Archive for the 'Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri' Category

IIT Kharagpur presents detailed CDP of Cuttack to the Chief Minister

Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Cuttack, Cuttack, Khordha, Masterplans & CDPs 2 Comments »

Update: See http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110714/jsp/orissa/story_14234760.jsp for a recent news on the CDP for Sambalpur. Thanks to Jitu for the pointer.


Following is from Samaja.

Related past postings:

Bhubaneswar Warhawks: One of the eight teams that are part of the new American Football league (called Elight Football League of India) to play in India starting 2012

American Football - Bhubaneswar Warhawks, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Khordha 4 Comments »

The website of this league is http://www.efli.com/. This league is backed by some big names in American Football. Following is an excerpt from the page http://www.efli.com/news/american-football-is-coming-to-india/.

The Elite Football League of India plans to kick off in the fall of 2012, and Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal reports that its backers include some familiar names to American fans, such as Ron Jaworski, Mike Ditka and Packers linebacker Brandon Chillar (pictured), who is of Indian descent.

Following is an excerpt from the page http://www.efli.com/news/cowboys-in-india-jaworski-helps-launch-new-football-league/.

Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, and current ESPN football analyst, Ron Jaworski is an investor and consultant for a new football league being started in India, according to a report in our sister publication Sports Business Journal.

… Other investors in the proposed eight-team league, which would begin play in November 2012, include Michael Irvin and Mike Ditka, who are both in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The eight teams in this league and the tentative week 1 schedule in 2012 is:

WEEK 1 DATE HOME VISITOR
         
Game 1 Monday 12-Nov-12 (7) Mumbai Gladiators (8) Pune Black Tigers
Game 2 Saturday 17-Nov-12 (3) Goa Swarm (4) Hyderabad Skykings
Game 3 Sunday 1 18-Nov-12 (5) Kolkata Vipers  (6) Punjab Warriors
Game 4 Sunday 2 18-Nov-12 (1) Bhubaneswar Warhawks  (2) Delhi Defenders

This is a big deal for Bhubaneswar and if indeed things go as planned Bhubaneswar will get a lot of publicity in the USA.

The logo of the Bhubaneswar Warhawks is a nice one. See below.

I was wondering how come Bhubaneswar is one of the eight teams. Its probably because they will try to get some of the rugby players to play American Football and the KISS Bhubaneswar rugby team has won several international championships in recent years. Following are some pointers.

Bhubaneswar1 – a PPP venture by BDA and UNITECH; will be an Integrated Commercial Complex

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Khordha, Malls, Multiplexes, REAL ESTATE, Shopping 6 Comments »

Following is from http://ppporissa.gov.in/web%20site/Housing%20&%20Urban%20Development_files/frame.htm.

 

  • H&UD Deptt. / BDA
  • Location: Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar
  • Area: @ 10.74 Acres
  • M/s. UNITECH Ltd. has been selected as the developer.
  • This would be the largest Commercial complex in the Eastern region with international standards
  • Project Investment of USD 150 Million with an unprecedented Final Winning Bid of USD 47 Million
  • 10.8 lakh Sft. Commercial space will be created.

The following is from http://unitechgroup.com/retail/comingsoon.asp.

 

The exact location is next to the current NISER hostel.

Foundation stone laid for TCS phase II expansion in Bhubaneswar which will add 3500 more seats; Odisha preparing industry-friendly ICT Policy-2011, IT Roadmap, Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Policy and IT Hardware Policy

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Electronics, ITIR, Khordha, Odisha govt. action, SEZs, Tatas, TCS Comments Off on Foundation stone laid for TCS phase II expansion in Bhubaneswar which will add 3500 more seats; Odisha preparing industry-friendly ICT Policy-2011, IT Roadmap, Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Policy and IT Hardware Policy

Following is from a report in Pioneer.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday laid the foundation-stone of the second-phase expansion of the Global Software Development Centre of TCS here at Kalinga Park Phase II.  …. The State Government, along with the Central Government, is setting up of an IT investment region in the State where IT and electronics hardware industry is an important component, he informed.

Patnaik said that to achieve the objective, industry-friendly ICT Policy-2011, IT Roadmap, Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Policy and IT Hardware Policy are being prepared to attract more IT industries to the State. The State’s IT export has crossed Rs 13,000 million during the year 2010-11 with direct employment of more than 10,000 persons.

… TCS Vice-President Projects B Sharma said that the second phase expansion is expected to be completed by March 2012, which would add 3,500 seats to the operation here. After the planned third phase, the total number of seats would be 11,000. The capital expenditure on different phases of expansion is estimated to be Rs 500 crore.

Road widening plans in and around Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Cuttack, Khordha, Roads, highways and Bus stands Comments Off on Road widening plans in and around Bhubaneswar

A DNA columnist’s short impression of Bhubaneswar

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Following is an excerpt from http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column_archives-are-just-not-enough_1568965.

Bhubaneshwar, in Orissa, would seem like a rather laid-back capital city for those who’ve lived in some of the fast paced metros of the country. But what stands out at every corner and along the length of the roads here is the fact that the city does more than its best to showcase its traditional art forms by making it part of the graffiti on compound walls. That’s not all. It also brags of not one, but three extremely well maintained museums — there’s the state museum, the tribal art museum and the contemporary museum — that can give tourists and visitors an impressive glimpse into the culture and tradition of the city, which could date back to 1,000 BC. Orissa is probably one of the very few states that can also brag of letting a section of their forests and its inhabitants (read tribal groups) untouched and unharmed even today.

Bhubaneswar Development Authority adds 351 more villages to its jurisdiction

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Khordha, Odisha govt. action, Puri 2 Comments »

Update: The complete list of the 351 villages is given below.


The villages mentioned in the three articles below are:

North: Bada Tulsipur, Barabati, Bhagda, Chakradharpur, Paikasahi, Paikirapur, Ramdaspur, Sanatulsipur, Talbast

East: Aampada, Aradiapada, Danahara, Dorabhanga, Kulatira gaon, Mahidharapada, Majhihaar, Mukund, Saheb nagar, Taraboi.

South: Aanlajodi, Basantpur, Bijipur, Chhatrama, Mahatapalla, Mukundpur hata, Sonapada

West: Baudatangi, Baulapatna, Dadhimachhagadia, Kapileshwarpur, Pangarsingha, Somanathpur, Swapneswarpur, Talagada

NACs: Jatani, Khurda, Pipli.


Following are excerpts from a report in Telegraph.

Bhubaneswar Development Authority’s jurisdiction has increased from 419sqkm to almost 1,000sqkm with 351 more villages being brought under its fold.

At a decision taken on Saturday, places such as Pipili and Delanga will come under the jurisdiction of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA). With this, the total number of villages under the authority’s fold has gone up from 205 to 556.

… Therefore, they were struck off the list. The new additions will have 263 villages from Khurda and 88 from Puri district.

… Sources said earlier the developmental drive had been largely restricted to the Phulanakhara-Khurda stretch. However, with the expansion of the surrounding areas, the development zone would form a circle like structure.

While in north, it would include villages such as, Bhagda, Paikirapur, Barbati and Talabast, in south, it would have Chhatrama, Bijipur and Mukundpur.

Likewise in the east it would have Dorabanga, Danahara and Saheb Nagar while Dadhimachh Gadia, Somanathpur and Talagada in the west.

Planning member of the BDA Prashant Kumar Patnaik said: “Immediately we will go for a comprehensive development plan of the newly included area.

Following are from Sambada and Samaja:

More details from Dharitri on the proposed PPP based bus terminals; Following Baramunda the next 4 are Master Canteen, Badambadi, Dhenkanal and Angul; Second phase includes Sambalpur, Balasore, Baragarh, Bhadrak, Baripada and Jajpur Rd

Anugul- Talcher - Saranga- Nalconagar, Balasore- Chandipur, Baripada- Bangiriposi- Similipal foothills, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Jajpur Rd- Vyasanagar- Duburi- Kalinganagar, Modern Bus Stands, Sambaplur- Burla- Bargarh- Chipilima Comments Off on More details from Dharitri on the proposed PPP based bus terminals; Following Baramunda the next 4 are Master Canteen, Badambadi, Dhenkanal and Angul; Second phase includes Sambalpur, Balasore, Baragarh, Bhadrak, Baripada and Jajpur Rd

Designs of proposed PPP based modrn bus terminals at Baramunda (Bhubaneswar), Badambadi (Cuttack), Angul and Dhenkanal

Angul, Anugul- Talcher - Saranga- Nalconagar, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Khordha, Modern Bus Stands, PPP 3 Comments »

(Thanks to Devasis Sarangi for the pointers.)

IVF facilities in Bhubaneswar in the news

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, HEALTHCARE and HOSPITALS, Khordha 1 Comment »

Update: See also http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Technology-propels-late-baby-boom/articleshow/9328807.cms. Following are some excerpts.

The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have around 50 fertility clinics offering various treatment options, apart from helping to procure donor eggs and sperms. "Most couples prefer their own donors for eggs and sperms though we also arrange them on demand from authorized agencies," said Dr Prabhat Nalini Mohanty, another fertility expert in Bhubaneswar.

"We can also help provide a surrogate mother if a family wants," said Dr Mohanty, who claims to have performed Orissa’s first surrogate delivery last year.

The cost of treatment varies from person to person depending on treatment options. "It can cost anything between Rs 50,000 to over a lakh. It depends on the woman’s condition," Mohanty said.


Recent steps on improving air-connectivity and airport infrastructure in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Jharsuguda, Khordha, Rourkela, Rourkela- Kansbahal, Sambalpur-Burla-Jharsuguda 10 Comments »

In the last couple of days there have been several news items regarding improving the air connectivity and airport infrastructure in Odisha. These include:

  • Steps towards improving the current airport in Bhubaneswar.
  • Steps towards expediting the Jharsuguda airport.
  • Steps towards having air services to two additional airports in the state.

Following are some of the news items and excerpts.

Early steps for a new airport in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Khordha 5 Comments »

Following are excerpts from a report in Times of India.

The city has moved a step closer to its dream of an international airport with the state government identifying over 2,000 acres of land, around 40 km south of the capital, on National Highway 5 for it. "We have identified over 2,000 acre near Jankia and Malipada villages. The survey work is on," Khurda collector Hrusikesh Tripathy said.

Sources said land of around 20 villages, including Gayabandha, Malipada, Dalaka, Pota and Godipada, a large tract of cashew plantation belonging to the Orissa State Cashew Development Corporation, are being considered for the proposed international airport.

Official sources said the area was considered for three main reasons. One, the government has a big patch of land available in the area. So the proposed airport would require minimum land acquisition and displacement. Secondly, the NH will provide good connectivity to the airport from the city. Thirdly, it will be a strategically located for Cuttack-Bhubaneswar urban complex as well as Puri and Berhampur.

…"The airport plan is futuristic keeping in mind the city’s need for 2030 and beyond. The location has to keep in mind the city’s needs then.

… Officials said the airport plan is still at a nascent stage. A committee under the revenue divisional commissioner (central range) has tentatively identified the land. After it finalises actual details of the land, the government would send the same for a feasibility study to the Airports Authority of India. If AAI gives it a go-ahead, the government would go for land acquisition. After that the government and AAI would involve private parties to develop the airport, they said. "The current airport almost divides the city into two. It is high time to consider shifting it to a new location," said BDA planning member Prashant Patnaik.

IDCO hands over 972 acres to OTDC for the Shamuka beach project

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Puri, Puri, Shamuka Beach project, Sites in and around Bhubaneswar Comments Off on IDCO hands over 972 acres to OTDC for the Shamuka beach project

Following is an excerpt from a report in Business Standard.

The Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Orissa (Idco) has handed over 972 acres of land to the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) for the Rs 3,500-crore Shamuka tourism project.

This was the land acquisition for the big-ticket project, to be set up over 3,000 acres near Sipasarubali, about 10 km south of Puri district.

… Till now, 11 professional consultancies have applied for the job. After the study report is prepared, the mode of implementation of the project will be decided. The options to implement the project are either through PPP (public-private participation) or joint venture, or forming a special purpose vehicle, sources said.

… The model plan for the project is ready. It has been prepared by the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology.

The state government had lined up an investment of Rs 120 crore for developing external infrastructure facilities like water supply, electricity and roads for the project.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) to cover renovation of heritage sites in Odisha; this includes upgradation of the state museum in Bhubaneswar

Berhampur- Gopalpur- Chhatrapur, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Central govt. schemes, Ganjam, Heritage sites, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Kendrapada, Khordha, Museums, Puri 2 Comments »

Following are excerpts from a report in Orissadiary.com.

… the Government of Orissa planned to renovate and conserve eight heritage properties currently in different stages of ruin, along the coast. This special initiative is a part of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project, which is being implemented in Orissa along with Gujrat and West Bengal with support from the World Bank. 

… A special consultancy with funding support from with help from “Italian Trust Fund for Culture and Sustainable Development”, was undertaken to identify opportunities to promote local economic development connected to conservation of the built heritage and to promote linkages with conservation of traditional stone craft and enhancement of the State Museum at Bhubaneswar by LASA – INTACH consortium being facilitated by The World Bank.

… The eight significant heritage sites earmarked for restoration and tourism promotion are Bhaba Kundaleswar Temple of Manikpatna and Baliharchandi Temple in Puri district, Harihardeva Temple of Nairi in Khurda district, Potagada Fort, British Cemetry of Ganjam and Bateswar Temple of Kantiagada in Ganjam district, Jagannath Temple of Pentha and Jamboo Colonial Building in Kedrapara district.

… The preservation and restoration work would be implemented in next five years and Rs.7.41cr will be spent on this component as per the ICZMP plan. Preservation of cultural heritage and monuments along coastal stretch will be undertaken through the involvement of experts like LASA-INTACH. The work will undertake the structural conservation, chemical conservation, environmental up-gradation and illumination of the monuments. Primarily, the aesthetic and grand classic look of the monuments and the cultural sites will be maintained. Any contemporary work and intervention will be avoided to preserve the historical and physical integrity of the cultural property. The monuments are selected on the basis of their architectural, sculptural, historical and religious importance among the 160km coastal zone of the ICZMP pilot project area. …

BHABA KUNDELASHWAR TEMPLE at Manikpatna, Puri

The Shaivite temple is situated in Manikpatna village close to the new sea mouth of the Chilika Lake. The temple is a State protected monument and covered under Orissa Monuments Preservation Act, 1956. The temple is a part of a larger piligrimage route linked with the Jagannath temple at Puri. The temple marks the site of the blessing to the Gajpati Purushottamadeva on his famous Kanchi-Kaberi expedition. The legendary Manika, a milkmaid from the village, believed to offer curds to Lord Jagannatha and Balabhadra at the temple sites. The folk-lore suggests Lords are part of the royal army to bless the Gajpati.  

HARIHARADEVA  TEMPLE at Sanannairi, Khorda

This twin temple of Shiva and Vishnu is a State protected monument and covered under Orissa Monuments Preservation Act 1956. As the legend goes during the campaign of Kalapahar, the invader, when the Jagannatha temple at Puri was desecrated, the images are believed to have been brought here and hidden on an island, which is about 10minute boat ride away. They were also kept in the Harihar temple for some time.

POTAGADA FORT AND CEMETRY at Potagada, Ganjam

The construction of the unique star shaped fort was commenced in 1768 by Cotsword. The adjoining Cemetery contains interesting monuments in form of tomb stones. The French were the earlier settlers in this place who were later driven away by the British. The local folklore is that the site was under a curse and therefore an epidemic broke. The fort was surrounded by a moat.

The cemetery is one of the earliest one of British Administrators and comprise tombstones with spire like monuments in masonry.

HARCHANDI TEMPLE AT BALIHARICHANDI, Puri

The Shakti temple, 800meter away from the sea coast is under the State Preservation Act of 1956. The Bakiharichandi temple is 27km from Puri and linked through ritual and patronage, to the Jagannatha Temple complex at Puri. There are multiple stories about inception of this temple. The Goddess is believed to have killed Kalapahar at the temple spot. The temple also marks the spot where Indra’s Vajra, Shiva’s Trishul and his anger, in the form of the fire (Agni), as well as the wind and the sea come together. 

OLD BUILDING at Jamboo, Kendrapara

The structure is a nineteenth century building that had been used for administrative purposes and cyclone shelter by the British.

STATE MUSEUM, Bhubaneswar

LASA –INTACH consortium; have developed the master plan of the State Museum with the inputs from the experts including the Italian experts. The inputs from Italy would certainly help to make our State museum world class.  

Shimla, Jamnagar and Bhubaneswar have been selected to participate in the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network – Dissemination & Replication (ACCCRN-D&R) project

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ICLEI stands for ‘International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives’. Following is from a recent announcement.

Three Indian Members selected for Dissemination & Replication stage of ACCCRN project

May 02, 2011

ICLEI South Asia is pleased to announce that three Indian cities, Shimla, Jamnagar and Bhubaneswar, all ICLEI Members, have been selected to participate in the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network – Dissemination & Replication (ACCCRN-D&R) project on the basis of an Expression of Interest that was circulated to over 35 Indian cities.

The ACCCRN is made up of ten cities in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, currently experimenting with various adaptation activities that together aim to improve the ability of these cities to withstand and prepare for the projected impacts of climate change. The ultimate objective of ACCCRN is to provide poor and vulnerable people with the ability to respond to these impacts in an appropriate way.

In order to achieve this, the program partners have developed a diverse range of effective approaches, processes, and practices to build urban climate change resilience which incorporate the priorities of poor and vulnerable communities in the network’s cities.The approaches taken are determined by the local needs and priorities of each city.

Initiated in early 2009, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, the first two phases of the project have been completed. The third phase has now been launched with a focus on disseminating and replicating the lessons learnt and the approaches developed in the previous phases.

In this third phase, the learning, models, approaches and best practices developed across the 10 pilot cities of the previous phases will be supplemented with best practices from other approaches which build urban climate resilience. This will all be developed into a tool that can be adopted by other cities to develop Climate Resilience Strategy Plans. ICLEI’s South Asia and Oceania offices have been commissioned to implement the third phase of ACCCRN in the three Indian cities.

Read more about the project on the ICLEI South Asia website.

Following is from http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=12113 about the project.

As part of the Dissemination & Replication phase, a total of 3 Indian cities have be selected for the dissemination of this tool. The selected cities would receive training in the process of formulating Climate Resilience Strategy Plans, which would broadly include:

1.       Undertaking vulnerability assessments
2.       Undertaking climate projection assessments
3.       Engaging stakeholders in the entire process to ensure social relevance and acceptance
4.       Developing a Climate Resilience Strategy Plan document
5.       Integrating the resilience strategy into urban planning and implementation processes

ICLEI SA along with ICLEI Oceania and ISET will replicate the learnings from the previous phases of ACCCRN initiative in 3 other cities. The various interventions are expected to target sectors like health, infrastructure, water, disaster, urban planning/development issues, services, disaster management and preparedness strategies.

The approach followed in the cities will be driven by local needs and requirements with the focus on developing resilience for the vulnerable communities from climate change impacts. ICLEI SA has been engaged to assist develop the methodology in a form suitable for the Indian context and to select and support the Indian cities during the trial period.

MOEF to develop a bio-culture park in Bhubaneswar; MOEF to get a digital copy of the early 18th century book Jardin de Lorixa by a Frenchman about plants of Odisha

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, CENTER & ODISHA, ENVIRONMENT, Khordha, Parks, Sites in and around Bhubaneswar Comments Off on MOEF to develop a bio-culture park in Bhubaneswar; MOEF to get a digital copy of the early 18th century book Jardin de Lorixa by a Frenchman about plants of Odisha

Update: Jairam Ramesh has written to the the French ambassador regarding getting a digital copy of Jardine de Lorixa. Following is an excerpt from a report in inewsone.com.

Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Thursday asked for help from the French envoy in India to get a digitised copy of a manuscript on plants in Orissa written by a Frenchman in 1725.

‘I have been told that the oldest document based on a scientific survey of plants in Orissa was written in the year 1725 by a Frenchman called Nikolas L. Empereur,’ said the letter to French Ambassador to India Jerome Bonnafont.

The document is currently available at the Natural History Museum in Paris.

‘I wonder whether we could get a digitized copy of this manuscript. Any expenses incurred in this regards will be borne by us,’ Ramesh said in the letter …


Following is an excerpt from a report in Hindu.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) proposes to develop a “bio-cultural park” on 10 acres here. It will be the first of its kind in the country.

… Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said flowers associated with all religions and traditions of the country would find a place in the park.

Mr. Ramesh said: “Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has responded positively to make land available for the purpose. Within the next two-and-half years, you will have India’s first bio-cultural park. Cultural traditions are not Hindu tradition only. Cultural traditions such as tribal, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Islamic, and Christian would be followed while choosing species. The bio-cultural park will not just be a monument of flowers, but also will be reflective of our divergent cultural traditions.”

Thje MoEF would develop the park and then hand over it over to the State government. The idea was to draw strength from Indian culture for the cause of conservation of bio-resources. Traditionally, biological sources were being conserved in the form of sacred grooves, ‘nakshatravanams,’ ‘navagraha vatika,’ concept of panchvati and use of timber from ecologically important species for religious purposes.

… the park would be developed on the lines of ‘nakshatravanam …

Following is from http://www.orissalinks.com/archives/6592.

the Ministry would make efforts to get a digital copy of Jardin de Lorixa, considered to be the earliest scientific documentation of traditional/ indigenous knowledge about plants of Orissa, of which only one manuscript is available in Natural History Museum Paris (France).

Following are excerpts on the Jardin de Lorixa.

Following is from the cover of Jardine De Lorixa.

Sambada picture of Bhubaneswar sky with dark clouds

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri 1 Comment »

Readers: Guess which location is depicted by the following picture.

Daya West Canal would soon be converted into a two-way road network with a water body at the centre: Telegraph

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Capital Region Ring Road (CRRR), Khordha 1 Comment »

Following is from a report in Telegraph.

The polluted Daya West Canal would soon be converted into a two-way road network with a water body at the centre at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore. The integrated Daya West Canal road project would entail a 7.8-km structure from Palasuni to Garage Chhak connecting NH-5 with NH-203.

The work began today with chief minister Naveen Patnaik laying foundation stone for the integrated project, which would have roads of 30-feet width on both sides of the canal. The 60-feet wide canal would be squeezed to half its width. The roads on both the sides of the water channel would also have barricade for safe plying of vehicles.

… the project would be completed within two years. However, keeping in view the traffic problem on the Rasulgarh-Samantarapur stretch on NH-203, it has been decided to speed up work for the road project so that it could help in diverting traffic from NH-5 from Palasuni to Puri.

… The 7.8-km-long structure would include strengthening of the existing road crossings so that people residing on both sides of the Daya West Canal can easily cross the road. In case of necessity, new road crossings will also be added,’’ said Gantayat.

… To facilitate better traffic flow on the road, there would be provisions like bus bay, autorickshaw stand and common parking lots. There is enough land on both the sides of the canal. In future, therefore, the roads on both sides can be expanded to a six-lane or eight-lane structure as per the demand of the growing traffic.

… In future, the road project with the water body can also become a spot to promote water sports or fun activities such as boating. “We have also included possible space to include such activities, in case the civic authorities or the tourism department wishes to take it up,” he added.

Tata’s power plant plan in Naraj-Marthapur marches ahead

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Cuttack, Tatas, Thermal 3 Comments »

Although I personally would prefer that the location is used for an IT or Knowledge park, it seems  the power-plant project is making stead progress. Following is from the page http://www.tatapower.com/services/power-projects.aspx#naraj.

All major clearances for the 660 MW Naraj Marthapur project have been obtained. The environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests is obtained. The plant is expected to be commissioned within three years of the completion of the land acquisition, which is expected to be completed during the year. Tata Power has been allotted the Mandakini coal block located in the Angul district of Orissa, along with Monnet Ispat and Energy Limited, and Jindal Photo Limited.

Wlid life Conservation Plan

Consent to Establish- Naraj Marthapur

Approval of Wildlife Conservation Plan

List of Activities for wild life Conservation

Click here for the Environmental Clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests

I hope it is not too late to change this plan. Following are maps from the Wlid life Conservation Plan document.

The above maps do not show the location of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Following is a map that shows it.

Road between Khandagiri and Udaygiri to be diverted; many improvements planned for this 2nd century BC site

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Circuit: Bhubaneswar-Chilika-Puri, Historical places, Khordha, Sites in and around Bhubaneswar, Telegraph Comments Off on Road between Khandagiri and Udaygiri to be diverted; many improvements planned for this 2nd century BC site

For all these years a major road passed between Khanadagiri and Udaygiri sites with various shops along the road. See picture below.

Finally the government has a plan to close this road and create the right ambiance for such a historic site. Following are excerpts from a report in Telegraph.

The state government has decided to close a road that passes through the historic Khandagiri and Udaygiri caves to vehicular traffic in a bid to bolster tourism and beautify the environs of the twin hills.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) took the first step in this regard by identifying 24 shops near the hills.

These have been asked to shift behind the Udayagiri hills where a vending zone is coming up.

Priyadarshi Mohapatra, deputy municipal commissioner, said: “The state government plans to give a distinct touch to the historic monuments in the 2nd Century BC Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves. For that, the historic sites is expected to be visible from a distance and not get hidden under an unplanned growth of shops and vendors.”

There is a ‘panthanivas’ and a public convenience centre, but the other areas are either used for unplanned parking of heavy vehicles or have been encroached upon by vendors and shop owners.

“Today we initiated the process to find out the genuine shop owners so that they can be relocated behind the Udayagiri hills in front of the proposed tourism information centre, which is being developed by the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation,” Mohapatra added.

…“Once the space in front of Khandagiri-Udayagiri with 33 caves is clear of the congestion, tourists will enjoy their stay in the caves.

“They would have more recreation facilities once the beautification drive takes place in sync with the architecture of the hills,” said a tourism official of the state government.

… The tourism complex near Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves will house a quality interpretation centre with a food court serving an array of Oriya cuisine, public convenience, souvenir centre, audio-visual facility and entertainment and independent parking space.

This will serve as a cultural hub so that tourists coming to the city, especially to the cave sites and Jayadev Vatika, will have a detailed knowledge about the cultural tradition of the state.

Besides the interpretation centre, a common facilitation centre for handicrafts development will also be included in the compound to promote artisans in stone, brass and bell metals, fibre art, applique, terracotta and pattachitra work.

 

Lingaraj Haat in Bhubaneswar revived; early versions reported to have existed as far back as 7th century AD

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Following is an excerpt from a report in Times of India.

The haat has been given a heritage look with red lateritic stones, tiled pathways, bright parasols, manicured verandas and ornamental lights. …

Official sources said the tourism department spent an estimated Rs 1.15 crore for renovation of the Lingaraj Haat and development of a parking area nearby. “We tried to restore and redesign the haat bearing in mind the heritage character of the old structure in its vicinity,” said state tourism secretary Ashok Tripathy. The new market has been developed over an area of over an acre with a sitting capacity for nearly 250 vendors at a time. …

According to historical references and archeological remains, the market existed as far back as the 7th century AD. …

The haat is being posed as a tourist attraction. Two stages have been constructed and the tourism department has plans to organize cultural programmes here. Besides, there will be stalls selling handicraft items and souvenirs to woo visitors. The haat will be operated and managed by the Lingaraj Temple Trust. “We are planning to make it a major tourist attraction so that people who visit Lingaraj temple also drop into the heritage haat. The cleanliness, hygiene and security of the market will be given priority,” said the executive officer of Lingaraj Temple Trust, Abanikanta Patnaik. …

Official sources said there are plans to recreate the Ekamra Kshetra of yore the Temple City was earlier known as Ekamra Kshetra literally meaning the land of mango orchards by taking up several development works here. The improvement and landscaping of nine protected and unprotected monuments in the old town area will begin soon, along with that of the ritual road around Lingaraj Temple. The temples, including Lingaraj, Rajarani, Mukteswar, Parsuramaswar, Rameswar and Laxmaneswar, will be illuminated properly. An interpretation centre; development of Debipadahara; renovation of the road behind Ananta Basudev Temple will also be done soon, sources added.

“Funds of Rs 18.91 crore have been sourced from different schemes including Mega Circuit Project, Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar circuit, the finance commission and state plan resources for restoration and conservation of other protected and unprotected temples and the amount likely to be granted in the 13th finance commission award in 2011-12,” said Tripathy.

Bhubaneswar leads Tier II cities with 42.2% job growth; Pune next at 19.7% job growth

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, Investment ranking, Khordha 2 Comments »

(Thanks to Jagmohan Swain for the pointer.)

Following are excerpts from an April 2011 ASSOCHAM PLACEMENT PATTERN report titled "Tier II and Tier III cities Emerging as the New Job Creation Basket in 2011-2012" by Ravish Jaggi.

Out of the total 56 cities that were tracked by the Assocham Placement Pattern (APP), Tier II and Tier III cities have cornered 38.8 per cent (total 17 cities Tier II cities) and 23 per cent (total 33 Tier III cities) share of the job space respectively in the financial year 2010-11. Whereas Tier I cities, mainly Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore have emerged as the fastest job generating cities in India during the past couple of years. During the FY 2011, estimated 2,49,779 number of jobs were created by fuelling a growth of 38.2 per cent over the corresponding period of last year.

In 2010-11 about 2,53,702 jobs were created in Tier II cities, which recorded a growth of 38.8 per cent over the corresponding period of last fiscal. Majorly 1,89,756 employment ware generated in Pune, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Surat in the last one year.

During 2010-2011, Tier III cities showed a growth of 23 per cent on account of 1,50,391 job creations. Allahabad, Udaipur, Agra, Ajmer, Kota and Meerut are the major cities among the tier III cities which showed a high growth in job placements.

Tier I cities:

Among the Tier I cities Delhi-NCR and Mumbai recorded highest share in providing job opportunities with 39 per cent and 13.8 per cent share in total job creation respectively. As compared to the April-March 2009-10, Delhi/ NCR registered growth of 15.3 per cent in job creation whereas Mumbai registered 11.1 per cent growth in job creation during April-March 2010-11.

Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata have 9.7 per cent, 5.6 per cent, 5.4 per cent and 4 per cent share in total job creations in Tier I cities. Hyderabad and Kolkata registered growth of 10 per cent and 7.3 per cent during FY 11 over FY 10. Bangalore and Chennai registered growth of 5.6 per cent and 4.1 per cent share in total job creation respectively, during FY 11.

Tier II cities

As per the analysis of the study, 17 major Tier II cities recorded highest growth of 38.8 per cent share in total employment generation. Among the Tier II cities during FY 11, Bhubaneshwar and Pune recorded 42.2 per cent and 19.7 per cent growth in job creation as compared to same period of last year.

Among the other major tier II cities Chandigarh, Lucknow and Surat recorded growth of 12.2 per cent, 10.8 per cent and 8.8 per cent share in total job creation during the analyzed period.

Other tier II cities which showed growth in employment generation during April to March 2010-11 over the previous year were Jaipur (6.68 per cent), Vishakhapatnam (5.5 per cent), Indore (4.33 per cent), Nagpur (4 per cent), Cochin (3.35 per cent), Ludhiana (3.28 per cent), Bhopal (2.21 per cent), Amritsar (2.13 per cent) and Gwalior (2 per cent).

Tier III cities

The analysis of the tier III cities shows that 18 cities out of 33 cities registered a heavy growth in job creation during FY 11 as compared to the same period of the last year. The 33 major tier III cities accounted for 23 per cent share in total employment generation during the period. Among the tier III cities, Allahabad, Udaipur, Agra, Ajmer and Kota are top leading cities which recorded major growth of 69.6 per cent, 62.5 per cent 60.9 per cent, 49.3 per cent and 45.6 per cent during the period respectively. As compared to the same period of last year, Meerut and Kanpur registered 38.5 per cent and 26.8 per cent growth.

Whereas majorly Tier III cities, which registered decline in job creation during April-March 2010-11 as compared to the same period of 2009-10 were Shillong (64.2 per cent), Dhanbad (34.6 per cent), Hoshiarpur (27.8 per cent), Ambala (24.2 per cent), Vijayawada (18.7 per cent), Jalandhar (13 per cent) and Raipur (12.8 per cent).

Oisha government pushing ECOR on making progress on the world-class station in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Khordha, Railways 3 Comments »

Following is an excerpt from a report in Business Standard.

With land constraints impeding the upgradation of the existing railway station in Bhubaneswar into a world class station, East Coast Railway (ECoR) is seriously considering the possibility of developing a greenfield station at Barang on the outskirts of the city.

… According to minutes of the meeting provided by minister for commerce & transport minister Sanjeev Sahoo in the state assembly, Guru C Ray, commissioner (rail coordination) and special secretary (commerce & transport) had advised the Chief General Engineer of ECoR to prepare a power point presentation for development of both the Bhubaneswar and Barang stations.

ECoR was also advised to prepare detailed agenda notes for discussion so that a meeting can be arranged at the Chief Secretary level for taking a decision in the matter.

The Chief General Engineer of ECoR stated that the Railways would start the project on availability of government land measuring an area of 78.90 acres and private land of 15.08 acres for the development of the existing Bhubaneswar railway station.

However, the special secretary observed that the vicinity of the existing Bhubaneswar railway station is thickly populated and heavily built up where the cost of land is very high.

It may be noted that 161.96 acres of land was identified around the existing station which includes 67.97 acres belonging to the Railways, 78.90 acres belonging to the state’s general administration department and 15.08 acres of private land.

The development of a greenfield station at Barang was also discussed at the meeting. The representative of Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), present at the meeting, stated that the required land has been identified through survey. The zonal railway was advised to initiate the process for land acquisition at the earliest.

Earlier, a delegation of Chinese Railways had suggested to upgrade the existing city railway station into international standards.

…The cost of developing the world class station in the city was estimated at around Rs 4,000 crore.

The station was to be built on the public private partnership (PPP) mode taking into account the growth in passenger traffic for the next 30 years and also plan for peripheral commercial activity accordingly.

It may be noted that the proposed world class station in the city has made negligible progress at the ground level for close to two years even though the state chief minster and the railway Board had agreed on working out a joint mechanism to expedite this project.