"It's a new life for me. After years, I would be able to go back home and meet my family," Benudhar told media persons here after his arrival from Amritsar on Monday. He is now eagerly waiting to proceed to his native
Benudhar, who had left his home in a huff after a family quarrel 12 years ago, cannot explain how he strayed into
The long incarceration in
After his release from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, Pradhan along with the other Indians were handed over to Indian authorities at Wagah border near
Pradhan's friend from his schooldays Kurban Khan, younger brother Nalu and mother Basantiwent to
Basanti said he had left home after a minor quarrel over food. "We had reported the matter to police. Years of search to locate him went in vain. Finally, we had given up hope before hearing from police around two years ago that he was languishing in a Pakistan jail," she said.
Khan, an auto driver by profession, said, "Benu seems to have lost his mind because of his years of confinement and torture. But can understand most things and recognize acquaintances. I have got my childhood friend back," he said.
Pradhan's younger brother Nalu said they will have a feast when they reach home.
Para-teachers caned, 35 hurt
The para-teachers have been on hunger strike for the past several days demanding regularisation of their services and increase in pay. On Tuesday evening, the situation turned tense when health condition of several teachers deteriorated. More than 1,000 teachers then started marching towards the Assembly and attempted to break the cordon put up by the police to prevent entry into the prohibited zone.
The police personnel used water cannons to disperse the advancing teachers but it proved futile. The police then resorted to baton charge injuring scores of teachers in the process. The condition of a woman teacher is stated to be serious as the injured have been admitted to Capital Hospital
The incident occurred even as the issue figured in the Assembly with members cutting across party lines urging the State Government to fulfil their demands.
Teachers, cops clash in Bhubaneswar
Hundreds of Gana Sikshyaks, who have been sitting on dharna on MGM since the last six days, allegedly penetrated the police barricade and attempted to march towards the Assembly. The agitating teachers wanted to meet the school and mass education minister Pratap Jena, seeking fulfillment of their longstanding demands like regularization of jobs, hike in salary, training for untrained Gana Sikshyaks, etc. There are around 60,000 Gana Sikshayaks in Odisha.
All hell broke loose when police prevented the mob from heading towards the House near Lower PMG Square
Teachers said police misbehaved with them and tried to suppress their peaceful movement. "Police stopped us from meeting the minister and intimidated us when we insisted on the meeting," said Umakant Nayak, president of State Gana Sikshayak Mahasangha. "We were forced to challenge the security personnel as the latter misbehaved with women teachers," said Bishnu Narayan Panda, a teacher from Ganjam.
Nayak accused the government of creating such a situation, leading to violence. "The government has all along been indifferent to our demands since long. It is the government's inaction, which triggered clash between us and police," Nayak said.
After the scuffle, a seven-member delegation of the teachers went to meet chief secretary and other senior officials of the school and mass education department in the evening to iron out the crisis.
OHRC orders compensation for handcuffing accused
Chairperson of the rights panel Justice RK Patra directed that the compensation be paid within four weeks. The order was in pursuance of a petition filed by Seema Mittal, whose husband Pranab Pradhan and another person Girindra Pradhan, both accused of theft, had been handcuffed while being taken from Sambalpur Central Jail to SDJM Court
The duo had been arrested following a case in Bargarh Town
On November 14, 2010, Seema had filed the petition citing the Supreme Court guidelines on handcuffing and had sought relief.
Anganwadi centres under trees, food sub-standard
PARADIP: Anganwadi centres in Jagatsinghpur district literally function without a structure. Little ones can be seen sitting under trees committing lessons to memory. This is not all, supply of sub-standard food also plagues the Integrated Child Development Scheme.
On pen and paper, there are about 1,840 anganwadi centres, including 193 mini- centres. However, many are non-existent and the functional few are languishing without a proper building, food supply and shortage of anganwadi workers and helpers.
Parents in Paradip, Tirtol and Kujang areas have complained about sub-standard ‘sattu’ being served to the kids by SHGs. It is further alleged that the packets do not carry information about the ingredients.
Sources said Rs 2.5 lakh was sanctioned for the building of an anganwadi centre at Sanpur village under Jagatsinghpur block. But with miscreants allegedly occupying the centre, nearly 20 children are forced to attend classes on the verandah of Sanpur primary school. Villagers blame inaction of the district administration and the child development project officer for the sorry state of affairs.
Children of the anganwadi centre at Majurai village under the same block just have a tree for shelter and the soaring mercury is making things difficult. “The centre has no building and there is not enough space in the primary school to accommodate them,” said Premlata Sahu, an anganwadi worker. District Social Welfare Officer Kumudini Sahoo said Rs 5 lakh each has been sanctioned for buildings for 154 anganwadi centres. While 73 structures have so far been completed, more funds would be released for another 110 centres, this year, she added.
CAG findings: Companies get lands for a song'
The CAG has pointed out serious irregularities in the allocation of land to private promoters, misuse of emergency provisions for land acquisition and under-valuation of compensation for private land- owners by the State Government.
“The Government misused the emergency provision under Section 17(4) of the Land Acquisition Act in several cases depriving the land-losers of the opportunity to be heard,” the CAG report, tabled in the Assembly on Thursday, said.
The State Government invoked emergency provisions of the Land Acquisition Act in 85 cases and acquired 4,967.08 acres of private land between July 2002 and March 2011 for establishment of industries by six promoters. While cost of the land was evaluated at Rs 165 crore, the approximate present market value of the land is estimated at Rs 901 crore taking into account the highest sale statistics of land in those localities. Over 2,021-acre private land was acquired for Aditya Aluminium at a cost of Rs 95.84 crore while current market value of the land will be more than Rs 335 crore. The land remained unutilised till March last year, said the audit report.
The Bhusan Power and Steel project at Sambalpur was handed over 608.67 acres at a cost of Rs 16.35 crore while the present market value of the land is more than Rs 300 crore.
The other beneficiaries are Vedanta Aluminium, Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL) and Posco (India
Private landowners were paid a meagre Rs 32.77 crore for 1,070 acres acquired for DPCL while the present cost of the land will be about Rs 140 crore.
It seems the public resistance to Posco, the South Korean steel major which has proposed to establish a 12 million tonne integrated steel project with an investment of Rs 52,000 crore, is justified. The audit report pointed out that the State Government acquired nearly 438 acres by paying a compensation of Rs 11.85 crore while the present market value of the land is more than Rs 65 crore.
Emergency provisions are invoked only when the land is require for public purpose and the process of acquisition should be completed within six months. However, the Government misused the provision for private purposes.
CB can probe role of doctors, cops: HC
A Division Bench of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice BN Mohapatra made the observation during hearing on the submission made by petitioner Prabir Das who has prayed for investigation into the role of local police and doctors in the case.
The CB on Thursday submitted a status report in the case and said that the chargesheets had been filed but the investigation was still open. The victim’s statement had not been recorded as the girl is still in a comatose state.
The SCB Medical College
She had to be immediately put on life support system, including mechanical ventilator, and other support measures were initiated to revive her. The patient’s vital signs are now stable though her condition continues to be critical. The high-level expert team is continuously monitoring her condition and providing her prompt treatment. She is undergoing treatment at Central ICU of the hospital since January 11.
Green tribunal cancels clearance to Posco
Hearing the petition of Prafulla Samantray from the state, the bench of Justice C.V. Ramulu and Devendra Kumar Agarwal asked the environment ministry to review afresh the environment clearance accorded to the project in January last year.
"The environment clearance granted on Jan 31, 2011 to the project shall remain suspended till such review and appraisal is done by the ministry," the order stated.
The order comes days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurance to South Korea
Reacting to the order, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said: "We are dedicated to protecting the environment and if something has been pointed by the NGT, certainly we will take a look at it."
According to tribunal, the memorandum of understanding between the state government and Posco states that the project is for production of 12 million tonnes of steel per annum (MTPA) but the environment impact assessment (EIA) report has been prepared only for 4 MTPA steel production in the first phase.
"A close scrutiny of the entire scheme reveals that a project of this magnitude, particularly in partnership with a foreign country, has been dealt with casually without there being any comprehensive scientific data regarding the possible environmental impacts," the tribunal observed.
The tribunal further said that no meticulous scientific study was made on each and every aspect of the matter, leaving lingering and threatening environmental and ecological doubts unanswered.
Asking the ministry to attach specific conditions which the company would have to follow in a defined timeline, it also directed for setting up a special committee to monitor compliance to the environment clearance.
The bench also directed that Posco should generate its own source of water instead of utilising the drinking water meant for Cuttack
POSCO and the government sought to argue that the case cannot be filed as the original clearances were given in 2007.
However, the tribunal held that the 2011 order can still be looked at even if the 2007 ones cannot be, and therefore directed review and suspension of the 2011 order.
The petitioner welcomed the tribunal order saying people in the area have been demanding scrapping of the project for long.
"I am very happy with the court ruling as we have been demanding scrapping of the project since the start. The company has violated all norms," Samantray told IANS.
Posco requires 4,004 acres, mostly government land, for its project. Of the land earmarked, 2,900 acres is forest land.
Thousands of villagers have been opposing the project, saying it will displace them from their homelands and ruin their betel leaf farms.
Posco and the state government, however, maintain the project will bring prosperity and employment to the impoverished region.
Maoists ask why politicians are mum on police atrocities
KORAPUT: A new letter from Maoists, who have abducted BJD legislator Jhina Hikaka, has accused political leaders of being silent on "police atrocities" against tribals and Red rebels in Koraput and Nabarangpur districts.
"Our comrades Nachika Andreu and Katraka Singana were killed while staging a dharna in front of the Narayanpatna police station on November 20, 2009. Another comrade, Rukmini of Dumusil village, was raped, and is at present languishing in jail in a false case. Another girl, Tilo of Tolodekapadu village, was also raped, but there has not been any probe against the incident. Our comrades Sonu and Jyoti were captured by police but were killed in a fake encounter," read the letter signed by Daya, secretary of the Koraput-Srikakulam division of the CPI (Maoist).
The letter distributed to local media persons came two day after the MLA's kidnappers put forth their demands for the release of Hikaka. It was addressed to chief minister Naveen Patnaik and the wife of the abducted legislator, among others.
Reiterating the previous demands, the letter said, "All types of anti-Maoist operations, rallies and dharnas in favour of the MLA have to be stopped immediately, and the government should fulfil our demands at the earliest for the safe release of the legislator, or else the government will be held responsible for any type of eventuality."
The six-page letter further alleged that security personnel stationed in Narayanpatna and Laxmipur were attacking innocent tribals in the name of combing operations. While as many as 14 people of Bandhugaon have been arrested in the name of combing operations, comrade Kendruka Sitana, Arika Narayan and Saheb of Dumusil, Kandhabadi and Palur villages have been killed by security forces in separate incidents.
The Maoist leader, through the letter, has asked the leaders what they had been doing during such police brutalities, as they had not raised their voices against these "crimes". "The politicians maintained a stoic silence during the offensives against tribals. Now, when the MLA has been abducted, the leaders have come out in his support and are rallying for his release. Photos of his wife and family are being shown to gain public support," the letter reads.
The letter was also addressed to minister Ramesh Majhi, the Koraput MP, the Nabarangpur MP, the MLAs of Koraput, Jeypore, Dabugaon, Nabarangpur and Umerkote, the Nabarangpur zilla parishad chairperson and former Koraput MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
Lawyers oppose promotion of IPS facing inquiry
ROURKELA: The decision of the state government to promote IPS officer and former Rourkela superintendent of police Diptesh Pattnaik as deputy general of police, particularly when a judicial inquiry is pending against him, came under sharp criticism from Rourkela Bar Association here on Saturday.
In a meeting here on Saturday, RBA members took a resolution, strongly opposing the promotion of Pattnaik and sent the fax of theresolution to chief minister Naveen Pattnaik.
It may be mentioned here, the alleged assault of a judicial magistrate of the district by a police officer on April 2, 2011 had sparked a strong resentment among various cross-sections of people in the city, with members of RBA calling a bandh in the city, demanding immediate transfer of the then Rourkela SP Diptesh Pattnaik. The State Bar Association had also condemned the incident and had gone on strike echoing the demand of the RBA. The state government had set up a judicial inquiry commission headed by Justice S Naidu and had asked Diptesh Pattnaik to go on leave. Pattnaik has been on leave till now and facing the inquiry of the commission.
"The resolution demanded that the promotion of Diptesh should be withheld till the completion of the judicial inquiry and headquarter of Diptesh Pattnaik should be shifted from Rourkela , since a new SP has been posted here," said RBA president Ramesh Bal.
The RBA has also attracted Orissa high court's attention towards alleged police autocracy and large scale corruption during the tenure of Pattnaik. The high court instead of intervening in the matter had asked the RBA to send their prayer to state home department, which they did in December 2011, against which action is yet to be initiated.
7 doctors suspended for faking as KIMS staff
This followed CM Naveen Patnaik directing the health department to initiate action against them after CBI found the doctors engaging in a fraud by posing as doctors of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), part of the KIIT group of institutions here.
The suspended doctors, Bablu Tudu, posted at Badampahad in Mayurbhanj district, Jyoti Prakash Behera (Bhawanipatna district headquarters hospital), Amiya Shankar Pal (Madhupur, Kalahandi), Manoranjan Panigrahi (Police Hospital, Bhawanipatna), Jagannath Hansda (Gadia, Mayurbhanj), Jyoti Ranjan Pradhan (Rangamatia, Mayurbhanj) and Sanjay KumarSahoo of Muribahal hospital in Balangir district face strict disciplinary proceedings under the Orissa Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1962, health minister Prasanna Acharya said.
"The government will show no leniency towards the erring doctors. We will take strict action against those guilty," Acharya added. CBI sources said the government medicos were paid hefty amounts to masquerade as KIMS doctors.
CBI sources said it had on January 30 chargesheeted four senior functionaries of KIMS - Bhagabati Charan Das (dean-cum-principal), Achyuta Samanta (secretary, KIIT), Debasish Debata (assistant personnel officer) and Dilip Kumar Panda (deputy chief executive officer) - for resorting to "fraudulent" practice to impress the MCI squad, which inspected the institute on March 5, 2010.
KIMS, in a media statement, was silent on the chargesheet against its functionaries, but said it was not responsible for the forgery by the doctors. "The seven doctors had applied for jobs in KIMS and there was no way we could know from around our 5,000 employees that they were government employees. They concealed information that they were government doctors," the statement said. "The development would not cause any damage to KIMS nor will it affect its recognition with MCI," it added.
CBI sources said the four KIMS functionaries were chargesheeted under sections 120 (B), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged documents as genuine) and 176 IPC. "We have incriminating evidence against the accused and also recommended MCI to cancel recognition to KIMS," CBI SP (Bhubaneswar
On November 11, 2010, CBI registered a case against KIMS authorities following allegations of irregularities, Khan said. Asked whether CBI would arrest those named in the chargesheet, Khan said, "We will arrest them if required. Otherwise, the court will issue them summons."
HC seeks govt reply on 'sexual exploitation' of tribal girls
A division bench of Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda and Justice B N Mohapatra on Friday issued a notice to the state government and ordered it to file a reply within two weeks. The direction came in response to a petition filed by human rights activist Prabir Das highlighting the plight of minor girls who were allegedly being exploited sexually in various government-run residential schools for tribal children.
The petitioner alleged the state government has failed to ensure safety of tribal girls in these residential schools. He also highlighted the plight of a class IX student of Ramachandrapur Government Girls' High School in Balangir, who was allegedly raped by two of her teachers inside a toilet of the school last year. Similar incidents wee also reported from Sunabeda Sevashram in Koraput and Bada Amba Sevashram in Nabarangpur, where minor tribal girls were allegedly raped by school staff. The petitioner said these incidents were just the tip of theiceberg, and urged the high court to pass necessary orders for prevention of sexual exploitation of minor girls in these schools.
"I have filed a PIL seeking compensation and rehabilitation for these victims. I have also prayed the court to pass necessary orders for prevention of sexual exploitation of minor girls in residential schools," he said.
Complainant should get FIR copy in 24 hours: Committee
The committee observed that FIRs lodged by victims or any of their kin are not always entertained and registered in police stations, thereby denying justice to the victims.
Similarly, the committee stressed that all cases relating to women, murder and injury be registered in a final FIR register referred to above and action be taken on the same for speedy disposal. It said any deviation or exception should be viewed seriously and stringent disciplinary action initiated against the erring police official.
The committee, headed by R C C Patnaik, further concern on highway crimes like robbery and road accidents and recommended introduction of highway policing to check such incidents. It has also suggested that a police commissionerate be set up in Berhampur to tackle crime in the commercial capital of the southern Odisha.
The committee laid emphasis on increasing manpower at police stations, ungradation of infrastructure, supply of latest weapons and suggested for raising Odisha Auxiliary Police Force(OAPF) for absorption of tribal youths recruited as SPOs. It said simultaneously 629 supervisory posts be created with financial implication of Rs 12.72 crore per annum. tnn
The committee noted with concern that the violence perpetrated by Maoists with use of modern and sophisticated weapons has assumed menacing and recommended for urgent need for fortification of 79 Maoist-hit police stations and 34 urban police stations, including rural police stations located in industrial belt by augmenting their sanctioned strength.
The committee among its other major recommendations stressed for introducing a community policing system in the line of Tamil Nadu, upgradation of selected 83 police stations of the state located on the inter-state border and one hard top vehicle for all 138 urban police stations and one PCR motorcycle for all 357 rural police stations.
