Boys of poor families make Balangir proud: Rickshawpuller’s son wins singles title in state-level badminton championship

Following news is from The Telegraph:

Balangir, Sept. 20: Fighting against all odds, two young boys made Balangir proud by winning titles in the state open badminton championship in Talcher on Sunday.

Abhimanyu Bagarty (12), son of a rickshawpuller in Balangir, won the singles title in the boys’ mini (under-13) category while Surendra Nepal (14), son of a daily labourer won the men’s singles title in the sub-junior category.

Surendra also won the men’s doubles title with Chandan Mishra in the sub-junior category, while Abhimanyu teamed with Swarup Ranjan Guru to emerge as runners up in the boy’s mini double category.

Two others — Bikrant Jani who emerged as the runner up in the boy’s mini singles category and Arabinda Sahu, who was adjudged the best emerging player of the tournament — also hailed from Balangir.

Abhimanyu said that he used to play badminton in the streets when Susanta Pradhan of the District Badminton Association (DBA) picked him up after noticing his talent.

“I was very young when I developed a passion for games. I used to play badminton with my friends in the streets of our locality. We used bundle of polythene carrybags as shuttle and a flat piece of wood as racket. Susanta dada used to watch me. One day he took me to the DBA office and formally admitted me there,” he said.

Abhimanyu’s father, a rickshawpuller in the town, said that he was exulted at his son’s achievements. “I knew that he was fond of sports. Since I am a poor ricksha puller, it was not possible for me to meet his requirements. But, I also never knew that my son possessed such talent. I hope that he will do even better in the years to come,” he said.

The success story of Surendra Nepal is similar. Son of a daily labourer in an aluminium factory, he never thought that he would play in any state-level tournament. He was picked up by Rajiv Sahu of the DBA who noticed him playing badminton in the streets of the town.

“I never thought that I would play in such a tournament and win title. It is like a dream come true for me,” he said.

“There are many kids in our association who are from very poor families. We try to help them by providing them with playing equipment, tracksuits and shoes. We are very happy that our efforts have paid well as two boys who came from such poor backgrounds have won titles. This is the beginning. We will ensure that they go on to win tournaments at higher levels,” said Suru Matari, secretary of the DBA.

Expedite Lower Suktel dam project:Orissa CM

Following report is from the Pioneer:

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday directed the concerned officials to expedite the construction work of lower Suktel dam project which would provide irrigation facilities to 31, 830 hectares land of Balangir and Sonepur district. The Government would make expenditure lay out of Rs 1,041.81 crore for the project.

Reviewing a meeting on the progress of the said project at the State Secretariat, Patnaik issued this direction. It was known from the meeting that the project has already got state II forest clearances and land acquisition work has been going on in full swing.

It was decided in the meeting that two officers would be appointed to see that land acquisition work for main reservoir and dam should be completed by October end.

The project which would spread over 1230 square kilometre will have a 1410 meter-long earthen embankment (dam). Of the targeted lands to be irrigated by the project, while 29,850 hectares land belongs to Balangir district, 1, 980 hectares land of Sonepur district would be irrigated.

Among others, Planning and Coordination Minister AU Singh Deo, Chief Secretary Bijay Patnaik, Principal Secretary to CM Aditya Padhi, Water Resources Secretary Suresh Mohapatra, Revenue Secretary RK Sharma and Central RDC PK Mohapatra were present at the meeting.

Year-old VSSUT eyes status of Innovative University: The Pioneer

Following is a report from The Pioneer:

The Vir Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) formed by up-gradation of the University College of Engineering (UCE) at Burla completed a year this month with Prof Deba Kumar Tripathy as the first Vice-Chancellor.

“It (VSSUT) has made record achievements during this short span. It also plans to go ahead and reach the peak to see itself at par with all other developed technical institutions of the country and abroad,” said Prof Tripathy at a media conference in the university campus.

The V-C said the university, being entrusted by the Department of Industries, conducted the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) 2010 this year very successfully for students’ admission into medical, engineering and many other technical courses through e-counselling. Formation of a finance committee and a board of management, filling up of the vacancies in teaching posts and appointment of deans, Registrar and Controller of Finance are the other achievements, he said.

The university also held its first convocation for the pass-out batch of students for the year 2009. “Smooth conduct of different examinations and publication of results in one month’s time is nothing but a record in the State,” Prof Tripathy claimed. As many as 305 students have been recruited in various reputed institutions and industries during 2009-10 through campus interviews, he pointed out.

The V-C further said the university has introduced new programmes like Electrical and Electronics Engineering, MTech in Computational Math and MSc in Applied Physics and Industrial Chemistry. It has also enhanced the intake capacity to various programmes keeping in view the growing demands from students.

Prof Tripathy informed that the State Government has sought a proposal from the VSSUT for converting it into an Innovative University. The Centre Government wants to convert 20 technical institutions in the country into such universities. The VSSUT can stake its claim for this as it fulfils most of the criteria.

“The Centre Government will spend `4,600 crore to upgrade 20 institutions to Innovative Universities,” the V-C further informed. Instead of establishing new universities, the Government will rather improve the old ones, he added.

Drought fear in Deogarh district: Report from Samaj

A three-member central team to visit Cholera affected areas of KBK districts

Following report is from expressbuzz.com:

BHUBANESWAR: With cholera spreading to more areas in the State, the Centre on Thursday decided to rush a three-member team to Rayagada district, the epicentre of the epidemic, to assess the situation.

The team will reach Bhubaneswar tomorrow and proceed to Rayagada. The team includes Dr T Ramamurthy and Dr A Kanungo from the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) and Dr Jagvir Singh from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The decision to rush a team was taken following a meeting between Kalahandi MP and working president of OPCC Bhakta Charan Das and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi today. Das criticised the State Government for ‘inaction’ even though more than 5000 people of the region had perished due to cholera in 1987-88 and more than 500 people had died in 2007.

Another working president of OPCC, Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, who led team to Rayagada, had also demanded Central intervention.

Meanwhile, the State Government has appointed five IAS officers of 2009 batch in Rayagada district to assist the district administration in tackling the disease. They were receiving training in different districts.

The Government, however, maintained that the situation is under control.

Even though more than 100 people have died of cholera in the district, the Health Department put the toll at only 40.

As many as 1311 people of the district had been affected by cholera out of which 1232 have been cured, a release issued here claimed.

Strangely the Government does not have any figure on cholera and diarrhoea attacks in other districts though reports about these are pouring in from other districts, including Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kalahandi and Balangir.

Balangir to have an govt. institute of hotel management

Following report is from The Telegraph:

Balangir, Sept. 14: Students aspiring to pursue a career in hotel management will be able to do it without having to step out of the district. If everything goes according to plan, Balangir will soon boast of a government-run hotel management institute — the second in the state after Bhubaneswar.

Principal of Food Craft Institute (FCI) Chandrakant Mahapatra said: “If things work out as planned, Balangir will soon have the second government-funded institute of hotel management in the state after Bhubaneswar. The union government is keen to upgrade the Food Craft Institute in Balangir into an institute of hotel management.”

Mahapatra said to facilitate the process, the Centre had demanded transfer of FCI land to the tourism department. It also demanded that FCI be re-registered as an hotel management institute under the Society Registration Act. “We are working on the two criteria. The land transfer process has been expedited. I am going to Cuttack today for registration related work,” he told The Telegraph.

He further said that the institute would be known as State Institute of Hotel Management (SIHM) and the Centre has assured to spend Rs 12 crore on infrastructure.

“The Centre will provide the infrastructure and the state government will have expenses for running the institute. The institute will offer BSc degree course in hospitality and hotel administration (HHA) and students will have to take an all-India entrance test to get admission,” Mahapatra said.

Started in 2004, FCI offers diploma in food production, food and beverage service, front office operation and housekeeping operation. It also renders technical advice to the hotel and catering industry. The institute was adjudged the best among all the FCIs in 2008-09.

Soumyakanta Panda, a student in food production, stood first in the country. The tourism department awarded him a gold medal and Rs 5,000 for his achievement.

The FCI also offers short-term courses from time to time. At present, it offers short courses on hospitality training under the “Hunar Se Rozgar” programme.

“These are free courses in food production and food and beverage service. During the training period, the institute provides free uniform and free food,” Mahapatra said.

He added: “There is also provision for stipend of Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 for the courses. But it is subject to 90 per cent attendance by the trainees. The Centre has provided Rs 10.51 lakh for the programme and we expect the two courses to churn out at least 200 skilled people.” After training, students will be provided placement.

Nuankhai celebration 2010: Report from Samaj

Diarrhoea deaths in Orissa’s tribal dominated KBK districts

Following is a report by IANS taken from Sify.com:

Diarrhoea has killed at least 136 people in Orissa since January, a health official said Thursday.

Around 34 people died in the district of Rayagada and 27 died in its neighbouring Nuapada district, the official said, adding that most of these deaths took place in August. 

Similarly, ten people each died in Nabrangpur and Keonjhar districts, nine in Ganjam, eight in Malkangiri and four in Kalahandi, he said. 

‘The deaths took place mostly due to unhygienic living conditions and consumption of contaminated water as people draw water from streams and nallas for drinking though there are tubewells,’ he said. 

Rayagada District Collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawale said around 60 diarrhoea patients are undergoing treatment in different hospitals of the district. 

‘Medical teams are camping in all vulnerable areas. There has been no death reported since past four-five days from any part of the district,’ he told IANS.

Drinking water for tribals of KBK districts: Photo by the Samaja

School education of Balangir district at the crossroads

Following report is from expressbuzz.com:

BALANGIR: Even as the district receives Rs 50 crore aid from the Central Government for development of education every year, there are 2,500 teacher posts lying vacant here.

The state of school education here has come to such a pass that many upper primary schools have one teacher for seven classes. The worst-hit are Gudvela and Deogaon blocks.

Resenting the government apathy towards education in 34 schools under Gudvela block of Balangir district, villagers of three panchayats along with the students had already staged several agitations in the last two years.

However, precious little has been done so far to address the problems.

Helpless, District Project Coordinator (DPC) Abhimanyu Behera said he was not the authority to recruit teachers. “We cannot do much except make temporary arrangements,” said the DPC.

In these areas, the DPC appointed local youths as education volunteers to impart education to children with a stipend of Rs 500 a month.

But these youths gradually lost interest due to paltry pay.

Behera said in Gudvela block, even regular government teachers do not attend the school because of the river Rahul which separates 32 villages from the mainstream causing communication problem.

Sources said owing to the river, education of 1,600 students is being affected. There are only seven regular teachers for 34 primary schools here.

The situation in Deogaon block is not any better. Here many schools have been functioning without teachers and school buildings.

Schools in Khairguda, Luhakhan, Matupali and Ghatul are also a picture of neglect.

Laxman Meher, vice-president of District Congress Committee (DCC), said that the district is at present, reeling under acute staff shortage and no official is sensitive to this problem. “While the district currently requires 8,730 teachers, it has only 6,228 teachers including sikshya sahayaks, gana sikshaks and regular ones for 2,245 schools in the district,” said Meher.