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Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer.

Orissa’s per capita investment under implementation in December 2007 stood at Rs 78,569 crore which was more than three times of the national average of Rs 22,842. This was reported in the latest report of the Centre for Monitoring of the Indian Economy (CMIE), which is considered as the country’s leading source for development-related information and statistics.

… Domestic as well as foreign investors have several large-scale investments on implementation in Orissa across the mineral, tourism, energy, infrastructures and IT sectors. The investment so far has started yielding positive results for the State in terms of direct and indirect employment and increased revenue.

The following table is from a column in Indian Express. (See also http://www.orissalinks.com/orissagrowth/?p=640 for the data in June 2007 and its comparison with June 2002.)

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

The ambitious plan of railways to set up about 100 budget hotels across the country, popularly known as Rail Ratna, has finally got a nod from the Railway Board. Twenty-two of these budget hotels are to be built in the first phase of work which is likely to be taken up soon.

… According to Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) director Vinod Asthana, it has been decided to commercially exploit the vacant land of railways across the country. The ambitious budget hotel plan will yield good revenue to railways. IRCTC will go ahead with the plan as approved for the first phase of work, he said.

IRCTC MD Nalin Singhale said the proposed budget hotels will be built and developed on public-private partnership basis with a view to promoting tourism and providing full comfort to tourists.

IRCTC has already selected important places where these budget hotels are to be built. These places are Delhi, Varanasi, Ajmer, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Allahabad, Darjeeling, Sealdah, Lucknow, Mysore, Mumbai, Ooty, Puri, Amritsar, Shimla, Ujjain, Udaipur, Chandigarh, Kanyakumari, Pune, Nagpur and Agra, he said …

… According to sources, the budget hotel project is likely to yield about Rs 4,000 crore annually to railways on its completion. These hotels will be built on thousands of hectares of the vacant land leased out by the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA). Railways have roped in reputed companies of the country to invest in such an ambitious project. Tenders have been finalised and awarded to successful bidders at 20 locations at the country level, sources said.

As per the approved plan, each budget hotel is to be developed on the pattern of plush hotels equipped with all modern facilities. IRCTC has already formulated policies with regard to budget hotels, a Railway Board official said.

… Sources said Railway Board is yet to approve the tariff for each room of the proposed budget hotels. Railways are likely to fix Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 for each plush room of such hotels per night. IRCTC proposes to provide its own quality catering services in these budget hotels.

See details at http://oceanworldwaterpark.com.

Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer. (See also this report in tathya.in.)

"Honeymoon Island is one of the best preserved islands in the Chilika," said Mishra. Scions of the erstwhile Khallikote royalty used to experience scenic beauty of the island for which they had erected a luxurious villa. "Now, this will be refurbished with modern amenities and presented to the tourists as a heritage resort," he said.

Maharani of Khallikote and senior legislator V Sugnana Kumari Deo has evinced her keenness to develop the resort into a full-fledged one. "It will be the most attractive ecotourism resort in the Chilika", she said.

Minister Mishra said the State-owned Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC), along with private partners, would run the ecotourism complex. Swiss tent accommodations would be made available in the Honeymoon Island, he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that Chilika, the largest blue lagoon of Asia along with a cluster of tiny islands, presents a unique assemblage of marine, brackish and fresh water ecosystem. Islands like Honeymoon, Bird’s, Breakfast, Sago and Rajhans in the lake with their own characters and distinct features allure the tourists.

Following is an excerpt from a report in hospitalitybizindia.com.

Orissa Stevedores Limited (OSL), Hospitality Division plans to update its Bhubaneswar property, The Triumph Residency, to keep pace with the growing competition. Triumph Residency will go through a complete makeover in terms of interiors, rooms and public areas (lobby, bar and restaurants) as well as in terms of the power backup. The renovation process, which will last for a period of seven to eight months, is due to take off in mid-April 2008.

Speaking to Hospitality Biz, Dinesh Kumar, General Manager, OSL, Hospitality Division, said, “Over the past couple of years, the influx of business travellers to Bhubaneswar has gone up to 100 per cent due to various reasons like industrial congestion and high Average Rooms Rates (ARR) in the metros”.

Bhubaneswar has become well connected lately, which has led to an increase in the meetings and conferences held in the city. “The competition has also shot high, as the existing properties like Swosti Plaza and Mayfair are in the process of adding their room inventories. Alongside this, hospitality majors like Radisson, Sarovar Group of Hotels and Best Western Group of Hotels are coming up with their properties,” Kumar said. Ginger Hotels and Hotel Hindustan International are also coming up with hotels in the city with an inventory of 100 rooms.

Triumph Residency plans to add seven more rooms. The hotel will be operational during the renovation period. “With this revamp, we plan to target the high-end business travellers. We foresee ourselves to be at par with properties like Mayfair and Trident. Occupancy is expected to shoot up by at least 30-40 per cent, along with a doubling of ARR,” Kumar added.

Also under consideration at OSL is the possibility to create its own hospitality brand or to rope in any international hospitality major to brand all of its properties. The group is coming up with a 40-room property in Puri. … The property, which is under construction currently, is slated to be operational by the end of 2008.

OSL also plans to build a high-end flagship property at Chandaka, a place in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. “We have already bought the land. We intend to make this 150-key five star property the best in eastern India,” informs Kumar.

Following is an excerpt from a report in Travel Biz Monitor.

“We have adopted this system from places like London and Berlin. Instead of a conducted tour within and outside the city, we will introduce tailor-made sight-seeing options.” The state plans to operate five coaches at a time, covering a minimum of 12-13 destinations. There will be a minimum of 10-15 minutes between each coach’s departure, in order to provide the traveller with ultimate flexibility. One day’s ticket will be issued for travellers who want to enjoy the destinations of their preference.

Conducted city tours were an important revenue-generator for Orissa Tourism. However, they have been converted into the coach service to cater to a growing demand for tailor-made packages, around the globe. “As we have started catering to a large number of international tourists, we had to resort to made-to-order services,” adds Rath.

With an aim to garner additional global business, Orissa Tourism also plans to appoint STPOs across the world, to promote Orissa as an international tourist destination. Rath claims that Orissa Tourism already employs a large number of travel agents and tour operators to sell Orissa packages. However, it is now looking to appoint non-resident Oriyas to promote the state’s tourism.

The STPO scheme will be launched on an experimental basis to garner additional employment opportunities. “We believe that the Oriya community spread all over the world will be instrumental in adding that personal touch to our state’s tourism. Although, the STPOs will not be on a payroll basis, commission against the volume of business generated will be attractive,” says Rath.

Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer and tathya.in.

The State-run Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited (IDCOL) plans to invest Rs 1,000 crore by 2015. Speaking on the occasion of the 47th Foundation Day of the IDCOL on Saturday, its Managing Director Ashok K Meena said a Vision Document has been prepared and, accordingly, the investment proposition has been envisaged.

He announced that with the rate of success in achieving Rs 475 crore as turnover and Rs 100 crore as cash surplus, the PSU has embarked upon for short, medium and long-term measures to make the industrial conglomerate a really international one.

Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOL)’s Chairman S. Beuria called on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday at Orissa Bhawan in New Delhi and appraised him about the progress on 15 MMTPA Paradip- refinery -cum- aromatic complex.

He indicated that approximately Rs 1,254 crore had already been spent on the project.

“Due to cost and time overruns, the project cost is likely to go up to Rs 46,000 crore and the project will take 42 months to get completed,” he said.

He further indicated that they have already received environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. Construction of water and power supply system has also been completed. The work of dredging and reclamation of land is under progress.

Beuria informed Patnaik that the seven year- holiday available under Section 51-B will be withdrawn effective from April 1, 2009 It would affect the viability of the project.

… Patnaik asked the Beuria to take up the peripheral development works for the benefit of the project affected people of Jagatsinghpur district.

Following is an excerpt from a report in New Indian Express.

Sparsh Hospital is planning to come up with a 250-bed set up in the City. The new project would house all super speciality facility under one roof.

Currently, Sparsh is an 80-bed hospital with a modern OTS, ICU, dialysis unit, casualty, pathology and radiology units.

Promoted by a team of young professionals and cancer specialist Dr Ghanashyam Biswas, the hospital has tied up with a number of corporate houses and is running a series of programmes like free health check-up camps.

The top ten according to Gap Adventures, as mentioned in a Travel Bite, UK, article, is:

• The Indian state of Orissa holds a Chariot festival in July and sees hundreds of thousands of devotees of Jagannath – the lord of the universe – gather to perform a colourful and noisy ritual.

  In the town of Puri gigantic chariots hauled through the main street and the air is filled with the rhythmic clang of metal gongs, the blowing of conch shells and trumpets, and the chanting of holy men.

• A combination of livestock trading and religious festivities provides a truly spectacular experience at the Pushkar camel festival in the Indian state of Rajasthan each November.

  Around 50,000 camels are sold, decorated, shaved and raced during the festival, followed by religious rituals which culminate in thousands of devotees bathing in the holy lake on the full moon.

• Across the border in Pakistan, thousands travel to Shandur in the far north of the country for the world’s highest polo tournament.

  These polo games are not like the modern variety, applying 800-year-old rules that are cut-throat to say the least.

• In Guatemala every March the Semana Santa festival draws thousands to celebrate the rebirth of Christ in a typically Central American combination of Catholic symbolism and Mayan tradition.

  For a whole week the people eat, drink and dance for a fruitful harvest, culminating in a sleepless three-day march of holy statues through the streets.

• One of Mexico’s most macabre and memorable festivals takes place in the beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca – the Day of the Dead.

  This joyful honouring of the lives of deceased family members is on All Hallow’s Eve, when people decorate the graves of their loved ones with flowers, candles and even food.

  The whole community gathers with food, music and mescal (think tequila with a nasty kick) all part of the fun.

• Inti Raymi, or the Festival of the Sun, is Peru’s most famous festival and the week-long event sees huge crowds watching ceremonial processions through the flower-draped streets of Cuzco.

  The ceremony itself takes place on June 24th, when a person representing the Sapa Inca (the emperor) calls for blessings from the sun amid a heady mix of music, prayers and dancing.

• One of the most important festivals in Tibet is the new year celebration of Losar, held over three days in February.

  This colourful, traditional and exotic Buddhist festival features symbolic rituals performed by the yellow-hatted Tibetan lamas, followed by massive parades and fireworks meant to chase off the devils of the old year.

• Mongolia’s Naadam festival echoes the country’s warrior past and the ‘manly games’ involve displays of the three major traditional sports in Mongolia: wrestling, horse racing and archery.

  The festival begins with a big parade down the main street of Ulaan Baatar and travellers can take the opportunity to compete in the events and stay with the nomadic herders in their tent-like ‘gers’.

• Thousands of people gather in Kyoto each May in the hope of witnessing a rarely-seen performance of the geisha dancers of the Pontocho district.

  The Kama-gawa Odori festival has been held since 1872 on the banks of the Kamo-gawa river and is one of Japan’s most celebrated spring geisha dances.

• For something completely different attend the world famous Calgary Stempede in Canada in July, celebrating rhinestone, country music and wide-open spaces.

  The rodeo competition, stage shows, concerts, chuckwagon races and pancake breakfasts held all over the city during Stampede Week offer fun for all.

Following is an excerpt from a news report in Pioneer.

Vedanta Aluminium Limited signed an MoU with the Apollo Health & Life Style Limited on Tuesday to open two units of The Apollo Clinics at Lanjigarh and Jharsuguda.

The MoU was signed at the Vedanta office in Bhubaneswar by M Siddiqi, Director and CEO, Aluminium Sector, Vedanta Group, and Ratan Jalan, CEO, Apollo Health & Life Style Ltd, in the presence of Vedanta Aluminium CFO Virendra Agrawal, GM and Head, PR & CSR, Prashanta Hota and other officials form both sides.

The MoU deals with the establishment and management of the two well-equipped Apollo Clinics, which would be fully supported by Vedanta Aluminium. Funded fully by Vedanta, the two units have accepted the responsibility of recruiting doctors, providing all kinds of diagnostic facilities, specialist treatment, extending other modern healthcare facilities and running the clinics at both locations.

Involving a total investment of about Rs 5 crore, the day-to-day operations would also be fully funded by Vedanta.

Besides rendering quality healthcare services to the project-impacted people and employees of Vedanta Aluminium and their dependents, the clinics would be running a Sick Bay Unit in the plant premises and regularly conduct Outreach Programmes in the periphery villages.

Following is an excerpt from a report in Financial Express.

An 11-member team comprising industrialists from Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh is on a three-day visit to Orissa to explore possibilities of investments in ancillary industries. The team on Wednesday visited the Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex at Dubri in Jajpur district.

Orissa is now focusing on ancillary units of mega projects that are coming up in the state with a view to further value addition and employment generation.

While the proposed Jindal Stainless Steel Downstream Park (SEZ) at Kalinga Nagar is the focus, the government is also promoting the Choudwar Industrial estate to the visitors. Orissa is keen to have ancillary industries in Rourkela, Sambalpur, Paradip and Dhamra regions in addition to the Somnathpur Industrial Estate in Balasore.

The steel SEZ (JSSL) is to come up on 300 acres near the 1.6 mtpa steel plant project of Jindal Stainless, and will house industries to move up the value chain by churning out specific products for different sectors. Investment in the SEZ is envisaged to be to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore.

A study conducted by JSSL and international consultancy firm CB Richard Elis has pointed out that the precision cold rolling, pipes and tubes, auto components, engineering products, kitchenware and lifestyle products hold much promise.

"Advantages of setting up projects in Orissa are manifold as it is at the core of emerging Markets in eastern India comprising West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and north east", the director industries, Hemanta Sharma, told the visiting industries. It is also the gateway to the Southeast Asian countries in terms of exports, he added.

The state government had lined up a comprehensive package including incentives and concessions to promote ancillary enterprises, Sharma said.

Asserting profitability of the ventures here, CEO of Jindal Stainless SS Virdi said applications of steel are growing faster compared with any metals as per capita consumption (PCC) is on the rise. In India, the PCC is only 1.1 kg compared with 15-20 kg in developed countries.

Following is an excerpt from a report in New Indian Express.

The ambitious second railway bridge project over river Mahanadi near Cuttack is complete.

About Rs 124 crore was invested in putting up the gigantic structure, the length of which spans over 2.1 km.

… With its completion, the doubling of the Talcher-Cuttack-Paradip railway track has also come to an end.

Sources said, the completion of the project and the doubling of rail tracks will help the railways run more coal-laden wagons from Talcher and Paradip to the thermal power stations in South India. Besides, the new infrastructure will allow smooth movement of passenger trains and reduce delays.

According to Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, the project was completed a few months ahead of the scheduled period of three years. In all two firms were involved in putting up the second bridge. While Mumbai-based Gammon India laid the foundation and the sub-structure of the bridge, Kolkata-based Braithwaite Burn and Jessop Construction gave shape to the super-structure.

The structure consumed 8,200 tonne of structural steel. No date was, however, announced about its commissioning. Laying of the rail tracks to the end point of the bridge from Cuttack station-end and Kendrapara road station-end was yet to be completed.

Following is an excerpt from a news report in New Indian Express.

… honey would soon be available in pouches.

The board plans to take up this project once the proposed modern honey processing unit starts functioning on its premises. It has already received a grant of Rs 18 lakh for the unit.

Board secretary Manmohan Rath said, their ultimate goal is to increase honey production substantially in the State and popularise its consumption. At present, honey consumption in the State stands at 18 gram per head as against the countrywide figure of 38 grams.

The Government is in the process of setting up bee keeping nurseries in Bhawanipatna, Balangir, Koraput and Rayagada. He said, the ensuing programmes would entail employment generation and supplementary income to BPL families.

On promotion of khadi and raising production capacity, he said a production-cum-training centre would be set up at a cost of Rs 1 crore here.

Modern 10 spindle charkhas will be used in the centre. The Khadi Board has so far created about 3,100 rural entrepreneurs and provided employment opportunities to about 29,000 people under the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP).

The nine-day REGP exhibition, which concluded here today, provided such entrepreneurs a platform to showcase their produce. The secretary said, plans are afoot to take up a Rs 3-crore project at Khaprakhol block in Balangir district, a rich cotton growing region.

The project is basically for setting up a khadi centre producing superior quality thread. It will also provide employment opportunities to about 500 persons. The success of the project might also check migration from the region.

Disclosing plans for popularising bamboo items, Rath said a Rs 50-lakh pilot project has been presented to the Khadi Commission for value addition of bamboo items. The project will directly benefit another 500 families.