State housing board in a shambles

Referring to losses incurred by the Orissa State Housing Board, minister Mr AU Singhdeo had assured in March that steps were being taken to improve the condition of OSHB.
But till date no measure has been initiated to bring back this organisation with a “potential” to make profit again.
Interestingly the heading of the “action plan” for profit reads “Steps taken to make OSHB profit making organisation.” To verify this fact, The Statesman investigated with the local unit of OSHB to find out whether any tangible action has been initiated in this direction to attain a fraction of the projected profit.
However, the Rourkela Division has the potentiality to earn a huge profit if measures taken are backed by a proper action plan as the place is witnessing surge in economic activity.
Before one shows in detail a plan for Rourkela it is important to learn the financial status of the OSHB’s Rourkela Division till 05-06 from 02-03. Till the mentioned period the OSHB has earned Rs 16,50,00,000 for the sale of 126-HIG II, 36 HIG-A and 307 HIG-B, total of 469 houses.
The Rourkela Division of OSHB has two housing projects ~ one at Basanti Colony and another at Chhend. With the announcement of BPUT going to be set up at Chhend and the revival of Rourkela economy the need for housing board residences increased. All the houses lying vacant at Chhend Colony were sold, without any delay.
In order to earn such profit or more there are some bottlenecks that need to be addressed by the OSHB and some hard work needs to be done and there after it can think about achieving the promised figure.
At present about 100 acres of revenue land lying vacant adjacent to Chhend Housing Project and the housing board may requisition the land and request the government to place the land at its disposal so that the Rourkela division could start new projects for construction of houses besides commercials establishments which are in great demand at this time.
The GIC had been allotted five acres of land for construction of staff quarters near Chhend. The Central government has returned the allotted lands and those are lying vacant, thus a small project can be initiated there. In addition, another one acre of land has been earmarked for construction of commercial establishments. However, OSHB has not started any construction on that plot and that is a sheer loss of revenue for the cash starved organisation. A letter in this regard was given to the SE of OSHB at Bhubaneswar and so far no action has been taken in this regard.
It is learnt dues accruing to large numbers of house owners in both the phases of Chhend have not been recovered even after the expiry of the due date of payment. So far no necessary actions have been set off in this direction.
Besides, at this moment, 21.463 acres of lands are encroached upon by individuals and various organisations. Steps should be taken to regularise those lands, consequently the OSHB will stand to gain a good amount of revenue out of it.
Mr Sarada Prasad Nayak, MLA, Rourkela has tried hard to make some headway but so far all his efforts seem to have been buried under the red tapes of the department. Mr Nayak said: “ I have brought this to the notice of the minister in a long letter so that it will benefit not only Rourkela but the OSHB as well.” He informed that a detailed letter regarding the revival of Rourkela Division vis-à-vis dated 30.04.06 has been given to the minister. He mentioned that on his request the Secretary of OSHB from Bhubaneswar visited Rourkela on 30-09-05 and had assured him of settling the problem but so far no tangible solutions could be started. Even his request in 2004 to provide two ‘amins’ for the Rourkela division to prepare a detailed list of the encroachment was yet to be met with.

Anonymous get �rite� to moksha

A daily labourer�s body lying unclaimed at the Ispat General Hospital (IGH) would not have got a dignified end had it not been for a band of 13 men out on a mission of a different kind.
Members of �DOOT�, these Good Samaritans have just one objective -- provide �moksha� to the bodies that have no claimants. Set up on May 14, they have already conducted the last rites of seven persons.
Horrifying sights on hospital premises, ill-treatment by the civic body and virtually no help from the police to dispose of unclaimed bodies prompted them to take up the �noble� task, says Dr Binayak Pani, a member.
With three practising doctors in their midst, the organisation is now planning to take medical services to the doorstep of the elderly. They are also planning to encourage schoolchildren to spend some time with the old and the lonely.

State R&R doesn’t apply to us: RSP

While the State Government’s new Resettlement and Rehabilitation policy enunciated mandatory jobs for the project affected persons, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has taken exception to the policy saying this is not applicable to the Central public sector unit.
The RSP authorities are ignoring the State Government demand for jobs to the land oustees on the plea that the affected families had been compensated as per the rehabilitation policy prevailing then.
More than 4,000 families are demanding jobs in RSP on the ground that they were all displaced by the steel project. However, according to the State Government estimate, 610 out of 1,098 affected families had been employed by RSP.
The Government has been requesting RSP to provide employment to the remaining families. However, RSP is not obliging the State Government request despite several rounds of discussion.
Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal reviewed the matter at a high-level meeting here on Tuesday where representatives of the RSP-affected families were present.
The Minister told media persons that RSP authorities are not inclined to provide job to any of these affected families on the plea that Supreme Court had ordered that providing job is not compulsory if the affected families had been compensated properly.
The Minister directed the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Northern Division) to take up the matter with the RSP managing director for a solution.
However, going by the past record of RSP, the Central PSU has never cooperated with the State Government in resolving the issue. There are instances of RSP mandarins not attending meetings convened by the Revenue secretary, official sources said.
The Revenue Minister also discussed the water-logging problem in some areas of Balasore district due to bad road engineering by the National Highway Authority in constructing NH-60 between Laxmannath and Balasore.
after reviewing the issue, the Minister directed the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central Division) to make a field study taking the help of technical team of Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) and submit a report in a month. He also directed NHAI to stop the construction work till corrective measures were taken.

Malaria Claims Three Lives in Rourkela

An outbreak of malaria in this steel city has claimed three lives while patients suffering from fever are crowding the Ispat General Hospital (IGH) here, hospital sources said.
Of the eight malaria patients who were admitted to the hospital, three died last night, the sources said.The condition of three other patients was stated to be critical.There was an increased inflow of people suffering from fever at the hospital's medicine department, they said.


Source:PTI News
Medindia on Malaria
Interestingly Malaria was discovered by Sir Ronald Ross, who was working in Secunderabad in the early 19th century.

Study loans find many takers
Wednesday July 19 2006 13:05 IST

BHUBANESWAR: Over the last few years education loans have acquired the status of being the best option available for higher studies. And quite true they are easy to get, with no guarantor or processing fee.

Going by the rush at the ongoing JEE counselling session in the City, it seems to be the only option today for quality education.

Barely four days into counselling and the loan registration figures have already crossed the 2000-plus mark even as the general ranking list is yet to be announced. According to bank representatives, the rise has been a good 30 per cent compared to last year.

One of the reasons for the rush is perhaps the implementation of quota system that has given 50 per cent of the seats to management leaving the rest for qualifiers in the general quota besides OBCs, SC/ST and women.

Feeling the difference are students like Utkalika. Having secured 1600 rank she is now contemplating to opt for Telecom instead of computer science to up her chances of repayment. But that�s not the only reason. For a greater number of people it�s about the change of mind set.

�More and more students opt for self-financing than depending on their parents who have the paying capacity,� says Pratap Kumar Sahoo, team leader education loan SBI, a bank that so far had a good run with 10 to 15 per cent rise both in applications received and on the spot sanctioning.

A fact that�s quite evident as good rank holders too are making a beeline for these loan shops. Meet Soumya Patnaik, rank 143, who got admission into NIT, Rourkela and was among the few lucky ones to avail the spot loan in spite of hailing from a business family.

�Taking up an education loan would add the extra onus to perform better,� quips Soumya who feels this would give him a sense of being independent.

One factor that has also encouraged banks to make their offers more lucrative, especially in the Rs 4 lakh loan bracket. So while there are banks offering loans at low interest, Bank of Baroda (BoB) gives a one per cent concession on credit to girls.

Teachers �reading� news beware! Govt �watching�

After cracking whip on college teachers taking up private tuition, the Higher Education Department has turned its eyes on those who are involved in other profitable activities without its approval.
It has come to the notice of the Government that while some college teachers are busy doing different television programmes, a few others are into cultural activities. Most of the time these teachers are either on leave or staying away from colleges.
If they are on duty, they are mostly busy networking with people on Doordarshan, All India Radio and other private television channels.
A number of lady teachers of different colleges of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar are doing �part-time� job as news readers on Doordarshan. Sources in the department said news reading has practically become their primary avocation while teaching is given secondary status.
Another lecturer of a City-based Government college is anchoring a Central Government-sponsored programme called �Kalyani�, a health magazine aired twice a week on Doordarshan. In fact, the programme, rated highly, has a large viewership.
Among the Oriya news readers on Doordarshan are a few lecturers from Ravenshaw Autonomous College, Indira Gandhi Women�s College, Cuttack, Government Women�s College, Rourkela, Laxminarayan College and Raghunath Jew College.
Principal of the Government Women�s College, Rourkela has reported the case of a lady teacher of the college, an Odissi dancer, to the Higher Education Department complaining that she is attending various cultural programmes without taking permission from the college authorities.
Not only the Higher Education Department, even some officers of the Orissa Administrative Service (OAS) are doing the jobs of news reader or anchoring programmes on Doordarshan and other private television channels without obtaining permission from the authorities concerned.
As per the Orissa Government Servant Conduct Rules, a Government servant has to take the permission of the authority concerned before taking up other assignments which may be profitable or otherwise.
There is no bar for literary activities but such activities should not be against the Government�s interest, a senior Government officer told this paper.
Three commerce teachers of BJB Autonomous College were remanded to jail custody in the Reecha Mishra case and several others placed under suspension for taking up private tuition.

Adhunik Metaliks to excavate in Orissa

The union government has cleared the application of Adhunik Metaliks, flagship company of Kolkata-based Rs 12 billion Adhunik Group, for allotment of Iron Ore Mines at Kulum in Keonjhar district of Orissa.
Details of the project report for mining is under preparation and the operations will commence within a period of 6-9 months. Mine is highly rich with content of ferrous (fe) at over 65%.
In Nov 2003, the company signed an MoU with Govt. of Orissa to set up a steel plant and commenced production in phased manner with steel making facilities stating production from November 2005.
According to Adhunik Metaliks Managing Director, Manoj Agarwal, the mines would provide huge benefits to the company in terms of assured raw material supply at a very low cost. The better quality of iron ore in the mines would result in improved efficiency of plant and better quality of finished products, he said.
Agarwal further added that with the commencement of the mining, the cost per tonne of iron ore would come down by more than 50% from its current level, which would help in improving the profit margin of the company substantially.
Recently, Adhunik Metaliks has acquired Unistar Galvanisers and Fabricators, a company engaged in manufacturing of sub-station structures and transmission towers being utilized in power and telecommunication sector and having necessary approvals from NTPC, Power Grid Corporation of India, BHEL, Bangladesh Power Development Board, Grid Corporation of India among others.
The group proposes to merge Neepaz Tubes, a company in Adhunik Group, having the allied activities to leverage on the strength of Unistar Galvanisers. Further, the above acquisition will help the company move forward in integrating its existing product line and improved top line as well as bottom line.
The company has already commenced work on its upcoming projects of Rs 4.37 billion, which is in full swing at the site at Chadrihariharpur, Rourkela.
Adhunik Metaliks currently has a manufacturing facility of 250,000 tons per annum of auto grade alloy billets and rolled products which are being backwardly integrated through sponge iron and pig iron making facilities.
For the fiscal year ended March, 2006, Adhunik had a total income of Rs 4.26 billion and a net profit of Rs 337.1 million. It has declared a maiden 5% dividend for the year 2005-06. The trailing annualized EPS was 5.71.

India Inc turns to Gen-Old

Last year Sanak Mishra, at 60, retired as the managing director of Rourkela Steel Plant. Early this year Mittal Steel announced that Mishra had been picked to head its operations in India.
Amal Adhikari, 57, was taking a career break when he was called up by Reliance-Bechtel. He joined as a general manager this year.
All indications are that it is a good time for those who have already reached the ripe old age. In today’s booming market, Generation-Older (those over 50) is in demand, especially in high profile jobs involving a huge workforce.
“I find a lot of acceptability for a person like me in the industry now. We do not lose out on our remuneration packages either when we come back,” Adhikari said.
Young industries like organised retail and age-old manufacturing businesses are both turning to Generation-Older. A study by EMA Partners, an international CEO search firm, shows that talent crunch is pushing back out the age barrier in some industries, whereas in some other cases the preference is clearly for someone over 50.
EMA Partners’ managing partner, K. Sudarshan, says: “Look at Ninu Khanna and Raghu Pillai who have recently joined Reliance Retail. They are in the late forties-early fifties age bracket. In case the CEO’s job is complex and involves managing multiple verticals, huge infrastructure and numerous people, it’s the older people who fit in better.”
Varda Pendse of the Mumbai-based HR firm Cerebrus Consultants said: “In developed markets one cannot even inquire about a person’s age. That question itself could lead to a charge of discrimination. However, in India age is still a barrier.”
Looks like Indian firms are getting over it now.
Retailing company The Loot hired 53-year-old Devendra Shah as project manager for its new showrooms. Yahoo in India is headed by George Zachariah — in his late forties. Rollen Thomas, 55, was picked up by Go Air as vice-president (flight operations).
It’s a more level playing ground now for the ageing corporate cowboys.
Adhikari, who was working with an engineering BPO in Kolkata some time back, said he went job-hopping after he turned 50, which shows that there is a place for the 50-plus today.
“It is a very professional atmosphere. I am confident of my abilities and I have had a very comfortable stint here so far,” Shah said.

Relying on research

The 'Lehman experience' helped Prateek Agrawal to look at things from a global perspective.
Research is at the core of Prateek Agrawal�s investment decisions. Backed by vast experience in equity markets, Agrawal has developed the expertise to take cues from the business environment, understand businesses and spot reasonably valued companies.
He follows a top-down investment strategy. �We take a view on the macro level and screen companies on varied parameters like sectoral outlook, ability to generate profits and liquidity. We run tight portfolios with a focus on liquidity,� says this 35-year old research expert who has recently taken over as head-equities, ABN Amro Asset Management.
But what made him pursue research? �Coming from a business background, I was interested in studying businesses and was curious as to what makes some companies superior performers. I was always inclined to get into research,� he says.
This academically-inclined electronics engineer from Regional Engineering College, Rourkela, went on to get an MBA in finance from XIM, Bhubaneshwar. Having completed his management programme, he joined SBI Capital Markets in May 1994 as a research analyst.
But during those pre-internet days, organised institutional research was in the nascent stages. �With a small team we had to start most of it from scratch and data collection was a major hassle,� he says. He started with the steel sector and later covered metals and auto.
Tenure at SBI Caps
He liked his stint at SBI Caps. �It handled almost 70 per cent of the public issues in India. This gave us a good exposure and helped us understand the way businesses operate at close quarters. Those days were tough but now all the efforts seem to be worth it.�
There were other advantages of working for this merchant banker and one of them was an alliance with Lehman Brothers. Agrawal got a chance to acquaint himself with the US major�s investment approach which he dubs as �the Lehman experience�.
?It was a great learning experience and helped me to look at things from a global perspective,� he says.
Going Dutch
In May 2004, Agrawal started his stint with ABN Amro as a research analyst.
�In 2004, the company was just being launched in the country. Start-ups attract me, so I opted to be a part of ABN Amro. The company�s advantages include an experienced team worldwide which brings in global thought processes,� he says.
Agrawal had, over the years, gained considerable experience on advising companies on investments and project finance. He was keen to move on to managing funds.
�Though I was not managing funds technically, I was contributing significant inputs. I took as much ownership of the funds as the fund manager,� he says.
Agrawal now manages the ABN Amro Tax Advantage Plan since its inception in December 2005.
Recently, he started managing assets worth Rs 1,092 crore spread across six funds�ABN Amro Equity Fund, ABN Amro Opportunities Fund, ABN Amro Tax Advantage Fund, ABN Amro Future Leaders Fund, ABN Amro MIP Fund (equity part) and ABN Amro Dividend Yield Fund.
Sectors to watch out for
When asked about his favourite sectors, Agrawal says that the attractiveness of sectors in terms of growth prospects and valuations could be different.
�I am more comfortable with sectors where the markets are playing a prime role rather than those plagued by unnecessary regulatory policies,� he says.
At present he is positive on software, engineering, auto, cement, commodities (agri and ferrous) and realty stocks.
�Till date, outsourcing and consumption have been driving demand. Today, India is at the cusp of rapid growth and the capex engine will only accelerate the process,� he says.
He believes that super malls are a great business model but is not comfortable with valuations. �One needs to achieve scalability and profitability much faster so as to bargain hard with brands. Moreover, with mega players entering the mall space, cost pressures are likely to eat into margins,� he adds.
Equities, the best asset class
Commenting on the recent market correction, Agrawal says that it is a feature of a growth market.
�India is a growth market and not a trading market. We have one of the finest capital markets. If you invest over time and across sectors, you will make substantial profits.�
He, however, believes that the retail investor should take the mutual fund route. Justifying this he says, �The past two months have shown that liquidity and diversification have earned a premium. Given the volatility in the markets, mutual funds are safer bets for retail investors.�
An Asimov fan
A voracious reader, Agrawal reads everything from business biographies to science fiction to comics. �I love science fiction and Isaac Asimov is my all time favourite.�
Although he does not play, he loves watching football and tennis but is not much into cricket. He also loves listening to music and travelling.
�I listen to instrumental and classical music to unwind. I take occasional breaks from my job and go on outings. I have been to a number of tourist destinations in India and abroad.� Agrawal wants to spend quality time with his wife and son but complains that more is never enough.

Welcome to Joda, Mr Mittal

Orissa is where the steel giant proposes to invest. Mahesh Bhat travels to the state’s industrial belt to find it is an infrastructural disaster
If the potholes don’t get you, the dust will and if the dust doesn’t, then the mother of all traffic jams certainly will. We were on our way to Joda from Bhubaneswar. Joda is an iron-mining town in Orissa’s Keonjarh district and borders Jharkand. The 300 km journey was smooth till about 15 km from Joda. There were thousands of trucks lined up on either side of the road to Joda and other vehicles were plying in between. It took us six hours to cover the last 15 km. This is a daily feature in Joda, according to residents. “This is not life, it is more like a jail sentence” says NB Mishra, a resident.
we were driving on National Highway 215 that connects the towns of Panikoili and Rajamunda in Orissa. It passes through Joda and Berbil. Though it is a national highway, there is no road. It is worse than a mine. The 15-20 km on either side of the highway to Joda is a huge pothole. Thousands of trucks ply between Joda and Paradeep. It is so difficult to travel on this road that recently it took someone two days to bring a dead body from Rourkela. People have no choice but to travel by two-wheelers, caked in dust. We reached Joda well past 9 pm and the next day we went to Serenda, a few kilometres away. It was 8am and the traffic jam was so severe that we had to abandon our Qualis and go on a two-wheeler. At places, even two-wheelers could not move any further. By the time we returned the jam had cleared, trucks were moving but the dust was rising sky high. There was a thick dust cover on us when we reached Joda.
Joda has been an iron-mining centre since the 1950s. The Tatas, the Birlas, the Jindals and just about everyone has a large presence there. A railway line would have eased the transportation problems. It took several decades for the government to start building one. Work is on now but the date for its completion is not in sight. With the increase in demand for iron and steel, mining is on in full swing.
Dirty open sewers, stench, dust and traffic jams are Joda’s hallmarks. It seems that the mining companies and government have done precious little to improve the living conditions here. However there is a body called a Peripheral Development Committee (pdc) headed by the district collector which comprises government officials and elected representatives. This panel decides the developmental work to be done in a 25 km area around the mines. Mining companies fund these activities to an extent. Residents say confusion reigns between the mining companies and the pdc and nothing gets done as a result of it.
“(The) government has earned so much revenue from this area but does not do any developmental work,” says Laximdhar Prushti, a leader of the Mines and Forest Workers’ Union of Berbil. Physician Arvind Panda is more vocal. “My feeling is that the lung function capacity of the people living on either side of nh 215 or the people travelling regularly on this road is only 40-60 percent. I really do not think that they can live beyond 60,” adds Panda. Industrialists who come here want to earn money and not put anything back into the land that has given them the riches, he says. The big companies conduct health camps and distribute free medicines once in a while and is just an eyewash, says Panda.
People in the area also fault their elected representatives for not doing anything to improve the area. District Collector Sushil Kumar Lohani said that the upgradation of the road is the responsibility of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the tender for converting the road into a six-lane highway will be floated in September this year. And the work would be taken up in due course. He also stated that rectification work of the Joda-Berbil section of nh 215 was awarded to contractors in 2005. At that point a tender scam came to light in Orissa and all the contractors who were awarded the project were put behind bars and the project stalled. The unprecedented demand for iron ore has resulted in the increase of truck traffic exponentially, says Lohani.
Iron ore is mined and shipped across the country and the world. The condition of the road leading to Joda remains pathetic, so does the quality of life of the people. It is significant to note that the mines border the 5,800-hectare Sidhamatha reserved forest, which is elephant territory. In fact, nh 215 cuts across the elephant corridor. The official website of the Orissa government states that there are tigers here as well. The state of the forest and the tigers, is for anybody to guess.

Shareholders take up bank tussle issue

The stand-off between the president and 12 other directors of the Rourkela Urban Co-operative Bank, has taken another interesting turn.
The shareholders of the bank, a powerful section, have intimated to the registrar of co-operative societies of the state that the ongoing unhealthy one-upmanship between the above two is a matter of serious concern.
The shareholders have urged the RCS to intervene with immediate effect before the bank faces a situation like that in other banks at Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Baripada.
In the letter, the shareholders have made a detailed presentation of the present state of affairs. They have mentioned that the bank made significant progress in the last two/three years and got some awards which were highlighted in the media last year. This year, the confidence of the shareholders increased and as a result, large numbers invested their hard-earned money with the bank.
During the last month, the bank has been witnessing unprecedented developments. Of the 15 directors, 12, irrespective of their party line got together and divested the president of the bank of all his powers, alleging high irregularities on the part of the head of the organisation. Besides, they also said that they would not co-operate with the president in any affairs of the bank.
They did not allow any allowance to the president. Besides, they also elected Ms S Mishra as the vice-president of the bank.
But as reported in this paper yesterday, the president of the bank got a stay order from the High Court of the state against the actions of the directors.

Shareholders take up bank tussle issue

The stand-off between the president and 12 other directors of the Rourkela Urban Co-operative Bank, has taken another interesting turn.
The shareholders of the bank, a powerful section, have intimated to the registrar of co-operative societies of the state that the ongoing unhealthy one-upmanship between the above two is a matter of serious concern.
The shareholders have urged the RCS to intervene with immediate effect before the bank faces a situation like that in other banks at Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Baripada.
In the letter, the shareholders have made a detailed presentation of the present state of affairs. They have mentioned that the bank made significant progress in the last two/three years and got some awards which were highlighted in the media last year. This year, the confidence of the shareholders increased and as a result, large numbers invested their hard-earned money with the bank.
During the last month, the bank has been witnessing unprecedented developments. Of the 15 directors, 12, irrespective of their party line got together and divested the president of the bank of all his powers, alleging high irregularities on the part of the head of the organisation. Besides, they also said that they would not co-operate with the president in any affairs of the bank.
They did not allow any allowance to the president. Besides, they also elected Ms S Mishra as the vice-president of the bank.
But as reported in this paper yesterday, the president of the bank got a stay order from the High Court of the state against the actions of the directors.

Sail feels heat of global competition; to invest Rs 37k crore

With its predominant position in the Indian steel industry coming under threat following grand expansion plans unveiled by global players, Steel Authority of India Ltd today said it would invest Rs 37,000 crore in the next three years.
The proposed investment has been revised upwards from Rs 35,000 crore announced earlier and the execution period reduced to three years from five years envisaged earlier.
The expansion would take Sail's annual steel production capacity from 14.5 million tonnes now to 22.5 million tonnes.
Reviewing the expansion of Sail, Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said: "with the completion of this modernisation project, sail will not only continue to maintain its predominant position in India but also emerge as a key player in the global market."
Sail's expansion plan envisages an investment of Rs 9,000 crore at Bokaro Steel Plant, Rs 6,340 crore at Bhilai, Rs 4,590 crore in Rourkela and Rs 2,840 crore at its steel plant in Durgapur, a statement of Ministry of Steel said.
Besides this, sail would be investing Rs 9,000 crore at Indian Iron Steel Company (ISP), which has recently been merged with Sail.
The Rs 37,000 crore investment plan not only envisages a near doubling of Sail's production capacity, but also other key components like sustainability of current steel production, quality enhancement, energy reduction and minimized environmental impact.

SAIL plans Rs 37,000 crore expansion

New Delhi, July 10 (UNI): The Steel Authority of India (SAIL) will invest Rs 37,000 crore in the next three years and expand its production capacity from 14.5 million tonnes per year to 22.5 million tonnes over the next five years.
The decision came after the Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers and Steel Ram Vilas Paswan reviewed the expansion plan and targets of SAIL here on Saturday, in the backdrop of the recently announced Indian investment plans of the global steel giants.
It was also decided that the timeline for the major part of the expansion process would be compressed from the original schedule of five years to around three years, a company statement said.
SAIL's expansion plan envisages an investment of Rs 9,000 crore at Bokaro Steel Plant, Rs 6,340 crore at Bhilai Steel Plant, Rs 4,590 crore at Rourkela Steel Plant and Rs 2,840 crore at Durgapur Steel Plant.
In addition, a major investment to the tune of Rs 9,600 crore has been envisaged in IISCO, and Rs 1,553 crore in Salem Steel Plant for modernisation, backward integration and expansion of rolling facilities.
The plan not only aims a near doubling of SAIL's production capacity, but also has other key components like sustainability of current steel production, quality enhancement, energy reduction and minimised environmental impact.

Another Budhia in the making: Anastacia sprints 60 km in 5.23 hrs

Undeterred by the State Government�s efforts to curb Budhia�s running spree, another �gifted talent� sprouting in a nondescript village is eager to sprint into limelight.
A trial run of 60 km in five hours and 23 minutes by 10-year-old Anastacia Barla on Saturday from Pachera village to Ramabahal in Rajgangpur Assembly constituency proved the incredible promise she holds. Unlike Budhia, this little tribal girl ran on uneven terrain without any sign of exhaustion.
Local MLA Gregory Minz who organised her trial run said she did it and how. The little bundle of talent made her way through the country road (most part of the stretch rugged) as her village folks watched her in awe.
Besides Minz, Father Maria of the Ramabahal Church, local sarpanch Narayan Debta and a Zilla Parishad member were among others who stood witness to Anastacia�s deed.
Not for nothing then one Mukesh Sinha who has known Anastacia since childhood compared the child prodigy with the seeded Russian tennis player Miskina who faced a tough life and denied a career in swimming but excelled in tennis.Anastacia�s case is something similar. After being ignored at the talent hunt camp of Panposh Sport Hostel (PSH) a year ago, she resolved to do wonders in athletics at a place where hockey is passport to name and fame.
A fifth grader of the Kusumdihi Primary School, she resides with her maternal uncle Elias Barla at Pachera village under Rajgangpur Assembly constituency, about 40 km from here, where hockey is the way of life for tribals. She was rejected at the PSH camp with the aspersion �Butri� (a mocking remark in Sadri dialect for average height) which hurt her sentiment but re-doubled her resolve.
With firm resolve and passion, she started trekking on her own a couple of months ago to test her ability. None was there for technical guidance but she had a neighbourhood youth Dominic Lakra to note the timings. Lakra, a village graduate and virtually an idle, saw her often running past his house, prompting him to note down the time she took in covering kilometers.
Lakra added, �A week ago both of us became fully confident and I couldn�t afford to dismiss her ability as amateurish.� Lakra apprised the development to Minz, who himself was a hockey stuff beyond the ordinary.
What makes Anastacia special is the fact that she hails from a farming family, feeds on ordinary food and has no technical guidance. On Budhia, she said, �I have heard about Budhia but run my way to Bhubaneswar to meet him.�
Her firmness even at this tender age is her forte. She strongly felt the State Government should not pose a hurdle in her way.

SAIL plans mega investment

Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has said it will invest Rs 37,000 crore in the next three years to counter the threat from grand expansion plans of global players.

The proposed investment has been revised from Rs 35,000 crore announced earlier, and the execution period reduced to three years from five.

The expansion would take SAIL's annual steel production capacity from 14.5 million tonnes now to 22.5 million tonnes.

"With the completion of this modernisation project, SAIL will not only continue to maintain its predominant position in India but also emerge as a key player in the global market," said Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

SAIL's expansion plan envisages an investment of Rs 9,000 crore at Bokaro Steel Plant, Rs 6,340 crore at Bhilai, Rs 4,590 crore in Rourkela and Rs 2,840 crore at its steel plant in Durgapur, a statement of Ministry of Steel said.

The company will also invest Rs 9,000 crore at Indian Iron Steel Company (ISP), which has recently been merged with SAIL. (PTI)

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Orissa’s need for vocational courses is far greater

orissa, of late, is witnessing a distinct shift in preference from regular university or college courses to vocational education.

Till the early 90s, students had no option to regular graduation and post graduation degrees. However, with the opening since of a large number of engineering, polytechnic and industrial training institutes (ITIs), they have other opportunities. “There were only three engineering colleges and half a dozen ITIs; white-collar jobs were the only way out,” notes higher education minister Sameer Dey.

There is much scope. More so with the stress on industrialisation. Bangalore-based Functional Vocational Training and Research Society (FVTR), an NGO, has launched 11 projects to impart informal vocational training to school dropouts. Encouraged by the response, Albert Joseph, executive director of FVTR, says the organisation is going to focus on Orissa. However, this is just a drop in the ocean of what is needed.

Orissa’s need for vocational courses is far greater

orissa, of late, is witnessing a distinct shift in preference from regular university or college courses to vocational education.

Till the early 90s, students had no option to regular graduation and post graduation degrees. However, with the opening since of a large number of engineering, polytechnic and industrial training institutes (ITIs), they have other opportunities. “There were only three engineering colleges and half a dozen ITIs; white-collar jobs were the only way out,” notes higher education minister Sameer Dey.

There is much scope. More so with the stress on industrialisation. Bangalore-based Functional Vocational Training and Research Society (FVTR), an NGO, has launched 11 projects to impart informal vocational training to school dropouts. Encouraged by the response, Albert Joseph, executive director of FVTR, says the organisation is going to focus on Orissa. However, this is just a drop in the ocean of what is needed.

Sail nod for Rs1,553cr Salem Steel expansion

The board of the Steel Authority of India (Sail) has approved a proposal for expansion of the Salem Steel Plant in Tamil Nadu at an indicative cost of Rs 1,553 crore.

The expansion plan envisages installation of steel making facilities, including a continuous slab cluster and expansion of the plant's cold folling capacity, according to a Rourkela Steel Plant release here. The expansion project will be completed within 36 months and will enable Salem Steel Plant to take advantage of the growing global stainless steel market.

The new steel making facility, with a capacity to produce 1,80,000 tonnes of stainless steel slabs per annum will create input security for the Salem plant and position it to become cost competitive, the release said.


The steel making facility will include a 50-tonne electric furnace, 60 tonne AOD converter with ladle furnace and single stand slam caster. The expansion of Salem's cold rolling mill was expected to help improve the plant's market share in the value-added growth segment of the stainless steel market.

The plant's cold rolling capacity will go up from 65,000 tonnes to 146,000 tonnes per annum with the addition of an annealing and pickling line among other facilities as part of the expansion plan, the release added.

Protests in Orissa over Nalco disinvestment

A strike by political parties and trade unions against the centre’s decision to disinvest in National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) Friday hit central government offices in Orissa, official said.

The centre had recently decided to offload 10 percent stake in the state-run Nalco, which has its corporate offices and plants in Orissa.

‘Nalco is the pride of the state and we will not allow the central government to do that,’ a senior leader of the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said.

The centre’s decision to divest government equity has given rise to apprehensions that the government may sell the company out, he said.

Although all political parties and trade unions here have expressed opposition to the disinvestment move, the Friday protest was jointly launched by the ruling coalition of Biju Janata Dal and BJP and separately by Left parties and trade unions.

Several social organisations, including the Orissa High Court Bar Association, have also announced their support to the protest.

Protestors blocked roads, obstructed trains and forcibly shut down central government offices across the state, a senior state police official said.

While protestors stopped several trains in the coastal town of Balasore and Berhampur, hundreds of them shut downs central government offices in state capital Bhubaneswar.

‘The majority of central government offices here were found closed, including Nalco, Reserve Bank of India and State Bank of India, the central customs office and income tax office, Khurda district police chief Amitav Thakur told IANS.

In steel city Rourkela, train services were disrupted for about four hours. However, things became normal after police arrested several protestors, including district BJP president Bipin Satapathy.

Incorporated in 1981 as a public sector enterprise of the government of India, the company is one of Asia’s largest integrated aluminium complexes, encompassing bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and casting, power generation, rail and port operations.

Commissioned during 1985-87, Nalco has emerged as a star performer in the production and export of alumina and more significantly, in propelling self-sustained growth.

While its registered office is in Bhubaneswar, its plants are located at the state’s Damanjodi in the southern district of Koraput and at Angul in the district of Angul.

Strike in Orissa over NALCO disinvestment

Protesting the decision of divesting 10 per cent stake in profit-making NALCO, activists of major political parties and seven central trade unions today staged demonstration in front of almost all central offices, including banks and railway stations, across Orissa today.

While rail service was disrupted, air and bus services remained unaffected during the demonstration by the activists.

Normal life, barring few places in the state, had remained normal with no report of any untoward incident received from anywhere.

The stir hit production in NALCO but not in the other PSUs like Rourkela Steel Plant, NTPC thermal power stations, Mahanadi Coalfield Limited and Paradip Port Trust.

All NALCO employees joined the strike at the smelter and captive power plants at its Angul unit but a skeleton staff had been allowed to keep the crucial hotlines alive, Executive Director of the smelter at Angul, U B Patnaik told PTI.

"There was no production of metal," Patnaik said.

The captive power plant, which has an installed capacity of 960 MW, reported reduced generation catering to the demand necessary to keep the hotlines hot, he said.

Meanwhile, trade unions, which had called the 12-hour strike, decided to extend it to 24 hours at Angul.

The situation was same at the company's refinery unit and bauxite mines as the plant operated with less number of employees, the Executive Director of the refinery P K Routray said.

India Press Release Distribution

A strike by political parties and trade unions against the centre’s decision to disinvest in National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) Friday hit central government offices in Orissa, official said.

The centre had recently decided to offload 10 percent stake in the state-run Nalco, which has its corporate offices and plants in Orissa.

‘Nalco is the pride of the state and we will not allow the central government to do that,’ a senior leader of the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said.

The centre’s decision to divest government equity has given rise to apprehensions that the government may sell the company out, he said.

Although all political parties and trade unions here have expressed opposition to the disinvestment move, the Friday protest was jointly launched by the ruling coalition of Biju Janata Dal and BJP and separately by Left parties and trade unions.

Several social organisations, including the Orissa High Court Bar Association, have also announced their support to the protest.

Protestors blocked roads, obstructed trains and forcibly shut down central government offices across the state, a senior state police official said.

While protestors stopped several trains in the coastal town of Balasore and Berhampur, hundreds of them shut downs central government offices in state capital Bhubaneswar.

‘The majority of central government offices here were found closed, including Nalco, Reserve Bank of India and State Bank of India, the central customs office and income tax office, Khurda district police chief Amitav Thakur told IANS.

In steel city Rourkela, train services were disrupted for about four hours. However, things became normal after police arrested several protestors, including district BJP president Bipin Satapathy.

Incorporated in 1981 as a public sector enterprise of the government of India, the company is one of Asia’s largest integrated aluminium complexes, encompassing bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and casting, power generation, rail and port operations.

Commissioned during 1985-87, Nalco has emerged as a star performer in the production and export of alumina and more significantly, in propelling self-sustained growth.

While its registered office is in Bhubaneswar, its plants are located at the state’s Damanjodi in the southern district of Koraput and at Angul in the district of Angul.