people « Development news of orissa and India

Odisha Excise minister A U Singh Deo resigns

February 9, 2012 — IMC

Odisha Excise minister A U Singh Deo resigns owning moral responsibility for Cuttack hooch tragedy. Mr. Uday Singh Deo sends resignation letter to CM Naveen Pattanik. CM Naveen Pattanik forwarded the resignation letter to Governor MC Bhandare to accpet it.

Opposition political parties, including the Congress and BJP, have been demanding resignation of the chief minister and Singhdeo holding the BJD government responsible for the liquor tragedy. Singhdeo was the fifth minister to quit since BJD came to power for the third time in 2009.

It should be noted that with 17 more persons succumbing to illness caused by the killer brew, the death toll in Cuttack-Khurda incident on Wednesday rose to 32.

As many as 13 persons, who drank on Monday night at a country liquor joint in Mahidharpada area of Cuttack district, are now undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack,.

The toll, which stood at 12 on Tuesday, has now risen to 32 with more deaths reported during treatment, hospital’s superintendent D N Moharana said. Deaths have taken place in several villages spread over Mahidharpada and Balianta areas of Cuttack and adjoining Khurda districts respectively, district Collector Girish S N said.
People within five km radius of Mahidharpada have been affected by the killer drink, he said, adding the tragedy struck due to a deadly mixture as country liquor had been mixed with some cough syrup procured from a pharma company located at Rasulgarh area of Bhubaneswar.

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Railways Extend Advance Reservation Period to 120 Days

February 9, 2012 — IMC

The Ministry of Railways has decided to increase the advance reservation period for booking reserved train tickets from existing 90 days to 120 days on experimental basis (excluding the date of journey) w.e.f. March 10, 2012.

However, there will be no change in case of certain day-time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express etc. where lower time limits for advance reservations are at present in force. There will also be no change in case of the limit of 360 days for foreign tourists.

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States Urged to Prepare Roadmap for Successful Implementations of Proposed Food Security Legislation

February 8, 2012 — IMC

Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has said that massive investment in the agricultural sector is needed as enhanced food production is must for the success of Food Security for all. Inaugurating the State Agriculture and Food Ministers Conference here today, Shri Mukherjee called for joint efforts by the Centre and States to modernize the PDS to make its reach more effective to the targeted people.

Addressing the conference, Shri Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture, said that States need to accept the challenge of producing more to meet the ever increasing demand of food grains. He said that procurement and distribution system should be further streamlined to ensure a successful rollout of Food Security Act.

The Agriculture Minister said that the critical issues in production, procurement, storage, movement and distribution should be addressed immediately so that when the Act is enacted, the system is ready to implement it efficiently and effectively. Shri Pawar impressed upon the States to remain vigilant on the price being paid to the farmers by the private traders. They should ensure electronic payment to the farmers selling their produce at procurement centers. The Minister also called for revamping of the marketing infrastructure to ensure continued agriculture growth and remunerative prices to the farmers.

Addressing the State Ministers’ meet, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prof. K.V. Thomas said that trying to provide food security to all is one of the most ambitious social security programmes proposed by the government. The National Food Security Bill outlines the process of bringing in most vulnerable citizens to a safety net where they could take comfort in the guaranteed availability of food and nutrition.

He said that the States should identify the means to make food grains available to the needy sections of the population by preparing a joint roadmap towards this objective. It should include finding ways and means for increasing production, procurement, finding the effective ways of safeguarding and transporting the stock, identifying the right beneficiaries and adopting technology to provide the backbone for an efficient public distribution system.

Urging States to make efforts for increasing foodgrain production and procurement in their respective area, Prof. Thomas said decentralized procurement scheme was initiated to tackle the problem of regional disparities in production and availability of foodgrains and the results are definitely positive. He said that States like UP, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam have a large potential to improve procurement so that farmers and the general population can be helped immensely. The recent success in setting up more procurement centers by the State Governments in MP and Chhattisgarh shows that this can be done, he observed. He also complemented the State Government of Bihar which had taken a series of measures in this regard during the current Kharif season.

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Odisha: Govt orders judicial inquiry in Hooch tragedy

February 8, 2012 — IMC

In Odisha, at least 29 persons have died of drinking spurious liquor. As many as 51 more persons are still struggling for life at the SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack. Deaths have taken place in several villages spread over Mahidharpada and Balianta areas of Cuttack and adjoining Khurda districts of Odisha. The Odisha Government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. AIR Correspondent repots that, Most of the victims were daily wage earners and worked in a brick klin in Cuttack. The labourers complained of chest and eye pain after consuming liquor on last Monday night. District magistrate and collector of Cuttack, Girish SN, has said that people within five km radius of Mahidharpada have been affected by the killer drink and the tragedy struck due to adeadly mixture as country liquor had been mixed with some cough syrup procured from a pharma company located at Rasulgarh of Bhubaneswar.
The pharmaceutical company”s unit has been raided and sealed last night and further investigation is on. Two people have already been arrested in the case. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered a judicial inquiry into the hooch tragedy incident. Opposition Congress has rejected the judicial probe and demanded resignation of Chief Minister, Excise Minister AU Singh Deo, probe by Lok Pal into the incident and Rs 10 lakh compensation to the next-of-kin of the deceased

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Gujarat HC orders compensation for religious structures destroyed in Godhra riots

February 8, 2012 — IMC

The Narendra Modi government was on Wednesday pulled up by the Gujarat High Court for inaction and negligence on its part during the 2002 post-Godhra riots. The riots led to large-scale destruction of religious structures.

A division bench of acting chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala made these observations, while ordering compensation for over 500 religious structures in the state. The court was hearing a petition filed by Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat (IRCG).

The court observed that Inadequacy, inaction and negligence on the part of the state government to prevent riots resulted in large-scale destruction of religious structures across the state. It further said that state government is responsible for repair and compensation for such places.

The court said that when the government had paid compensation for destruction of houses and commercial establishments, it should also pay compensation for religious structures. It also ordered that principal judges of 26 districts of the state will receive the applications for compensation of religious structures in their respective districts and decide on it. They have been asked to send their decisions to HC within six months.

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