Lawyers In Western Orissa Go On Strike

Wednesday 12th of December 2007
Courts in western Orissa were paralysed Wednesday when lawyers struck work, demanding a high court bench in the region to enable people to get justice faster.

Protesting under the banner of the Western Orissa Bar Association (WOBA), they boycotted the revenue and judicial courts in the region's 11 districts, staged demonstrations and also prevented judges and court employees from working.

According to Sirish Ballav Mishra, who is convenor of the central action committee (CAC) of WOBA, the two big towns of Sambalpur and Bargarh were the worst hit.

'We will continue our protest till our demand is met,' Mishra told IANS.

Last month, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court Ashok Kumar Ganguly, requesting him to set up a bench each at Sambalpur and Berhampur. While Sambalpur would serve the western part of the state, Berhampur would cover the south.

Non-finalisation of salary: Teachers pushed to brink

.........ROURKELA : The plight of the teachers of erstwhile municipal schools has once again come to the fore with the death of MS Pali Primary School headmaster Purushotam Rana, a couple of days back. He allegedly died of poverty. Yogesh, Rana’s son claimed that his father was suffering from chronic urological disorder and the end came early as they could not afford treatment. Rana was not paid for the last five months. Rana’s colleagues who share similar economic fate said an ill Rana was passing through a very lean phase. While this remains the plight of such teachers across Orissa, around 53 erstwhile municipal schools’ teachers here are just hoping that good sense will prevail upon the School and Mass Education Department. Sources said envisaging a single pattern of school education, these schools were provisionally taken over by the department on February 28, 2004. But, nearly four years after, the State Government is yet to finalise the ‘service conditions’ which would have enabled them a pay scale at par with government teachers along with other service benefits. Presently, they are getting between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,500, while their government school counterparts are being paid just the double. As the government is dilly-dallying in finalising the pay, both the schools and teachers are having a rough ride. No wonder, quality school education remains a distant dream. It is showing in the poor school infrastructure. Consider this: Bisra Munda Vidyapeeth (BMV), the alma mater of India’s hockey skipper Prabodh Tirkey and the John ME School, in the common campus of BMV, enrolling future hockey stars can put any authority to shame. Newly-appointed District Inspector of Schools Kapilendra Mishra said efforts would be made to improve the situation.

Huge cache of arms seized

.........SAMBALPUR : In a big haul, police seized around 2,400 rounds of ammunition from Jarang forest and arrested two hardcore Maoists, James alias Pawan Lohar and Uddhaba Putta. While James, 24, is said to be an explosives expert from Ranchi, Putta (20) alias Pandab is a local radical. Police also seized three landmines weighing more than 10 kg each, fuse wires, a GPS (Global Positioning System) gadget, a walky-talky and books. Addressing mediapersons here today, Sambalpur SP Sanjay Kumar said the ammunition, looted from Jharkhand, can cater to a company of police force. The police forces are using 9 mm ammunition manufactured in 2001-02, whereas the seized ammunition were manufactured in 2003. James, founder-member and zonal commander of Sambalpur-Deogarh- Sundargarh committee, was involved in 24 heinous crimes including killing of cops. An expert in making landmine and conducting guerilla warfare, he had been engaged in planting landmines targeting police not only in Orissa but also in Jharkhand. James was imparting training to Naxal recruits in different camps. He had disclosed that he had surveyed the district armoury and a few police stations in order to loot arms and ammunition, Sanjay Kumar said. The other arrested Naxal, Putta, was member of the local guerilla squad (LGS) and was involved in at least 12 cases in Sambalpur.

US team ready to develop art villages in Dhenkanal

.........DHENKANAL : A group of US development facilitators has evinced keen interest in developing art villages and some backward pockets in the district. The group comprising eight development facilitators and international development experts headed by Dr Neville S. Arachchige Don under the banner of International Research Foundation for Development visited some villages, including Gobardhanpur under Gondia block and Lambodarapur in Sadar block in June and July. Gobardhanpur is known for its tribal jewellery. In the presence of heads of departments, Collector Zamil Ahmed Khan and mediapersons, they invited suggestions for development of the villages and uplift of artists. Now, they have sought project proposals about development needs in the district and skill development of artists whose products are exported to the US and other European countries. They also sought information on development needs in sectors like health, education, drinking water and sanitation. In response, Khan called a meeting of heads of departments, chief district medical officer, social welfare officer, Nabard officials and lead bank manager to discuss the development needs. Later, the administration with support from a leading NGO Mission Reconstruction drew up project proposals and sent them to the US development facilitators. The Collector also sent proposals on development needs in Kankadahada and Hindol blocks. According to Neville, a meeting will be held in Los Angeles in December-end to chalk out a strategy on the project proposals. Khan said as social and economic inequality is far greater in these two blocks, they were selected for comprehensive development.