Berhampur to free National Highway 217 of hoardings

BERHAMPUR: The National Highway 217 passing through Berhampur may soon be free of hoardings. The district administration has ordered officials concerned to remove the hoardings from either side of the 12-km stretch of NH passing through the town. "We have asked the officers of the NH, police, revenue and Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pull out the hoardings from either sides of the NH 217 for the free movement of the vehicles," said Ganjam collector Krishan Kumar. The big hoardings, which illegally mushroomed along the footpaths, have been causing a lot of traffic problems in the town with residents urging the district administration to solve the problem for quite some time. The issue was discussed at a meeting on the development of Berhampur town held here on Thursday evening. The meeting, presided over by the district collector, was attended by officials of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Berhampur Development Authority (BDA), besides MLAs from Berhampur and Gopalpur. The district collector also asked BDA officials to conduct a survey to identify open spaces in town and to rid them of encroachment. Some of the open spaces can be utilized for parking vehicles and some of them would be developed as green-belt with plantation and parks, the collector said. Around 150 open plots in the town, reserved by the BDA in different places, have vanished due to the encroachments, he pointed out. The administration also asked the BDA to crack down on buildings which diverted their open or parking spaces for other purposes. The violators would be punished, the collector warned.

Source: Times of India

City bus hope for Berhampur

BERHAMPUR: BDA and Local Authorities of Berhampur are planning to introduce a city bus service from the city to Gopalpur and Chhatrapur under public-private-partnership mode. “Though mini buses ply on both the Berhampur-Gopalpur and Berhampur-Chhatrapur routes, we propose to introduce a city bus service to these two places because of public demand,” said secretary of the Berhampur Development Authority Saran Kumar Jena. “We have engaged a consulting agency to make a detailed survey on the prospects and the possibilities of plying city buses on these two routes. The survey will take various factors, such as population, number of commuters travelling between these places and the number of autorickshaws and other vehicles in the area, into consideration. The survey, which was launched by the consulting agency two months ago, is in its final stages now,” Jena said. The consulting agency is expected to submit its preliminary report on May 14. The proposal will then be discussed with all stakeholders of the town, including local legislators, sub-collector, representatives of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation and others. District collector Ganjam Kishan Kumar has convened a meeting on May 10 for preliminary discussions on the proposed city bus service and various other development initiatives. “The mini buses, which are plying on these two routes at present, are insufficient. Though the capacity of a mini bus is 20, most of these vehicles ply with about 35 passengers. Introduction of city buses in these two routes will be of immense benefit to the commuters,” said Sudhir Das, who travels to Gopalpur from Berhampur everyday. However, Nagen Kumar Padhi, vice-president of the Berhampur Trekkers’ and Taxi Owners’ Association, is worried over the proposal to introduce the bus service. “It will affect our interests. We should be consulted on the matter,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph

Ravi Kumar aims for medal at London Olympics

International weightlifter K. Ravi Kumar of Berhampur qualified yesterday to compete at the London Olympics. The 23-year-old weightlifter, the only from Odisha to enter the Olympics league, is vying for a medal at the apex-sporting event to start from July 28. Ravi got a qualification slot for the London Olympics games in the 69-kg category. “I stood sixth in 69-kg category in the Asian Qualifying Tournament held at Seoul in South Korea and qualified to take part in the London Olympics. I lifted a total of 335kg in clean, jerk and overall weight,” said Ravi, who is suffering from a muscle injury on his left shoulder. “I will definitely try to bag a medal in London Olympics. Though the Olympics record in 69-kg weightlifting is 346kg overall and 358kg in world championship, I have in mind to lift more than 335kg in overall weight,” Ravi said. On asked whether the injury on his left shoulder will anyway affect his ambition to bag an Olympics medal, Ravi said: “Not at all.” “Prior to the Asian Qualifying Tournament held at Seoul, I underwent a spot injection on my shoulder to step forward. Fortunately, there is no problem on my shoulder now and I am temporarily relieved,” he said.

Ravi said he is practising seven hours a day to achieve his goal. “We will take parte in the Commonwealth Championship at Samoan islands situated in the Central South Pacific from June 4 to June 8 prior to the London Olympics,” he said. K. Suryakanta, the proud mother of Ravi Kumar, is happy after her son qualified for the mega-sporting event. “Ravi will definitely bag a medal in the London Olympics. There will be other senior weightlifters in the Olympics than my son, who not only is young but also suffering from shoulder pain. But, I am sure that he will definitely bring a medal for India with the blessings of the almighty and the people of the country,” Suryakanta said.

Source: The Telegraph

Students protest at Berhampur University supporting Anna Hazare

BERHAMPUR: The country wide support for Anna Hazare’s anti corruption movement has also found massive support at the Berhampur University campus. A rally was taken out by the students' Union of Berhampur University at the Bhanjabihar campus. Students from all the departments participated in the protest march and marched on the rally by holding placards on hands and making slogans against Anna Hazare’s detention. The students were seen raising slogans opposing the UPA Government’s decision of disallowing the peaceful protest of the common people led by Anna. On a huge gathering at the University bus stand the protest march was started by members of the students union which later joined by maximum number of students from various departments. According to the Student’s union president R. Santosh reddy “The ruling Government has started a dictatorial form of governance by not giving the right for a peaceful protest to its own citizens. Being the youth of the country we support the Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by Anna Hazare to end the huge scandals made by our politicians and Bureaucrats and we demand to free Anna ji by allowing him to protest for the jan Lokpal Bill.”

Source: OrissaDiary

Jatin’s brush paints Rushikulya beach nesting for Olive Ridley conservation

Renowned artist Jatin Das has recently extended his support to the conservation of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles by painting the Rushikulya beach nesting, one of the favourite rookeries of the sea turtles in Odisha. Das allowed his paintings to go under hammer to raise funds at the International Sea Turtle Symposium (ISTS), recently concluded in Goa. 

NGO Dakhin Foundation, the ISTS organisers, approached Jatin Das to accomplish an artwork on the sea turtles and subsequently urged him to visit Rushikulya beach during the mass nesting. Rushing from New Delhi on March 6 to witness the wonderful sight of the mass nesting, Das had made sketch on the spot. Having the experience of a lifetime, he started working on a serigraph edition for the benefit of the ISTS, held from April 25 to 29 in Goa, said Aarthi Sridhar of Dakhin Foundation. Das also made special numbered and signed serigraph edition of 500, especially released as a donation on the occasion of the 30th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. 

Although numbered and signed serigraph editions by the noted artist are usually sold for Rs 1,00,000, the price has been reduced to Rs 10,000 considering the marine conservation, added Sridhar. Jatin Das, a present resident of New Delhi........... Full story.............................................. Link ............. http://www.dailypioneer.com/254663/Jatin’s-brush-paints-for-Olive-Ridley-conservation.html, Source: The Pioneer

Is the Berhampur stadium jinxed?

BERHAMPUR: The Barracks stadium at Berhampur is cursed, it seems. Even after more than two decades, the stadium is yet to be completed. It is embroiled in a tussle between the Central Defence Ministry and the State Government. In the past efforts have been made for the transfer of this piece of land to the Sports Department of the State. But no positive results have come out except some high-level discussion. The Defence Ministry still owns a large chunk of land that had been marked out by the planners for the stadium. A stadium-cum-sport complex was to be constructed on 17.68 acres of land. But the Defence Ministry still owns 9.183 acres of it. The stadium awaits completion even after the Defence Ministry had promised to transfer its land to the stadium, to facilitate its completion, at a high-level meeting in New Delhi last year. Instead, the Ministry has constructed of a polyclinic for ex-servicemen on a patch of land adjacent to the Berhampur stadium. The impasse continues although new governments were formed at the Centre and in the State. Last year the Union Minister of State for Defence, M.M. Pallam Raju had inspected the area and promised all possible help for the transfer of land for the completion of the stadium. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also taken up the matter with the Defence Ministry. The State Government had agreed to provide same amount of land to the Defence Ministry on the outskirts of the city. In return, the Ministry was to be compensated with land near Ambapua or Army Air Defence College at Golabandha. It was also decided that the land transfer work should be completed in a month. Nearly 20 months have lapsed but nothing has happened on this front and with the work on ECH polyclinic underway people are only apprehensive over the completion of the stadium. The polyclinic building encroaches on the half-constructed tennis court complex taken up by BDA. The remaining four pavilions, a swimming pool complex, tennis court complex and a gymnasium are yet to be constructed.
Sources: Newindpress, The Hindu