Orissa vigilance begins probe into OPL investments

Bhubaneswar, Jul 9 (PTI) The Vigilance Department has started inquiry into alleged investment of illegal money in the recently concluded Orissa Premier League (OPL) cricket tournament, official sources said today."

The vigilance department decided to investigate the franchise owners of OPL as they spent a lot of money in the three-week cricket tournament," Director of Vigilance Anup Kumar Patnaik said.The OPL tournament which concluded in June had raised eyebrows because of lavish spending by franchise owners.

Ten franchise owners had spent Rs 20 crore in purchasing teams and players.The department was investigating a former motor vehicles department inspector, a co-owner of the Cuttack franchise, which was sold at Rs 35 lakh.

"Documents are being verified and the former inspector is being questioned," Patnaik said.The department had recently filed a chargesheet against the former inspector.BJD MLA from Paradip, Damodar Rout, a former minister was among the first to raise questions on the OPL matches.Demanding a through probe, Rout had alleged that money raised form illegal mining was invested in the OPL matches.Secretary of Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) Asribad Behera welcomed the investigation by the vigilance."The OPL matches were conducted in a most transparent manner," Behera claimed.

NAMSCON-2011 to focus on re-emerging infections

By Pinki Priyadarshini/ www.indusvalleytimes.com

Bhubaneswar: The emergence and re-emergence of health concerns like tuberculosis, malaria and filarial, viral and fungal infections with special reference to the eastern states, will be a major theme at the three-day annual conference of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) to be held at the Siksha O Anusandhan Deemed to be University here from October 14 next.

“This conference is being held for the first time in Orissa to be attended by the virtual who’s who of India’s health care scenario many of whom are policy makers for medical education,” Professor (Dr) Sureswar Mohanty, organising secretary of the event, said.

NAMSCON-2011, as the conference will be known, will have a Continuing Medical Education (CME) component where the focus will be on the subject “emerging and re-emerging infections with special reference to Eastern India”. Faculty members of all six medical colleges of Orissa, residents, medical students, medical professionals and officials of the union ministry of health are expected to attend.

Proffessor Mohanty, also an eminent neuro-surgeon at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, which will be hosting the conference, said that Malaria which had apparently been suppressed in Orissa had re-emerged posing a major threat to public health..

He attributed this to organisms becoming resistant to antibiotics and decrease in the immunity level of the host saying this could be responsible for the re-emergence of some of the infections.

Around 300 fellows and members of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) who include former directors, deans and eminent professors at National Institutes like AIIMS, New Delhi and the PGIs, are expected to attend the conference.

Besides the CME on the opening day, oration by eminent medical professionals will mark the second day which will also witness the Convocation in the afternoon when around 100 new fellows and members would be admitted to the Academy.

Some of the prominent personalities who will deliver lectures are Dr Jyotirmoy Biswas, Director of Uveitis and Ocular Pathology department, Sankara Netralaya, Chennai, Dr. Susarla Krishna Shankar, Professor of Neuropathology, NIMHANS, Bangalore, Dr Vinay Sakhuja, Professor and Head of the Department of Nephrology, PGI, Chandigarh, Dr Digambar Behera, Director, LRS Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi and Dr Ravinder Goswami, Associate Professor, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AIIMS, New Delhi.

www.indusvalleytimes.com

Early detection of breast cancer best way to fight the disease

By Jyoti Panda / www.indusvalleytimes.com

Bhubaneswar: Periodic medical check-up by women above 40 years of age for any abnormality in their breasts can go a long way in combating breast cancer, experts in the field of breast diseases said at a Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme held recently here at the Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital.

Early detection of cancer in the breast was the best method of fighting the disease and there was need for spreading awareness in this regard, they said.

The programme was jointly conducted by the newly-formed Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI) and senior oncologist Dr Krupasindhu Panda who is also the Programme Director for East Zone of ABSI.

Those who shared their views at the seminar on issues like modern diagnostic techniques of breast cancer and surgical management of the condition, included eminent breast surgeon Dr L. Sarangi of Varanasi, Dr. P.Raghuram of Hyderabad, Dr. Tapati Sen of Kolkata and Dr. Krupasindhu Panda.

The Medical Superintendent of Sum Hospital Dr. B.N.Panda also spoke at the programme.

www.indusvalleytimes.com

Krishna begins 2-day Dhaka visit

Agencies / www.indusvalleytimes.com

New Delhi, July 06, 2011: External affairs minister SM Krishna on Wednesday began two-day Dhaka amidst discomfort in Bangladesh PM's controversial remarks about "anti-Indian" sentiments in the country. Downplaying that the Prime Minister's remarks will have any impact on his visit, Krishna said, "I think there is no damage repair in the sense...The Prime Minister has always held and he is one of the consistent champions of close Indo-Bangaldesh relationship".

Besides Krishna, water resources minister Salman Khurshid is likely to visit Dhaka soon. United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi is expected to arrive here July 25. Manmohan Singh himself is likely to visit Dhaka by September.

In his "off-the-record" chat with editors earlier this week, Manmohan Singh spoke candidly about his assessment of the situation in Bangladesh. He said that at least 25 % of the population "swear by the Jamaat-e-Islami and they are very anti-Indian, and they are in the clutches, many times, of the ISI", the Pakistani spy agency.

Krishna's visit will include meetings with President of Bangladesh Zillur Rahman, Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina besides holding talks with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni. He will also meet Finance Minister AMA Muhith and Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia besides signing some bilateral documents.

"My visit would be preparatory to that of our Prime Minister. I propose to review progress in the entire gamut of our bilateral relations with my interlocutors," he said.

Earlier, Prime Minister's comment drew flak from Bangladeshi daily. The New Age said in an editorial: "Given Manmohan's reputation as an intellectual and scholar, there is no reason to treat his comments as merely an innocent remark."

This can "hardly be interpreted as anything but a means to put pressure and create a sense of vulnerability on the government in power, in Bangladesh, prior to negotiations in which the Indian government are expected to seek a number of concessions from the Bangladesh government," it said.

NHRC issues notice to Orissa govt on Kaptipada hooch tragedy

By Our Correspondent / source: www.indusvalleytimes.com

Bhubaneswar, July 1: In a significant development, the Naitonal Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued notice to Orissa chief secretary to submit a detailed report on the death of 7 people of several villages under Talachua gram panchayat of Kaptipada Block in Mayurbhanj district after allegedly consuming spurious liquor from a local shop.

Based on a letter from Mohan Lal Panda, advisor of Banaras based People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), the NHRC issued the order.

Earlier, Orissa government had ordered an inquiry by a senior excise official after allegations of seven deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor in several villages of tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Friday demanded resignation of excise minister A.U.Singh Deo in connection with the hooch tragedy.

Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) vice-president Sivananda Ray said although seven people died by consuming spurious liquor the minister mislead the public by saying that the deceased were suffering from different chronic diseases.

“Our investigation revealed that most of the deceased had purchased spurious liquor from one Kuna Behera at Salachua market near Kaptipada. Soon after consuming the liquor, they complained head reeling, eye-sight problem and suffocation. They were immediately rushed to hospitals in Kaptipada and Balasore and treated for alcohol poisoning. Unfortunately, the minister has tried to cover up this fact by flatly denying that the victims had consumed any liquor,” Mr Ray said.

He alleged that not a single post-mortem was conducted to ascertain the cause of death. “Had the authorities conducted post-mortem, the reason for loss of seven precious lives could have been established. What is quite surprising is that although all the deceased were tribals, they were not buried as per their tradition. Their bodies were cremated at the instance of the district administration which wanted to wipe out all the evidence,” Mr Ray added.