Steel City reels under water crisis

ROURKELA, May 30: Sometime back, the Rourkela Steel Plant had put up a banner with the slogan “Water, the elixir of life”. This hardly holds any water for those at the helm of affairs in the water works department of the city.
Allegations against most of the senior officials in the department are flying thick and fast. “When the previous MD took care of the whole production line, he could not care less about setting right the affairs of this vital department for employees in the service sector,” an aggrieved employee staying at Block A Sector 19 said.
Most households in his locality are not receiving proper water supply during the peak summer months. There are many such complaints. Residents of E Block in Sector-3 were not getting any water supply for the last five days, despite several reminders. Similar is the case at B block at Sector-4, H block at Sector-15, C block at Sector-20 and so on.
What is more pitiable is that any individual complaint or group complaints are dealt with rudely. A group comprising officers and technicians attend the complaint and then behave rudely with women in their houses. The complainant is warned to keep quiet or to face dire consequences. Sometimes, complaints have been made with the ED, P&A in his grievance cell.
At E block of Sector-16, the department is yet to find out how the water supply got mixed up with sewage water.
Department insiders say that the incident is being ignored.
Besides, irregularities of another nature are also being alleged against the department. Last year, the Steel City was parched in the long and hot summer. The department suggested widening the base of the intake well near Koelnagar, besides the construction of a channel from a source nearby.
At a cost of about Rs 45 lakh, work was done just near intake well No 1 and was extended towards well No 2 at one end and towards the road on the other.
Insiders said it was never going to be successful as they did not bother to take care of the sand factor. Ultimately, when the sand walls caved in from the river side the whole exercise was abandoned.
Besides, he also alleged that further investigation was needed due to considerable irregularities in the whole job.

Exam toppers to be honoured

ROURKELA, May 30: Students toppers of Rourkela at the Class X and Class XII examinations for the academic session 2005-06 will be awarded by the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) during the Independence Day celebrations. The award entitled “Best Academic Performance Award” will be given for the first time.
The new award is being given to promote educational excellence and to develop a competitive spirit among students as a whole. The award has been instituted to recognise the top academic performer for both levels. The awards will be given to the performers in the Orissa board, ICSE and CBSE boards.
A student in the Rourkela zone who secures the highest aggregate marks in these examinations shall be awarded Rs 5,000 and a certificate of appreciation.
The scheme shall be open for all schools, irrespective of whether they are wards of RSP employees.

Panel pulls up SAIL for poor capacity utilisation

New Delhi: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal and Steel has pulled up SAIL for poor capacity utilisation at some of its integrated steel plants in 2005-06.

The committee has asked the company to rectify the situation before the end of the next fiscal. |MFs too bear the brunt|

The report comes as a surprise as SAIL claimed to have achieved 109 per cent capacity utilisation during the year. The report, however, states that higher capacity utilisation in some plants has enabled the company to achieve the overall target. | Go to Sify Business Home page |

In its 17th report tabled in Parliament at the end of the Budget session, the committee has asked the company "to undertake a detailed performance audit of all SAIL units to pinpoint the weak links in their production process and take corrective steps before the next financial year."

According to the committee, the inefficient SAIL plants are piggybacking on the more efficient plants and that has enabled SAIL to show an overall full capacity utilisation.

"Except the Bhilai Steel Plant, the other units have failed to utilise either their capacity or achieve their target."

In view of the prevailing situation, the committee has stated that capacity utilisation at SAIL's Bokaro Steel Plant and Rourkela Steel Plant would remain low during the current fiscal too. "With regard to production of crude steel and saleable steel, whereas Bhilai Steel Plant will be producing at 120 per cent of its capacity, both Bokaro Steel Plant and Rourkela Steel Plant will be operating 80-90 per cent of their capacity utilisation." With regard to hot metal production for 2006-07, the report said that Bhilai Steel Plant has anticipated production of 4,900 tonnes against capacity of 4,080 tonnes

Orissa boys bag NASA prize

Rourkela: A research project presented by four students of the steel city has won the second prize in the NASA Space Settlement Design Contest conducted by the NASA AMES Research Centre in the US.

Ullas Mishra, Amitav Mohanty, Ashim Kar and Soumya Ranjan Pati, students of the Ispat English Medium School run by the Rourkela Steel Plant, were awarded the prize for their project titled Eden.

The project was on an imaginary dwelling place in space providing accommodation for about 10,000 people.

Other institutes have also been awarded the second prize Category.

Four teams from India had participated in the competition with Ryan International School, New Delhi being placed in the first prize category.

Altogether 95 teams from across the globe had participated in the competition.

The students have received a certificate each and have been invited to visit NASA.

Orissa kids' NASA dream thwarted

Rourkela (Orissa): Four school students from Rourkela have bagged the second prize in the prestigious 'Space Settlement Design Contest' conducted by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) AMES Research Centre in USA in March 2006.

The NASA space centre has invited Ullahs, Amitav, Asim and Soumya of the Ispat English Medium School, Rourkela, but the budding scientists are finding it hard to realise their dreams because of lack of sponsorship.

The team, with help from their teacher B B Mathur had presented a 131-page thesis called Extra terrestrial Domain for Eternity by Nations (EDEN), which won them a prize among 200 contestants from 96 countries.

"According to our project initially ten thousand people can live in space with the help of Torus technology by which there can be orbiting space colony," says Ullhas Mishra, one of the team members.

The students need at least Rs 5 lakh to fulfill their desire to study life in outer space at NASA.

"We have approached the Rourkela steel plant but we are yet to get an answer," Mathur says.

India-born NASA Astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who died in the Columbia crash, is a common role model for the four awardees.

Wizkids don't have funds for NASA trip

New Delhi: A research project presented by four students from Rourkela has won the second prize in the “Space Settlement Design Contest” conducted by the NASA Research Centre in the US.

But their hopes to study outer space may be grounded - if they cannot find sponsors to send them to the US.

For Ullhas, Amitav, Asim and Soumya the sky is not the limit. These class 12th students of Ispat English Medium School in Rourkela worked on a project that got them the prize.

With help from their teacher B B Mathur, the team presented a 131-page thesis called “Extra terrestrial Domain for Eternity by Nations or EDEN”. They won the prize among 200 contestants from 96 countries.

Ullhas says, “According to our project initially ten thousand people can live in space with the help of Torus technology by which there can be orbiting space colony."

NASA has invited the four students for a ten-day visit to their space centre in June.

But the team may not be able to make the trip. They need at least Rs five lakh for the visit, and they haven’t got sponsors yet.

Mathur says, “We have approached Rourkela steel plant. We are waiting for the response.”

The four students want to become space scientists and no prize for guessing, Kalpana Chawla is their role model. It will be a pity if the team can’t make it to this expedition.

Rourkela College mark-sheets withheld

Friday May 26 2006 13:16 IST

ROURKELA: The fate of 384 final year students of Rourkela College (formerly Evening College) continues to hang in the balance.

The mark-sheets of the students have been withheld by Sambalpur University over non-clearance of dues by the college.

With the last date for admission to post-graduation courses being May 31, the students fear they might lose one year.

Tempers ran high on the college premises on Thursday after the beleaguered students, who were assured that they would be given mark-sheets on Thursday, found principal S.K. Sahu missing and the college locked.

The students later met Rourkela ADM Shalini Pandit and demanded immediate removal of the principal.

Sources said the mark-sheets were supposed to be delivered on May 13 but the principal sought 10 days grace time. Despite that he failed to deliver the mark-sheets leading to resentment among the students.

Though he promised to sort out the issue on Thursday, he didn�t turn up leaving the students - 256 from Commerce and 128 from Arts - in the lurch.

Sahu�s family sources said he was out of station and no university authorities were available for comment.

Students� union president Manoj Dora said the college owes over Rs 1.95 lakh to the university and the mark-sheets were withheld in the absence of the mandatory registration slips.

He has appealed to the State Government to intervene.

Trip to NASA for Orissa’s wonderkids

Four students of an Orissa school cannot stop smiling. They have just received an invite from US space agency NASA to deliver a lecture. The reason: Their entry for a space settlement design contest conducted by NASA bagged the second prize.

The contest is open to 6-12 graders (11 to 18-year-olds) from anywhere in the world.

Ullas Mishra, Soumya Ranjan Pati, Asima Kar and Amitav Mohanty of Ispat English Medium School, Rourkela, have been invited to visit NASA's Ames Research Centre, Mofeett Field, California, on June 20 to present their “visions of where and how people will live in the future”.

Ullas told the Hindustan Times, “We had designed a colony with a habitation of 10,000 people in the lunar orbit. We had shown how oxygen and water taken from the earth to this orbital colony could be used and maintained through recycling. We had also worked out a solution to the zero gravity problem for the inhabitation in the orbital space colony."

Orissa students bag NASA

A research project presented by four students from the steel city of Rourkela, has won the second prize in the 'NASA Space Settlement Design Contest' conducted by the NASA AMES Research Centre in the USA.

Ullas Mishra, the group leader, Amitav Mohanty, Ashim Kar and Soumya Ranjan Pati, all students of the Ispat English Medium School run by the Rourkela Steel Plant, were awarded the prize for their project titled 'Eden', official sources said on Wednesday.

The project was on an imaginary dwelling place in space providing accommodation for about 10,000 people.

Other institutes had also been awarded the second prize category, the sources said.

Four teams from India had participated in the competition with the Ryan International School of Delhi being placed in the first prize category.

Altogether 95 teams from across the globe had participated in the competition of designing a space settlement.

The enterprising students have received a certificate each and have been invited to visit NASA

Trains off track for 7 hours

Jamshedpur, May 22: Passengers today had a hard time when train services remained disrupted for over seven hours following a BJP blockade at Manoharpur, 110 km from the steel city.

Long distance Puri-Nizamuddin Utkal Express, Tata-Alleppy and Tata-Danapur Express were delayed by over two hours at the Tatanagar station. They were later diverted from Chandil, via Muri and Hatia.

The Howrah-Sambalpur Ispat Express was terminated at Chakradharpur, while Tata-Nagpur and Bilaspur-Tata passenger remained cancelled. Several Howrah-bound trains from Mumbai, including Mumbai-Howrah Geetanjali Express and Mumbai Mail were diverted from Hatia, to Tatanagar. The Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi reached Tatanagar on time, at 9.20 am, but was delayed to Barbil for over two hours for diversion via Chandil-Muri section.

Chaos prevailed at the Tatanagar and Adityapur stations, as passengers jostled for space on the platforms and in waiting rooms. Booking staff got into heated altercations with Sambalpur-bound Ispat Express and other train passengers mass cancellation of tickets. The situation was brought under control by the GRP.

Harish Rawat, a passenger who was taking his ailing mother to Sambalpur for treatment, and had to cancel the tickets due to the protest, said: “I had an appointment with an orthopaedic of Burla Hospital in Sambalpur for my mother. It is unfortunate that I could not make it this time.”

Led by former MP Laxman Gilua, an army of BJP workers had gathered at the Manoharpur station at 6 am. Soon, they took over the tracks with placards, demanding better passenger amenities and stops of several long distance mail and express trains, including the Tata-Alleppy and Howrah-Ahmedabad Express, and Howah-Mumbai Mail. They also sought a local train between Tata and Rourkela, via Manoharpur.

Senior officials from Chakradharpur rushed in to tackle the situation but only after senior divisional commercial manager J.S. Bindra assured them to take up their demands with the South Eastern Railway headquarters in Garden Reach, Calcutta, that they called off the blockade at 1 pm. Bindra told The Telegraph: “Service could be restored only after 1.30 pm.”

According to him, in the last fortnight this was second such incident of rail blockade. On May 11, a mob protesting the death of a gangman, who was run over by Geetanjali Express, put up a similar blockade at Raj Kharswan, about 35 km from the steel city

BJP stir disrupts train services in Chakradharpur

Jamshedpur: Train services between Tata Nagar and Chakradharpur railway stations in Jharkhand were disrupted after BJP workers squatted on tracks at Manoharpur railway station as the 'indefinite 'chakka jam' called by the party began this morning.

Former BJP MP Laxman Gilua led the blockade at Manoharpur under Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway in support of various demands of the party.

Railway sources said five long distance trains -- Mumbai-Howrah Geetanjali Express, 3288 up Patna-Durg South Bihar Express, 8034 up Howrah-Ahmedabad Expres, Puri-Haridwar Utkal Express and Allepey-Tata Express -- were detained at various stations following the blockade.

J S Bindra, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Chakradharpur Divsion, told PTI that attempts were on to divert Geetanjali Express and Allepey-Tata Express via Hatia-Muri-Tata line, while passengers of South Bihar Express were being shifted to Utkal Express to divert it via Rourkela-Bilaspur route.

The BJP demands included stoppage of Allepey-Tata Express at Manoharpur, Goilkera and Sonua in West Singhbhum district, construction of a halt station at Ghagra village, introduction of MEMU trains between Tata-Rourkela and Tata-Barbil and recruitment of Group-B staff at Chakradharpur division level, Gilua told PTI.

The agitation was supported by All Jharkhand Students Union and JD(U).

Manohar Aich still going strong

At 95, Manohar Aich still going strong
Rourkela: At 95, Manohar Aich still attracts attention with his physique with each muscle appearing to obey his command.

The Mr Universe title winner in 1952, who claims he is a healthy and disease-free man, held a large crowd spellbound by twitching his muscles effortlessly to the beats of a drum at a packed auditorium here yesterday.

''I am a disease free man today because I have been taking care of my health. I do exerecise regularly. I am not required to visit hospitals. I have no sugar in my blood,'' the Kolkata-based body builder said while urging the people to take good care of their bodies.

Aich, who came here in connection with a body building championship, was also felicitated by the managing director of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) B.N.Singh on the occasion.

Ashim Kumar Banerjee of local Modern Health Club of the city bagged the 'Mr Rourkela' title among 42 body builders from ten different clubs.

Body builder Sunil Kumar Patra, presently a senior manager in RSP, who had won the Mr India title 17 times and an Arjun awardee, also showcased his physique at the championship.

Sandip Kundu and Somnath Chatterjee, Mr India for 2004 and 2005 respectively, too also put on show their finely toned bodies and steely postures.

Safety awards for steel plants

Ranchi, May 18: The Joint Committee on Safety, Health and Environment in Steel Industry (JCSSI) distributed the safety awards to 14 steel plants of the country for the year 2004-05 at a function at the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) auditorium here today.

The plants awarded by the JCSSI included Bhilai, Bokaro, Durgapur, Rourkela, IISCO, Rastriya Ispat Nigam Limited, Tata Steel, Alloy, Salem and Maharashtra Electrosmelt Limited. Other awardees were Essar Steel, Ispat Industries Limited, Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant and Mines of Bhillai Steel Plant.

A total of 43 awards was given away by M.K. Pandhe, the president of Citu. The parameters of the awards were decided on the basis of a new criterion developed by the JCSSI secretariat and underlined the necessity of a safe work environment.

A compendium of action points during the JCSSI meetings during the last 25 years were also released in the meet by K.K. Khanna, director, technical, SAIL. A souvenir Suraksha aur Swasthya Vatika was also inaugurated during the event.

According to Sashi Kant, the executive director, safety, steel industry is considered to be the second largest killer after the construction industry. But the situation is changing rapidly for the better, he said.

Officers of various steel plants also received individual awards for their contribution to safety such as designing safety calendars, posters as well as writing essays and articles on the issue.

OCL takes up rain water harvesting

ROURKELA: Orissa Cement Limited (OCL) is planning to make its Rajgangpur facilty rain water harvesting compliant to overcome acute water scarcity during summer.
In the project, which will cost Rs 20 lakh, the company would store rain water in reservoirs and would also take steps to conserve it, OCL sources said.
Run-off rain water would be diverted to a borewell through underground trenches. The borewell has already been built and recharging trenches were under construction, the sources said.
OCL plans to complete the project before the onset of monsoon

Poor infrastructure, a speed breaker: Karnik

Chennai , May 18

The software industry's apex body, Nasscom, feels that a radical solution, such as building of townships, needs to be considered given the constraints facing the IT industry.

Addressing journalists of The Hindu group, Mr Kiran Karnik, President, Nasscom, said, "We need to build new cities, on the lines of Rourkela and Bhilai, with high-class facilities (ranging from) research and development institutions (to) housing and integrated with the nearest international airports through high-speed corridors. There is a queue of real estate people waiting to invest here."

He added that these would have to be accompanied by a proliferation of good quality schools and hospitals in the area. It may be recalled that in an earlier report, McKinsey had indicated that by 2010, the industry would need to employ one million workers in at least five townships near major cities and six lakh workers across other towns.

More problems

Asked if the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) scheme did not address some issues that the IT industry faces, Mr Karnik said, "SEZs had the potential to lead us to such solutions but now, they are not being looked at in that way at all," meaning that the scheme had created more problems than it solved, in the view of the IT industry.

He added, "We hope that in the next few weeks, and certainly within the next few months, these would be resolved, since companies are in a dilemma, as to whether they should locate new units within an STPI or an SEZ." Companies in the IT industry currently enjoy tax benefits, within the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) scheme, which ends with 2009. Only those companies that plan new projects can locate them in SEZs and enjoy those tax benefits. Concerns for software companies include, "requirement by the government to have walls of a certain height with barbed wire." According to Mr Karnik, "Rules such as these are apt for the manufacturing industry. The IT industry works over the wires, so physical requirements are not applicable." In other words, irrespective of location, a company should be able to enjoy SEZ benefits, as in the case of STPI, so long as you follow the rules.

"In a service industry, work is moving to where the people are, not the other way around. SEZ seems to work from the opposite premise."

Educational system


Mr Karnik also called for radical thinking by governments to change the educational system. "The reason why the IT industry is where it is today is that higher education was opened up leading to a proliferation of graduates. We need such solutions."

Citing human resource shortage as a factor that could ruin the show for India, he expressed concern over both the quantity and quality of fresh graduates. According to him, "On average, an IT company recruits only 3 per cent of candidates it considers." Even if the industry were to absorb all graduates, there would still be a shortage of manpower. He said, "We are now seeing 30 per cent revenue growth with at least a 25 per cent manpower growth. The university system is not growing that fast."

Manpower shortage


With other industries such as retail and automotive recruiting an increasing numbers of graduates and with the US looking to hike the number of H1B visas, manpower shortage in India is bound to increase, he said.

On infrastructure problems, he said, "That is a speed breaker compared to the HR issue, which could stop the show."

On the issue of quality faculty in engineering colleges, he said, "The IT industry, through attracting the best talent for its workforce, has contributed to this problem. It also reduces the number of people going in for an MTech or PhD."

CYBER CAFES AT RAILWAY STATIONS

One cyber cafe at platform No.12 at New Delhi Railway Station has been set up so far.

The details of 82 railway stations where tenders for setting up of cyber cafes have been finalized are given below. It is expected that cyber cafes at these stations would become operational during 2006-07.

Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Patna, Gaya, Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Bhubneshwar, Cuttack, Puri, Vishakhapatanam, Sambalpur, Guwahati, Kharagpur, Tata Nagar, Ranchi, Rourkela, Raipur, Bilaspur, Bareilly, Lucknow (N.E.R.), Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ambala, Jammu Tawi, Lucknow (N.R.), Chandigarh, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Haridwar, Dehradoon, Shimla, Kanpur Central, Agra Cantt. Jhansi, Mathura, Gwalior, Allahabad, Aligarh, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Abu Road, Ajmer, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Vujayawada, Tirupati, Guntur, Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, Chennai, Chennai Egmore, Calicut, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirichchirappalli, Ernakulam, Tirivandrum, Palghat, Lonavala, Nagpur, Dadar, Pune, Bombay Central, Vapi, Bandra, Surat, Indore, Ujjain, Valsad, Ahmedabad, Kota, Vadodara, Borivali, Boisar, Churchgate, Bhopal, Jabalpur. This information was given by Shri R.Velu, Minister of State for Railways in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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CYBER CAFES AT RAILWAY STATIONS

One cyber cafe at platform No.12 at New Delhi Railway Station has been set up so far.

The details of 82 railway stations where tenders for setting up of cyber cafes have been finalized are given below. It is expected that cyber cafes at these stations would become operational during 2006-07.

Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Patna, Gaya, Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Bhubneshwar, Cuttack, Puri, Vishakhapatanam, Sambalpur, Guwahati, Kharagpur, Tata Nagar, Ranchi, Rourkela, Raipur, Bilaspur, Bareilly, Lucknow (N.E.R.), Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ambala, Jammu Tawi, Lucknow (N.R.), Chandigarh, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Haridwar, Dehradoon, Shimla, Kanpur Central, Agra Cantt. Jhansi, Mathura, Gwalior, Allahabad, Aligarh, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Abu Road, Ajmer, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Vujayawada, Tirupati, Guntur, Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, Chennai, Chennai Egmore, Calicut, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirichchirappalli, Ernakulam, Tirivandrum, Palghat, Lonavala, Nagpur, Dadar, Pune, Bombay Central, Vapi, Bandra, Surat, Indore, Ujjain, Valsad, Ahmedabad, Kota, Vadodara, Borivali, Boisar, Churchgate, Bhopal, Jabalpur. This information was given by Shri R.Velu, Minister of State for Railways in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

CYBER CAFES AT RAILWAY STATIONS

One cyber cafe at platform No.12 at New Delhi Railway Station has been set up so far.

The details of 82 railway stations where tenders for setting up of cyber cafes have been finalized are given below. It is expected that cyber cafes at these stations would become operational during 2006-07.

Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Patna, Gaya, Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Bhubneshwar, Cuttack, Puri, Vishakhapatanam, Sambalpur, Guwahati, Kharagpur, Tata Nagar, Ranchi, Rourkela, Raipur, Bilaspur, Bareilly, Lucknow (N.E.R.), Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ambala, Jammu Tawi, Lucknow (N.R.), Chandigarh, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Haridwar, Dehradoon, Shimla, Kanpur Central, Agra Cantt. Jhansi, Mathura, Gwalior, Allahabad, Aligarh, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Abu Road, Ajmer, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Vujayawada, Tirupati, Guntur, Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, Chennai, Chennai Egmore, Calicut, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirichchirappalli, Ernakulam, Tirivandrum, Palghat, Lonavala, Nagpur, Dadar, Pune, Bombay Central, Vapi, Bandra, Surat, Indore, Ujjain, Valsad, Ahmedabad, Kota, Vadodara, Borivali, Boisar, Churchgate, Bhopal, Jabalpur. This information was given by Shri R.Velu, Minister of State for Railways in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

OCL takes up rain water harvesting

ROURKELA: Orissa Cement Limited (OCL) is planning to make its Rajgangpur facilty rain water harvesting compliant to overcome acute water scarcity during summer.
In the project, which will cost Rs 20 lakh, the company would store rain water in reservoirs and would also take steps to conserve it, OCL sources said.
Run-off rain water would be diverted to a borewell through underground trenches. The borewell has already been built and recharging trenches were under construction, the sources said.
OCL plans to complete the project before the onset of monsoon.

Steel plant to stage body building show

ROURKELA, May 16: Rourkela Steel Plant will organise the Rourkela Open-Body Building Championship at Civic Centre on 20 May.
Competitions will be held under six categories, namely 55 kg, 55-60 kg, 60-65 kg, 70-75 kg, 75 kg and above.
Interested clubs and individuals can send in their entries to the organising secretary, Mr SK Patra, Biju Pattnaik Hockey Stadium, Sector-5, Rourkela, between 9 am and 5 pm on any working day.
The number of entries has been restricted to 12 participants per club and the entry fee is Rs 15 per person. All the entries must reach the office before 19 May.
The highlight of the event is the presence of Mr Manohar Aich, a former Mr Universe in 1952 and known as “Pocket Hercules”.

Steel plant to stage body building show

ROURKELA, May 16: Rourkela Steel Plant will organise the Rourkela Open-Body Building Championship at Civic Centre on 20 May.
Competitions will be held under six categories, namely 55 kg, 55-60 kg, 60-65 kg, 70-75 kg, 75 kg and above.
Interested clubs and individuals can send in their entries to the organising secretary, Mr SK Patra, Biju Pattnaik Hockey Stadium, Sector-5, Rourkela, between 9 am and 5 pm on any working day.
The number of entries has been restricted to 12 participants per club and the entry fee is Rs 15 per person. All the entries must reach the office before 19 May.
The highlight of the event is the presence of Mr Manohar Aich, a former Mr Universe in 1952 and known as “Pocket Hercules”. nSNS

OCL takes up rain water harvesting

Rourkela: Orissa Cement Limited (OCL) is planning to make its Rajgangpur facility rain water harvesting compliant to overcome acute water scarcity during summer.

In the project, which will cost Rs 20 lakh, the company would store rain water in reservoirs and would also take steps to conserve it, OCL sources said.

Run-off rain water would be diverted to a borewell through underground trenches. The borewell has already been built and recharging trenches were under construction, the sources said.

OCL plans to complete the project before the onset of monsoon.

OCL takes up rain water harvesting

ROURKELA: Orissa Cement Limited (OCL) is planning to make its Rajgangpur facilty rain water harvesting compliant to overcome acute water scarcity during summer.
In the project, which will cost Rs 20 lakh, the company would store rain water in reservoirs and would also take steps to conserve it, OCL sources said.
Run-off rain water would be diverted to a borewell through underground trenches. The borewell has already been built and recharging trenches were under construction, the sources said.
OCL plans to complete the project before the onset of monsoon.

OCL takes up rain water harvesting

ROURKELA: Orissa Cement Limited (OCL) is planning to make its Rajgangpur facilty rain water harvesting compliant to overcome acute water scarcity during summer.
In the project, which will cost Rs 20 lakh, the company would store rain water in reservoirs and would also take steps to conserve it, OCL sources said.
Run-off rain water would be diverted to a borewell through underground trenches. The borewell has already been built and recharging trenches were under construction, the sources said.
OCL plans to complete the project before the onset of monsoon.

Human fault ruled out in power grid collapse

Ranchi, May 7: A PowerGrid Corporation of India team that went to probe the collapse of an electric tower at Silli, Ranchi, on May 4, which crushed three workers instantaneously, has ruled out any human error or chance of sabotage in the incident.

Following the accident, most of the workers engaged by Larsen and Toubro, the working contractor, for putting up transmission towers from Maithon to Ranchi and in Rourkela, have left the area.

Before they took off, they carried the bodies of their fellow workers to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences for a postmortem.

The deceased have been identified as Gajendra Das, Sen Verma and Vidur Kumar, who hail from a village called Khagaria, Bihar.

PowerGrid Corporation representative S.R. Choudhary told The Telegraph that the crash was a result of a storm that hit the site on the afternoon of May 4.

It was the impact of high-speed winds that had knocked down the steel grids, leading to the collapse of the tower.

As the tower fell, it crushed the three labourers, working atop the structure, to death. A fourth labourer, identified as Vidur Singh, was thrown far away as a result of the impact but escaped with grievous injuries, said the member of the probe team that landed at Ranchi yesterday and also visited the accident site.

Vidur is currently admitted in the ICU of a city hospital.

Larsen and Toubro, which is handling the project that meant putting up around 550 towers along a 200-km stretch from Maithon to Ranchi, would be liable to pay compensation to the next of the kin of the deceased as well as to the injured worker.

The L&T project was undertaken to fetch power from the Damodar Valley Corporation unit at Kahalgaon directly to Ranchi, which meant laying transmission lines from Maithon to Rourkella via Ranchi.

According to the scheme, power would then be supplied to Rourkella in Orissa and Chhattisgarh through respective state grids.

The state government, however, is yet to provide land necessary for the construction of a 400 KVA substation at Ranchi for the project.

Army Eleven clinches Jaipal Singh hockey tournament

Rourkela, May 7: Army Eleven of Bangalore clinched the 23ard All India Jaipal Singh Hockey Championship defeating Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) 5-0 in the final played here at Biju Patnaik stadium today.

The Army Eleven dominated the proceedings right from the beginning by scoring first goal in 21 minutes and two more goals in the next six minutes. At the half time, the Army Eleven was leading with 3-0.

On behalf of Army Eleven, E Lakra, A K Majhi, Captain Rajesh, Jeram Kujjur and Anil Ekkar scored one goal each in the match.

The last two goals came in 43rd and 53rd minute respectively.

While Army Eleven converted three out of four penalty corners it had earned during the match, the RSP team failed to force any.

The winner was given a cash award of Rs 30,000 while RSP, which entered final of the prestigious hockey tournament for the first time, got Rs 20,000.

She gives male peers a run for their money

ROURKELA: It's a sultry Thursday afternoon. The streets wore a deserted look, even the daily wagers have taken a break but for M. Sudha it's like any other day. A training manager with a marketing company here, she has set a precedent for other women of the city.

Only girl marketing books like Oxford Dictionary, Encyclopedia Britannica, Children's Illustrated dictionary, Penguin publications and Enid Blytons, she took up the challenge posed by the job with elan and has come off in flying colours.

The girl from Jamshedpur, who nurtured a dream of becoming a successful businesswoman, has already taken the first step in the right direction. Such was her passion to make it big as a businesswoman that she even severed ties with her family who were opposed to the idea. With her family away in Chennai, she does feel let down at times for not getting her share of support from the family. Nurturing ambition quite early in life, Sudha after completing Class X from Sacred Heart Convent in Jamshedpur joined Abdul Bari Memorial College to complete graduation in Political Science. She also completed a beautician course to be independent.

And before she could think ahead, an advertisement of Vision Marketing, which had invited fresh graduates for a career in marketing, came as a big hope for her.

Now, one year down the line, Sudha earns Rs 6,000 a month besides bonus. Irrespective of the products, she manages to sell on an average six copies a day earning a bonus of Rs 300. And with her daily expenses pegged at something between Rs 200 to Rs 250 she saves a handsome amount. But, the job had its share of negatives too. Recounting her initial days in the profession, she says: "Often I got to hear lewd remarks from people. Initially, I reacted but now I understand it's a big bad world and to realise my dreams I must overcome all this."

However, continuing in the same profession is not her ambition. She wants to start a similar enterprise with a network across the country and girls like her in the team.

She has indeed set a precedent. Sudha now has a woman trainee and looks forward to more girls joining her.

Minor demands release of her husband

ROURKELA: Those in love know no bounds but the law does! Mahila police which was in dilemma over one love-related case decided to go by the books but invited facer.

After one Pankaj Singh was arrested, his wife, Maya Chauhan, a minor, refused to acknowledge the provisions under which Pankaj was held and staged a sit-in at the police station demanding his release. Maya�s parents had filed a kidnapping case against Pankaj. He was arrested after the two from Malgodam area here got married at Simdega in neighbouring Jharkhand.

Dismissing allegations made by her father, Maya claimed that it was she who suggested Pankaj that they elope. She also refused to go with her family.

Blockade meeting with CM

Bhubaneswar, May 4: The four-month roadblock after the Kalinga Nagar firing is likely to be lifted soon with the agitating tribals in the area agreeing to meet and speak to chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday.

Jajpur collector Arabinda Padhee, who held a successful round of talks with the leaders of Bisthapit Virodhi Jan Manch (BVJM), a tribal body spearheading the Daitary-Paradip Expressway blockade, at Ambagadia this evening, said a group of 15 to 20 members of the forum would meet the chief minister at the state secretariat on Sunday morning.

The delegation would be headed by its leaders Rabindra Jarika and Chakradhar Haiburu.

Padhee said the chief minister today gave his consent to sit across the table with the displaced people of Kalinga Nagar. “I am pretty hopeful that the standoff would be over soon after Sunday’s meeting,” said Padhee, who took charge of the district in the aftermath of the firing.

The displaced tribals have been staging a blockade on the expressway under the banner of the BVJM in protest against the January 2 police firing, which killed 13 displaced tribals.

Earlier they turned down the invitation from the chief minister’s office and set certain conditions for talks. Sources said the readiness of the tribal leaders to meet Patnaik stemmed from the realisation of their growing irrelevance.

A division among the displaced tribals has already set in with a parallel organisation named Kalinga Nagar Suraksha Samiti meeting the chief minister last month.

A few days ago, the samiti leaders had organised a peaceful rally demanding lifting of the blockade. In response to that, the forum leaders yesterday took out a rally to show that the displaced tribals are united.

Train hits tractor

The driver of a tractor and two workers died when the Howrah-Koraput Express rammed into the vehicle at an unmanned level-crossing near Loisingha in Bolangir district around noon today.

The mishap occurred when the tractor was on its way to a canal to lift sand.

Rourkela superintendent of police (railways) Mahendra Pratap said driver Satyanarayan Putel (32) and Hadu Tadi (35), a labourer, died on the spot.

Another worker, Juge Chhabia, (20) died at the Loisingha hospital.

A success frozen in frame

BHUBANESWAR: His prime interest was photography and art, but he shifted loyalty to an allied field � framing. And such was his romance with the art of frame-making that it inspired him become one of the market leaders in Orissa with a handsome return.

Technology wise, his set-up is streets ahead of others in the entire eastern India.

You have to see Susanta Samartha of Jagannath Lamination of Ganganagar Square in Unit VI area to believe it, his success story frame by frame.

His humble beginning with Rs 50,000 in a 100 square feet dingy shop in Bapuji Nagar has grown into an impressive unit with an annual turnover of Rs 60 lakh. All that in a span of 12 years. Now, he employs 20 workers in his unit with all the state-of-the-art equipment and machinery at his disposal.

So how does the framing business spin a success story? Thanks to �K� soaps on the telly and growing awareness on interior design to give a cosy ambience to living rooms, the framing and lamination business has caught the fancy of all and sundry.

��The business commands 10-15 percent of the market share in the State as people are still struck by the metro syndrome. As if quality frames are only available in cities like Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi notwithstanding many makers there still clinging on to obsolete technology,�� he wonders.

Samartha has equipped his workshop with hydraulic corner cutting, joining and mount cutting machines imported from Britain, Italy and Denmark. He also has a hot-press lamination, machine which frames photographs without compromising colour or quality of the original piece apart from keeping chemical or insect attacks at bay for generations to come.

��We are also planning to update the machines with new versions soon with an additional investment of Rs 20 lakh. As part of the expansion drive, a branch is coming up in Cuttack,�� he says.

Not a person to compromise with quality, Samartha has framed the best creations of almost all artists from the Capital City and his market presence is also loud and clear in Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela and Bhadrak.

��Love for art has made me travel across the country to see almost all major art galleries. Now I am going to open one on our premises. Also a day in every month will be a �free day� for an artist to showcase his/her talent,�� he signs off.

Centre for Excellence wins by 10-0

Rourkela: Centre for Excellence, Panposh, today defeated Central Advasi Club 10-0 in a one-sided match on the second day of 23rd All India Jaipal Singh hockey tournament here.

While the winners posted four goals in the first half, it scored six in the second.

Deepak Ekka emerged as the highest goal scorer by sending the ball thrice into opposition's goal post. He was closely followed by Sanjay Kujur who scored two goals in the match.

Sameer Xalco, Dillip Kerketta, Sanjay Ekka, Ashis Minz and Surendra Tapoo scored one goal each in the match.

Tomorrow, the Centre for Excellence will meet Mecon, Ranchi while Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) will face Special Area Game, Ranchi in the second match.

In the inaugural match, RSP defeated Panposh Sports Hostel 4-0.

The tournament is being organised in memory of late Jaipal Singh, who was born here in 1903.

He was the captain of the Indian hockey team that brought home the first Olympic gold in 1928.