A report from Indian Express
ROURKELA: Seeking better railway infrastructure in Orissa with focal point being the mining and industrial district of Sundargarh, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today gave a knee-jerk reply to the Indian Railways by disrupting movement of all goods trains at Rourkela. However, the South Eastern Railway (SER) heaved a sigh of relief after buying time for two months to soothe the frayed tempers.
Sources said the Rourkela unit of the BJD intensified its week-long sit-ins by paralysing movement of good trains and blocking all four lines. Normalcy was restored in the evening after the additional divisional railway manager from Chakradharpur Division of SER committed in writing to immediately sort out issues under the SER control. The main demand of the BJD is carving out a new division at Rourkela under the East Coast Railway (ECoR). The BJD leaders AC Mohanty and Shailendra Marothia threatened to revert to agitation if the promises are not redeemed.
Other demands include immediate laying of BimlagarhTalcher rail link, setting up of a wagon/wheel factory at Bondamunda, introduction of direct train services to New Delhi, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kanyakumari, Allahabad, Bangalore and Guwahati, running of trains to Berhampur in Orissa and a DMU/EMU train between mining regions of Kiruburu and Birmitrapur to benefit the neglected tribal population in the Maoist-hit belts. In addition, development of Panposh station here as 'heritage station', setting up of multiplexes at Rourkela, Bondamunda and Panposh were also sought.
Kolkata-based SER chief spokesperson Soumitra Mojumdar said formation of new division is a 'policy' issue to be taken at the higherlevel. Things under the jurisdiction of SER zone would be taken care of.
Incidentally, the BJD has decided to go it alone even as a host of apolitical organisations under the banner of the Railway Passengers' Steering Committee along with the Rourkela Development Forum and Rourkela Railfanning Association pressing for similar demands.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Growth plans for eight major cities
A report in Times of India
BHUBANESWAR: With urban centres in Orissa growing at a very fast rate, the state government has decided to prepare comprehensive development plans (CDPs) for eight major cities in the state. The cities include Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Talcher-Angul-Meramandali, Kalinga Nagar, Paradeep, Puri-Konark, Jharsuguda.
"The CDPs of these cities are in various stages of preparation and many more are in the pipeline. The CDPs would streamline the growth of the cities," said housing and urban development minister Badri Narayan Patra at a workshop on Urban development in Orissa, opportunities for growth' here on Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, "Migration has caused a shortage of housing and other basic services in urban areas. Moreover, the proliferation of slums in cities has become a major concern for the state government in the last few years. Orissa has been a pioneer in bringing reforms in urban planning and management. Along with various other reforms, the state government is coming up with a slum rehabilitation policy to make our cities slum free." The chief minister also awarded various urban local bodies for best practices in sectors like housing, water supply, sanitation, fund utilization and good governance. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation bagged the best performing corporation award among the three state corporations.
Housing and urban development secretary Sourav Garg said, "It is found that NACs are doing better than municipalities and municipalities are performing better than the municipal corporation. The workshop would discuss the best performances of different municipalities on untilisation of funds for infrastructure, poverty alleviation, sanitation and so on. We would discuss the challenges faced by the urban local bodies."
As per the 2001 census, 14 per cent of Orissa's population lived in urban areas, which has been projected to be 20 per cent in the 2011 census, posing a serious threat to urban centres, official sources said.
Growth plans for eight major cities - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Growth-plans-for-eight-major-cities/articleshow/7343600.cms#ixzz1C3qAai6t
BHUBANESWAR: With urban centres in Orissa growing at a very fast rate, the state government has decided to prepare comprehensive development plans (CDPs) for eight major cities in the state. The cities include Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Talcher-Angul-Meramandali, Kalinga Nagar, Paradeep, Puri-Konark, Jharsuguda.
"The CDPs of these cities are in various stages of preparation and many more are in the pipeline. The CDPs would streamline the growth of the cities," said housing and urban development minister Badri Narayan Patra at a workshop on Urban development in Orissa, opportunities for growth' here on Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, "Migration has caused a shortage of housing and other basic services in urban areas. Moreover, the proliferation of slums in cities has become a major concern for the state government in the last few years. Orissa has been a pioneer in bringing reforms in urban planning and management. Along with various other reforms, the state government is coming up with a slum rehabilitation policy to make our cities slum free." The chief minister also awarded various urban local bodies for best practices in sectors like housing, water supply, sanitation, fund utilization and good governance. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation bagged the best performing corporation award among the three state corporations.
Housing and urban development secretary Sourav Garg said, "It is found that NACs are doing better than municipalities and municipalities are performing better than the municipal corporation. The workshop would discuss the best performances of different municipalities on untilisation of funds for infrastructure, poverty alleviation, sanitation and so on. We would discuss the challenges faced by the urban local bodies."
As per the 2001 census, 14 per cent of Orissa's population lived in urban areas, which has been projected to be 20 per cent in the 2011 census, posing a serious threat to urban centres, official sources said.
Growth plans for eight major cities - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Growth-plans-for-eight-major-cities/articleshow/7343600.cms#ixzz1C3qAai6t
Saturday, 22 January 2011
‘Neglect’ by Railways: BJD launches sit-in
Indian Express reports
http://expressbuzz.com/states/orissa/%E2%80%98neglect%E2%80%99-by-railways-bjd-launches-sit-in/241563.html
ROURKELA: The ruling BJD today started a sit-in near the Rourkela railway station to press for a host of demands, including creation of a new division at Rourkela under the East Coast Railway (ECoR). At present, Rourkela is coming under Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway (SER).
Rourkela unit BJD president Anand Chandra Mohanty said the stir would continue till Tuesday and reiterated the demand to paralyse transportation of minerals by trains from January 28 if their demands went unheeded.
The BJD leaders said the mineral-rich Sundargarh district has been a major revenue contributor to SER. But the district has been neglected for decades, they alleged and added creation of a new division under the ECoR can address the problems like lack of railway infrastructure and passenger amenities.
The other demands include immediate laying of Bimlagarh-Talcher rail link, setting up of a wagon/wheel factory at Bondamunda, introduction of direct train services to New Delhi, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kanyakumari, Allahabad, Bangalore and Guwahati, running of a DMU/EMU train between mining regions of Kiruburu and Birmitrapur for the benefit of neglected tribal population in the Naxal-hit belts.
The BJD leaders made it clear that the Railways would no longer be allowed to earn huge revenue from the district and pump it elsewhere.
Among others, Rourkela municipality chairperson Rashmibala Mishra, vice-chairman RN Mishra, agitation convener Shailendra Marothia and former municipality chairman Kalandi Badajena were present.
http://expressbuzz.com/states/orissa/%E2%80%98neglect%E2%80%99-by-railways-bjd-launches-sit-in/241563.html
ROURKELA: The ruling BJD today started a sit-in near the Rourkela railway station to press for a host of demands, including creation of a new division at Rourkela under the East Coast Railway (ECoR). At present, Rourkela is coming under Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway (SER).
Rourkela unit BJD president Anand Chandra Mohanty said the stir would continue till Tuesday and reiterated the demand to paralyse transportation of minerals by trains from January 28 if their demands went unheeded.
The BJD leaders said the mineral-rich Sundargarh district has been a major revenue contributor to SER. But the district has been neglected for decades, they alleged and added creation of a new division under the ECoR can address the problems like lack of railway infrastructure and passenger amenities.
The other demands include immediate laying of Bimlagarh-Talcher rail link, setting up of a wagon/wheel factory at Bondamunda, introduction of direct train services to New Delhi, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kanyakumari, Allahabad, Bangalore and Guwahati, running of a DMU/EMU train between mining regions of Kiruburu and Birmitrapur for the benefit of neglected tribal population in the Naxal-hit belts.
The BJD leaders made it clear that the Railways would no longer be allowed to earn huge revenue from the district and pump it elsewhere.
Among others, Rourkela municipality chairperson Rashmibala Mishra, vice-chairman RN Mishra, agitation convener Shailendra Marothia and former municipality chairman Kalandi Badajena were present.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Demand for Rourkela railway division put on fast
A report on Indian Express
http://expressbuzz.com/states/orissa/demand-for-rourkela-railway-division-put-on-fast/238362.html
ROURKELA: How justified is the demand to carve out a separate railway division at Rourkela under the East Coast Railway (ECoR)? Given the continuing neglect towards the infrastructure and passenger amenities over
decades, the demand is gaining momentum.
With apolitical and political outfits jumping on the bandwagon to seek separation of Rourkela from the Chakradharpur division of the South Eastern Railway (SER), the Railway Ministry is likely to feel the heat ahead.
Train Passenger Steering Committee convener and Rourkela Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Subrat Patnaik in tandem with the members of the Rourkela Development Forum (RDF) and Rourkela Railfanning Association (RRA) are vociferous in their demand. The local BJD unit has gone a step ahead to threaten disruption of mineral transportation by rail if the issue was not sorted out.
Locals feel, in the changed scenario, the triangular districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Keonjhar -
high on industrial and mining activities - would no longer tolerate further neglect as Sundargarh alone annually contributes ` 800 crore to SER.
They claimed even for strategic economic development of Orissa, the proposed new division at Rourkela under the ECoR is the need of the hour.
Inadequate train services and infrastructure apart, the lingering of the proposed Bimlagarh-Talcher rail link is a stark pointer of neglect, they stated.
Even 10 per cent of the revenue generated from the regions is not spent to benefit a population of over 50 lakh.
RDF and RRA members Dillip Kumar Mohanty, Mahendra Mishra, Mihir Swain and Supratik Mishra sent a memorandum to the Railway Ministry over the demand claiming the combined revenue share from these three districts is anything over ` 2,200 crore.
The RDF and RRA blueprint proposes 10 routes under the new division and 63 stations covering mining and tribal belts
http://expressbuzz.com/states/orissa/demand-for-rourkela-railway-division-put-on-fast/238362.html
ROURKELA: How justified is the demand to carve out a separate railway division at Rourkela under the East Coast Railway (ECoR)? Given the continuing neglect towards the infrastructure and passenger amenities over
decades, the demand is gaining momentum.
With apolitical and political outfits jumping on the bandwagon to seek separation of Rourkela from the Chakradharpur division of the South Eastern Railway (SER), the Railway Ministry is likely to feel the heat ahead.
Train Passenger Steering Committee convener and Rourkela Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Subrat Patnaik in tandem with the members of the Rourkela Development Forum (RDF) and Rourkela Railfanning Association (RRA) are vociferous in their demand. The local BJD unit has gone a step ahead to threaten disruption of mineral transportation by rail if the issue was not sorted out.
Locals feel, in the changed scenario, the triangular districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda and Keonjhar -
high on industrial and mining activities - would no longer tolerate further neglect as Sundargarh alone annually contributes ` 800 crore to SER.
They claimed even for strategic economic development of Orissa, the proposed new division at Rourkela under the ECoR is the need of the hour.
Inadequate train services and infrastructure apart, the lingering of the proposed Bimlagarh-Talcher rail link is a stark pointer of neglect, they stated.
Even 10 per cent of the revenue generated from the regions is not spent to benefit a population of over 50 lakh.
RDF and RRA members Dillip Kumar Mohanty, Mahendra Mishra, Mihir Swain and Supratik Mishra sent a memorandum to the Railway Ministry over the demand claiming the combined revenue share from these three districts is anything over ` 2,200 crore.
The RDF and RRA blueprint proposes 10 routes under the new division and 63 stations covering mining and tribal belts
Sunday, 9 January 2011
RAY of hope to rid cities of slums
A report from Indian Express
The Orissa Government has started the process to bring about necessary policy changes for implementation of Rajiv Awas Yojna (RAY) which lays down guidelines to free the cities of growing slums.
Six cities have been taken up in the first phase. As part of spadework, the Government has started slum mapping.
Besides Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur municipal corporations, the Government has included Puri, Sambalpur and Rourkela ULBs. Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) is the nodal agency to carry out the task.
All the six ULBs have been asked to set up technical cells for slum mapping. The cells will have experts on geographic information system (GIS), management information system (MIS), planning and social development. The slum population in these six ULBs stands at over 10.6 lakh.
Under RAY, which has been envisaged as a five-year project with ` 1 lakh crore funding, there would be no ceiling on the number of housing units for the urban areas. However, certain specifications will be put in place. Group housing projects would have to earmark 10 to 15 per cent towards economically weaker sections and LIGs so as to get floor area ratio (FAR) relaxations. Similarly, the allocation of funds for urban poor in the budgets would have to be parked in a separate non-lapsable account so that it adds on to the provisions for the subsequent year instead of lying unused.
However, the beneficiary would be required to invest 25 per cent of the housing cost as his/her share which would raise questions of ownership in future. It is the nature of occupancy and tenancy rights which will require legislative changes and the State Government is already preparing the ground works.
“The State Government may have to come up with an executive order in this regard before validating it through a legislation subsequently. We are already working in this direction,” sources said.
Since the Centre would execute the programme, it wants the State Government to expedite the process. A lengthy process of approval of housing projects leads to at least a 15 per cent rise in project cost, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Kiran Dhingra said addressing a State level workshop on ‘slum-free cities’ here on Friday.
Additional Secretary to the Ministry Prasanna Kumar Mohanty said RAY would be implemented for Bhubaneswar and Cuttack together. Urban areas have to create space for the slum-dwellers as they provide the services but only occupy just about three per cent of the land.
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