BALANGIR BANDH ON 31st AUGUST 2012 IN SUPPORT OF LOWER SUKTEL PROJECT

(Photo - KUNA BAG)

Indefinite hunger strike by lower suktel action committee to expedite the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project.Seven persons are there 1.Gopalji Panigrahi of Bolangir 2.Anuragi Nahaka of Dhulushar,Chudapali 3.Kanhu Charan Mishra of Garjan 4.Udhaba Jhankar 5.Sudam Dharua 6.Maheswar Seh 7.Durga Prasad Bhaoi

They are fasting for the last 3 days....

To day a meeting convened by Citizen Committee to extend support to the lower suktel action committee hunger strike.All section of people participated in this meeting.An unanimous decision taken to Bandh Bolangir on 31st of this month.Wide publicity will be made to aware people on this issue and street corner meetings will be held tomorow in different place of Bolangir.Gearing up to make this revolution successful.

Only Rs 40 cr to Khurdha-Balangir line : KKD Protest Across Kosal

The KOSAL KRANTI DAL and ALL KOSAL STUDENT UNION (AKSU) organised a Rail Roko at Balangir station on 20th March 2012 in protest of the meagre allocation of fund for the 20 year old Balangir-Khurda railway line..The rail roko was withdrawn after the local police intervene.

Political reactions across Balangir:-

“It’s shocking that the Central Government neglected Odisha again. Giving a mere Rs 40 crore for the Khurda-Balangir rail line is absolutely shameful and a sheer neglect of the genuine demands of the people of western Odisha,” said BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo here.

Raising the fare will badly hurt the poor people of India, he added.

“The allocation of Rs 40 crore for the rail line is too ‘meagre’ and we condemn the apathetic attitude of the Central Government towards the people of Balangir and this region. If the allocation goes in this way, it will take many long years to complete the Khurdha-Balangir rail project,” lamented Bhavani Satpathy of Balangir Citizens’ Committee.

The Railway Board chairman had assured of looking into the project, when a delegation comprising Baisnab Parida, Prasanna Patsani, Sivaji Pattnaik, Rudramadhab Ray and Bhavani Satpathy met him in New Delhi in December, 2011.

He also assured to run the railway from Bhubneshwar to Begunia, besides commencement of work from Balangir side, Satpathy said. However, not a single assurance given by chairman to the delegation was fulfilled, Satpathy pointed out.

The allocation for Khurdha-Balangir railway line must be substantial every year. We demand at least Rs 200 crore for the rail line annually and a specific time limit to complete it, said Kosal Kranti Dal president Promod Mishra.

The rail line which would serve as a linkage between coastal region and western parts of Odisha, besides ensuing economic development, has been ignored and a meagre allocation has been made this year. The announcement of setting up a railway wagon factory in Sitapali in Ganjam is somewhat “surprising” and it should have been set up anywhere in western Odisha, Mishra said further.

Photo Courtesy :- Swadhin Mishra

Starvation Death Continues in Kosal - 3 died in Nuapada

News Courtesy :- The New Indian Express

The spectre of starvation deaths continues to haunt KOSAL region (western Odisha), with three more suspected cases being reported from Sinapali block of Nuapada district in the last two days.

The State Advisor to the Commission of Supreme Court on the Right to Food is scheduled to visit the block to ascertain the cause of the deaths.

Reports said Laxman Jagat (27) of Kuliadangri village in Karanbahal gram panchayat died on Friday.His brother, Ghasi Jagat in his complaint to the police said Laxman was suffering from prolonged illness due to malnutrition. His wife and daughter left the house leaving behind Laxman and his widowed mother.Since then the two have been surviving on her meagre old-age pension.

And a day after Laxman breathed his last, Lochani Bewa (60) of the village also died due to malnutrition.While the villagers accused his son of not taking care of him, there is no denying that he died without food.No rice was procured using the Antodaya card for the last three months.

Similarly, Durbal Nag (55) of the village also died on Saturday leaving behind a physically-challenged son, Ralen.The father-son duo depended on their quota rice which failed to reach them in the absence of a proper distribution system.

Block Development Officer (I/c) of Sinapali, Debasis Sinha said while Lochani Bewa and Durbal Nag died of natural causes, medical report of Laxman Jagat is awaited.

He admitted that 10 to 15 beneficiaries had not received rice under various schemes and he was probing the matter.

The distribution of rice in the gram panchayat was virtually stopped after villagers locked the gram panchayat office on September 21 and the arrest of Executive Officer Tankadhar Bhoi for irregularities in the distribution of rice.

His successor Madhab Hati claimed that the villagers had not been cooperating, affecting the distribution.

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Our view :- Blaming the villagers wont work anymore.It has been more than 7 decades since we got our independence and were forcefully merged with the Orissa province.But till date there is hardly anyone sitting in Bhubaneswar is worried about our people.These blocks of Kosal region are prone to starvation deaths and large scale migration and this is not new...It's been happening since many decades but it seems the Orissa govt has gone into deep sleep...Had these incidents would have happened in Coastal Orissa, the whole state govt Machinery would have become active in helping them round-the clock...The bottom line is still we the people of KOSAL region are being treated indifferently..Our lives don't have values for the colonial masters sitting in Bhubaneswar

No More Dams Says Balangir, Bargarh and Subarnapur !

Courtesy:-Dailypioneer written by :- Sudarshan Chhotray

Caught between the dual targets of massive industrialisation and agricultural expansion through extending irrigation coverage to the farmlands, the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government has become the real target of people.

Despite its tall claim of covering 35 per cent of cultivable land under assured irrigation facilities, the ground realities are something different. Policy analysts have found only 25 per cent of the land in the State to be under irrigation. With 11 major rivers, 12 river basins, seven big dams, 10 agro-climatic zones, four geo- climatic regions, 480-km long coastline and average rainfall of 1, 500mm, the State is still a less developed agricultural region. Climate change has affected monsoon and uncertainty of rainfall has made lives of the farmers miserable.

Many attributed drought, food insecurity, starvation deaths, migration, and suicide of farmers and above all marginalisation to inadequate irrigation facility. The diversion of water for industrial houses meant for irrigation has raised many eyebrows. Similarly, the Government’s failure in flood management also has been criticized by political parties and experts. An affidavit filed by the Water Resources Department in the Odisha High Court on August 30 last has confirmed 18 industrial houses are lifting water from four such dams, including Hirakud. This and other related allegations have indeed fuelled many controversies over distribution of water. That’s the reason people feel all the projects have been designed and directed towards facilitating industrial needs than the needs of the common people.

Just a month back, drought had engulfed almost fifty per cent of the State and the news of farmers’ suicide was much in the news headlines. People of Western Odisha were up in arms against a hydro-power project proposed near Sindhol village in Subarnapur district. Though this plant was planned ostensibly to augment the energy needs of the State, in reality people in Western Odisha put up a brave front against the project, which forced it to put off the project for the time being. For them it was a conspiracy to facilitate another Hirakud like big dam for which they are suffering since 1950.

Aung Irrigation project: People of Paikmal area under Padampur Sub Division in Bargarh district are up against a dam project which has posed a grave threat to their life and livelihood. They are claiming their ancestral home, cultivable land and locally available natural resources would be lost if the project is undertaken. Not only these, it would also harm their existing social relationship, age- old tradition and practice.

The proposed dam at Pujharipalli at a distance of 15 km from Padampur, would irrigate about 30,000 hectares of cultivable land of both Bargarh and Balangir districts, which are known as drought prone areas. The project, which was started at the initial cost estimate of Rs 304.66 crore as per the 1999 Consumer Price Index, has now been escalated to Rs 500 crore. The project was sanctioned by Central Water Commission on September 20, 2000 and the environmental clearance was issued on December 6, 2007. The project has the components of a 7480 meter length earthen dam near Pujarharipalli with irrigation potential of 50 km in downstream. Total and full storage in the dam will affect 5100 hectares of area including 167 hectares of Chhattisgarh State.

“As our area is rich in natural resources and people are rich in agriculture despite erratic monsoon and scanty rainfall with less irrigation facility, we have gained self sufficiency in agriculture and a common farmer is getting more yield than expected. Similar is the situation for landless farmers those who never feel they are landless. Rather, they adopt shared cultivation system which brings more benefit for them and they have nothing to worry of forced migration,” says Amrit Lal Sahoo, a retired Revenue Inspector of Saeikela village.

For Jaganath Pradhan of Samalpuri village it is a do-or-die struggle, as he is losing at least Rs 4 lakh per annum from his 15 acre of cultivable land . Even Government agencies collect seeds from him. Jagannath manages to run his 14-member family lavishly without any other income source. For him loosing land for a proposed project will cost him dearly. He is all set for self immolation if the project is undertaken forcibly. The Government has planned the project without proper verification of local resources, alleged members of Pujharipalli Dam Pratirodh Committee, the organisation which has been spearheading the movement against the proposed project. Due to stiff resistance from affected villagers, the first public hearing was turned a battle field.

As things stand today, where the people of Paikamal area have been continuing their protest demonstrations against the construction of the proposed Aung Dam, local politicians are leaving no stone unturned to pacify people’s growing dissent. The affected village believes the decision for construction of a dam at Pujharipalli was political one as former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Painaik had already laid foundation stone for Aung Irrigation Project at Chirroli, said Pujharipalli Dam Partirodh committee secretary Netrananda Behera.

Interestingly, foundation stone laying for Pujharipalli Dam site was conducted during the Congress regime by former Chief Minister J B Patnaik during the 90s. Since then, people of the region have been protesting against the construction of the dam starting from the massive rally at Padampur in the year 1989. Then came the boycott of panchayat elections en-masse in the year 2002 in all the four gram panchayats namely Alkmaar, Sareipalli, Lokharkota and Jagadalpur. Not a single vote was cast in all the 32 affected villages spread over the four panchayats, says Bhandari Marei of Chardhapalli village. Of late, the committee has formed village level struggle committees in all the 32 affected villages to give a brave front in resisting Government’s possible attempt to construct the dam. According to the agitating villages of Lakhmara revealed the dam will not only cause harm to four high schools including a tribal residential high school, a junior college and a number of primary schools, it would also cause harm to a number of area and endangered animals, birds, some medicinal plants, profitable tress, fruit and crop varieties.

Significantly, the calculation made by forty years’ old Bharat Bag of Sareikela Village tells a different story. According to him he gets 30 bags of paddy from an acre of agriculture land which will cost around Rs 11, 250.00. Besides these, he earns from oilseeds and cereals. Bharat says it would be painful for any farmer in sacrificing such prosperous areas for the sake of a so called development project which will bring only devastation. The most shocking effect of the proposed dam is the continuing existence of the prolonged traumatic situations undergone by the people of the region who during the last couple of decades couldn’t make any large investments in housing and other social and economical engagements, argues Bhakta Bariahha of Chardhapalli village.

Suktel Irrigation Project: Chabbilal Gadatia is dejected as he found that he had nothing to do, but hand over his two acres of agriculture land to Government for the construction of the proposed Lower Suktel Dam. Chabbilal, with his five-member family has been earning his livelihood depending upon his two acres of fertile land. Chabbilal along with his fellow villagers of Kainthapalli under Loisingha block of Balangir district are up in arms against the Government which is all set to oust them from their land for the proposed dam.

Kainthapalli is among 29 villages which would be affected by the proposed dam. According to the 1996 survey, at least 15,380 people of 4160 families spread over 26 villages of Balangir district will be displaced. Out of them, 1222 families are tribal, 575 are Scheduled Caste and remaining 2363 belong to OBC. The dam has been initiated to irrigate more than 31,830 hectares of agriculture land spread over 189 villages of poverty stricken and drought prone Balangir and Subarnapur districts. Under the Central Government’s Long Team Action Plan for the drought-prone KBK region, the dam has been approved by the Planning Commission in 1999, with an estimated cost of Rs 217.13 crore in 1996, which is now escalated to the tune of Rs 1,041.81 crore. But due to strong resistance and boycott of the displaced persons, land survey and acquisition process at the proposed dam site of Magurabeda, situated 22 km away from Balangir town had been halted. Latest Government report says land acquisition in 23 villages has been almost completed and process is yet to start in remaining six villages. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while reviewing the progress on August 30 last this year has instructed the authorities to speed up the construction work as soon as possible. After completion, the project will irrigate 29,850 hectares of agriculture land in Balangir and 1,980 hectares in Subarnapur district. Two canals will be constructed in right and left side of the reservoir. “Since the last seven years we have been living under uncertain future and passing through psychological trauma, following the declaration of the dam,” the locals lamented.

KOSAL SAHITYA ACADEMY AWARDS

KOSAL SAHITYA SANSKRUTI ACADEMY announced its felicitations for contribution to Kosli language and literature for the year 2011 for different categories as follows:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

1) Sri Atal Bihari Panda
2) Sri Kapileswar Prasad Mahapatra
3) Sri Shrikara Mishra

LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

1) Dr. Dolagobind Bishi, Titilagarh ( Essay)
2) Shri Bipin Acharya, Sambalpur (Poetry)
3) Professor Kesharanjan Pradhan, Padampur (Drama)
4) Shri Dhanpati Mohapatra, Bargarh (Novel)
5) Dr. Santosh Kumar Rath, Balangir ( Story )

The presentation ceremony will be held at Sonepur on 30th Oct. 2011.

For More Details Contact :-

Saket Sreebhushan Sahu
Editor, Beni

Email :- sampadakbeni@gmail.com

WODC - Rehabilitation centre for defeated BJD politians ?

Jaikosal.com breaking news :-

Today Padmini Sekhar Deo, W/o - Late. Bharatendra Sekher. Deo, Ex- MLA, At –. New. Palace,Sundergarh has been appointed as the chairperson of Western Orissa Development Council (WODC).

Questions are being raised over the relevance of the Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) which was formed to correct the regional imbalance existing in Orissa.

Rather than functioning to assist in the development of the backward Western Orissa districts, its core constituency, the council has now become a rehabilitation centre for defeated ruling party politicians and others whom the powers-that-be want to keep in good humour.

While funding and utilisation system of the Council have come under criticism, the lack of interest on the part of the State Government for further strengthening the organisation has also been disapproved by many. The Council was formed on July 3, 1999. But in 12 years of its existence, no noteworthy project has been implemented.

Three proposed medical colleges by the WODC at Bhawanipatna, Rourkela and Balangir have not progressed beyond the drawing board stage. “The WODC has failed to live up to its expectations during its 12 years of existence so far,” first chairman of the Council and senior Congress leader Narsingh Mishra said.

Funds are being spent on the recommendations of the ruling party MPs, MLAs and leaders, Mishra said and added there is no development agenda before the Council.

The Congress leader said as the Council was formed to bridge regional imbalance, a survey should be undertaken to identify very backward areas where projects should be taken up. But funds are being spent in relatively developed areas because of recommendations of some ruling party leader, MP or MLA, he lamented.

BJP Legislature Party Leader from� Patnagarh KV Singhdeo alleged that the Council had been turned into a platform for also-rans of the ruling party. Attempts are also being made to create a parallel power centre through the Council, he said.

Strongly disapproving the practice of nominating ruling party leaders as expert members, Singhdeo said this had defeated the very purpose of the body. Technical experts should be from a particular field and not politicians, he said.

Defeated BJD candidate in the 2009 Lok Sabha election Hameed Hussein, who is also a member of the Council, also maintained that the funding pattern needs to be changed. The Council should spend in the fields of agriculture and education without wasting money on small projects, he said and added a decision should be taken in this regard soon.

But the importance given to the WODC, or the lack of it, by the powers-that-be can be gauged from the fact that for the last two months the post of chairperson is lying vacant. Sources said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is yet to decide whether to nominate a politician, a bureaucrat or an expert to the post.

(News Source IBNLIVE.com)

Balangir Tribal boy rings in international rugby glory

Courtesy :- TNN

The game of rugby may be as alien as international acclaim for the non-descript tribal hamlet of Bangomunda in Balangir district, but the village is celebrating the unbelievable success of teenager Dharamananda Bhoi nevertheless, who went on to clinch sporting glory as captain of the under-13 rugby team from Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) that won the seven-a-side tournament held at Menchester (England) recently, defeating five foreign teams.

However, the laurel may have come as little surprise for the precocious Dharamananda, who villagers say has always been dreaming big and showed a keen interest in sports right from childhood.

"As a child, Dharamananda was always seen playing Chhur (a local sport). He was also a very good football player and always showed leadership skills," said Jamanikanta Pradhan, a Badangomunda villager.

"Dharamananda showed great interest in the game from the beginning. He was the undisputed captain owing to his special and innovative techniques in games and managing the team mates," said KISS sports teacher Rudrakesh Jena. The Class X student is an invincible scrum-half in Rugby, Jena said, describing the boy as a child prodigy in sports.

KIIS team was the only under-13 team to represent India in the Manchester tournament, where it went on to clinch a one-sided win of 15-0. There were 10 players from KIIS in the team, out of which three were kept on stand-by. In the semi-final against South Africa, Dharamananda's skill was outstanding, Jena said. In the final match, Dharamananda and Alekh Murmu, who was placed as winger in the field, did the miracle of defeating Thailand at a score of 25-0.

"Playing scrum-half requires great skill. It is that zone of the field where a player needs maximum stamina and intelligence to hoodwink the opponent. And Dharamananda performed superbly," said Jena.

Dharamananda's father Nityananda owns an acre of land in their village and the family is mostly dependent on the pension of Dharama's grandmother after the demise of his grandfather, who was a school teacher.

No unanimity on WODC headquarters

Courtesy:-Express News Service (TNIE)

The outgoing chairperson of the Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) Dr Niranjan Panda on Friday said there is lack of unanimity among the politicians from the area about the location of the council headquarters.

Addressing a news conference here, Panda said though he convened four meetings during his tenure to try and settle the issue, politicians from different Western Orissa districts differed. He, however, said the Council has no dearth of funds to take up development projects.

The budget of WODC has gone up to Rs 100 crore and it gets additional funds from the State Government for development of the KBK, he said.

Panda announced that perspective plan of Rs 300 crore for the next three years has been drawn up by the Council. This includes Rs 114 crore for irrigation, lift irrigation and rainwater management, Rs 13.5 crore for provision of drinking water, Rs 13.6 crore for electricity, Rs 45 crore for roads and communication, Rs 32 crore for health, Rs 60 crore for education, Rs 5 crore for Centre for Development Studies, Rs 9 crore for Agriculture Machinery Hiring Project and Rs 8 crore for agropolytechnic.

Stating that during the last five years several steps have been initiated to bridge the regional disparity, Panda said steps have been started for establishment of three medical colleges. He hoped that admission into the medical college at Jarring in Kalahandi district would start from the next academic year. Similarly, admission for the medical college at Rourkela, established by WODC, will also start from the next academic year. A decision on establishment of medical college at Balangir will be taken soon, he said.

Panda said steps have been initiated by the Council to improve health infrastructure in the area. Work for establishment of a nursing school at Sundargarh has already started. Funds have been sanctioned for establishment of diagnostic centres at Balangir, Deogarh, Sambalpur and Sonepur, he said.

It has been decided that funds will be provided for increasing the number of beds and cabins in Boudh and Deogarh district hospitals. Besides, 50-bed hospitals will be set up at ThuamulRampur in Kalahandi district, Koida in Sundargarh district and Chantipali in Jharsuguda district with private participation. An eye hospital will be set up by the WODC in partnership with Lepra India, he said and added the site for this will be identified soon.

Panda said steps have also been taken to improve infrastructure in the education sector. Assistance is also being given to private schools for construction of additional classrooms, laboratories, libraries and toilets, he said.

Sambalpuri Handloom : A fashion revival

"Talking about this venture, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee said, “An increasing number of people these days are getting attracted towards traditional stuff like Sambalpuri textile. They’ll certainly be revived.”

As the design fraternity aims at reviving the classic weaves and crafts of our culture, some new steps taken by fashion designers Sabyasachi Mukherji and Rajesh Pratap Singh are seen as a welcome change. These world renowned designers have been invited by the Orissa state government to revive the state’s handloom sector which is facing a crisis. Both designers will work on the project with Orissa State Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society and Sambalpuri Bastralaya to improve designs of saris and other materials.

Once in great demand, Orissa handloom has fallen on bad days due to a variety of reasons like rising cost of raw materials, lack of proper marketing network and little scope for skill development. The state government woke up to the challenge after a traditional weaver, Uttar Meher, and his family members committed suicide, unable to cope with grinding poverty in Bargarh district in Western Orissa recently.

Arti Ahuja, secretary, textiles and handlooms informed that the state government has decided to take the help of experts after drafting a comprehensive handloom policy last month. “Weavers of Orissa need certain technical and marketing guidance in order to attract customers of international market,” she added. The designers would work on a project with the state-run Boyanika (Orissa State Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society) and Sambalpuri Bastralaya.

Talking about this venture, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee said, “An increasing number of people these days are getting attracted towards traditional stuff like Sambalpuri textile. They’ll certainly be revived.” Apart from Sabyasachi, designers Abraham and Thakur, Anjali Kalia and Orissa-born Bibhu Mohapatra, now based in USA, would also work on the state government-sponsored 18-month project.

Rita Kapur Chishti, author of a book on saris from 14 states is coordinating between the designers and weavers. “The designers would work on improving saris, dupattas, scarves and also shirts and suit material for men,” she said.

Steps have been taken to set up a handloom park in Bargarh district, to teach weaving to people of non-weavers community. The proposed Sambalpuri Ikat handloom park would be perhaps the second handloom park in the country after the first one at Pochampalli near Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. With some 2,000 looms, the park would employ around 3,000 weavers. Apart from imparting training in tie and dye processing, production and finishing of the products, the looms would help the weavers churn out products according to the market requirements, according to Ahuja.

Turning the wheel :

Designer textiles: Designers Rajesh Pratap Singh and Sabyasachi Mukherji will work on improving sarees, scarves, dupattas, and shirts and suiting materials for men.

The sudden fall:

Orissa handlooms saw a sudden fall in demand due to age-old techniques, no proper marketing network, and very less scope in skill developments for the weavers.

JAIKOSAL.COM TURNED 5 YEARS OLD

Juhar all KOSALBASI,

It has been a tremedous journey all these years...Today Your favourite blog turned 5 years old...Heartfelt thanks to all of you for making your blog so successful..

Your blog was started on 1st july 2007 with the motto to bring awareness amongst the general masses and classes of Kosal region about the significance of the word KOSAL....

KOSAL is not mere a word...It is much more than that...KOSAL is our identity...

Your blog tried it's best to propagate the Kosli culture, tradion, art, language, people etc through out the world....Your blog always wanted you to be in touch with your motherland even if you are physically miles away from it..

Initially started as koshalsamaj.blogspot.com, it was renamed to www.jaikosal.blogspot.com within 6 months of it's inception and now with all your support and love your blog became an website with the url www.jaikosal.com

It was during the year 2004-05 when internet was slowly becoming a neccessity for us and some people like me (Satyajit Nayak), who were already addicted to it found it the best way to share our feelings with the whole world...While searching the word "Sambalpuri" and "Koshal" on google.com I hardly found only 20-30 links which were not relevant at all....I was deeply hurt..I felt how come in this twenty first century there is not much information available about the culture, tradition, people, language etc of a region called Western Orissa which gave india the baap of all indian folk song "Rangabati", the world famous Sambalpuri Saree which itself was an identity of the personality of late prime minister Smt Indira Gandhi....Even in some Orissa related websites also there was no mention of Western orissa at all...

Somehow I clicked one link after my search of the word "Sambalpuri" in google..I found an interesting discussion forum in orissaindia.com..I got exited and posted some notes on our culture, tradition and the need to declare our language as a separate one.....I was shocked when suddenly many people from coastal area started commenting negatively about our region,culture, language and tradition....remember that time I was not talking about a separate state KOSAL..I was only trying to make them aware that we are also existing in your state..We are also human and we deserve a better treatment in your state...But the foul languages keep pouring...Then I found great support in few friends/mate who thinks like me, who love their motherland like me and above all who wants to do something for their motherland KOSAL...I must name them here...They really are my inspiration...starting from Mr.Sameer Panda, Mr. Biswajit Pradhan, Mr. Anand Sagar Dash, Mr Priyabrata Sahu, Mr. Abhijeet joshi, Mr. Piyush Ranjan Mishra and above all Sri Arjun Purohit....

They were so passionate about KOSAL that it inspired me to start the KOSAL community on 12th November 2006 in social networking site "ORKUT" with the main objective to unite all the net savvy educated Kosli's who are staying across the globe.....

With in few months of starting the KOSAL community on Orkut we got a lot of support from all quarter and it helped us starting this blog along with a dedicated channel in Youtube for Sambalpuri Songs...When we started the hotmalejeet channel on Youtube, there was not a single sambalpuri song on Youtube..

In the last five years your blog has achieved a lot....It has successfully created that sense of pride amongst the current generation of Kosli's who are proud of their cultural heritage more than ever......

Jaikosal.com is a serious platform fully dedicated for the development of the KOSAL region (Western Orissa).....

Jaikosal.com has taken pledge to promote Kosli sense of pride amongst the Youth,Kosli Music,Kosli Literature,Kosli Culture,Kosli Handloom,Kosli dance.

Jaikosal.com demands the INCLUSION of KOSALI (Sambalpuri) Language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution thus grating it an official status.

Jaikosal.com demands the Creation of a new State called KOSAL,which will include 10 district of western orissa along with the athmallick subdivision of Angul and some parts of Phulbani.

On the Fith anniversary of your beloved blog..oopps..beloved website.. let's take a pledge to devote ourself for the cause of Kosal and development of Kosal region.

Say with proud,We are KOSLI

Jai Kosal

"Mor Maet Mor Raej"

LINKS TO SOME OF KOSAL RELATED SITES CREATED/INITIATED/UPDATED BY ME :-

ORKUT KOSAL COMMUNITY

YOUTUBE SAMBALPURI CHANNEL

KOSAL WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

BALANGIR SITE

• BELOW R THE WIKIPEDIA PAGES CREATED/INITIATED BY ME

WESTERN ORISSA

NUAKHAI

MAA SAMALESWARI

VEER SURENDRA SAI

SAMBALPURI SAREE

HIRAKUD DAM

KOSLI LANGUAGE

• OTHER RECOMMENDED KOSAL RELATED WEBSITES

http://www.kosal.org

http://www.kosalkranti.com

http://www.nuakhaibhet.info

http://kddf.wordpress.com

http://www.bihaghar.com

http://www.navratnanews.com

http://koslisahitya.wordpress.com/

http://www.koshal.in

• FACEBOOK POPULAR KOSAL GROUPS

*KOSHAL

KOSHAL PRADESH

WESTERN ODISHA

KOSHAL MOR RAIEJ

LET US GET UNITED FOR OUR MOTHERLAND...KEEP ASIDE PERSONAL EGOS AND LET'S FIGHT FOR THE GLORY OF KOSAL

NIT Rourkela ranks second, after Trichi

Courtesy :- TOI

National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, the premier technical institute in the state, has added a feather to its cap by securing the 2nd rank among all the NITs in the country; it is next only to NIT Trichy. NIT Rourkela also holds the 13th position among all engineering institutes in India, including all the IITs. In a survey conducted recently by Career 360, a Delhi-based educational and career magazine, NIT Rourkela found this recognition among the top 50 engineering colleges in the country.

It is worth mentioning that in February 2011 NIT Rourkela received the prestigious award of the best government engineering college in the east zone and was crowned the most outstanding technical institute in the east by Star News, one of the leading news channels in the country.

NIT Rourkela, which has already established its credibility at the national and international level in the field of technical education, has accepted the rank and honour gracefully. "We are thankful to the students, faculty and staff of NIT as this would not have been possible without their dedication, diligence and team work," said Sunil Sarangi, director of NIT.

"Students, staff and faculty work hard here and prepare themselves to face the competition at the global level. So, such recognitions, even small ones, definitely help motivate these people to take the institute to newer heights," said R K Sinha, secretary, public relations committee, NIT Rourkela.

Faulty Agricultural Policy Of State Killing Farmers Of KOSAL

By Amitabh Patra (amitabhpatra@gmail.com)

See how the DM (collector of Bargrh Dist. Odisha / Orissa ) behaved and asked his assistant to seize and break my camera when I tried to record video of a group of farmers demanding last years crop loss help declared by govt. Till day most of the surveyed areas have not recieved the declared "HELP" of govt.

This happened on 23rd March this year, and I was subsequently threatened by his assistant about dire consequences and told that things with me will not be good. A protest rally by about a thousand people was being held outside the DMs office, and still the H'ble (?) DM asked me to be kicked out of his (? is he not a public servant ?) office. I was attacked by his assistant while trying to save my camera and footage.

I was rescued by the farmers when they heard the noise outside the office, came running. Below is the facts I have been able to collect in last few months study. If the administrative head of a Dist. behaves likes this, in his PUBLIC office, what is expected from this colonial feudal democracy ?

The video of the rally held against last year's massive crop loss due to un--seasonal rain and insurance demand.

Till now there has not been any payments inspite of govt.s big promises of Rs. 4000/- per hector (2.5 acres) max even if you have cultivated 10 acres.

Expenses in Paddy cultivation is more than Rs.10000/- per acre. Land owning Farmers are taking loan from banks/ cooperatives. But landless farmers (share croppers) can not avail the same, and have to borrow from the local seed/ fertilizer seller @ 5% per month to 10% per month interest rate.

That comes to about 60 - 120% rate of interest p.a.

Micro-finance companies are lending @ 36% (on paper it is 12.5%) to the SHG members. In my study I am finding many of the suicide cases are due to this hefty interest rates and complete crop loss of last season.

A recent calculation of a suicide affected family from Jada village in Bargarh dist. I found that for their 3 acres of land which is distributed at 3 different places, had to spend about Rs.40,000/- and will yeild about 75 -80 bags of rice of 75kgs each.

The Father and son duo committed suicide due to crop loss and subsequent debt. last year.

There is a joint family of about 8 people, and the only male member in the family is about 18 years suffering from joint pain in left leg.

Their total earnings from the current crop will be about 55000/- and there is also another society loan of 20,500 + interests.

So their net profit from this crop will be 55000 - (40000 + 20500) = ?? please calculate.

This is the condition of agriculture in this country - that is why more or less all farmers are moving away from cultivation. The land owners are giving away their land to landless labours for share cropping. The benefit goes to the official record holders, but any kind of loss is borne by the share cropper. He has to pay the share (about 8 - 10 standard bags per acre) to the landlord.

Agricultural officers seldom visit the fields of such small farmers. Insurance is nothing but a govt. organised farce. As per the insurance prevailing, unless an entire block's crop is damaged, insurance can not be claimed.

So there is no insurance for a farmer, who has lost all due to nature's might. But farmers in Odisha have been paying insurance premiums since last 24- 25 years.

There is not a single instance where crop insurance has been paid.

After a harvest, there comes the selling of paddy, which is being controlled by mill owners. The MSP (minimum support price) of FAQ (fine average quality) paddy is Rs.1000/- per quintal (750 per standard bag) . But on ground few farmers in Bargarh and Sambalpur do get this price, being alert and able to fight the system.

Rest is sold at under-rate of about 550 or lesser in remote areas, where middle men control the paddy business. So unless a farmer gets more than 35 bags of FAQ rice from 1 acre, then it is a loss for him. If there is any natural calamity like pest attack/ rains/ hail storm or strong wind in which crop gets destroyed, all his past savings if made goes down the drain.

An individual farmer is not entitled to avail insurance. Why such a faulty policy ? Is he not a consumer of the Insurance Business of the nation ? Have not the farmers paid insurance premiums while taking loans from the banks ?

The chronic poverty of farmers is being caused by the faulty agricultural policy of the state and gradually farmers are going poorer. Many good farmers have sold out their agricultural land or have left cultivating themselves and given to share croppers.

Besides the above stated, there is health and social reasons which a farmer's family is prone to : marriageable daughters, and any kind of major health problem.

These are not covered under any kind of insurance. Daughters marriage is a big burden in a family being the Dowry associated with it.

Also the govt. apathy is that when someone commits suicide from poor family, a 10000/- Rs redcross fund is allocated to the family. But many instances, the police, doctor and block officials ask for some bribe or delay the relief amount. In some cases which I met the families, told that it took numerous visits to various officials, and after 4 - 6 months only they were able to get a suicide compensation of Rs.10000/- for a person who was head of the family.

Nuapada sarpanch rules' over dist HQ

by Riyan Ramanath V

The district headquarters of Nuapada boasts a distinction in the country. It may look like a town, which has a population of 30,000 with offices of the district magistrate (collector), superintendent of police and all other important offices, but it is still ruled by a sarpanch.

The only district headquarters in the country to have a panchayat, Nuapada was originally carved out of a gram panchayat. Nuapada, the name of one of Orissa's districts as well as the district headquarters, was part of Kalahandi until 1992. Strangely, even after 20 years of formation of the district, the headquarters doesn't even enjoy an notified area council (NAC) status. A sarpanch and samiti member run Nuapada town.

In Nuapada town the panchayat is the authority responsible for ensuring the facilities of sanitation, street lights, drinking water, etc. It is the place where the Zilla Parishad conducts meetings in the presence of the collector, PD (DRDA) and all the MLAs of the district.

There are two MLA constituencies Nuapada and Khariar in the district. Kalahandi MP is also the MP of Nuapada. Before delimitation, Balangir MP used to rule Nuapada.

Strangely, Nuapada MLA Rajenra Prasad Dholkia said the people of Nuapada always feared if Nuapada became an NAC, they won't enjoy good services. "The real fight to make it at least an NAC began just two years ago," Dholkia said, adding it is really embarrassing that Nuapada is under a sarpanch and a samiti member. The MLA said he had proposed an NAC status for Nuapada back in 2009. "My proposal is pending with the Panchayati Raj department, which has to endorse it. We expect the Nuapada headquarters will be an NAC soon," he said.

Sources said after Nuapada was made the district headquarter in 1992, it was not fit in terms of population to become an NAC, which would have meant urban status. However, it became eligible years later.

"It should have been made an NAC long time ago," said Abani Panigrahi, a local social activist. "Many things are in a mess due to the big town being managed by a sarpanch. Especially, the floating population is not getting justice. We feel as if were in the pre-independence era," the activist said.

India's Second Handloom Park to be setup at Bargarh

Courtesy:- TOI

A handloom park will be set up in Bargarh district to teach weaving to people of non-weavers community. This is being done keeping in view the fading number of skilled weavers.

The upcoming Sambalpuri Ikat Handloom Park at Katapali village within Barpali block, would be the second handlooms park in the country and in Asia, the first one being at Kochampalli near Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

Surendra Meher, president of the park, said few members of the weavers' community are sticking to their age-old profession. This may lead to a situation when no weavers will be left. To tide over the situation, the proposed park intends to impart skills to all willing persons. At present, the Bhulias (Meher) is the dominant weavers community in Bargarh, the epicentre of the world famous Sambalpuri saree.

The park, coming up in public-private partnership mode, has already acquired over 10 acres of land against a requirement of 25 acre. The park will have 2,000 looms and employ 3,000 workers.

The park has been registered as a society with 100 members, including 45 national awardees and 55 other master weavers. The members have pulled in a working capital of Rs 41,000 each. While the society is required to arrange land on its own, the Centre and state government will share other components of the Rs 70-crore project.

An inter-governmental panel has been constituted to work on the details of the project. Secretary textiles and handlooms, Arti Ahuja, said the project is on the fast track and would be commissioned soon. She, however, declined to set a deadline for commissioning of the park "since multiple stakeholders were involved."

Besides training the weavers on tie and dye processing, production, and finishing of the products, the captive looms in the project will help them produce textiles as per market demands, Ahuja said.

According to the Handloom Census 2009 of the Government of India, Bargarh has the biggest handloom cluster in the state. There are 35,000 weavers and allied textile workers and 12,500 looms in the district. The Bargarh handloom cluster sprawls across Bargarh, Barpali, Bheden, Bhatli, Attabira, Bijepur, Padampur and Sohela blocks where the artisans weave cotton sarees of tie-dye art, lungis and napkins. The demand for the saree is very high because of the unique tie-and-dye method, protecting the glaze for years.

Hope the Handloom Park will not become a distant dream like the Balangir Medical College !!!..People of KOSAL are always being cheated by the people in power at Bhubaneswar...When they can set up so many higher educational institutions, tech park etc as fully Govt. enterprises...Then why the biased Orissa govt always recommend a private-public enterprise in KOSAL region.....They know it very well that our region is so poor that it hardly attracts private investment particularly in Medical and Handloom, they why they r not trying for a fully govt supported handloom park....Anyhow let's wait and watch...How many more years it will take for this park to become reality ???????

Sital Sasthi 2011 Video : Sambalpur

XCLUSIVE LIVE TELECAST OF SITAL SASTHI 2011

WATCH THE XCLUSIVE TELECAST OF SITAL SASTHI LIVE FROM SAMBALPUR, KOSAL

DATE :- 8TH JUNE 2011

TIME :- 8:00 AM ONWARDS.

Link is disabled now...Hope You must have enjoyed the live telecast..

JAI KOSAL ....

"MOR MAET MOR RAEJ"

Note :- The live telecast will be carried out by Orissa Television Network and they are the copyright holder of the whole event.we are sharing it for the larger interest of the people of Kosal... This link will be disabled after the event.

Orissa Third Most Corrupt State:NCRB

Courtesy:- TOI

Mention corruption and the image that comes to mind is of a frail figure in a Gandhi topi taking on the government. At a time when Anna Hazare has become synonymous with a fight against corruption, it comes as a surprise that the maximum number of graft cases are registered in his home state, Maharashtra.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2000-09 says the state registered 4,566 corruption cases, followed by Rajasthan with 3,770, and Orissa with 2,957.

The state has been averaging 450 new complaints a year, with an average conviction rate of 27% — one of the lowest in the country. Ironically, it has the highest disposal rate. In 2009 alone, its courts disposed of 473 cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act: 647 people were tried, 137 held guilty and 510 acquitted. Also, the value of property seized from corrupt babus in Maharashtra is low. At Rs 9.1 crore, it is much less than the value of property seized in Orissa (Rs 63 crore), MP (Rs 36 crore), Karnataka (Rs 20 crore), Bihar (Rs 14 crore), and AP (Rs 13 crore).

The perception-smashing data places Hindi belt states of MP, UP and Bihar at 11, 12 and 14 on the list. Bihar (617 cases) has the highest conviction rate (78%). UP with 786 cases averages a low six complaints a month. Experts say under-reporting may be the reason.

The marginalised from Western Odisha who migrate out of the state lead difficult lives

By: Pradeep Baisakh

Original Article :- http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/movement-worse

Movement for worse

The marginalised from Western Odisha who migrate out of the state lead difficult lives

Bhubaneswar Bindhani has not heard of a UNDP Human Development Report Paper, ‘Migration and Human Development’. It is quite likely the authors of the 2009 report did not take note of the fortunes of this resident of Nuagaon village in Odisha’s Nuapada district when they wrote, “migration fosters development of the migrant people.” They also perhaps did not take note of many other people from Odisha’s western districts who migrate every year to work in sub-human conditions at brick kilns and construction sites in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

In 2010, eight members of Bindhani’s family sought work in different parts of Andhra Pradesh to return a loan of Rs 27,000. Non-profit ActionAid’s statistics show 200,000 people migrated from the western districts of Odisha to work in the brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh. Data compiled by another non-profit, Migration Information and Resource Centre (MIRC), shows 150,000 people migrated from Balangir district in 2009-2010. According to this non-profit, most migrants are landless or small or marginal farmers, and belong to the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste communities.

The condition of the migrant workers of this area is well encapsulated by the Inter-state Migrant Workmen’s (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Act, 1979. The Act’s preamble reads, “At the time of recruitment, sardars or khatadars promise that wages calculated in piece-rate basis would be settled every month, but usually this promise is never kept. Once the worker comes under the clutches of a contractor, he takes him to a far-off place on payment of railway fare. No working hours are fixed for these workers.”

Miriki Tandi of Balangir district, who worked at a brick kiln in Andhra Pradesh’s Nalgonda district, told this writer that brick kiln workers labour for 18 hours a day throughout the season (October/November to May/June) for a weekly allowance of Rs 300. A typical labour unit constitutes two adult members and a child. This unit is supposed to make 150,000 to 200,000 bricks in seven months. The families usually eat broken rice (chicken fodder) with dal and sometimes a little curry. “A good meal at a brick kiln is a dream for us,” lamented Tandi.

An MIRC study notes that more than 80 per cent of migrant children work with their parents. The study also notes that 10 per cent of the total migrants are in the age group of 6-14, who lose education for seven months in a year. It points out that 49 per cent of such children go to schools when they are not labouring in other states; the rest are either dropouts or never enrolled in the school due to uninterrupted migration. In the destination areas only a handful of children get education in schools run by NGOs.

Very often, the workers are tortured by employers. In April 2010, newspapers in Odisha reported the death of a migrant worker from Balangir, Rupadhar Bariha. Kept as a bonded labourer along with his family at a brick kiln in Nalgonda district, Bariha was beaten to death by kiln owner Jagan Seth. Last year, the Balangir administration had to rescue people from the district working as bonded labourers in brick kilns in Andhra Pradesh’s Ranga Reddy district. Most brick kilns in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh as well as in parts of Odisha are not registered under company laws and are rarely monitored by labour departments.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme could have helped the migrants. But the scheme has not really worked well in Odisha. In Balangir, for example, 61,000 of the 245,000 job card holders were covered under the scheme in 2009-2010. These job card holders have got an average of 43 days of employment, as per official figures. In Nuapada district only 18 per cent of the job cards (108,000) got an average of 27 days of employment in 2009-2010.

The author is a freelance journalist based in Bhubaneswar. He can be contacted at 2006pradeep@gmail.com

CBI forms special team to probe NREGS scam in KBK region

Courtesy:- Daily Pioneer

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the NREGS bungling in Odisha.

CBI Director AP Singh, after receiving the notification of the Union Government’s Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), has formed the SIT, which is to be headed by a senior Joint Director of the Central agency. Sources said Singh has directed the SIT to begin its job with immediate effect.

NREGS irregularities have taken place in Odisha’s six most backward districts of Balangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Rayagada, which comprise the KBK belt known for its hunger deaths. Delhi-based Centre for Environment and Food Security (CEFS), which had conducted a survey in various districts, focused its attention on these districts.

The CEFS filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court pointing out serious irregularities in the utilisation of NREGS funds allocated by the Centre for the State. The apex court directed the Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to allow the CBI for a detailed probe into the matter.

After the MoRD sought consent of the Government of Odisha, the latter issued a notification consenting to a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the six districts pinpointed in a PIL filed in the Supreme Court. Once the MoRD received the consent, it wanted a detailed notification by the DoPT.

The DoPT on May 2 notified that the CBI would investigate the alleged large-scale irregularities, misappropriation and diversion of the Central Government funds allocated to the State during 2006-07 for 100 villages of the six KBK districts.

The SIT would find out any attempt, abatement and conspiracy in relation to or in connection with the alleged offences committed in the course of the same transaction or arising out of the same facts, said CBI sources. In the meantime, CBI Joint Director OP Galhotra is in touch with the State Chief Secretary BK Patnaik in the matter, said sources in the State Government.

Kosal : Weaver woes loom large

Courtesy:- Times of India

The recent death of seven members of a weaver family in Bargarh district of Kosal region has raised questions about the economic condition of weavers there. The lone surviving member of the family, Uttar Meher, admitted that he had first poisoned and then strangled the seven to death. Abject poverty had apparently pushed them to the brink where suicide was the only option.

The Handloom Census 2009 found that Bargarh had the biggest handloom cluster in the state with 35,000 weavers and allied textile workers and 12,500 looms. But that did not mean that all the weavers were a flourishing lot. A reality check revealed that the majority of them are daily wage earners. Some are members of cooperatives and a few operate on their own. The majority who work for master weavers, get paid on the basis of the volume and quality of work.

Even the most skilled weaver earns around Rs 100 per day, which is what an unskilled labourer in the state earns. "If the whole family puts in around eight hours a day, we can earn Rs 200," said Kamalakanta Meher, a resident of Para village in Bijepur block.

The story is no different for others. Those who work on their own face problems in marketing and putting up with the cost of raw materials. "The cotton yarn cost has been increasing. One peni (bundle), which was available for Rs 25 to Rs 30 three months back now costs Rs 45," said another weaver from Jhilminda village in Attabira block.

The Bargarh handloom cluster is spread over Bargarh, Barpali, Bheden, Bhatli, Attabira, Bijepur, Padampur and Sohela blocks. The weavers here specialize in tie-dye cotton sarees, lungis and napkins. The tie-and-dye sarees have a huge demand. The late Indira Gandhi would be seen flaunting the colourful weave at important functions. In later years, Sonia Gandhi kept alive the Sambalpuri tradition in the Gandhi household.

"The annual sale at the weekly Balijuri market, 8 km from Bargarh, is between Rs 60 crore and Rs 70 crore," said assistant director of textiles Debjit Nandi.

But the high demand doesn't necessarily translate into profit for weavers. Middlemen and master weavers pocket the bulk of the money. "Master weavers, who market the product, pocket the lion's share. Those who really sweat and toil don't get their due. That's why very few youths are willing to take up the family tradition," said Tulsi Ballabh Das, a researcher.

But master weavers maintained that weaving needs skill and the remuneration depends on skill and hard work. "A skilled artisan can earn up to Rs 15,000 per month," said Sanjay Meher, a master weaver from Hillipali village in Attabira block.

Meher employs 70 weavers. He said that about 100 master weavers have come forward to form a handloom park near Barpali with government help. "Once it gets functional, it would help weavers improve their skills and earn more," he said.

Cooperatives blamed the high cost of cotton yarn for the sorry state of the handloom industry. "Cotton prices have increased manifold in the past one year. This has shrunk the profit margin of weavers," said Sambit Acharya, president of Sambalpuri Bastralaya, the largest primary handloom cooperative society in the country with over 6,000 weavers.

But the government has brushed aside the family suicide as a one-off case. "The suicide can't be linked to the state of the handloom industry. There seems to be personal reasons behind the act," said handloom and textile minister Anjali Behera, adding that the government has initiated a number of steps for weavers.

She said the Union and state governments contribute towards health and life insurance of weavers. Besides, the government also helps them in building houses with a provision of Rs 35,000. There's a 90 per cent support also for BPLs for building looms.