Shifting of NHAI office Berhampur to Balasore

Friends, Please raise your voice against this anti Berhampur stand of the Naveen Patnaik led BJD govt...otherwise this negligence towards Berhampur and South Odisha will continue for ever............

-Ram Prasad Tripathy

Olive Ridley at Rushikulya river mouth, near Berhampur city, Odisha

Gopalpur (Berhampur) port reopens in November

Road accidents rise in Berhampur-Bhubaneswar section of Odisha

Demand for Berhampur-Bhubaneswar 6 lane NH gains ground 

Ground-breaking ceremony of first project at Tata’s SEZ held

Ground-breaking ceremony for the first manufacturing unit to be set up in Gopalpur Industrial Park Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project of Tata Steel near Berhampur city in Ganjam district of Odisha was held on Wednesday.

This unit, to produce aerial target products for defence purposes, is being set up by Mumbai-based Sure Safety Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in collaboration with M/s Megitt Defence Systems Ltd. of United Kingdom. Initially an assembling unit, it would cost Rs.60 crore and set up over an area of five acres under the ‘Make in India’ scheme. The project will begin with an assembly line for aerial targets, followed with servicing of Meggitt’s more than $50 million order procured from Indian Ministry of Defence for aerial targets.

Industries Minister Debi Prasad Mishra at the ground-breaking ceremony of first firm coming up on SEZ project of Tata Steel in Ganjam district.

Meggitt’s customer support manager Chris Hilder hoped that production from their Gopalpur Industrial Park Unit was expected to start from August 2016. He added that there were chances that this unit may be upgraded from assembling to a full-fledged production unit in future.

The ceremony today was attended by Industries and School & Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Science and Technology Minister Pradeep Panigrahy, Army Air Defence College, Gopalpur, commandant Lt.-Gen. A. K. Saigal and Arun Mishra, the vice-president, Project Gopalpur & MD, Tata Steel Special Economic Zone Ltd.

Speaking to newsmen, Mr. Debi Mishra hoped that this unit would usher a new beginning for industrial growth in Odisha as this SEZ is first of its kind in Odisha. He added that the Odisha government would come up with details of its SEZ policy by December which would ease process for establishment of Gopalpur Industrial Park of Tata Steel. Mr Arun Mishra said Tata Steel had started discussions with investors in China and other South-East Asian countries, who have shown interest in the SEZ project.

Industries Minister Debi Prasad Mishra at the ground-breaking ceremony of first firm coming up on SEZ project of Tata Steel, Gopalpur (Berhampur) in Ganjam district.

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDCO) of Odisha in the past had acquired 2,970 acres of land near Gopalpur port in Ganjam district for a mega plant of Tata Steel. Later steel plant project had been shelved and the company had decided to have a SEZ on the land. Registration process of lease deed of land earmarked for this SEZ near Gopalpur port has started and 1,235 acres of land earmarked for the project would be registered in the company’s name in the first phase, said Mr Debi Mishra. Rest of the land with IDCO would be registered in the name of Tata Steel in a phased manner. Meanwhile, a 55,000 tons per annum ferrochrome plant of Tata Steel that would be the anchorage industry of this proposed SEZ is nearing completion. This Rs.800-crore plant is expected to start its test production in January 2016 and its commercial production would start in April 2016, said Mr Arun Mishra.

 – BERHAMPUR, October 29, 2015
Link - http://www.microstat.in/index.php/ground-breaking-ceremony-of-first-project-at-tatas-sez-held/

How the Berhampur Goddess Festival Used to Be Celebrated in All Its Glory-By P Parthasarathi

The earliest live performance of a song that comes to my mind is from a beggar woman — a very old woman in the early 1960s — who used to come and sit in front of our old ancestral mansion after stepping on to the verandah and holding her walking stick. She would sing with both her hands holding the stick, giving the rhythm (timing) support for the song, producing a peculiar sound when an iron ring in one of her fingers made contact with the stick.

Those were the times when the country’s economy was in the doldrums, what with so many beggars straggling on the roads and standing in front of every house, expecting alms. That was a time when apartment culture was not even heard of and most of the families lived in their own houses, some small and some big. Many of them used their musical talents to justify their begging, perhaps with a self-respect satisfying them that the people who were giving these homeless people coins or rice were pleased with their musical performances.

Those were the time when automobiles were very few and there was virtually no noise pollution. Radio was a luxury for the lower middle class and the upper middle class. Those who were able to afford a radio set were considered highly privileged. A telephone at home was considered a dream of only the few who had the guts to dream to become rich. Ford-made cars of the old model were the popular ones with the economically stable upper middle class.

A neighbour receiving an occasional telephone call would cause the others much irritation, perhaps because they thought that undeserving people were getting calls over telephone that only the rich deserved.

Those were the days when villagers used to travel in bullock carts to the nearest towns to watch films, the only source of mass entertainment then. I remember at least 50 to 60 bullock carts parked near a cinema hall named Utkal that carried villagers from different hamlets around our the then-town Berhampur just to watch the film Veer Bhimsen in which Dara Singh played Bheem. The famous Goddess Festival, popularly known in Odia as Thakurani Jatra, also was in progress. The selection of the perfect time to screen mythological films by the cinema hall organisers was usually the two months when the festival would be in progress so that the masses that visit Berhampur from different places to have a darshan of the Thakurani Maa will also have the luxury of seeing other screen gods like Krishna, Rama and others from Indian mythology.

Also prominent were the roads with men donning make-up and suitable attires to resemble mythological characters, a traditional practice to please the goddess. For some, this period would be a boon to earn an extra buck on the pretext of donning the disguise that made it mandatory for every one they approached to give them some contribution with which the former was supposed to buy prashad and contribute to the festivities. This would be a time when the only dominating thought in every mind was the goddess.

During the last week of the festival, roads would get overcrowded and even walking on the main road was possible only by jostling through the crowd — let alone riding a bicycle. The tradition still continues but with certain conditions put in place by the authorities. First of all, the period of festivities has been reduced to only a month because of shortage of water and power.

The number of people donning different divine avatars has substantially come down, what with economic prosperity that does not compel many to go for begging in disguise. However, one thing remains unchanged — the unfortunate men with the soul of females — females trapped in male bodies — this is a period when everyday they wear a saree and make themselves look like the opposite sex, often creating an impression that what the crowds see is in fact a woman and not a man.

This time, as the festival was celebrated, all those vivid images locked in my mind since childhood came rushing to the surface in a flashback. I prostrate before the Goddess Budhi Shantarani for giving us, the Berhampurians, so much to enjoy and so much to seek from her, along with, of course, her blessings.

-By P Parthasarathi, (parth1956@gmail.com) Published: 28th October 2015

- LInk http://www.newindianexpress.com/columns/How-the-Berhampur-Goddess-Festival-Used-to-Be-Celebrated-in-All-Its-Glory/2015/10/28/article3101527.ece

Sthana Peetha Tara Tarini

Maa Tara Tarini peetha, a shakti shrine in the Ganjam district of Odisha State is a major religious tourist destination in India. Situated on the banks of River Rushikulya near Berhampur city , the shrine is visited by lakhs of devotees and tourists every year, particularly on all Tuesdays of the Hindu month of Chaitra and during Navaratra & Dussehra. It is just 7km away from Purushottampur and 28 km away from Berhampur city, the commercial epicenter of Odisha.

The shrine is worshiped as the Breast Shrine (Sthana Peetha) and the Twin Goddesses Tara and Tarini are worshiped as manifestations of Adi Shakti . The Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha is one of the oldest pilgrimage centers of the Mother Goddess and is one of four major ancient Tantra Peetha in India. The other three Adi Shakti Peethas are Bimala, Kamakshi (Assam) and Dakhina Kalika (West Bengal).

Tata Steel ropes in Sure Safety Solutions to set up a defence unit in Gopalpur

Tata Steel has roped in Sure Safety Solutions (SSS), a Mumbai-based defence and surveillance technology products maker, to set up an assembly line of aerial targets for armed forces next to its Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Gopalpur, a coastal town in Odisha, two people familiar with the development told ET. Sure Safety Solutions has a teaming agreement with the UK-based aerospace and defence major Meggitt PLC, a world leader in unmanned vehicle systems including free flying aerial targets used for testing missiles.

SSS is expected to invest Rs 60-80 crore in the assembly plant to be built under the 'Make in India' scheme, industry insiders said. The plant will come up next to the Gopalpur SEZ of Tata Steel, which is helping the state attract investments in the area.

A government official in the know said a formal announcement of the plant is expected next week. While the initial project is an assembly line for aerial targets, the plant will also be used to service Meggitt's Rs 100-crore plus order from the Indian Navy for aerial targets.

Arun Misra, Tata Steel VP and Gopalpur project in charge, was not available for comment. Founded by Arun Bhalotia and Ravi Agarwal in 2004, SSS works in the area of field of security and surveillance, defence simulators, and aerial and surface targets and UAVs.

It had supplied aerial targets for the testing of the indigenous surface-to-air Akash missile at the integrated test range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha.

Industry sources said SSS is expecting to land its largest defence order soon and Gopalpur is considered an ideal location to execute this.

"It is the proximity — a 250-km distance to such Air Force and naval institutions like the Chandipur test range and the Army Air Defence College at Gopalpur itself — that makes Gopalpur an ideal location," a company official said on condition of anonymity.

SSS, which also has offices in Berhampur and Bhubaneswar, sees a possibility of building Quad Rotor UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) used for surveillance and reconnaissance at this site in the future.

Odisha recently registered 1,235 acres, or half of the total Gopalpur site in advanced possession of Tata steel, in favour of Tata Steel (Gopalpur) SEZ, where the company is setting up a ferrochrome plant. The Centre's notification is awaited now.

While the state's new special economic zone (SEZ) policy allows the anchor investor to sub-let land, the SSS plant will come up outside of the SEZ area.

Having seen some high profile investments such as Posco and Arcelor's steel plants come unstuck, Odisha is looking to move beyond mineral-based industries. Priorities of its new industrial policy match those identified by Tata Steel for Gopalpur — electronics and engineering, defence and downstream of steel and aluminium.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/tata-steel-ropes-in-sure-safety-solutions-for-odishas-defence-plant/articleshow/49499122.cms

Happy Dussehra

Berhampur Bahana Nala renovation begins

 The much-awaited renovation of Bahana Nala, one of the major drains flowing on the outskirts of Berhampur, started on Saturday. Higher education minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy laid the foundation stone for the renovation of the 17-km drain.

The estimated cost of the renovation work is Rs 22.15 crore and a target has been set to complete the work in three years, said the minister. "It was a longstanding demand of the people of the area as the clogged drain caused waterlogging," he said.

"We have aimed to construct at least six bridges over the drain and a 6-km wall to arrest soil erosion. With the renovation, the water-bearing capacity of the drain will be increased," said executive engineer, drainage division A K Patra.

People of lowlying areas like Gajapati Nagar, Jaya Prakash Nagar, Nilanchala Nagar and Saradha Bali in the city are facing waterlogging every year during the rains. Three-metre-high drain water was flowing in the area when cyclone Phailin hit the city on October 12, 2013, and during subsequent floods on October 23. District administration had pressed boats into service to ferry the local people.

"We have discussed with the Berhampur Municipal Corporation for construction of another drain connecting the lowlying areas and Bahana Nala," said the executive engineer. It would be constructed under the World Bank-aided Odisha Disaster Recovery Project (ODRP). Construction of drains in the city is one of the components of the Rs 180-crore ODRP, official sources said.

-TNN | Oct 18, 2015

BU will confer D.Litt to Dona Ganguli

Beautification of Ramlingam tank, Berhampur

Historic images of former President of India Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam's visit to City High School,Berhampur

Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam's visit to City High School,Berhampur  

-http://www.iamin.in/en/berhampur/news/city-high-school-recalls-former-president-dr-apj-abdul-kalams-2006-visit-65765

Saradiya puja at Tara Tarini Shakti peeth

Navaratra and Dussehra Puja of Maa Budhi Thakurani (the Ista Devi of Berhampur) begins

Navaratra puja in Berhampur

Navaratra puja in Berhampur

Multi functional Centre in Berhampur station

Navaratra puja begins @ Tara Tarini shakti peeth, Berhampur, Odisha

Centre kickstarts Rs. 128-cr lighthouse tourism project

Lighthouses for which techno-economic feasibility has been conducted are at Gopalpur & False Point in Odisha, Dwarka & Veraval in Gujarat

The Shipping Ministry has kickstarted the ‘lighthouse tourism’ project by inviting initial qualification bids to develop eight lighthouses in the first phase, at a cost of Rs. 128 crore, under the public-private-partnership model.

The lighthouses are at Aguada (Goa), Chandrabhaga (Odisha), Kadalur (Kerala), Muttom, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, Kanhoji Angre, Sunk Rock in Maharashtra, and Minicoy (Lakshwadeep).

The project involves putting up viewing towers/galleries, amphitheatres with sound and light shows, laser shows, resorts and eco-resorts, restaurants, cafes, food courts, drive-in restaurants and arts & craft centre, according to the Request for Qualification from bidders, issued by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL).

There are 189 lighthouses along the 7,157-km long coastline, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep Islands.

The DGLL has developed four lighthouses — Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Alapuzha and Kannur — as tourist centres with basic infrastructure facilities and museum.

The other four lighthouses for which techno-economic feasibility has been conducted are at Gopalpur and False Point in Odisha, and Dwarka and Veraval in Gujarat.

‪#‎Gopalpur‬-On-Sea, ‪#‎Berhampur‬, ‪#‎FutureBerhampur‬

Shodasa Puja commences at Tara Tarini Shakti Peeth near Berhampur

The famous Sodasha Puja at Tara Tarini Shakti Peeth near Berhampur in Odisha started from Mulastami i.e. on 04 October, 2015. This Puja will continue till Mahastami i.e. on 20th October, 2015. In major Shakti Peethas like Kamakshya, Daksinakali, Tara Tarini, Bimala, Chamundeswari and Maha Kali the Durga Puja is observed for 16 days, starting from Bhadrapada Krushna Paksha Ashtami to Ashvina Shukla Paksha Navami of the Hindu Calendar, also known as Shodasa Puja or  Shodasa Dinatmaka Upachara.

Noteworthy Tara Tarini is worshiped as the Breast Shrine (Sthana Peetha) and manifestations of Adi Shakti. The Tara Tarini Shakti Peetha is one of the oldest pilgrimage centers of the Mother Goddess and is one of four major ancient Tantra Peethas and Shakti Peethas in India.

Amidst chanting of hymns the Sodasha Puja also known as Devi Utthapana began at Tara Tarini shrine after 3.00 pm on Mulastami. 108 Sevakas of Tara Tarini Shakti Peeth brought 108 pots of water from the holy Rushikulya River flowing at the foothill of the shrine.  After rituals of Snana, Majana, Mangala Arati, Maha Arati, Chhandi Path and commencement of Chandi Yagna in the established tradition, the goddess gave darshan to her devotees in the Rajarajeswari Besha and the entire process continued till 12.30 pm next day.

As per the information from the shrine, the Chandi Patha and Chandi Yagna started on the first day of Sodasha Puja will continue till last day of Vijayadashami / Dussehra. Out of the 16 days, the Navratri Puja will start from October 13 and will culminate on October 21. Navaratri is the last nine days of Shodasa Puja and the Shakti is also worshiped by devotees in different pandals for a period of nine days.

According to the Vedic scriptures, Adi Shakti or Goddess Durgā is a symbol of power. She is worshipped in nine different forms and is therefore termed Nava-durgā. Each of the nine manifestation of Durgā are  worshipped with full devotion during Navarātri at Tara Tarini Adi Shakti Peeth. These nine forms of manifestation are Śhailaputrī, Brahmachāriṇī, Chandrakaṇṭā, Kuṣhmāṇḍā, Skandamātā, Kātyāyanī, Kālarātrī, Mahāgaurī and Siddhidātrī. It is believed that if worshipped ‘Nava Durgā’ with religious fervor during Navaratri, it bestows all spiritual fulfillment to a devotee.

The Sodasha Puja, Navratri and Vijayadashami are very important and major festivals in the religious calendar of this Shakti Peeth. During this entire 16 days period, the sanctum of Maa Tara Tarini remains open round the clock for Darshan of the devotees. Lakhs of devotees gathering to obtain darshan of Maa during Sodasha Puja.

Shifting of NHAI office in Berhampur to Balasore

 

Tall claims of Odisha Govt. vs Reality

Dangerous river crossing for students; When the fate of South Odisha will change?

Residents of five villages in Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district (around 200 km from Berhampur city in South Odisha) including women and school going children allegedly risking their life every day to cross a small river through a makeshift hanging bridge made up of rope.

It is no less than a dangerous tightrope walk performed by acrobats in circuses. Five villages whose residents are forced to tread this risky route are Gobatbadi, Kudimanja, Laribadi, Baligada and Aadagadu of Simanbadi panchayat. To reach the local panchayat office, school and market at Simanbadi, residents of these villages have to cross the Tikapata river near Gobatbadi. Villagers are demanding for bridge at the spot for a long time. The condition worsens during monsoon.

Speaking to The Hindu , Block Development Officer of Daringbadi, S.Sharma, said an alternative route exists for these villagers, which they are not using. According to him a bailey bridge exists at a small distance from these villages near Dakarbadi, that had been constructed at a cost of around Rs 1 crore. “If inhabitants of these five villages use this bridge to reach Simanbadi they would have to travel an extra 500 metres to one kilometre more than if they opt for the dangerous crossing of the river,” he said

Officials accept that around 15 years back construction of a bridge had been started near Gabatbadi, which has not got completed yet. Few pillars of the half constructed bridge still exist in the area. Construction of this bridge had been stopped due to technical reasons as no soil test had been conducted before start of construction and later soil test had hinted that the spot was not suitable for the purpose.

On Wednesday, the BDO along with the sub-collector of Baliguda, A. Saha reached these five villages to hold discussion with inhabitants about the issue. Social activist of Daringbadi area Kailash Dandapat said in last 15 years construction technology has evolved a lot and advanced technology should be used to construct a bridge over the river at the spot where villagers cross it dangerously.

-http://www.microstatindia.com/…/dangerous-river-crossing-f…/

Chitfund court at Berhampur

Berhampur railway employees take oath to continue Swachh Bharat Mission

Taking the oath of cleanliness, employees on Tuesday conducted a Swachta Abhiyan at Berhampur Railway Station. Senior Divisional Engineer of Khorda Railway Division, Ashok Kumar lead the team in cleaning the premises of the station.

Chief Health Inspector of Berhampur Railway Station, M. Gopal Krishna, informed, “The Abhiyan has been kick started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have taken the oath to devote two hours in a week to clean the station.”

Various organisations such as Child Line and SOCH (Society for Children) also participated in the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan.

- DNA Berhampur I 29 September 2015 | Ronalisa Parida

Highcourt Bench at Berhampur

Autonomous Status to MKCG Medical college Berhampur

Old Bus Stand, Berhampur

Modi government proposed several development projects in Ganjam: Dharmendra Pradhan

Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said he would personally take interest for implementation of different centrally-aided projects in Ganjam district if the state government came forward to assist like providing land.

Several projects have been proposed by the central government in Ganjam. These include a railway wagon factory, a transport nagar, a defence manufacturing unit, a mega oil depo near Golantara, coastal national highway from Gopalpur to Digha and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.

"All these projects will be only implemented after the state government hands over the required lands to the departments concerned," he told at a meeting here while launching a loan mela under Pradhan Matri Mudra Yojana. He also assured that he would take interest to make Gopalpur Port s a major and all-weather port if the state government requests the Centre in this regard. The port is being developed by Gopalpur Port Limited, a private company.

On the demand to extend the proposed coastal national highway from Digha to Gopalpur up to Sonepur in Ganjam district, he promised the matter would be taken up with Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari.

He blamed the state government for the underdevelopment of Ganjam district, particularly Berhampur, the commercial hub.

Earlier, Lok Sabha member (Aska) Ladu Kishor Swain and MLA (Berhampur) R C Chyaupatnaik appealed to the Union minister for implementation of various central projects in the district.

-TNN | Sep 26, 2015

No End to Traffic Snarls on Berhampur city Streets

Commuters are facing harrowing time in Berhampur with traffic management worsening day by day. The automated traffic signals installed at three major squares of the city to streamline traffic flow, do not function properly.

Even as the local administration had decided to take strict measures to check traffic problems caused by unauthorised vending zones in different areas of the city, this has been of little help.

In areas like Tata Bench Square, Kamapalli Square, Subbarao Square and First Gate Square, traffic jam is a frequent problem faced by commoners. In fact, the automated traffic signal at Tata Bench Square has been lying defunct from 2010 and currently, vehicular traffic is being managed by two traffic cops and three Home Guards, shift wise.

A few years back, roads in the area were broadened by removing encroachments but that did not solve the problem. The automated traffic signal at Subbarao Square also does not function.

Sources said unplanned stoppages of passenger buses as well as buses of educational institutions are a major hindrance to traffic management. Such is the situation that traffic cops are unable to streamline traffic from Zanana Hospital area towards Komapalli and Giri Road. Besides, with vehicle owners choosing to park on the road, squeezing the space in the already narrow lanes, the city witnesses bottlenecks in almost every road. Locals said irresponsible driving and lack of traffic sense among the drivers have also aggravated the situation. “Even if you abide by traffic rules, you cannot assume other vehicles to follow the same these days. They lack riding sense,” rued a Central Government employee, Ratnakar Sabat.

Sources said traffic management with the existing manpower is a Herculean task. While the number of vehicles in the city has increased manifold, there are not enough traffic personnel to manage the city traffic. “We are trying to ensure smooth flow of traffic at peak hours. However, people are also expected to drive responsibly, which is lacking,” said Suresh Kumar Kayara, Berhampur traffic station in-charge.