Naveen hits back at Modi, says he insulted people of Odisha[ PTI ]

Almost 10 days after Narendra Modi’s claim that people migrated to Gujarat in search of a livelihood, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said that the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate had insulted the people of Odisha.
“What he (Modi) has said is insulting to the people of Odisha. I am surprised that none of the BJP state leaders protested such words,” Patnaik told a public meeting in Ganjam district.
“Modi has been trying to divide people in terms of states. This is not acceptable for the country and its people,” Patnaik said.
State BJP spokesman Suresh Pujari, however, defended his party’s Prime Ministerial candidate and claimed that he did not attempt to insult the people from Odisha working in Gujarat.

Odia language gets classical tag [ OTV ]

Odias have a reason to cheer as Union Cabinet today gave its approval for classifying Odia as classical language. It is the sixth Indian language to get such prestigious tag after Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.
Even though the proposal of classical status to Odia language got approved in the National Language Commission, it was delayed for presentation in Union Cabinet due to some procedural delays in Home and Law departments. However, the proposal drew the attention of expert committee of the Ministry of Culture after MP Ramachandra Khuntia discussed the matter with the two ministries. Later, it moved to the cabinet secretariat.
The classical tag will give impetus to scholarship in this language. This apart, other benefits will be available for the Odia scholars like other five classical languages.
The benefits are- (i) Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in Odia language. (ii) A ‘Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Languages’ can be set up. (iii) The University Grants Commission can be requested to create, to start with at least in Central Universities, a certain number of professional chairs for classical languages, for scholars of eminence in Odia language.
There has been a long-standing demand that Odia, which is one of the oldest languages and has no resemblance to Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali, Telugu, etc, be declared as a classical language.

Odisha selected for Pilot Project for Vocational Education at Secondary Level

Because of State Government initiatives and efforts of Odisha Madhyamik Sikshya Mission, State has been included in the Pilot Project for vocational education at Secondary Level. A high level meeting to this effect was held today under The Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra in secretariat conference hall. 

Secretary School & Mass Education Smt Usha Padhee outlined the objectives of the scheme and placed the proposed Action Plan for discussion. It has been decided in the meeting that in the first phase the scheme will be piloted in 30 schools in different districts of the State from coming academic session. 

Chief Secretary Mohapatra has advised the department to choose those vocational trades which will link up students to the higher technical education and enhance their employability in job market after completion of formal education. Sri Mohapatra has also directed the department to link up the training with laboratories and workshops for hands on practice. It has also been decided that the programme will be carried on in close collaboration among of School & Mass Education, Employment Training and Technical Education, Higher Education and SC & ST Development departments.

Outlining the key elements of the programme, Secretary School & Mass Education Smt. Padhee said that it will be implemented within the broad principles National Vocational Education Qualification Framework ( NVEQF) and the State Level Vocational Education Monitoring Committee functioning under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary will be State level monitoring committee for the programme. The programme will provide for multiple entry and exist between vocational education, general education and job markets. The programme will be run in partnership with NSDC (National Skill Development Council) , NCERT ( National Council for Educational Research & Training) and Board of Secondary Education, Odisha. The department of School & Mass Education Govt of Odisha will be the apex authority of the project. It will be implemented through Odisha Madhyamik Sikshya Mission (OMSM). The State Project Director of OMSM has been designated as the Nodal officer for implementation of the project.

It has been decided in the meeting that the subjects like IT & IT enabled Services, Automobiles and Construction will be taken up as vocational trades. Each subject will be taught for 200 hours in class 9th and 10th.

 This will be an additional qualification for the students passing out BSE exam and will have no relations with general examination of HSE. It will be piloted in 30 schools in first phase. The students passing out with good performance in these subjects will be given extra weightage for their admission in to diploma and ploy technique institutions. Secretary E and T & TE Dr Chndra Sekhar Kumar, present in the meeting has been advised by Chief Secretary to locate good laboratories and workshops where students will be provided practical training and hands on practice. Available data shows the total project cost is around Rs 940 lakhs which will be shared by both the Central and State Government on 75:25 ratio. Out of this Rs 470 lakhs have been released by Central Government.

 State Govt will release Rs.87.6 lakhs the funds very soon as and when central share is received as per the provisions. Sources say, the funds will be utilized at the rate of Rs 33 lakhs per school. Chief Secretary has directed the departments of School and Mass education to strengthen computer labs of the schools. The E and T & TE department has also been asked to strengthen the laboratories and workshops of Poly Technique Institutions where these students will be given practical training. Additional Chief Secretary Finance Sri U.N.Behera, Secretary Higher Education Sri Gagan Kumar Dhal, Secretary SC & ST Development Sri Sanjeeb Mishra along with other high officials of respective departments participated in discussion.

 

Odisha State Road Transport Corporation plans to raise its fleet strength to 1000 in 5 years

Odisha State Road Transport Corporation has procured 103 new buses for providing services in hilly and backward areas of the State during the year 2012-13 and 2013-14. It has started planning to raise its fleet strength to 1000 in the coming 5 years. 

The Government have also given consent to provide 8 crores rupees per year for this purpose. OSRTC has also purchased 100 new buses this year providing much needed passenger connectivity in L.W.E. affected areas of the State.

Today 29 Hi-Tech buses are all set to press into service for the traveling of passengers in remote areas. These buses will operate through 14 depots of O.S.R.T.C. The Government of Odisha has provided Rs 8 crores towards share capital contribution and OSRTC also invested Rs 17 crores from its own resources for purchase of above buses.

As the Hi-Tech buses are equipped with high quality technology, these will ensure the passengers for comfortable and safe journey. After operation of these 29 buses, the fleet strength of OSRTC has gone upto 470.

It is matter of pride that OSRTC has been awarded the “State Transport Corporation with least cost of operations” prize during the National Conference of All State Transport Corporation held in Jodhpur in January’14. This award includes 1 lakh cash prize and a trophy.

Besides above, OSRTC has also been awarded for least accident rate among the all S.T.Us of the country for the year 2011-12.

Odisha Govt signs MoU with JK Trust-Gram Vikash Yojana for 64 Integrated Livestock Dev. (ILD) Centers in 3 districts

A Memorandum of Understanding is signed today between the Government of Odisha and JK Trust-Gram Vikash Yojana in the presence of  Minister Agriculture & F & ARD and H&UD Sri Debi Prasad Mishra.

JK Trust-Gram Vikash Yojana is currently implementing a programme for Cattle Bred Improvement in 13 tribal districts namely Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangapur, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Nuapada, Baragarh, Sundargarh, Balasore, Mayrbhanj, Keonjhar and Boudh of Odisha. This programme complements the efforts of F& ARD Department, government of Odisha in strengthening the animal breeding and vet. support services in tribal and remote areas of the state. The programme which is being funded by the ST & SC Dev. Department, Government ofOdisha envisages setting up of 620 ILD Centers and these centers have already been established and functioning very satisfactorily since last 1 and half years. The ILD Centers provide Artificial Insemination and other veterinary support services at the door steps of the farmers. 

Till January 2014, a total on 1,35,00 AIs have been performed and more than 6000 crossbred and upgraded calves produced, Besides, these centers also performed about 35,000 castrations, attended 96,000 first aid cases, provided vaccinations of 4,00,000 lakhs animals and deworming to 85000 animals. JK Trust-Gram Vikash Yojana is also operating 4 Mobile Veterinary clinics covering about 250-300 centers in 6 districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Nawarangapur, Rayagada and Ganjam to provide expert veterinary services to the farmers.

In order to extend the above services to other uncovered areas, the F&ARD Department, Government of Odisha decided to start 64 Integrated Livestock Development Centers in 3 districts of Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Nayagarh. The project will cover about 1000 villages in 100 GPs. During the implementation of this 5 year cattle breed improvement project, it is expected that about 15,000 cross bred cattle breed improvement project, it is expected that about 15,000 cross bred and upgraded calves of high genetic merit and having higher milk production potential will be produced thereby providing a sustainable livelihood to the dairy farmers of these areas.

Among others Commissioner-cum-Secretary Sri Bishnupada Sethi, Director ARD Sri Srikant Prusty, Joint Secretary Sri Raghunandan Mishra, Joint Director Dr. Uma Shanakr Patra, Regional Director JK Trust P.V.K. Parikar, State Project Convener JK Trust Sri Arun Upadhaya, Chief Executive Officer Odisha Livestock Resources Development Society were present.

 

CM Naveen Patnaik launches E- Vidyalaya program

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today launches ambitious E- Vidyalaya program at Bhubaneswar. On this occasion CM Patnaik addressed the students through video conferencing.

In first phase E- Vidyalaya program will be implemented in 4000 high schools and second phase it will be implemented 2000 high schools. On this program the state government will set up ICT Lab and Multimedia Internet Lab in these schools. 

During this occasion School and Mass Education Minister Rabi Naryan Nanda, Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra and other officials present. 

 

Odisha CM urges Union Law Minister to initiate steps to establishment of High Court Benches in Western & Southern Odisha

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today  urges Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal to initiate steps to establishment of High Court Benches in Western & Southern Odisha. CM Patanik today writes a letter on this regard to Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal.

CM Patnaik in his letter said that, “Kindly refer to my letter dated 28th September, 2013 wherein I had requested you to urgently initiate steps with regard to establishment of High Court Benches in Western and Southern Odisha to meet the justified aspirations of the people of these two regions. I had also conveyed the assurance ot the State Government for provision of adequate funds and other resources required for establishment of these two benches.”

Patnaik further added that, “You were kind enough to reply to my above letter vide your D0. of 23rd October, 2013 stating inter alia that the request of the State Government has been forwarded to the Chief Justice, Orissa High Court to examine the case and send his views in the matter. In the said letter you had also stated that further action would be taken by Govt. of India based on the response from the High Court.”

CM Patnaik said that, “In View of the persisting agitation by the people of both the regions I would urge upon you to engage with the Orissa High Court for an early response based on which I am hopeful that a favourable solution can emerge to fulfill this long pending demand.”

Earlier today Finance Minister Prasanna Aeharya, Industries Minister Niranjan Pujari and BJD MLAs from Western Odisha met the Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik at Secretariat and discussed about the issue of High Court Bench and the Letter to Union Law Minister Shri Kapil Sibal in this regard.

It may be recalled that the Central Action Committee, Sambalpur also met the Law Minister Maheswar Mohanty on this issue.