Naveen announces Rs 1000-crore rural electrification programme

By Ratikant Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, May 23: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced a Rs 1000-crore Biju Gramya Jyoti Yojana (BGJY) for rural electrification in the state.

Under the scheme, at least 10,000 villages with a minimum population of 300 will be supplied electricity in next five years. The money will be allocated in the coming budget session of the state Assembly beginning June 1.

The programme was announced by the chief minister after a high level meeting held here at the state secretariat.

On Saturday last, the chief minister – while alleging that the Centre was not releasing required funds for rural electrification in Orissa under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyut Yojana (RGGVY) – had declared that the state would launch its own electrification programme.

Speaking to reporters here, the chief minister said although the state government had been asking the Centre for release of funds for rural electrification, the Centre was not paying any heed to it. Although the state government had submitted electrification plans for all the 30 districts of the state, the Centre had approved plans for only two districts.

The chief minister had recently met the Union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in New Delhi and urged him to release funds to all the districts of Orissa under the RGGVY. He had also requested Mr Shinde reconsider the Union government's decision not to supply electricity to villages which do not have a population size of 300.

"Orissa is an under-developed state with over 33 per cent tribal population living in small villages and hamlets in forest areas and on the hills. If we stick to the Centre's decision, these villages will never be able to see electricity," Mr Patnaik said.

Political observers here see this newly announced programme as yet another pre-poll soap to woo the voters.

Earlier, - just before the panchayat elections in March, Naveen had announced Rs 250-crore per annum Biju Krushak Yojana for the KBK districts in protest against winding of the KBK plan by the Centre. Another Rs 250-crore package was announced under the name of Gopabandhu Gramin Rojgar Yojana for coastal Orissa.

ADB to provide Rs 1251 crore assistance for improvement of irrigation network in Orissa

Ratikant Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, May 8: The Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide Rs 1251 crore assistance to Orissa government for participatory irrigation management (PIM) and integrated water resources management (IWRM).

The first installment of the money will be released in the first quarter of the year 2008-09.

Speaking to reporters after meeting chief minister Navin Patnaik here on Tuesday, ADB country director Tadashi Kondo said the proposed projects to be funded by the Bank would be completed within seven years.

The ADB Project Preparatory Technical Assistance (PPTA) wing has already prepared a detailed project report (DPR) on the two aspects of irrigation and water resource and management.

This apart, it is also preparing the Orissa Integrated Irrigated Agriculture and Water Management Project (OIIAWMP).

State water resources department commissioner cum secretary Arabinda Behera said after completion of the projects, at least three lakh hectares of land will come under irrigation network.

At present, at least 60 thousand hectares of agricultural land are water logged. The ADB assisted projects would ensure drainage of waters from such lands and provide additional irrigation facilities to at least 30 thousand acres of land, Mr Behera said.
Mr Behera stated that the ADB assisted projects aim at enhancing the productivity and sustainability of existing under utilised major, medium and minor (lift) irrigation schemes in four river basins of Brahmani, Baitarani, Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha.

A priority irrigation scheme, stated Mr Behera, has been initiated in the Mahanadi delta Stage-I area. The preparation process was taken up in November 2006 and is expected to be completed within the current month. Draft project reports for appraisal would be prepared by the Union government, Orissa government and ADB, he added.

If not successful, we might find some other alternative: Posco-India chief

By Binita Jaiswal

Bhubaneswar, May 8: Posco-India chief Soung Sik Cho on Tuesday said if the company did not succeed in its attempt to persuade the locals to part with their lands for the proposed 12-million-tonne steel project, the company might find some other “alternative.”
Mr Cho, who met the chief minister Navin Patnaik in the evening, however, did not answer to a query if the “alternative” meant shifting of shelving of the project.
“As per our announcement, we have started direct talks with the local people in Kujanga area for land acquisition. We hope to succeed in our endeavour,” he said.
The CMD said he met the chief minister Mr Patnaik to inform him about the progress made so far in respect of land acquisition.