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(a picture of Dolphins in Satapada from the Orissa government photo gallery)

New Indian express reports that an ecological park will be setup in Satpada. Satpada is famous for Irrawady dolphins in the area. Following are excerpts from the New Indian Express article.

“Satpada, the approach to the home of Irrawady dolphins in Chilika, will soon have a distinct feel and look about it. Almost everything about this tourist spot would now connect either to the brackish water lagoon or to its rare aquatic species.

A theme-based park and illumination based on dolphins will be the highlight of the face-lift that the State Government is planning for this tourist site.

The tourist arrival in Chilika through Satpada is on the rise – from 76,000 in 2005 to 96,000 in 2006 and the Government is keen to leverage from it.

The Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad, has been roped in by Chilika Development Authority (CDA) to conceptualise and design an eco-park at Satpada over a 4.5 acre land near the latter’s visiting centre.

Estimated at a budget of Rs 15 lakh, the park’s central theme will revolve around Chilika itself. “The park will give tourists a feel of the ambience of the lagoon. Special sections on avian and aquatic species of Chilika will find place in the park,” CDA Chief Executive Dr Sudarshan Panda said.

Besides, CDA has also tied up with a private sector electrical major which has designed what it terms ‘dolphin-lights’ for the first time. Panda said, the lights are designed in dolphin shape and are going to be launched at Satpada where streetlights will be installed over a stretch of 400 metres.

Apart from disseminating information about the lagoon, these measures will also put up a strong case for conservation needs of the lagoon. The Orissa Government has already banned use of polythene bags in the lagoon and CDA has been authorised to implement it.

Panda said a local development committee is also being constituted to look after maintenance of the new installations. The committee will have power to collect parking fees from tourists and maintain streetlights in days to come.”

Following up on the ad that appeared in Samaja, there have been several reports with more details. Following are excerpts from a New Indian Express report.

The airline will operate eight-seater aircraft from the Capital City to places like Barbil, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Jeypore, Sambalpur and Rayagada.

Ticket fare to Barbil would cost around Rs 5000 and to Jeypore Rs 7000. For corporate flyers and individuals buying to and fro tickets, a 40 percent discount can be availed of as an introductory offer.

General Manager (operations) Sumit Mukherjee said, those buying one-way ticket would also be given a 30 percent concession. Talking to mediapersons here, he said, the airline had already positioned one Islander BN2T turboprop aircraft capable of short takeoff and landing on these routes.

The travelling time would vary from 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Services would run on all days expect Sundays. A Bell 206 BIII helicopter with four seats would be introduced for charter service, he said. Sky Airways is a division of New Delhi-based GSI Pvt. Ltd and is headquartered in Kolkata.

… “We will introduce two aircraft to these places with a seating capacity for 19 passengers before the end of the current year.”

Another news item mentioned that they plan to fly from such towns to Kolkata in the future.

Following are excerpts on this from a New Indian Express report.

… Island tourism is a big hit elsewhere, but Orissa is waking up to it now for the first time. The Orissa Tourism and Chilika Development Authority have joined hands to launch it at three islands near Muggermukh from November.

Over 96,000 tourists – domestic and foreign – visited Chilika taking Satpada route in 2006 but most visitors take a boat ride, look to sight dolphins and go back home. But both Tourism Department and CDA want tourists to spend more time in the lagoon and that’s how the Island Tourism concept came into their minds.

The three islands near Muggermukh were identified by the CDA. Created out of dredged materials, the islands are of different sizes – largest being 21 acre and the smallest spread over eight acre.

According to Director, Tourism Rabi Narayan Nanda, private operators will be roped in to provide 3-star and 4-star tenting accommodation for visitors. …

The private vendor would take care of the transportation through fast-moving boats, food and accommodation, lighting as well as security measures. In fact, this will be marketed in attractive tourist packages, he said.

Called Dredged Islands 1, 2 and 3, these three are free from forest laws and do not come under Coastal Regulatory Zone provisions making the task easy for Tourism Department well as CDA. However, no construction will be allowed in the islands.

“We’ve developed these islands and carried out extensive plantation. Babul, Neem and Casuarina plants have given them a whole new face,” Chief Executive of CDA Sudarshan Panda said.

Update: The PIB http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33543 is a Rajya Sabha answer on this topic.

Following are excerpts from a Times of India report.

The Steel Authority of India (SAIL) on Wednesday unveiled plans to expand and modernise the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) with an investment of Rs 7,800 crore. RSP, which presently has a capacity of 2.2 million tonnes per annum, would be converted into a four MTPA facility by June, 2010. Its production would be further enhanced to eight MTPA by 2019-20, said company’s director (personnel and raw materials) G Ojha here. According to Ojha, RSP’s expansion is part of SAIL’s plan to invest Rs 49,000 crore in its different units and mines within the next three to three-and-half years. … Ojha said that post-expansion, SAIL’s production capacity would touch 26 MTPA of hot metal compared to its existing capacity of 14.6 MTPA. This would mean 23 MTPA of saleable steel," he informed. The company also intends to spend a substantial sum of money to improve its mining operations, including over Rs 1,100 crore in Orissa, he added. Regarding SAIL’s recent MoU with South Korean company Posco, the director said, "We want to indulge in exchange of technology and people. "We also plan collaboration in research and development activities and accordingly, an eight-member team, comprising four from each company, has been formed. This is just the beginning," he said. He allayed fears that the MoU could lead to SAIL’s privatisation and clarified that the pact was not legally enforceable and just an understanding for collaboration. … The SAIL director also reiterated the company’s interest to takeover the Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) in Orissa’s Jajpur district and said, IDBI, as an independent valuer, has already assessed the company’s worth. "In case the stakeholders (MMTC and Orissa government) have any reservations, then we are ready for further parleys. But, ideally, the valuers version should be honoured," he said.

Following is an excerpt from a Telegraph report.

Sukinda valley in Orissa�s Jajpur is one of the most polluted places in the world, according to a report by the US-based Blacksmith Institute.

The institute provides solutions to pollution-related problems.

From India, Sukinda has ranked fourth and Vapi, a 400km industrial belt in Gujarat, is fifth on the list of 10 most polluted places.

The valley, about 140km from here, is spread across Dhenkanal and Jajpur districts and has the largest chrome ore deposit in the country — 97 per cent of India�s reserves. Mining is done by the opencast method.

According to the report, �12 mines continue to operate without any environmental management plans and over 30 million tonnes of waste rock are spread over the surrounding areas. The mines discharge untreated water into the river. This area is also flood-prone, resulting in further contamination of the waterways.�

The problem is �beyond the means of the state to solve�.

Environmentalists said the report is damning evidence of the impact rampant mining has on Orissa.

… However, chairman of Orissa State Pollution Control Board L.N. Patnaik described the report as �silly�. �I see a lot of personal agenda behind the report. It is a design to stop mining activities. If there is mining, there would be some air pollution. But to say that Sukinda is one of worst polluted places in the world is ridiculous,� he said.

The comment by OSPC Board Chairman Mr. Patnaik is outrageous. He should talk about what steps his organization is taking, if any, to minimize pollution. Instead of saying that he talks about personal agenda. Does that mean OSPC is not taking any steps to reduce pollution?

Following are excerpts from a report in Statesman.

… Mr Bijay Kumar Panda, head of Essar Steel Orissa highlighted the advantages of his proposed project yesterday.

Mr Panda said that the people of Nuagada, Udayabata and Bijaychandpur are keen on an early establishment of the proposed steel plant.

Barring a couple of organizations, the people at large are interested in the project and they have accepted the RR policy adopted by the company, he claimed.

Mr Panda informed that Essar Steel Orissa Ltd (ESOL), which is fully owned by Essar Steel Ltd, is going to set up a 6 million tone per annum integrated steel plant at the cost of Rs 15,000 corers.

The project would require 1900 acres of land out of which 270 acres would be government land and the rest, private. He informed that the number of displaced families have not yet been ascertained because the land survey has not been completed.

He said that the company, the government and the people had all agreed to a rate of Rs 9.50 lakh per acre as compensation and that some people had already provided their land at the said rate.

Balram Parida of Nuagada village who had given his 70 decimals land for the project said he had also requested the Essar authority to emply his son. Speaking of the project, Mr Panda informed that the technology selected will be eco –friendly and increase the iron ore reserves. He said that a beneficiation plant is located at Joda and Barbil so beneficiated ore will be transported through a slurry pipe line to Joda. Supply of iron ore through the pipe line will be cheaper too, he added.

He also informed 5500 people will be employed. The company will set up a 200 mega watt captive thermal power plant.

Meanwhile, the Paradip Krushak Manch has threatened to agitate if Essar failed to increase the compensation to Rs 25 lakh per acre.

Following is an excerpt from a Hindu report.

Apollo will offer the services of Deccan Aviation’s helicopters at its centres in Bangalore, Delhi, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata, where it has either roof helipads or landing facilities.

Following are some excerpts from a Telegraph report. (Thanks to Deba Nayak for the pointer.)

“Having five players from Orissa in the national team, including the captain, is reason enough for us to celebrate. Our boys are not tired of the revelry yet,” said Amulya Nanda Bihari, the coach at the Rourkela sports hostel, today.

The boarders at Sundargarh and Cuttack, too, are celebrating the victory for the third consecutive day.

… Virtually one-third of the team being from Orissa, the state has emerged as a hockey powerhouse.

Hockey is less of a sport and more a way of life here, says Bihari, who has been a coach to Ignace Tirkey, William Tirkey and Prabodh Tirkey, the goal-keeper captain of the Indian team. He has witnessed the rise and fall and now the revival of the game since 1986, a year after the Rourkela hostel was set up.

Bihari, feted with the pretigious Biju Pattnaik Award for his contribution to hockey, pays a handsome tribute to the tribals’ natural flair for hockey. “Children in Sundargarh, Rourkela and Deogarh start playing at an early age — sometimes as early as five, and there never has been a dearth of talent. …

It is because tribals are so level-headed that makes them excel in defence, says Bihari.

Another coach, Milton Bilung endorses Bihari. “It’s an all-day and all-weather game for the tribals. Sometimes when tournaments are held, 200 teams participate and it becomes extremely difficult to manage.”

While Christian missionaries made the game popular, lure of government jobs is another reason for drawing the tribals. Almost all good players manage to get placement in Nalco, Railways and Orissa Police. Many lose interest in the game after grabbing the jobs, rued Bilung.

Currently, there are around 115 tribal players lodged in sports hostel such as those at Rourkela, Sundergarh and Cuttack.

Among these, Rajgangpur, Balishankara and Talsara in Sundergarh have produced the finest players so far.

Following is an excerpt on this from a New Indian Express report.

… Orissa is bracing up for a new addition to its tourism development initiatives.

It is set to launch home stay facilities for both foreign and domestic travellers in major tourist destinations across the State.

Further under the Bed and Breakfast Establishments scheme of Indiatourism, the home stays would first be introduced in Bhubaneswar and the most popular destinations of Puri and Konark.

Indiatourism aims at harnessing about 100 households, majority of them in Bhubaneswar, during the first year 2007- 08 to provide the facilities, which would be expanded to other parts.

The basic objective is to establish and consolidate a supplementary accommodation infrastructure ready to absorb increasing inflow while providing opportunities for the tourist to experience the life and customs of the region concerned, real and up close.

Around 40,000 foreign tourists visited Orissa last year and the inflow has shown a growth rate of over 10 percent annually. With the numbers rising the pressure on providing hotel accommodation has begun tightening and so alternative measures are explored.

… Delhi also joined the list recently and is aggressively marketing it in view of the Commonwealth Games 2010.Any house owner can become a home stay facility provider, if he meets the stipulations – that of providing a truly ethnic atmosphere to the guest while maintaining stringent quality standards.

Well-maintained house and guest rooms with comfortable bathrooms conforming to Western practices, clean and sanitised kitchens, living and dining rooms or spaces along with offering proper guest services are the prime requisites.

The house owner has to stay in the same house too. Interested households would be selected through an inspection and listed by Indiatourism and promote them internationally.

The housekeepers shall be provided training in guest and room services, housekeeping, sanitation, etc, free. The rental would be decided by the house owners themselves and they would keep all the earnings themselves.

The orissa.gov.in site has a page on PPP (private-public partnership) which contains the Orissa draft PPP policy and a list of projects in Orissa planned to be funded through PPP. Following are excerpts from a recent report in Telegraph.

The Orissa government is planning to invest Rs 125,000 crore in 36 infrastructure projects to be taken up under the private-public-partnership programme.

…Under the programme, the state government will leverage its financial resources with that of the Centre, to prepare a shelf of projects. These will be taken forward through a transparent selection process. There will also be viability gap funding, if the projects are initially loss-making.

The policy will also create Orissa Infrastructure Development Fund with a corpus of Rs 1,000 crore. Projects that are part of the programme include roads, bridges, ports and harbours, airports, airstrips, inland container depots, industrial parks, special economic zones and townships.

“We have already entered into agreements with IL&FS and PricewaterhouseCoopers, who will be the consultants for these projects. A few more will be empanelled soon,” said Parag Gupta, special secretary of the state secretariat’s public-private-partnership cell. …

Sources said IL&FS was picked as a consultant because of its joint venture with state-run Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation for the Bhubaneswar Integrated Road Network project. PwC is also a consultant for several road projects. The state has also signed an agreement with the Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) in this regard. IDFC is funding some projects in association with Nabard.

“Two more consultants, including Ernst and Young and another Calcutta-based firm, will be enrolled soon,” the sources said.

The empanelled agencies will help identify projects that need to be taken up, prepare pre-feasibility and detailed project reports. They will then hand the reports over to respective departments.

Some of the projects being taken up are the Capital Region Ring Road, to span 98km, and the Bhubaneswar-Paradip Road, a 90km stretch. Each of the projects will cost around Rs 700 crore. They will be executed by the state public works department.

Other projects include sector-specific infotech SEZs, which will cost around Rs 352 crore and an IT & corporate tower in Bhubaneswar to be set up for Rs 146 crore.

Following is an excerpt from a report on this.

The UK-based Dawnay Day Group plans to invest $1.2 billion to set up four-star properties in the country over the next 10 years.

It has already committed $200 million in the Indian hospitality market. …

Mandeep Lamba, managing director, Dawnay Day Hotels India, told DNA Money that an initial public offer (IPO) over the next 4-5 years could not be ruled out either.

The current commitment of $200 million is being funded through internal accruals. Already, land has been acquired in Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Prospective properties are likely to come up in Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Following is an excerpt from a report in Telegraph.

… Forum Projects, which now has a land bank worth over Rs 3,500 crore, is also investing big beyond Bengal. …

A mixed-use city-centre development in Adityapur across 22.5 acres with hospitals, club, cineplex, retail, residential and conferencing facilities, and a 550,000-sq ft lifestyle mall in Bhubaneswar with 1,200 car parks are the other large-format projects on the group’s 5.5 million-sq ft retail roadmap.

Following are excerpts from a Hindu report. (Thanks to R. P. Tripathy for the pointer.)

Lack of proper road communication is a major hindrance in the path of construction and renovation works being taken up by the Gopalpur Ports Limited (GPL) to transform the existing seasonal port into a mega all weather port.

Speaking to The Hindu, director of the GPL, Mahima Mishra said the existing road that connects NH 5 with the port was too narrow and was not of standard to bear the load of transportation of heavy machines and vehicles needed for th e work of the port. The GPL wants to construct a separate four lane road to connect the NH 5 with the port. But this road project of GPL has been getting delayed as the proposed land is under the Orissa Sands Complex (OSCOM), a unit of the Indian Rare Earths’ Limited (IREL). Mr Mishra said delay in construction of this road could delay the whole port project. He said road transport between the port and the highway can also affect the operation of the seasonal port at Gopalpur from November.

… State Transport Secretary, Priyabrata Patnaik has held discussions with the district administration and GPL authorities regarding the transfer of land to the GPL for its port project. Chatrapur sub-collector Ajit Mishra said efforts were being made for speedy transfer of 269 acres now under the IREL to the GPL. Transfer of these 269 acres would enable the GPL construct its four lane road between NH 5 and the port for proper transportation link.

 

… Tehsildar of Chatrapur Manoj Padhi informed that the IREL had agreed to surrender 269 acres to the State Revenue Department as it has completed mining at the area. About 140 acres of this land was government land and the rest 129 acres was private land acquired by IREL for mining.

After IREL surrenders the land acquisition process would again have to be initiated for the private land so that it could get transferred to GPL as early as possible. In total the GPL needs around 2000 acres for its project.

… The whole project involves an investment of over Rs. 1700 crores. The GPL happens to be a consortium of Orissa Stevedores Ltd. (OSL), Noble Group Ltd. of Hong Kong and Sara International Ltd., which entered into an MOU with the Orissa Government on Sept 14 last year to take over the Gopalpur port to develop it into a major all weather port on BOOST basis.