Oris-saga

The Statesman, 4 December

Farmers in quandary over seed issue

BARIPADA, Dec. 3: The farmers of about 25 blocks are worried and have not yet made up their minds as to what they would do after they have been harassed by the State Seed Corporation, which has failed to provide paddy seeds for Ravi cultivation. The farmers alleged that though the officers have been maintaining that seeds are not available, the same are on sale behind their back..

However, hundreds of farmers of undivided Mayurbhanj district, are reportedly returning bags of paddy seeds to the government seed counters, which they had taken earlier, as they are of inferior quality and have failed to germinate.

After a weak monsoon, which delayed cultivation in the district, the framers now find themselves in a quandary, as thousands of quintals of paddy seeds provided by the State Seed Corporation have failed to germinate.

While the district administration did not heed the farmers’ complaints, tests by the State Seed Laboratory have confirmed that the seeds were of inferior quality. Though the plan was to cultivate paddy in 1, 23,435 hectares of land during the Ravi season, it failed due to low quality seeds.

“We have decided to stage a dharna and gherao cooperative offices in the district and will not allow the officers to do their work, until they provide paddy seeds soon,” said one of the farmers.

Farmers misguided on pesticide menace

BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 3: With decreasing number of agricultural extension workers, the farmers are misdirected by pesticide manufacturers, alleged Orissa Coalition for Food Safety & Sovereignty. The mandatory warnings on labels are not adhered to, in direct contravention of international regulatory laws, it added.

Each year approximately three million people are poisoned and 200,000 die from pesticide use. While acute cases of pesticide poisoning are very common, the chronic long-term effects such as cancer, endocrine disrupting effects are of increasing concern, the organisation maintained.

It observed that the pattern of pesticide usage in India is different from that for the world in general. In India 76 per cent of the pesticide used is insecticide, as against 44 per cent globally. The main use of pesticides in India is for cotton crops (45 per cent), followed by paddy and wheat.

The threat to Orissa has risen considerably with the stress on cotton cultivation. This has habituated the farmers to use pesticide and they now use it in increasing quantities in paddy and vegetables.

The introduction of GM crops has resulted in more pesticide use as secondary pests have emerged.

As pesticides kill the natural predators of pests, there has been no appreciable benefit from their use.

It may be mentioned that 3 December is observed the world over as “No Pesticide Use Day” to commemorate the world’s worst chemical disaster- Bhopal pesticide factory explosion in 1984.

People starve in Dhinkia

JAGATSINGHPUR Dec. 3: The Jagatsinghpur district SP Mr RK Sharma tired to underplay the recent spate of violence and the alleged ‘sealing” of Dhinkia village, by insisting that police deployment around Dhinkia was meant to check outsiders and pro-Posco elements from creating a law and order problem. “We have not surrounded or sealed Dhinkia disconnecting it from the rest of the district as has been projected or alleged,” he observed. Villagers, media persons are moving freely, he said before adding that the anti-Posco group has not moved out of the village fearing arrest.

The SP’s statement comes in the wake of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti leader Mr Abhaya Sahoo’s charge that people of Dhinkia have been surrounded by police and are starving since four days. Even the Left party leaders had, yesterday, issued a call for sending relief material and foodstuff to Dhinkia as the village had been sealed by the police.

It is a case of human rights violation, they charged.It may be noted here that Dhinkia is the stronghold of the PPSS and several of its leaders including Sahoo are camping there.

Since 29 November when bombs were hurled at PPSS activists at Balitutha bridge, the entire area is surcharged with apprehensions that the police may forcibly enter Dhinkia and arrest PPSS leaders.

For two years now the police had not been able to enter Dhinkia, Nuagaon, Gadakujang panchyats which come under the proposed POSCO steel plant site.
No government or company authority was allowed to enter as PPSS activists had blocked approach roads and created check gates.

But the recent spate of violence has had the PPSS on the run and taking advantage the police has entered a few areas.

The police has been deployed in large numbers at Balitutha and Trilochanpur villages. Mr Sharma however claims that the deployment is to prevent escalation of violence.

Meanwhile the PPSS has started training local youths in armed struggle and a few tribals have been engaged to impart training in archery and sword fight, PPSS leader Abhaya Sahoo confirmed this and said they were forced to prepare for a violent battle against goons hired by the company who had attacked them at Balitutha recently. For two years it has been a peaceful struggle but from now on it is going to be battle to protect our land at any cost, he said.

The pro-Posco groups have also started holding regular meetings to discuss their strategy.

They assert that police deployment has ushered in peace in the troubled villages.
They alleged that a lot of outsiders including suspected extreme Left elements had infiltrated the area. SP Mr Sharma has appealed to the local people not to take law into their hands and help police to restore peace.

He is keen on forming a peace committee for the purpose but has not yet been able to negotiate with the PPSS leadership.

Plight of a disabled youth....

BHADRAK, Dec. 3: Today is the world disabled day, Speeches are being rendered by VVIPs and meetings and seminars are being held. But the plight of Jagannath Sahu (26), a physically handicapped graduate, remains unchanged.

Without hands, he does everything with the help of his legs. Not only can he write, but he has also completed his studies from Fakir Mohan University in 2004-05. Jagannath, the son of Ramesh Sahu of Jantuali Nuagaon village under Chandabali block is envied by others. “From my childhood, my aim was to complete at least graduation, so that I would able to take up a job to serve my family. Now I think my graduation has no meaning, because a job for a handicapped graduate like me is a dream,” said Jagannath.

“I had gone to the grievance cell of the chief minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, thrice to meet him, but failed. Then I wrote a letter to the President of India seeking a job. On 3 September, President”s office replied by advising me to meet the chief secretary of Orissa. On 2 November, I went to Bhubaneswar and tried to meet the chief secretary. But he was busy. I was told by his staff to meet the district collector of Bhadrak and that a letter would be sent to the collector," he said.
Jagannath continues to narrate his woes. He said that he returned to Bhadrak only to be told by the collector that no such letter has been received by him.

Police intensify vigil

BARIPADA, Dec. 3: The Mayurbhanj police have intensified vigil, as Naxalites sneak into border districts of the state in order to observe the annual Peoples Liberation of Guerrilla Army (PLGA), which will continue till 8 December.

Security has been beefed up and round-the-clock vigil has been enforced along the border. The reports of massive rallies, meetings and recruitments held by the Naxalite outfit, CPI (Maoists), recently at Belphari in Midnapur district of West Bengal, had prompted the security alert, the police said.

The superintendent of police, Mr Dayal Gangwar, today said that para military personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Orissa Special Armed Police Reserve (OSAP) have been deployed in vulnerable areas of the district.

He, however, declined to divulge details on the size and area of deployment.

However the SP denied having any information, regarding the recruitment drive of the Naxalites.

No such activities have taken place in the district so far, besides the gun battle between the police and the ultras on 28 November, in which there no causality occurred.

The week long annual recruitment drive of the Peoples Liberation of Guerrilla have been held for the past five years since 1999.

Rehabilitation binding on industries: Samal

ANGUL, Dec. 3: The decisions of the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) in matters of rehabilitation of the affected, are binding on all operating and upcoming industries, including private and public sectors, the state revenue minister, Mr Manmohan Samal, said yesterday.

The revenue minister was addressing a gathering, to mark annual function of Jagannath club, one of the premier clubs in industrial Angul district. Claiming that Orissa Rehabilitation policy-2006 is the best in the country, Mr Samal warned that in case of non-compliance, the government may go to make it an act. The government has immediate plans to go for it.

Mr Samal asked the authorities for a regular session of the RPDAC in their respective districts and regions, so that the issues of the rehabilitation can be effectively addressed.

RPDAC is vested with vast powers and authority to deal with these rehabilitation matters as per as the rehabilitation policy are binding on the government and all concerned. He welcomed a recent Supreme Court decision, which has asked all the industries to spare five per cent of their annual profit for peripheral development in their surroundings.

“Certain Central industries are reluctant to spend even one per cent of their profit for community development, Mr Samal said, asking RPDAC members to spend money properly in their areas. The revenue minister disclosed that by 2008, there would be no person without land in the state and till date 80 per cent of people of the state have been covered under the scheme. The rest of the 20 per cent of the landless population will be given land on time.

Mr Samal gave a detailed picture of some of the reforms introduced in his department to simplify the system in order to eradicate corruption in the revenue department. He described that land pass book is a right step in that direction, since the book holder will not be required to run to the tehsil office for income, residential and other certificates, where there is a scope of corruption. Presided over by the club president, Mr Rashi Mishra, the occasion was addressed by the Rajya Sabha MP, Mr Rudra Narayan Pany, the local sub-collector, Mr Nirmal Mishra, among others.

Stir to take place over land loss


BALASORE, Dec. 3: The villagers around the Chandipur defence establishment have expressed their discontentment regarding compensation towards land losers. They have submitted a memorandum today to the district collector and urged him to take immediate action, or else they would resort to agitation.

The villagers who live in close proximity to the defence installation, namely, Jaydevkasabapahi, Bardhanpur, Sahajanagar, Bhimpur and Kusmuli, under the banner of Purvanchala Surakshya Committee(PSC), under the of Mr Biranchi Narayan Panda, met the collector to apprise him of their demands. At the time, the latter was in a meeting with the district level officers, including the superintendent of police and the defence officials, in connection with the ensuing final test of Prithvi’s advance air defence exercise likely to be held on 6 December.

The villagers, besides demanding a notice for evacuation, 72 hours ahead of the test also has demanded Rs 300 and Rs 150 respectively for each adult and minor, against the present compensation of Rs 120 and Rs 60 slated for each day of evacuation.

They too demanded Rs 20 for each cattle head against the prevailing Rs 10 per family for any number of livestock. “ How can the compensation be justified when the defence authorities are adopting a flat means for compensating against any number of cattle heads for one family? Hence, besides demanding a higher rate for adults and minors, we demand compensation against each cattle head" said Mr Panda, the president of PSC.

He further informed that the land losers have not been adequately compensated and alleged that the district authorities are not executing the court order.

The defence has acquired 324.76 acres of land for expansion vide notification in 1998 and payment was made in 2002 varying between Rs 18,000 and Rs 25,000 per acre Mr Panda informed that the amount was given when the state government rate was Rs 2,25, 000 per acre.

He further alleged that despite order by the court against appeals to pay Rs 50,000 per acre with interest, the same has not been executed .

The villagers alleged that they were often prohibited from using the range road, which is owned and maintained by the defence. Under a special agreement it was agreed in 1971 by the defence authorities to allow the villagers to use the road.

Many a times, the defence all of sudden prohibits the road for us. As a result of this, it causes inconvenience. It becomes difficult during emergency. The villagers further alleged that the stretch connecting the Range road to Salt road via Bhimpur and Bardhanpur is not maintained properly. The collector has assured us that he would take steps within 15 days.

Suspected Maoist activities around Satkosia

ANGUL, Dec. 3: Suspected Maoist cadres have reportedly been seen moving around the Satkosia forest area, 40 km from here.

Recently villagers of Laimunda, Kantapara, Baghamunda, Alaberi and Dandabahali reported district police about movement of many suspected uniformed people in the surrounding jungle. Police team led by local circle inspector of police here rushed to the area each time but returned empty handed describing the report to be false. They hardly went up to the suspected hideout locations in the jungle.

The first report came to them on November 20 when villagers of Laimunda said two unknown persons wearing black uniforms interacted with a villager. The second face off took place by some village youths of local village in Tainsi jungle with some strangers. People also saw fire and smoke from the forest located near Gojamundia hill in the night indicating cooking by those people inside the forest.

A couple of days ago a 12-year-old child from village Loiamunda was intercepted by a stranger in uniform near their village jungle who enquired about the movements of police in their village. The father of the child informed Angul police superintendent about the incident.

The ultras are reportedly trying to establish their base in the area as the villagers near the sanctuary are in distress and provide an ideal situation for Naxals to entrench themselves.

Teachers take to roads

BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 3: Teachers of block grant high schools and non-grant schools were back on the streets today laying siege to a stretch of the road leading to the state assembly The agitating teachers community rejected CM Naveen Patnaik’s recent slew of announcements which were basically aimed at an upward revision of the annual block grant.

It is a devious attempt to fool everybody, alleged teachers here while noting that they had never demanded more money or allowances. The one point demand is to abolish the block grant system and provide full fledged grant in aid, they pointed out.

The recent upward revision announced by Mr Patnaik is also dangerous in the sense that from block grant of 40 percent meant for teachers, the present revision makes it a bulk grant in favour of the managing committee of respective educational institutions. This may lead to misappropriation and wide variations in payment to teachers of different institutions depending on their staff strength etc. Again, the announcements are aimed at dividing the teaching community between block grant and non-grant groups, alleged the teachers. The message being given by the government is as though the block grant teachers were interested in their own cause and had ignored the eligible non-grant institution teachers.

Tribals rally for jungle entry

KEONJHAR Dec. 3: The Bhuyan and Juanga, two primitive tribes who are claiming to be the architects of this tribal district, are unwittingly living in an altogether different climate and condition; thanks to the defective jungle rules of the government.

Hundreds of Bhuyans and Juangas of six primal pidhas* (villages) today took out a rally that ended at the collectorate where they staged a demonstration before giving a memorandum to the collector. They claimed that in 1948 when Keonjhar was about to merge in Orissa, a memorandum was signed between the then king and the government. As per that memorandum the Bhuyans and the Juangas should in no way be kept refrained from using the jungles and streams. At the time of 1970 bandobast, their areas were not surveyed and consequently their lands are still unsurveyed.

They also allege that as mining is increasing too fast, these mining houses are depositing crores of rupees for compensatory plantation. Unfortunately the forest department is planting eucaliptas and akasia in their lands in the name of compensatory plantation. So far the department has planted these plants on 1,030 hectares of land of 20 villages. And the department is going to undertake the plantation on 4,588 hectares of 32 villages at a cost of
Rs 79,008, 500.

They allege that their lands have been illegally transferred to various crusher owners. While 264 families of 33 villages have lost their 276.46 acres of land, in their six villages, nine crushers are so far operating threatening their livelihood. These rushers are polluting the salubrious air and water. As a result they are suffering from various diseases. This apart as the corridors of wild animals like elephants are being damaged by the mines and crusher owners, they are considerably damaging their lives and property.

They claim that the government is undertaking and leasing the areas where they have been living since ages but is paying little attention for the development these areas.

Violence worries Amnesty

BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 3: The Amnesty International is concerned over reports of violence in Jagatsinghpur and urged the state government to desist from forceful eviction. Farmers of the area are fearful of forced eviction by private militias and the state police have reportedly not taken any action to protect local communities, it observed.

The organisation is further concerned that full consultation on the potential displacement has not been undertaken with the communities by the state government. A note on the organisations observations was circulated amongst media persons here. AI observed that lessons should be learnt from the unfortunate episodes of violence which took place in Kalinga Nagar in 2006 and Nandigram in 2007, where local communities were protesting possible displacement due to the planned construction of an industrial project. The state government has a responsibility to ensure the protection of the human rights of all individuals, it said.

Any action by the police must be proportionate and should avoid unnecessary injuries to civilians, it noted.

It implored upon the state government to carry out full consultations with affected communities on the human rights, impact of its actions, including in relation to plans to carry out evictions. The organisation reiterated that sustainable development cannot be measured solely in terms of economic indicators: it should be seen as a holistic process that embraces a range of factors, including the development of civil society, the strengthening of the rule of law and the fulfillment of the human rights in the civil and political, social and cultural as well as economic spheres.

Workers agitate for absorption

JAJPUR, Dec. 3: Contractual workers locked the main gate of Rohit Ferrotech limited (RFL) located in Kalinga Nagar demanding permanent jobs today. The contractual workers allegedly assaulted workers and officials of the plant and chased them from the plant premises.

Later, they barged into the machine rooms and switched off different machineries of the plant and sat on dharana before the company gate and held a protest meeting. Production of the plant came to a grinding halt following the agitation. Later, the agitation was called off. Workers issued a 15 day deadline to company authorities to fulfil their demands.

The contractual workers claimed that they have been working in the plant for the last three years hence the steel company should make their jobs permanent.

Company source said, the agitators prevented the officials and workers of the company from entering into the plant demanding permanent jobs to them and paralysed the plant over six hours.

“At first the contractual workers, many of them of supply department of our plant prevented our men and materials to enter into the company campus by locking the entrance gate. Later, they assaulted our security officer and other officials mercilessly and took the plant into their control.

They switched off the entire machines of the plant and stopped the production. As they stopped our plant from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. we incurred a huge loss,” said KC Sasmal GM, personnel and administration of RFL.

They are outsourced and engaged through the labourer contractor. They are not company men and it is impossible to make all of them permanent. This apart, to run the plant smoothly some technical expertise is badly needed and the contractual workers lack technical expertise, he added.

“I have not received any written complaint from the company site. Getting a tip off our police team reached the company premises and persuaded the agitators to unlock the plant gate;” said Kalinga Nagar police station IC, KC Mund.