What's the way out now??

Stadium work remains incomplete for last 30 years in Berhampur city

Barracks Stadium in Berhampur remains out of bounds for general public for last two years. Stadium work remains incomplete for last 30 years.

- https://www.facebook.com/futureBerhampur?fref=ts

ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF IIM IN ODISHA

Congratulations to people of Sambalpur! They have succeeded in convincing the state government what people of Berhampur could not do in all these years. In the state of Odisha you won’t be heard unless your noise is the loudest. No other logic works here and the white elephants sitting in the State Secretariat give two hoots to the social tension and regional sentiments that such decisions generate. Berhampur’s case can only be compared with a situation of "Darkness Under the Lamps". 

If the CM of the State represents you and he is not convinced about your eligibility and potentials- then whom do you complain? It is as if Berhampur city known for its entrepreneurial culture is wasting its energy and efforts in trying to convince the useless leadership ruling Odisha with no vision and sense of purpose, for whom central Institutes are like real-estate projects meant for decoration purpose and their social and economic implications matter too little for them. But, we shall keep trying our best!

(Ram Prasad Tripathy)

- https://www.facebook.com/futureBerhampur

Tenant information system to be introduced in Berhampur

In a bid to curb crime, particularly narcotics related offences, police have decided to introduce the tenant information system in this Silk City in south Odisha, a police offical said.

The decision was taken after they seized huge quantities of ganja from residential areas recently while some tenants are suspects in a double murder case of last month.

At the next meeting of community policing system, the issue would be discussed and dedicated police personnel entrusted with the job of collecting detailed information from house owners about tenants, SP (Ganjam) Sarthak Sarangi said today.

"We will develop a system for the purpose and appeal to the house-owners to cooperate with us," he said.

The 'aam' police system (community policing) was introduced in the city in December last year and covers all 40 wards of Berhampur Municipal Corporation.

Forty beat constables are assigned jobs to maintain public rapport.

While on June 3, the sleuths of Narcotics Control Bureau seized 1,712-kg ganja from a house at Suraj Bihar, Berhampur Sadar police seized 75-kg contraband from an apartment at Nilanchal Nagar.

Lost dream gives wings to many in Berhampur, Odisha

In 1980, financial crisis robbed Sudhir Rout of the chance to take the pre-university exam and qualify for the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) entrance test.

Even though his was dashed, at 52, Rout is paving the path for others to achieve their dream. Rout’s Aryabhatta Coaching Centre at Courtpeta here has been successfully training needy IIT and medical aspirants free of cost for the last eight years. The centre has helped more than 50 needy students clear the coveted tests.

Thanks to Rout, Sunil Bishoyi, son of a tea stall owner, is now doing his MTech from IIT Kharagpur, while engineer Siba Shankar Sethi, son of a poor farmer, is employed with a big company.

A rickshaw puller’s son Goutam Naik is thankful to Rout for fulfilling his dream to study engineering. Similarly, Maheswar Sethi, son of a fire brigade officer is a third-year MBBS student at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.

Sasmita, a student with Sudhir Rout, the founder of Aryabhatta Coaching Centre.

Sunil Bishoyi’s father Ramakanta said: “I never thought that my son would do so well. When Sunil passed Plus Two securing 70 per cent marks without any coaching or guidance I thought of asking him to help me with my tea stall business, but Sudhir babu appeared like an angel to help my son.”

Siba Shankar’s father Daktar Sethi, a farmer from the district’s Dhepaantara village, thanked Rout for changing his son’s life.

As Rout continues to fire the dreams of others, many like medical aspirant and son of a daily wage earner Balaram Das, 18, hopes to become a doctor and help his family earn a decent living.

As commercial centres charge no less than Rs 54,000 to train engineering and medical aspirants, Rout offers it free for the benefit of needy students.

“ I have adopted this system of free coaching for poor students since 2006. I had started with 60 students and it has crossed 400. I admit five to six poor students in every batch for free coaching. It gives me immense pleasure when they emerge successful,” said Rout.

He said that poor students suffer from inferiority complex and were often hesitant to sit with affluent students in the classroom. But he counsels them to concentrate solely on studies.

He also offers them financial assistance apart from lodging facilities and study material. A native of Madhabandha village under Chikiti block in Ganjam district, 25km from Berhampur, Rout did his MSc in Physics from Khallikote College in 1985 and became a faculty member of FIIT-JEE, New Delhi from 1999 to 2002. He also worked as a principal at Nalanda Residential College, Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh from 2002 to 2006 before launching Aryabhatta Coaching Centre.

“I had a dream to study in the IIT during my college days. The entrance examination fee for IIT was Rs 25 and the minimum qualification was pre-university. But I was unable to arrange the money,” said Rout.

Rout’s other passion is to plant trees and he has spent Rs 5 lakh to sprout greenery in Berhampur, Jagadalpur and Chikiti.

“My wife Shakuntala Devi and my two children give me moral support,” he said. Shakuntala even quit her schoolteacher’s job and says is “happy supporting my husband in his noble mission”.

Odisha Government proposes Greenfield commercial airport at Berhampur

Govt plans to upgrade 3 airstrips

To boost air connectivity in the state, the state government is planning to convert three airstrips into commercial airports. The airstrips are Jeypore in Koraput district, Rangailunda near Berhampur and Raisuan near Keonjhar. The state government would soon send a proposal to the Centre in this regard, official sources said.

The issue was discussed at the all secretaries meet chaired by chief secretary G C Pati here. The state government has agreed to provide required infrastructure to upgrade the airstrips.

Through Odisha has 17 airstrips, so far only the Biju Patnaik International Airport is in an operational stage. As the existing Rangailunda airstrip near Berhampur is not viable for expansion, the state government has identified over 500 acre at a new location on Berhampur-Gopalpur road in Kanisi tehsil of Ganjam district.

"To start commercial operation, we need to expand the airstrips. The existing location could not be expanded as it is surrounded by the campus of Berhampur University. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) team has already visited the new site," said a GA department officer.

The state has proposed to extend the length of Jeypore airstrip to 6,500 ft from the existing 3,000 ft. For safety and security of airports, the boundary walls would also be constructed. "The district administration has identified over 450 acre for expansion of the airstrip. Keeping in mind the existence of a PSU and business establishments, the AAI has already conducted the pre-feasibility report," the officer said.

-TNN | Jun 4, 2015

East Coast Railways updates facilities at Berhampur Railway Station for passenger convenience

The passengers at the Berhampur Railway Station can now get sleeper class tickets from the general counters for travelling within the periphery of 200 kilometres. However, they have to pay little more than the price of the general tickets.

Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) of Khorda Division Subhendu Kumar Choudhary made the announcement about the new facility in a press conference held at the Berhampur Railway Station on Wednesday.

Besides he also informed about other developmental plans of the East Coast Railway for convenience of the passengers at different Railway Stations of Ganjam district.

In addition, passengers who want to travel in the sleeper class beyond 200 km can book the ticket before three days of travel. Besides, passengers can get 5 percent discount if they use the Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM) for booking the tickets for distance within the periphery of 150 kms.

“The ATVM was introduced in the Berhampur railway station few years ago. But it is not being used by the passengers. We request the passengers to use ATVMs. It is very easy to use, one can make a Smart Card by paying Rs 70 at the General Counter. After recharging the card, one can get tickets from the ATVM without standing in the queue,” informed Choudhary.

The East Coast Railway has some new developmental plans too. It includes provision of platform shelter and ramp for disabled passengers in Chatrapur Railway Station, raising of platforms to high level in Khallikote, platform shelters at Chilika, Ganjam, Golnthara, Humma and Jagannathpur Railway stations.

Addressing the media, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager H. L. Luang stated, “Close Circuit cameras will be installed soon in the ‘A’ category railway stations. At present Berhampur Railway Station comes under the A category with a passenger revenue of 48.30 Crore per annum. We hope to take it to the A1 category soon.”

 Wednesday, 03 June 2015

Which of the following you think is the most suitable day to be celebrated every year as “Berhampur Day”?

Friends, we are seeking the opinion of netizens from Berhampur on their preferred day which all of us can celebrate as “Berhampur Day” every year – a notional birthday for our city. This day will help us reflect on the history and culture of this lovely city, recall the immense contributions made by Berhampurians in the past and recognize the young talent of Berhampur which has earned a name for itself in India and beyond. So, why wait for the Government to recognize the history and culture of our city? If they recognize it and celebrate the day on their own then it is always welcome. But, to begin with we can do this by selecting the particular day that we can call the “Berhampur Day”. May be in the years to come this day can become an occasion for Berhampurians from across the globe to assemble on that particular day and spare some time for their place of birth that will inspire the present generation to take this legacy forward. The challenge however lies in selecting a day which most would associate with the city and its culture. Though the origin of Berhampur city dates back to the 16th Century (historians suggest that Nrusingha Chaturdasi was the day) and the city has completed 400 years of its existence but we cannot be sure about the particular day in the English calendar when a sleepy Brahmapalli transformed into Berhampur or Brahmapur of today that millions recognize as a city of the future. Your opinion on this is most welcome.

(Please forward this to you friends so that we can take the opinion of maximum number of Berhampurians to select this very important day)

Which of the following you think is the most suitable day to be celebrated every year as “Berhampur Day”?

A) Nrusingha Janma day (April-May). Brahmapalli or present Berhmpur came into prominence around 400 years ago (Birthday of Lord Nrusingha is observed on Baisakha Sukla Chaturdasi i.e. the 14th day of the bright fortnight of Baisakha).

B) 29th March (Mahatma Gandhi reached Berhampur on this day in 1921. This is also the day on which Tribal leader of South Odisha and Great Freedom fighter Saheed Laxman Nayak laid his life and he was hanged at Berhampur Central Jail in 1943).

C) 11th April (The annual conference of the Ganjam Jatiya Samiti was held at Utkal Ashram in Berhampur on April 11, 1903 leading to the birth of Utkal Sammilani. This conference laid the foundation of the formation of modern Odisha state. The month of April is also the time of the year when Berhampur comes alive for the biennial Thakurani yatra and the annual Danda Yatra).

D) 29th December (Berhampur became a Municipal Corporation on this day in 2008)

E) Any other day (with justification)