Saddam on sand

Saddam on sand: Noted sand sculptor Sadarsan Patnaik, who is holding his sand art exhibition on Puri beach from December 25 to January 1,2007, on Wednesday created this picture of former Iraqi president Sadam Hussein with theme titled as 'Fate of Sadam Hussein'

Mittal too shares Posco fate of protest

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo & Binita Jaiswal Bhubaneswar, Dec. 26: Even as the bureaucrats, industrialists, ruling BJD-BJP leaders celebrated in their own ways Orissa government’s pact with the global steel giant L.N. Mittal to set up mega steel plant in the state, nearly one thousand people – who are most likely to displaced by the project – were reportedly shedding tears as news reached to them their villages would disappear from the demographic map of Orissa. The people of Patna in Keonjhar district, about 350 km from here, on Saturday marched to the local tehsildar's office in protest and urged the authorities not to displace them and transfer the project to some barren and uninhabited land. Reports from Keonjhar said there is resentment brewing among the people against Arcelor Mittal company and its Rs 40,000-crore steel plant. Government sources said the Arcelor Mittal plant is expected to displace hundreds of farmers. A primary estimate says nearly 5000 people will be displaced if the government goes ahead with its plan to acquire 8000 acres of land for Arcelor Mittal's proposed 12-million-tonne steel plant. The protesters, who came from 17 villages, submitted a memorandum, objecting to the location of the plant. They pleaded that the state's rehabilitation policy would not compensate them adequately for the land they will give up, saying that the rehabilitation and reconstruction (R&R) policy will not be able to give them an acceptable alternative and therefore they want the plant to be located elsewhere. In the 20-page document in Oriya, the villagers have punched holes in the government's new policy. They have pointed out several contradictions in it and say that the new policy is worse than the land acquisition act formulated by British in 1894, giving instances of the loopholes and objectionable features of the R&R policy. Rehabilitation is not the only problem. The plant will consume four cubic metres of water for every tonne of steel it produces. Water in the local Baitarani river, as experts point out, will not be enough. Under such a circumstance, the plant is likely to tap groundwater sources. And that will mean further deprivation for the farmers and the environment, say the experts. South Korean steel giant Pohang Steel Company Limited (Posco) which signed an MoU with the state government 18 months ago for establishment of a Rs 52,000 crore steel plant near the port town of Paradip, is also facing a similar kind of protests by the local people, especially the local farmers and betel growers. Over 4,000 people are going to be displaced by the Posco project.

Who will get Mittal's pie - Jharkhand or Orissa?

Binita Jaiswal
&
Akshaya Kumar Sahoo
Bhubaneswar, Dec. 20: Will Arcelor-Mittal really come to Orissa? Or is this a tactical move against Posco? This question has been revolving around the bureaucratic circle, even as speculation ran high in the state secretariat that the company would sign memorandum of understanding with the state government this week.

One message that is doing round here that Arcelor Mittal would be signing the MoU with the Orissa government for 12-million-tonne-steel plant at Keonjhar. But the chronology of the event is quite interesting. The message has started taking its momentum after Posco chief met the Orissa chief minister Navin Patnaik earlier last week.

It may be recalled that Arcelor-Mittal chief L.N. Mittal visited Orissa just after Posco chief showed displeasure over the development on land acquisition for Posco plant in Orissa.

On Monday, Creative Port Development Pvt Ltd (CPDPL), a private port developer has signed the MoU with the Orissa government for developing a port on Subarnarekha River at Kirtania. It may be also recalled that earlier the chief secretary of Jharkhand visited Orissa and met chief minister Mr Patnaik for the same. And in July, CPDPL made a presentation before the then Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda and government officials in Ranchi.
Jharkhand is planning to construct a small river port in collaboration with Orissa to offer better transportation to its industries. Jharkhand officials last month met their counterparts in Orissa and discussed the project on Subarnarekha river along the state's borders as the Jharkhand government is keen to complete construction by 2009 when most of the planned steel companies like Arcelor Mittal are expected to start functioning. The government believes that the port will help Jharkhand earn revenue of Rs 2000 crore per annum in the form of taxes.

Earlier, Arcelor-Mittal had asked the state government for arranging a port for the company over Subarnarekha so that they can speed up the construction work. Now as there is a port planned that by CPDPL, Mittals have a minimal chance to say no to Jharkhand government.
In the Kirtania port, as per sources, Mittals would be getting exclusivity. However, in Orissa, the company would be using the Paradip port or the Dhamara Port. While the Paradip port would not be viable as it would be costlier for logistic supply, Dhamara won't be a good choice, as rival Tata Steel would control it.
Arcelor Mittal's plant is becoming one of the most interesting points in the steel surge of Orissa. The company has asked for 8,000 acre for its plant in Orissa. While the prime opposition political party was furious when Posco has asked for 5,000 acre for its 12 million ton plant in Paradip. There would be likely opposition to Mittal's proposal.
Mittal project, as speculated in industrial circles, is most likely to come up at a place in and around Patna in Keonjhar district, but the exact location remains to be worked out. The proposed greenfield project, going by the draft MoU, would be set up in two phases of six MTPA each. The first phase would see an investment of Rs 22,000 crore and shall be scheduled for commissioning in 2010.

"Deadman" returns home - not embraced but embarrassed by family

By Lalit Patnaik
&
Sibdas Kundu
Balasore, Dec. 18: A former railway employee, who was missing for two decades and declared dead by his family members, has recently returned to his village only to find himself as an unwelcome guest by his family members.
The family members the 64-year-old Bidyadhar Behera are deriving all death benefits and hence do not want to recognise him in public as they have declared him a "deadman" since long.
The railway authorities too have accepted Bidyadhar to have died 20 year ago. His wife Malati is drawing pension and son has been recruited by the South-Eastern Railways.
"If the family members accept me, they think they would lose whatever benefits they have been getting for 20 years now. This is why they deliberately do not want to recognise me," says Bidyadhar.
The railway authorities on the other hand, scratching their head as to how to meet such a perplex situation.
It all started in 1987 when Bidyadhar, a resident of Podadiha village under Kasipada gram panchayat, left home as the behaviour of his wife became unbearable.
While leaving home, Bidyadhar - who claims himself a battered husband said to his wife he would commit suicide to escape harassment. Although the family members initially took his words as a mere threatening, they later presumed him dead as Bidyadhar did not return home after months.
The family performed last rites of Bidyadhar and submitted death certificates to the railway authorities and local administration. This facilitated Bidyadhar's son to secure a job in signal department the railways in 1997 and enabled his wife Malati to obtain ownership of all the landed property.
"My wife was always over concerned about her parental home and never had any sympathy or love for me. Our marriage life was totally ruined for which I left home," said Bidyadhar, adding, although he wanted to communicate with family after a few months, none reciprocated.
Bidyadhar has four children – three daughters and a son.
"My children are showing no interest to interact with me. My wife has threaten me of dire consequences if I do not want disappear from my village," he says.
Bidyadhar is now taking shelter at one of his childhood friends. Many of his colleagues have either retired or died. However, some of Bidyadhar's colleagues such like Purno Mahato, Bhim Behera and Chakradhar Behera are still active and alive and recognise him without any difficulty.

Orissa breathes a sigh of relief as PGA week passes off peacefully

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 12: Orissa government breathed a sigh of relief as this year's People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PGA) week passed off peacefully in the state.
No civilian or any security personnel were targeted by the Maoists during the week that ended on Sunday.
Although hundreds of Naxalites, as intelligence sources said, had congregated on the Andhra-Orissa and Orissa-Chhatisgarh borders respectively in Gajapati and Malkangiri districts, they did not plan out any offensive on security establishments.
However, to meet any possible onslaughts by the ultras, - heavy security fortifications were made in vulnerable jails and police stations.
From the beginning of the PGA week on December 2, the rebels were holed up in small groups in the dense forests of Gajapati and Malkangiri districts and held numerous meetings on their future plans and challenges posed by Andhra Pradesh and Orissa police, reliable sources said.
Every evening, the ultras ventured into the tribal pockets and reportedly distributed leaflets and pamphlets inviting them to join their outfit to "fight against corruption" and "oppression" by the "rulers."
Village meetings and recruitment camps were also held in tribal pockets of Javai, Peparametal, Gompagunda, Kalimela, Motu, Padia, Maliguda and Chitrakonda, the sources added.
Orissa police had made elaborate security arrangements in the region and special armed forces and a bomb disposal squad were sent to sensitive places to avert any untoward incident.
Police said for the first time no violence was reported during the PGA week from any parts of the state.
It may be mentioned here that the Maoists caused much trouble in other neighbouring states during the week. In Jharkhand, they raided a Kharagpur-bound local train and looted guns from the Railway Protection Force whereas in other states they launched offensives on police personnel.

Chilka Lake stinks with dead migratory birds

By Ratikant Mohanty
&
Akshaya Kumar Sahoo



Bhubaneswar, Dec 12: Chilka lake, the largest brackish lagoon in Asia, is literarily stinking this season with at least 82 migratory birds falling prey to some mysterious diseases in the last 18 days.
This incident has sent shockwaves among the wildlife and nature lovers. Wildlife lovers have demanded immediate intervention by the experts to protect the guest birds.
According Abhimanyu Behera, Chilka divisional forest officer, efforts were on to ascertain the causes of the birds' death. He informed that preventive measures were already initiated to check further casualty.
All the deaths were reported from the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside the Chilika Lake. Migratory birds from far-off places like Siberia and Iran arrive in Nalabana during the winter every year and return to their native places after.
Mr Behera said of the 82 birds which died, 69 of them are pintails.
Other bird species - Shovellers, Gadwals, Bar-headed Goose and Sea Eagles - were also among the dead while 277 birds were reported sick.
"The deaths first came to the notice of experts in November. Last week alone, four birds were found dead," added Mr Behera.
Blood samples of dead and sick birds have been sent to the high security animal disease laboratory in Bhopal for examination. The laboratory has the facility to diagnose H5NI, commonly referred to as bird flu, he said.
No report of bird deaths were received from other part of the Chilka Lake, the divisional officer said.
An official estimate says over three lakh migratory birds have so far flown into the lake this winter from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Tibet, Ladakh and Siberia to escape biting cold.
Two teams of doctors from the state veterinary department and the Bombay Natural History Society have been posted in the sanctuary to treat the sick birds, he said.
"The death of the migratory birds is indeed very shocking. Immediate efforts be made to arrest the causes of the death," said Biswajit Mohanty, secretary Wildlife Society of Orissa.