Odisha to get new medical college, two ITIs
Sunday, 08 April 2012 03:23
Bhubaneswar, Apr 7 (PTI) Assuring allotment of 50 per cent of electricity to Odisha from the two proposed ultra mega power projects in the state, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today announced establishment of a medical college in Sundergarh district. "The state government had been asking for establishment of a hospital in Sundergarh district. But the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) would set up a medical college with 400 bed capacity there," he told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here. Noting that tribals of Sundergarh district should avail quality health services, he said capacity of the proposed medical college could go up in coming days. "Now the work for the medical college will begin," he said. Two Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), one each at Angul and Sundergarh would be established for imparting vocational training to local youths. "As a power hub in coming up in the state, there is requirement of a large number of skilled manpower here," he said. The union power minister, however, informed chief minister Patnaik that it would not be possible on part of the Centre to allocate additional 700 MW of electricity from Ultra Mega Power Project at Bedabahal. The state was presently entitled to get 1300 MW of power from the UMPP at Talcher. (MORE)
 
E-governance project launched at Keonjhar district collectorate
Saturday, 07 April 2012 03:32

KEONJHAR: Keonjhar district collector D V Swamy on Thursday inaugurated an e-governance project at his office. Henceforth, all paper works in the collectorate will be done electronically.

The objective of the system is to provide better service to citizens and bring down the time needed to perform jobs. Swamy said, "e-collectorate is the only way to cater to the needs of so many people who come to the collectorate with their problems. Keonjhar is the first district that has introduced the system."

"It is a completely automated process which will ensure paper-less administrative work, and also eliminate the risk of files going missing. We will be able to maintain better transparency and all services would be more accessible to citizens through the electronic mode," Swamy added.

"This will also help people know about the exact status of a file or a grievance petition in the collectorate from anywhere in the world. They would not have to run from one office to another, they will get to know everything through internet or text messages. The software to be used in the project was imported from Kerala," an official said.

"Keonjhar SP Ashish Singh said, "The new technique will provide better service to common man and help officials maintain transparency."

odisha news 

 
Fresh talks for release of abducted MLA, Italian
Friday, 06 April 2012 10:12
BHUBANESWAR: Fresh talks were held on Friday between the Odisha government and the Maoist mediators, a day after the government named the 27 jailed people to be freed in return for the release of BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka and Italian Paolo Bosusco taken hostage by two separate Naxal groups.

However, the abductors of 37-year-old Laxmipur MLA and 54-year-old Italian were yet to respond to the announcement of the names of prisoners to be freed.

While the three-member state government team was led by home secretary U N Behera, the two Maoist-nominated negotiators were B D Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty.

The focus of discussion was to examine the names of persons whose release from jails would be facilitated, while 12 other points in the 13-point charter of demands put forward by the abductors of the Italian were also deliberated.

Though it was not immediately clear what transpired during the talks, the need to speed up the process of the Italian's release was believed to have been emphasised by the government side, sources said.

Sabyasachi Panda, secretary of Odisha State Organising Committee of CPI (Maoist), had in an audio message demanded immediate release from jail of seven persons, including his wife Subhashree Das alias Mili Panda for Bosusco's release.

Subhashree's name figures in the list of four persons proposed to be freed for the release of Bosusco.

Meanwhile, there was no word from the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist) which owned responsibility for the abduction of Hikaka, though it had extended the deadline for fulfilment of their demands till Saturday for the release the BJD MLA.

A Maoist leader telephoned a section of the media yesterday, saying the deadline, which was to end last evening, had been extended till the evening of April 7.


sources-timesofindia
 
Orissa govt in quandary over irregularities in land allotment
Thursday, 05 April 2012 09:23

The state government found itself in a quandary in the assembly over alleged irregularities in leasing out of land to industries as the Opposition created a ruckus on the matter, accusing the government of land grabbing from innocent people.

The Opposition also attacked the government for considerable shrinkage in cultivable area in the state in the past five years owing to increasing diversion of land for non-farm activities.

 Area under cultivation in the state has dipped by 117,000 hectares during 2005-10 as land put to non-agricultural use rose by 299,000 hectares in the same period, according to the latest report (civil) of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) for the year ended March 31, 2011.Opposition Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan said, “The government has handed over 50276.88 acres of land including 33355.12 acres of acquired private land to 107 companies for setting up of industries in 16 districts.”

He took swipe at the government for misusing emergency provisions under Land Acquisition Act-1894 to acquire land for six industrial promoters.

"This government is exploiting innocent land owners and virtually grabbing land from them at the behest of industries”, he alleged.

"The CAG also states the then Kalahandi collector had issued an order to bar sale of land in 18 villages under Kalahandi district. The order was meant to facilitate land acquisition for Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL). The question arises as to how can the government issue such a ban. This is illegal and unconstitutional”, Harichandan said.
 
 
Uttarakhand: Rawat says he is not in race for CM
Sunday, 18 March 2012 02:50

New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat on Saturday said that it was up to the Congress party to decide on solution for the Uttarakhand chief ministerial post.

Rawat said, "I am not in race for CM but hard work must be rewarded."

He added, "It is up to the Congress party to decide how far they can stretch to find a solution."

An embittered Rawat had sent in his resignation to Sonia Gandhi after Congress decided that Vijay Bahuguna will be Uttarakhand CM, instead of Rawat.

Bahuguna was in Delhi on Saturday and sources said he had been trying to reach out to the Rawat camp. However, the rebel leader seemed reluctant to meet him.

Rawat sent three more MLAs to take oath on Friday, but is reportedly waiting for a concrete offer from the leadership to end the crisis.

Sources say that the Rawat camp wants posts of the state unit chief, deputy Chief Minister, Speaker and other plum portfolios besides promotion to a Cabinet rank for Rawat himself.

 

source: IBN

 
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