreover, there is a beautiful Panth Nivas run by the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation near the hill. Rail and road links to Berhampur and Chhatrapur are available in plenty.

Source: The Telegraph 

World Bank to provide financial assistance to Odisha's Berhampur University

World Bank team assured financial assistance to Berhampur University to provide quality education. A World Bank team on Tuesday visited Berhampur University, which was severely affected by the Phailin last year, and held discussions with Vice-Chancellor Prof Dipak Kumar Behera on technical and financial assistance to the university.

The team comprising Kurt Laren, Soumi Saha and Nailin Jena which reached at Bhanja Vihar on Monday evening visited several departments, staff quarters and academic block on Tuesday morning and discussed on equity, governance, finance and preparedness of a comprehensive plan for higher studies with the university authorities.

University Registrar Prof Manmath Padhi and PG Councial Chairman Prof Prasanna Kumar Biswasray apprised the team on various issues and the university’s plan to improve quality of education. Sources said the team has assured of all supports, mainly financial assistance, to the university to provide quality education. http://www.orissadiary.com/

Berhampur buildings low on fire safety features

Basic norms as per National Building Code 2005 not adhered to in many structures

Although the city is witnessing a construction boom in the form of high-rise apartments and other buildings, it is alleged that none of the buildings is adhering to basic fire safety norms.

Fire and rescue officials of Berhampur have doubts about the safety of the high-rise buildings. As per norms all multi-storied apartments have to get their fire safety arrangements checked every year by officials and obtain no-objection certificates. But none of the multi storied apartments in Berhampur has opted for such checks nor do they apply for no-objection certificates from local fire office, said Deputy Fire Officer S.P.Behera.

The Fire department had brought this grave issue to the notice of the Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) with the complaint that most of the builders of high-rise buildings were not contacting the department for maintenance of fire safety aspects

According to Mr Behera, officials of Berhampur on their own reviewed the fire safety measures in some of the high-rise apartments. They had found that the basic norms of fire safety according to National Building Code 2005 were not being adhered to. In many cases, apartments have no space for vehicles of fire brigade to move around. In Berhampur, the Fire department is yet to get large mechanical ladders that are used in fire fighting.

Officials allege fire extinguishers were not in proper condition and fear they may not work in case of a fire. Flow of water through pipes was not being checked regularly. The pipes may not work as heat may reach inner rubber lining of pipes. It was also found that the hydrant point motor of the fire safety system of the building was not in running condition. As per the norms, each high-rise building should have a storage facility of 10,000 gallons of water, especially for fire safety, which is ignored in most high-rise apartments.

The officials are also critical of the state of fire escapes in these buildings. They allege that even some buildings do not have any fire escape facility.

As per norms any building higher than 15 meters should have fire extinguishers, a hose reel, automatic sprinklers, a special terrace tank exclusively for fire safety, underground static tank for water storage etc. Storage of water and space for entry of fire brigade vehicles is a must as in urban areas. Source: The Hindu

Special Photo-walk organized on 1st May in Berhampur

To popularize Photography a unique Photowalk programme was organized by the members of the Berhampur Photowalks group on Facebook at the Gopalpur-on-Sea on the 1st of May 2014 between 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM. Eleven photography enthusiasts participated in the programme.

Berhampur Photowalks group on facebook has been operational since the phailin hit Odisha in 2013 and now there are more than sixty members in the group who are actively participating in all photowalk programmes. Todays programme was special because it was organized under the banner of Roots of India a national level organization working to popularize Photography in India. Similar photowalk Programmes were also organized in different cities across India. 

Photos of the walk and the photos by the photographers will be sent to Roots of India for selection and the best selected photos will be published in magazine as well as exhibited across India, said Dr Jyoti Prasad Pattnaik, the leading member of Berhampur Photowalks. 

In future also we will do similar programmes and are now planning to involve school children to make them aware about photography to create environmental awareness amongst them said Dr Pattnaik.

Report by Odisha Diary bureau, Berhampur

Police to initiate steps to decongest traffic in Silk City Berhampur

After getting reports from educational institutions, city police would decide upon the places where stoppages.

The city police have decided to take up measures to decongest traffic in Berhampur, a major urban centre of Odisha.

The Berhampur Superintendent of Police (SP) Anirudh Singh convened a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the problems related to traffic management. The meeting was attended by police officials, representatives of passenger bus operators, lorry owners, autorickshaw owners, citizen representatives as well as officials of administration and the Berhampur Municipal Corporation.

It was acknowledged that unplanned stoppages of passenger buses as well as buses of educational institutions were a major hindrance to traffic management.

Speaking to The Hindu , the Berhamnpur SP said it was decided to demarcate definite stoppages for buses. No buses would be allowed to stop there for more than a few minutes. All educational institutions in and around the city have been directed to provide their list of stoppages to the city police.

Musical bands and processions causing sound pollution and traffic problem were also discussed. The police have cautioned the owners of musical band to adhere to the norms related to sound pollution.

“Otherwise, strict action would be initiated against them,” the SP said.

It was decided that all vehicle workshops on major roads in the city would be directed not to repair vehicles on roads. Inspectors in charge of police stations in Berhampur were ordered to identify crime prone stretches on roads in their areas where there is dearth of lighting.

The BMC authorities were requested to provide proper street lights in these areas. Source: The Hindu