Bishnu Das’s article in Business Standard lists many of the solar and biomass power unit projects that are in the pipeline in Odisha. Following are some excerpts.

Solar power units:

• 5 Mw power plant of RSB Energy Pvt Ltd in Sundergarh district
• Enzen Global Solutions’s 5 Mw solar power plant in Khurda district
• Lanco Solar’s 5 Mw solar plant in Cuttack district
• Sunark Solar’s 5 Mw power plant in Puri district
• Kolkata based SREI Infrastructure’s 5 Mw solar power plant in Bolangir district
• Moserbaer Pvt Ltd’s 5 Mw grid interactive solar photo voltaic project
• Sahara India’s 5 Mw solar power plant

Biomass power units:

• Rice husk based power plant being set up by Shali Vahana Green Energy Ltd at Nimidha village in Dhenkanal district
• Satya Bio-Power Industry Ltd planning to set up a 10 Mw plant in Ganjam
• A V N Power Projects setting up a 10 Mw power plant in Kalahandi district
• Prasad Bio-Energy planning a 10 Mw unit in Raygada
• Jay Laxmi Bio-Energy Ltd intends to set up a 10 Mw unit in Nayagarh
• Another plant of similar capacity is proposed by Andhavarapu Bio-Energy in Nawarangpur

To get KBK out of backwardness governments at the center and states have had packages for KBK, but they have not helped that much. The following suggestion by Jibanendra Mohanty in Orissa Today is a very good suggestion. Our government should pursue it.

Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal  have made significant progress on Industrialization during the last few years, via the Special Industrial Package provided by the Government of India. Most of the Industries set up in recent times  are in  Manufacturing/Engineering/ Agro-products/ Drugs & Pharmaceuticals/ Computer Hardware, etc  not dependent upon mining operations.  The high lights of these Industries are  a) they need small land parcels i.e.  areas of 1 to 10 acres, b) they provide  employment ranging from 50 to 1000 persons/unit.  These Industries do not need mining operation, do not need  high  water consumption nor do they create  major problem for Ecology and Environment. These Industries have made significant impact on the  employment & economic front and on  all round development of the States.

 The existing  special  package is valid up to end of 2010 and the States have already started lobbying for extension of the said package up to 2020.

Now the Question is why such special Industrial package is not being provided  for the KBK region of Odisha??

The above is a very good idea. Some links on special industrial package for Himachal Pradesh is here. Links for special industrial package for Uttarakhand is here and here. 

The Orissa state government should pursue this. In Koraput and Kalahandi the focus can be on downstream industries and Balangir which is very well connected by Rail as well as by NH the focus could be on all kinds of industries.

The two main access point to this hill is the Nrushinghanath Temple (Baragarh district) in the North side and the Harishankar temple and falls (Balangir district) in the south side. The road distance between the two is 40 kms and one can walk on the mountain top between these two places through a day long 16 km hike. The following three maps show these areas.

Following is from the site http://www.orissatourism.gov.in/nrusingh.html.

Located in the sacred Gandhamardan Hills, which according to legends, Hanuman carried on his shoulders from the Himalayas as described in the ancient epic Ramayana, the temple at Nrusinghanath is an important pilgrimage site. It is also an exceedingly fascinating and beautifully  located temple and is worth the journey to this rather remote spot.

The present temple, located at the source of the Papaharini stream, is a 14th century structure built on a more ancient site. The four pillars within the Jagmohana suggest that the earlier temple was built in the 9th century. The beautiful doorframes have been dated to the 11th century.

The site of the temple is unique. Stone steps wind up the hillside behind the temple, leading past a  waterfall, and eventually curving under the falls to a spot where some beautiful, and very well- preserved relief sculptures are found. The climb to the carvings and return journey will take about an hour. Since shoes are not permitted on these sanctified pilgrimage steps, those with tender feet should take along a pair of heavy socks for the climb.

On the opposite slope of the hill on which the temple is located, is the Harishankar Temple. Between the two temples there is a 16 km. plateau, littered with Buddhist ruins that scholars feel may be the remains of the ancient university of Parimalagiri, referred to by the seventh-century Chinese traveler Hiuen T’sang as ‘Po-lo-mo-lo-ki-li’. The trek along this plateau is a long one, but for the serious student of history, it is an unforgettable experience.

Following is from http://www.mapsofindia.com/orissa/tourism/harishankar-falls.html.

he Harishankar Falls is located in Balangir, on the Southern slope of the Gandhamardhan hills. The waters of the Harishankar Falls gushes down the slopes in a series of captivating waterfalls that creates an out of the world scene.

At a distance of about 81 Kilometers is located the pilgrimage site of Harishankar. This locations is encapsulated in the charm of nature and is the shrine of the dual Hindu deity, Hari and Shankar. A very holy place for both the Vaishnavs and the Shaivites, Harishankar is the popular pilgrimage spot. The Harishankar Falls is a part of this pious place and the water of the Harishankar Falls cascades down to the granite floor of the shrines. The Harishankar Falls also acts as a natural shower for the pilgrims.

The site http://satyeshnaik.blogspot.com/2008/08/trip-to-nursinghnathnursinghanath.html has some beautiful pictures of the area.

There seems to be at least two areas in Orissa named as Gandhamardan; the Gandhamardan hills of Baragarh and Balangir districts and the Gandhamardan peak of Keonjhar. Recently tathya.in wrote about an appeal by Dr. Sanjib Karmee about the Gandhamardan hills of Bragarh-Balangir. The well researched appeal prompted me to do some more research and based on that I suggest that the Government of Orissa push the Government of India to declare the whole of Gandhamardan Hill as a national botanical heritage and reserve and create several research centers on ayurveda, medicine, pharmacy, forestry, just outside of that area.

Following are some excerpts from old news about Gandhamardan hill in Bragarh-Balangir.

1. Excerpts from a June 17, 2008 article in Business Standard:

When Balco tried to obtain a mining lease for Gandamardhan 22 years ago, veteran activists like Anil Agarwal of the Centre for Science and Environment, Sunderlal Bahuguna and the Gandhamardan Yuva Surakshya Sena fought the company tooth and nail. The state government had given in to the activists’ demands then.

… The destruction of local flora and fauna and the disruption of cultural life of the mostly tribal communities in the area are also cited as reasons for opposing these projects.

Another sensitive aspect of the opposition is the religious significance of the hill for both tribal communities in the area and Hindus.

The hill is mentioned in the epic Ramayana. According to legend, the mythological Hanuman plucked a portion of the hill to heal Lakshmana during the battles in Lanka.

The two sides of the slopes also have ancient temples that are significant to local faiths — the Nrusingha Nath temple on the Bargarh side of the hill and the Harshankar temple on the Balangir side.

The hill is rich in herbal wealth and ayurveda colleges are situated on both sides, said environment activist in Orissa, Ranjan Panda.

2. February 24, 2007 ANI article in webindia123.com:

In a novel initiative, the Orissa Government has commenced a project to promote medicinal plantation at Gandhamardan Hills in Bolangir District.

Besides, the project also aims at uplifting the tribals’ life, residing in the hills’ vicinity, which are famous for their natural scenic panorama of rivulets and medicinal plants. ccording to the Divisional Forest Officer of the range, the tribes are now earning much more than before as the society purifies the minor forest produce and after proper packing, sell them in the market.

"This project was launched with the help of the Centre and the State Government. About 1.83 crores have been used for five years and this is the third year of the project. The main aim of the project is to preserve propagate and conserve the rich bio-diversity of the Gandhamardan Hills. Side by side this project has also improved the economic condition of the villagers who are dependent on the forest," said Sarat Mohanaty, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Gandhamardan Range iof Bolangir.

The greenery of Gandhamardan Hills overlaps Bolangir and Bargarh Districts, covering an area of nearly 18,629 hectares of reserved forest of land. Around 6512 hectares of this land falls under Bolangir District alone.

Earlier, ignorant about the actual worth of medicinal plants here, the tribals, living in Gandharmardan range, 80 kilometres from Bolangir District, used to be lured by middlemen, who purchased raw seeds, leaves and fruits of these medicinal herbs.

All these years, the species of these plants were exploited with no proper care and most of them had reached the stage of extinction.

Realising the danger posed by such disturbing trends, the Centre and State governments proposed a plan to protect these medicinal plants as well as raise the quality of tribals’ life. And later, the Vanaspati Vana project was set up by the Vanaspati Vana Society.

Under this project, ten villages have been identified and local committees in each village have been formed.

"With the help of the government, a Vanaspati Vana project has been set up in the Gandhamardan Hills range in Bolangir District. Ten villages near the Gandhamardan Hills have been earmarked in as the local chapters of Vanaspati Vana Society to look after the project," said Rajkumar Bhoi, President of the Vanaspati Vana Society.

According to villagers, since the formation of this Society, they have been earning enough to feed their family and are happy about the working of the society.

"After the formation of Vanaspati Vana project, the forest is being safe and also Gandhamardan. The medical plants, which were being neglected and wasted in the past, are being taken care of. Earlier, many fruits grown in the forest, were being bought by local businessmen from tribals at very cheap rates. After formation of Vanaspati Society the prices are set up and we sell accordingly. Seeing our success, Tribals from other villages are selling now their produce to get better prices," said Thabira Meher, a villager.

The tribals are protecting the forBesiest and are also collecting the minor forest produce and different roots of the medical plants, which are useful for medicine and can be sold at a good price. (ANI)

3. A headline in the Knowledge for development site (undated):

The Govt. of Orissa has banned mining along the Gandhamardan Hills through an ordinance in the state assembly today.

4. An article in Navratna News Jan-Feb 2008 by Netrabandhu Pradhan. Following are some excerpts:

the Gandhamardana has always attracted scientists interested in the study of plants. Even when the are was inaccessible, British Scientists and Botanists H.H. Haynes (1921-25) had identified several species of plants in this area. After 25 years i.e. in 1950 Herbert Muni visited this place and located 17 new species of plants. Later on renowned Oriya Botanist and Scientist of the Botanical Survery of India Dr. Gopinath Panigrahi (1963) published research paper on 125 species of precious medicinal plants available in the Gandhamardan. His paper was based on an extensive study made by him in this area. Realizing the rich potentiality of the area for containing more varieties of medicinal plants, Dr. Gopinath Panighrhi re-visited the place once again in 1964 along with a group of his associates who collected 300 varieties of species and herbs available in this area and prepared a catalogue on the basis of it. In 1990 M.Brahmam and Hari Om Saxena surveyed on the plants of Gandhamardan and identified 200 species of plants out of which the usefulness of 77 species of plants in the treatment of common ailments were highlighted. Again, in 1995 Saxena and Brahmam surveyed in the area of Gandhamardan and enlisted 781 plants species available there. R.C. Mishra (1990,1994,1996) worked in this mountain range and illustrated 920 species of plants. In the year 1994 P. Bilung, P.N. Pradhan and R.N. Pradhan Dept. of Botany, Panchayat College, Bargarh have surveyed the area and report the use of local Mahura plants from Aracei family. In 1999 N.B. Pradhan, R.N. Pradhan, P.Sahu and S.K. Sen made a detailed survey of the area and highlighted on many rare medicinal plants have shown concern about the decreasing population of these plants. The Vesaja Samity of Nrusinghnath, Padampur has been educating people on the plants and herbs available in Gandhamardan since 1994 and also organizing the Baidyas of the district of Bargarh and helping them in the proper identification of the medicinal plants. Sri Sri Nrusinghnath Ayurvedic Collegeand Research Institute in collaboration with the Department of Botany, Panchayat College, Bargarh have undertaken a Joint Venture in making a detailed survey of the area, identification and cataloguing of the plants and preparation of ‘herboriams’. In the recent past a Banaspati Bana Prakalpa ( 2003 ) has been launched by the Department of Forest and Environment, Govt. of Orissa, with assistance from the Govt. of India. The Project is making rapid strides under the supervisions of the Divisional Forest Officers of Bargarh and Bolangir Range. It is hoped that with the successful implementation of the project, it would contribute a lot in the protection, preservation and expansion of the plants.

Many survey works have been undertaken under the supervision of both the Department of Forest and the SSN Ayurvedic College, Nrusinghnath. One of the reports reveals that there is rapid deforestation in this area. These plants which were easily available in the post have become rare. Gandhamardan range of mountain that extended upto 1800 sq. k.m. was fully of dense forest and was replete with herbs and medicinal plants. But out of them several species have become rare. These include Barun, Kochila, Manjusha, Panki, Paldhua, Sunamukhi, Tamul, Bal Harida, Bhumi Kusmanda etc. Growing deforestation of Amla, Kuturi, Gudmari, Chhatiana, Meda, Bidanga is still underway. But all is not lost. There is still hope that as even now also one can find in the scrub forest living stumps of different species of plants. It is hoped that if the free entry of human intruders and the movement of stray cattles are prevented, green plants will again raise their heads covering the surface of the rock and the jungle will get back its lost luster and greenery.

… Gandhamardan range of Mountain is not only well known in the two districts of Orissa, but they are the objects of glory and pride for the entire state of Orissa and the neighboring Chhatisgarh. It has a rich tradition of its own. The rare Ayurvedic material Medical and valuable forest products once collected from these forests heave now become in obtainable. Deforestation in the area has assumed alarming proportion. If we still neglect its preservation, it will turn into a wasteland and will get extinct for ever and in such an event its dangerous consequences cannot be imagined. Yet it is never too late. Even today the Gandhamardan has not lost its glory. It is still possessing most of its materials within. If man undertakes fruitful ventures and stops behaving like a savage, it will again emerge as an impenetrable dense forest in its full glory.

5. A research paper in Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy titled "An assessment of floristic Diversity of Gandhamardan hill range, Orissa, India.

Abstract: The plant resources of Gandhamardan hill range were studied and analysed. A total of 912 vascular species belonging to 556 genera under 142 families were recorded. Herbs dominate the flora followed by trees, climbers and shrubs. Dominance of phanerophytes indicates the tropical moist and humid climate. Proper conservation and management plans are needed to save the natural resources, especially medicinal plants, of this sacred hill range.

…

Gandhamardan hill range is such a tropical moist deciduous system in Orissa, India. Due to diversified topography with twenty-two perennial streams, the hill range having most congenial environment for the luxuriant growth of plant resources. These resources are under severe threat due to over-exploitation by the local people for collection of firewood, fodder and medicinal plants and heavy incidence of grazing. Some sporadic works on floristic and ethnobotanical studies were carried out earlier (Raju, 1960; Panigrahi et al., 1964; Brahmam and Saxena, 1990a, b; Mishra et al., 1994, 2001; Misra and Behera, 1998; Mishra and Das, 2003; Misra, 2004). But, this floristically rich hill range with varied terrain conditions and environmental factors along with its phytogeographical position was not explored well in the past. The present study is, therefore, the first attempt to make an inventory and analysis of the entire flora of Gandhamardan hill range based on copious field observations, available literature and herbarium data, with a view to contribute to the overall knowledge of Gandhamardan flora and to the management of this sacred hill range.

…

Floristic composition: The floristic composition of the hill is remarkable in its diversity and luxuriance. Altogether, 912 vascular plant taxa pertaining to 142 families and 556 genera were collected. The dicotyledonous plants belonged to 106 families, 418 genera and 685 species, and the monocotyledonous plants to 21 families, 122 genera and 206 species. Pteridophytes were represented by 21 species belonging to 15 families and 16 genera. Analysis of flora shows a comparatively higher representation of herbaceous species (519) followed by 173 trees, 119 climbers and 101 shrubs. In comparison with the Orissa flora (total area 155,707 sq km) consisting of 2727 species (Saxena and Brahmam, 1996), 33.4% of species were recorded in the present study area. The recorded genera of the Gandhamardan flora were 52.4% of the Orissa flora, whereas the families covered 62.3%. A total number of 776 indigenous wild species, 64 introduced wild species and 72 cultivated species were found in the area. The species to genera ratio was 2.6 in Orissa flora, whereas it was 1.6 in the present study. The ratio of genera and family in the Gandhamardan flora was 3.9, whereas the value of the Orissa flora was 4.7. This indicates higher taxonomic diversity of the study area. Pielou (1975) and Magurran (1988) pointed out that, in intuitive terms, hierarchical (taxonomic) diversity will be higher in an area in which the species are divided amongst many genera as opposed to one in which most species belong to the same genus, and still higher as these genera are divided amongst many families as opposed to a few.

Exactly 50% of the recorded taxa belonged to only 13 species-rich families. The largest families in terms of number of species were Poaceae (90), Papilionaceae (68), Euphorbiaceae (45), Rubiaceae (41), Asteraceae (36), Cyperaceae (35), Acanthaceae (30), Caesalpiniaceae (20), Schrophulariaceae and Apocynaceae (each with 19 species). A total of 15 species of orchids belonging to 10 genera were also recorded. At genus level, Ficus showed the maximum diversity with 14 species. This was followed by Cyperus (11), Cassia (9), Blumea (8), Bauhinia, Grewia, Hedyotis, Indigofera (each with 7 species), Acacia and Alysicarpus (each with 6 species). Analysis of flora shows that most of the genera (388) are represented by single species and a very few genera are represented by more number of species. Asparagus gonoclados Baker, Corchorus trilocularis L., Enicostema axillare (Lam.) A. Raynal and Triumfetta rotundifolia Lam. were recorded new to the Flora of Orissa. Erythrina resupinata Roxb., Heterostemma tanjorense Wight & Arn. and Tylophora fasciculata Buch-Ham. ex Wight & Arn. are the unique species found in the study area, which are not sighted elsewhere in Orissa. There were 64 invasive exotic species also found, which will be serious threat to the forest ecosystem in the future. Important among them are Ageratum conyzoides L., Chromolaena odorata (L.) R. King & H. Robins., Crotalaria pallida Ait., Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit., Lantana camara L., Mimosa pudica L., Parthenium hysterophorus L. and Triumfetta rhomboidea Jacq.

The upper storey of the vegetation was covered by tall trees with epiphytic growth of lichens, bryophytes, ferns and orchids. It was interesting to note that Shorea robusta Gaertn. f., a common species in other parts of Orissa, showed sporadic distribution in the study area. Some of the shrubs e.g., Ardisia solanacea Roxb., Flemingia macrophylla (Willd.) Prain ex Merr., Indigofera cassioides Rottl. ex DC., Leea asiatica (L.) Ridsdale and Morinda citrifolia L., were found to grow in dense and interior forests. The bamboo species Dendrocalamus strictus (Roxb.) Nees. also occupied considerable part of the area. Herbs were mostly distributed all over the hill range, which includes open and dense forests, along the streams, top of the hills with grasses and forest road sides. A good number of lianas and woody climbers were present in the hill range, such as Bauhinia vahli Wight & Arn., Calycopteris floribunda Lam., Combtretum albidum G. Don., Cryptolepis buchanani Roem. & Schult., Entada pursaetha Spreng., Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br., Smilax zeylanica L., Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam., and Ventilago madraspatana Gaertn. Epiphytes were less in number. Vanda testacea (Lindl.) Reichb. f. and V. tessellata (Roxb.) Hook. ex G. Don. were two common epiphytic orchids found on branches of most tall trees. Four root parasites (Aeginetia indica L., Melasma thompsonii (Hook. f.) Wettst., Sopubia delphiniifolia (L.) G. Don. and Striga angustifolia (D. Don) Saldanha) and two stem parasites (Dendrophthoe falcata (L. f.) Etting and Viscum articulatum Burm. f.) were also recorded from the study area. The extensive flat plateau on the top of the hills running through the whole length of the Gandhamardan range presented a grassland formation with luxuriant growth of various grass species attaining 2-3 m in height. The grassland comprises of Arthraxon lancifolius (Trin.) Hochst., Capillipedium assimile (Steud.) A. Camus., Cymbopogon martini (Roxb.) Wats., Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. and interspersed with stunted growth of Lagerstroemia parviflora Roxb., Phyllanthus emblica L., Pimpinella heyneana (Wall. ex DC.) Kurz. and Woodfordia fruticosa L. Kurz.. Weeds such as Borreria stricta Roth ex Roem. & Schult., Cleome monophylla L. and Mollugo pentaphylla L. were common. Celosia argentea L. (introduced) is a weed of great nuisance in the abandoned fields near Borasambar, Paikmal and Harishankar.

Medicinal plant exploration: Gandhamardan hill range is also known as ‘Ayurvedic paradise’ and treasure house for potential medicinal plant species not only for Orissa but also for India. More than 300 plant species were found in the area with medicinal properties. These are depleting rapidly because of unsustainable harvesting, lack of awareness, and unrestricted grazing by domestic animals from nearby villages (Panigrahi, 1963; Pattanaik and Reddy, 2007). Nonetheless, many people from far and wide come to this area to collect medicinal plants and share their knowledge on medicinal uses of these plants. Major medicinal plant species, such as Asparagus racemosus Willd., Celastrus paniculata Willd., Chlorophytum arundinaceum Baker, Costus speciosus (Koenig) Sm., Curculigo orchioides Gaertn., Curcuma angustifolia Roxb., Gloriosa superba L., Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R. Br. ex Schult., Plumbago zeylanica L., Rubia cordifolia L. and Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Hook.f. & Thoms., were harvested in bulk for preparation of medicines by the local people. Unsustainable collection of above medicinal plants has placed them in threatened and vulnerable categories in Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP) of Orissa.

Conservation measures: In the prevailing situation, conservation of plant resources is very important, as many of these plants, for example Asparagus gonoclados and Enicostema littorale Blume, have been reduced to a greater extent. Therefore, sustainable utilization of medicinal plants is an urgent demand of the hour. Sustainable wild collection with fair trade would help to conserve the natural resources of the Gandhamardan hill range. Piloting of farmer-based cultivation trials for a selected number of threatened and indigenous medicinal plant species on the edges of forests and in home gardens should be encouraged. The state Forest Department should initiate in situ as well as ex situ conservation practices by promoting nurseries, home garden andplantation. The state government should promote Village Management Committee (VMC) and Conservation Area Management Committee (CAMC) to protect the forests from denudation. Community mobilization and creating awareness on sustainable harvesting of plant parts among the local people of the surrounding villages must be done at priority level. The local non-government organisations (NGOs) should promote participatory research in breeding and participatory knowledge management involving scientists, government officials and tribal families. The Forest and Environment Department should establish linkages with markets, so that the cultivation of medicinal plants becomes market-driven, with assured income security for tribal families. Unrestricted movement of pilgrims all around the adjoining forest areas near to the temple are causing loss of plant species. It is necessary to improve the socio-economic conditions of people living around the hills to minimize the anthropogenic activities in order to prevent depletion of natural resources of this sacred hill range.

 

 

Following is an excerpt from a report in Business Standard.

… the Orissa government has approved two more bio-mass based power projects with a combined generating capacity of 39 Mw of power.

With this the total envisaged generating capacity in the bio-mass sector will increase to 129 Mw. Earlier, the government had approved 8 bio-mass based power projects with a combined generation capacity of 90 Mw.

… to promote bio-mass based power plants through the use of the wastes like rice husk, groundnut cover, coconut cover and other agricultural waste, the state government has started some initiative and approved the setting up of ten bio-mass based projects so far.

The State Level Technical Committee (STC) chaired by the secretary, science and technology, in its meeting held recently cleared two proposals- one by Starlight Energy’s proposal to set up a 15 Mw bio-mass power plant at Nuapada and the other by Mahavir Hitech Chemicals (P) Ltd to set up a 5 Mw power plant in Ratanpur village of Sundargarh district.

STC has also approved setting up of five more solar power projects aggregating 25 Mw in the state. The proposals include 5 Mw power plant proposed by RSB Energy Pvt. Ltd in Sundergarh dicstrict and Enzen Global Solutions’s plan to set up a 5 Mw solar power plant in Khurda district.

Similarly, Lanco Solar’s 5 Mw solar plant to be set up in Cuttack district, Sunark Solar’s 5 Mw power plant in Puri district and Kolkata based SREI Infrastructure’s proposal to set up a 5 Mw solar power plant in Bolangir district have been given the green signal.

Earlier the state government had approved Moserbaer Pvt Ltd’s 5 Mw grid interactive solar photo voltaic project and Sahara India’s proposal to set up a 5 Mw solar power plant in the state.

Following is an excerpt from a report in Telegraph.

Eight power companies today promised to invest Rs 42,000 crore in the state to build plants that will generate over 4,780MW.

…Naveen added that his government’s initiatives during the past four years in encouraging value-added steel, aluminium and cement projects had led to promised investment of around Rs 6 lakh crore out of which Rs 50,848 crore had already been realised.

The companies, which signed MoUs today, were Astaranga Power Company Ltd (2,640MW), Sahara India Power Corporation (1,320MW), Ind-Barat Energy Utkal Limited (700MW), Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (1,320MW), Visaka Thermal Power Pvt Ltd (1,100MW), Kalinga Energy & Power Limited (1,000MW), Arati Steel (500MW) and Chambal Infrastructures and Ventures Ltd (1,200MW).

While Astaranga Power Company intended to establish 2,640MW thermal power plants in two phases at Astaranga in Puri district with an investment of Rs 11,200 crore, Sahara India Power Corporation proposed to set up 1,320MW thermal power plant at Turla village in Bolangir district at an estimated cost of Rs 5,604 crore.

Similarly, Ind-Barat Energy Utkal planned to set up 700MW thermal power plant at Sahajbahal near Banharpali in Jharsuguda district with an investment of Rs 3,150 crore. Visaka Thermal Power will set up a 1,100MW coal-based power plant at Bhandaripokhari or Banto block in Bhadrak district at an investment of Rs 4,800 crore. Jindal Steel and Power proposes to set up a 1,320MW thermal power plant at Athamallik tehsil in Angul district with an investment of Rs 5,940 crore.

Besides, the Kalinga Energy plans to set up a 1,000MW thermal power project at an investment of Rs 4,261 crore at Babuchakuli.

While Arati Steel proposes to set up a 500MW thermal power plant at Ghantikhal in Cuttack district, Chambal Infrastructures and Ventures Ltd plans to set up 1,200MW power plant at Siaria in Dhenkanal district.

According to the MoUs, the state would get the benefits in shape of contribution to the environment management fund, value-added tax, coal royalty and water cess.

Around 1,174 to 1,370MW of power would be available to Orissa at variable cost (less than Rs 1.50 per unit), depending on the coal block availability.

This benefit would be extended to the consumers so that got power at cheaper rate, said energy secretary P.K. Jena, who signed the MoUs on behalf of the government.

I believe that for Orissa to develop several urban centers and clusters need to be developed. So far many are developing. The ones marked with red are either developed or are in the path of development. The one in purple (Keonjhar) has a good chance of development. The three green ones in the big green zone, denoting Bhwanipatna, Balangir and Phulbani are in need of development. The following table lists what these various urban areas and clusters have or are going to have and what they don’t have and the govt. should make efforts to fulfill those lacunae.

As noted above, all these places should have a university, a medical college, good rail connectivity and several job centers.

"Dr. Manmohan Singh" <pmosb@pmo.nic.in>, "Chief Minister" <cmo@ori.nic.in>, "Orissa Governor" <govori@ori.nic.in>,
<abhijit.sen@yojana.nic.in>, <anwarul.hoda@yojana.nic.in>, <b.mungekar@yojana.nic.in>, <dch@yojana.nic.in>, <kirit.parikh@yojana.nic.in>, <mvraja@yojana.nic.in>, <plancom@nic.in>, <s.hameed@yojana.nic.in>, <vl.chopra@yojana.nic.in>, <yugandhar.bn@nic.in>, "subas@nic.in" <subas@nic.in>

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 FAX: PMO at 23016857 , 23015603 (Delhi STD code is 11), CMO at 674 2590 833 (home) 674 2535 100 (office) and Planning Commission at 23096699

To:

Dr. Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister of India

Cc: Mr. Naveen Patniak, Chief Minister of Orissa

Cc: Shri Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, Governor of Orissa

 
Subject: Solving the greater Kandhamala problem – going after the root cause in a war footing

Dear Dr. Singh: 

While the civil society in Orissa, the nation and the world is disturbed by the  communal violence in Kandhamala, I would urge you to take steps to eradicate the root cause of the violence in Kandhamala and the nearby tribal, hilly, forested, awfully connected, poor and backward districts of Orissa (and its neighboring states). In this regard, please note that the violence did not spread to the major towns and cities of Orissa (such as Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Balasore etc.)  that are well connected (by Rail and roads), decently developed and have a civil society. 

While the violence involving the murder of Swami Laxmanananda on August 23^rd 2008 and the subsequent communal violence that has taken about 40 lives is most deplorable and is in the forefront of the media, please also recall the following events that also took place within the last year in these areas:

1. February 15 2008:  400 to 500 armed Naxals raided the Nayagarh armory and killed 15 people including 13 policemen.
2. June 29 2008: 30 elite anti-insurgency policemen were killed by Maoists near Malkangiri.
3. July 16 2008:  21 Orissa policemen were killed in a land mine explosion and firing by the ultras in Malkangiri.
4. Dec 27 2007: Eleven churches were ransacked and torched in several areas of Kandhamal district.

Please note that these events happened in places in Orissa (Nayagarh, Malkangiri and Kandhamal) that are badly connected, near or within forests, have a large tribal population, and are among the most backward districts of India. The following map shows these districts are surrounded by large tracts of dense and open forested areas, and partly explains why the naxalites and Maoists are able to make them their base and why it has been difficult to deploy adequate police there in a timely manner.

Sir: As an economist and a world leader you must know that lack of connectivity, lack of development, lack of a civil society, entrenched forest and mountainous areas together with a different population base is a recipe for the sprouting of troubled areas. This is true all across the world; from J& K and North eastern areas of India to caucuses in Asia. While one cannot and should not get rid of the mountains or the people, the problem can be solved by making the areas well connected and bringing development. The Indian government is doing that in J & K and in the northeast; but has mostly forgotten about the similar areas in Orissa, Chhatisgrah, and Andhra Pradesh, which are the favorite bases of the Naxals and Maoists.

Sir: We would like you to pay the same attention to these areas in terms of connectivity, development, and creation of civil societies, as you do to the North east and J & K. In particular we would request that following be done in a war footing during the 11^th plan.

(i)                  The Vijaywada-Ranchi highway that passes through many of these areas be completed.

(ii)                Broadband connectivity be brought to these districts with adequate access locations.

(iii)                Two Railway lines, parts of which have already been sanctioned by the Railways but are progressing slowly, are completed and made operational. Those lines are:

a.       Khurda Rd – Balangir (passes through Nayagarh and Boudh) – This line was sanctioned in 1994-95 is progressing very slowly.

b.      Bhadrachalam Rd (Andhra Pradesh) – Malkangiri – Jeypore – Nabarangpur – Junagarh – Lanjigarh Rd – passing through Kandhamala – Boudh – Angul – Talcher – Bimlagarh: Several segments of these lines are approved but progressing slowly. Those segments are Junagarh – Lanjigarh Rd and Talcher – Bimlagarh. Angul – Talcher is operational.

(iv)              With the above lines operational, development should be brought into Kandhamal, Boudh, Gajapati, and KBK districts (including Kalahandi and Malkangiri) through 1-2 Rail factories and public sector units that can use the steel and aluminum and power produced in abundance in Orissa.

(v)                Orissa govt. should be encouraged and aided to establish a university in Kandhamala and another in Kalahandi.

(vi)              A branch of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University be established in one of these districts.

(vii)             Orissa govt. should be encouraged and aided to establish a government medical college and nursing college in Kandhamala or Boudha district.

Sir:  In regards to the cost of establishing the Railway lines, please note that as per the calculation in  http://kbkrail.orissalinks.com/ Indian Railways is scheduled to make a profit of 2679.72 crores/year from its operations in Orissa. If 1500 crores of this money (the rest may go to Indian Railway’s current plans for Orissa) is put into Orissa, in just 2-3 years the above mentioned lines could be completed.

Sir: We sincerely hope that you will translate the great concern you have shown towards the recent violent events to the above mentioned action items that address the key issues of lack of connectivity and development in these areas and thus provide a long term and real solution.

Sincerely

Appendix:

1. Estimated profit Indian Railways will make from Orissa in 2008-09:

2.  One of the earlier planning commissions has noted in http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/stateplan/sdr_orissa/sdr_orich2.doc

“Railways have always played an important role in economic development and rapid social transformation in all parts of the globe. It is one of the key economic infrastructures. However, it is most unfortunate that in a poor and backward state like Orissa, development of rail networks has received much less attention of the Central Government in the post-independence period. There are as many as seven districts like Boudh, Kandhamal, Deogarh, Nayagarh, Kendrapara, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur out of the 30 districts of the state, which do not have any railway line passing through them. In the year 1998-99, the density of railway route length per 1000 sq. km of area in Orissa was only 15.03 km as against 42.66 km in West Bengal and 19.11 km. at all-India level”.

3. The tribal population percentage of the KBK districts are as follows:  Malkangiri  58.36% ST  (+19.96% SC),  Rayagada 56.04% ST  (+14.28% SC),  Nabarangpur 55.27% ST (+15.09% SC), Koraput 50.67% ST (+13.41% SC), Nuapada 35.95%  ST(+13.09% SC), Kalahandi 28.88% ST (+17.01% SC), Sonepur 22.11% ST (+9.5% SC), Balangir 22.06% ST (+15.39% SC). Two adjacent districts also have high tribal population. They are Kandhamala 51.51% ST (+18.21% SC) and Gajapati 47.88%  ST(+8.77% SC). 

4. The literacy rates in the KBK districts are abysmally low. Malkangiri 31.26%, Nabarangpur 34.26%, Rayagada 35.61%, Koraput 36.2%, Nuapada 42.29%, Kalahandi 46.2%, Balangir 54.93%, Sonepur 64.07%. Two adjacent districts also have low literacy: Gajapati 41.73% and Kandhamala 52.95%. The state average is 63.1%.

5. Population below the poverty line in southern Orissa (of which KBK is a part) is reported to be 89.17% of the people according to the 1999-2000 NSS data and 72% of the families according to the 1997 census.

The following list is from www.orissatourism.gov.in/new/Identified_Tourist_Centre_of_Orissa_261207.pdf.

Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer.

Broadband services in the town and other parts of the district would soon be launched after standard tests, said SM Talwar, chief general manger, Telecom, (CGMT) Orissa circle.

Following is some background on the WORLP from their web page.

WORLP

Western Orissa Rural Livelihoods Project (WORLP) works in four districts of the east Indian State of Orissa. The project was inaugurated in August 2000 by the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Shri Naveen Pattanaik. Full-scale field implementation activities began in October 2001. The four project districts; Bargarh, Balangir, Kalahandi and Nuapara are among the poorest in India. Health indicators are poor, there is a shortage of safe drinking water and drought recurs regularly. Inequitable social structures, distorted land distribution, indebtedness, and gender and other inequities contribute to the widespread poverty in western Orissa and impede access by poor and marginalised people to resources.

Supporting new patterns of rural development, WORLP contributes to reducing poverty by promoting livelihoods initiatives for the poorest. The livelihoods approach adopted by WORLP focuses on building, and working with, people’s existing strengths and resources. The approach is about informing, enabling, initiating and empowering appropriate choices for long-term well being. It involves all sections of rural society across caste, class, gender and other divides.

WORLP, a Government of Orissa initiative, is managed by the Orissa Watershed Development Mission. It is a joint venture of the Government of Orissa and DFID – the UK Department for International Development. Technical assistance to the project is provided by NR International of UK.

This has been reported in Tathya.in, Kalinga Times, and Odisha.in so far. Odisha. in has the two letters.

• Letter to the PM
• Letter to the CM

We appeal to the readers with interest in Orissa to contact their local organization (Outside Orissa, the local Orissa/Oriya/Kalinga organization) and through them send a similar letter to the PM and CM at the earliest. The planning commission has been asked by the PM on September 14th to make the location decisions in two months. So time is running out on this.

The Chairperson of the Railway board, in Bhubaneswar for the Railways athletic meet, met various Orissa government officials. Following are excerpts from various newspapers report on the meeting.

Statesman:

The state government would provide land for the proposed general stores depot of the east coast railway at Mancheswar.

The proposal was taken in a meeting between the chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik and the railway board chairman Mr KC Jena here today. It is hoped that this particular endeavour would assist the small entrepreneurs to a great extent.

The state government has also promised to provide land for beautification of the entrance to the Bhubaneswar railway station.

Mr KC Jena informed the chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik that a survey is being conducted for running of passenger trains on the Daitari- Banspani route and the certificate of the commissioner for railway safety is being awaited.

Issues pertaining to the development of the railways in the state like expediting of the important railway projects of the state, increasing the allocation, setting up of special purpose vehicles for Haridaspur-Paradeep and Angul-Sukinda railway projects and passenger amenities were the topics discussed in the meeting.

The establishment of a world-class station at Baranga also formed a part of the discussion. The chief secretary Mr Ajit Tripathy of the east coast railway, the general manager Mr SS Khurana, the secretary to chief minister Mr BK Patnaik, the commerce and transport secretary Mr P Patnaik were present in the meeting.

Pioneer:

During the meeting, discussions were also held for speedy implementation of the Khurda Road-Bolangir new broad gauge rail link and Lanjigarha Road-Junagarh rail link project.

The Government also urged the Railway Board chairman to expedite the Bargarha-Nawapara Road -via- Padmapur railway link, Jeypore-Malkangiri railway connection, extensions of Nuapada- Gunupur broad gauge rail link to Theruvali and formation of a special vehicle for the Angul-Dubri-Sukinda Road broad gauge rail link project.

The State Government also took up the issue to introduce more pantry cars on passenger trains. The Government also urged the Railway Board chairman to introduce more AC coaches in the Tapswini and Puri-Raipur Express.

Prior to the meeting, Sambada had published the following as the agenda of what Orissa government will discuss with Mr. Jena.

Following are excerpts from a report in New Indian Express.

The State Government has prepared a Rs 850-crore draft project proposal under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) for placing before the Centre for funding. The objective of the mission is to increase production and productivity of rice and pulses in 21 of 30 districts of the State in a sustainable manner.

The other objectives are to enhance farm level economy, restore confidence among farmers and create employment opportunities.

While 15 districts will be covered under NFSM for rice, 10 districts have been chosen for increased production of pulses. While Balangir, Kalahandi, Keonjhar and Nayagarh will be covered under the mission both in rice and pulses, the districts covered under NFSM in pulses include Bargarh, Cuttack, Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Rayagada.

The project, to be implemented during the 11th Plan period , is expected to cover 20 lakh hectares for rice cultivation and 13.57 lakh hectares for pulses. The State has planned to increase yield of rice from 1,690 kg per hectare in 2007-08 to 2,095 kg per hectare by 2011-12 in the mission districts.

The estimated production of rice in the mission districts will increase from 33 lakh tonnes to 42 lakh tonnes. It has projected to enhance the productivity of pulses from 478 kg per hectare in 2007-08 to 594 kg per hectare in 2011-12. The low yield of rice in the State is due to several factors.

While more cultivable areas are under rainfed conditions, the kharif and rabi crops are totally dependent on monsoon rains. Lack of farm mechanisation, improved technology, training of farmers, soil management, pest management and non-availability of quality seeds are the other factors for low productivity.

The Centre will provide full financial assistance and the fund will be utilised for introduction of hybrid seeds, scientific management of problematic soil, pest management, farm mechanisation, training of farmers, Agriculture Director Arabinda Padhee said. The Government has projected to spend Rs 650 crore for rice production and Rs 200 crore for improved farming of pulses.

Following is a big excerpt from Pioneer on this. (The detailed route and the various proposed stations can be found in this map.)

The inordinate delay in the construction of the Khurda – Balangir railway line has triggered severe public resentment, with people blaming the Centre for, deliberately, deferring the project.

Paucity of funds and delay in land acquisition are said to be the main factors that mar the speedy implementation of the project.

The 339 km long Khurda – Balangir railway line was sanctioned in 1994-95 and had raised the hopes of the people living in this perennially backward and neglected district. The line, which was supposed to run through Nayagarh, Phulbani, Boudh and Sonepur was expected to provide an impetus to the growth of the district.

The estimated cost of the project was Rs 354 crore initially but now the cost has escalated to Rs700 crore. As many as 17 railway stations, 441 bridges, 11 tunnels and 126 level-crossings were to be constructed as part of the project.

The Railway Ministry made a budgetary allocation of Rs15.38 crore in 2004-05 for the project and has this year earmarked Rs 10 crore, following which work on a 22-km stretch from Khurda was undertaken.

But no public representative of the area is happy with the pace of the project. Phulbani MP Sugriba Singh had also raised the issue in the Parliament sometime ago. Singh had also written a letter to Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, alleging that even one-tenth of the project’s total budget had not been released so far.

The following ad in Samaja gives highlights of two recently launched schemes in agriculture:

• National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
  • The 15 districts in Orissa covered under the NFSM-Rice scheme (as given in page 40 of the above document) are Angul, Balangir, Boudha, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, Nawapara, Nawarangpur, Nayagarh, Phulbani, and Sundargarh.
  • The 10 districts in Orissa covered under the NFSM-Pulse scheme (as given in page 43 of the above document) are Balangir, Baragarh, Cuttack, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Khurda, Nayagarh, Puri, Rayagada.
• Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY)