Smart City, smart goons!
Attempt to outrage the modesty of college girls in broad daylight on the busy Patia road of top Smart City Bhubaneswar has exposed chinks in security system, including lack of police patrolling. Besides, it is clear that the capital city is in the grip on unsocial elements. These girl students accompanied by a male friend were having refreshments near KIIT square when four local youths in inebriated condition came on two motor cycles, passed vulgar comments and asked to show identity cards. When the college goers raised alarm and resisted, the miscreants went back only to return with a group of 10 youths. They assaulted the girls including their male friend even as passersby stood as silent spectators. Passersby becoming mute witness to the scuffle and not volunteering to support the male student who was being beaten black and blue, though an irony, a PCR van arriving at the spot and rescuing the students immediately after the police was informed, is a good omen. But that must be followed by stringent punishment to the miscreants which will set an example for the wayward youths for unleashing lawlessness.
Finally OCA office-bearers say it quits
The Supreme Court verdict on violation of the lodha Committee report by the BCCI is historic. The observation is bound to have cascading effect downstream as it involves all State cricket associations and all bodies affiliated to BCCI. The Odisha Cricket Association is no exception as it is one of the affiliated bodies of BCCI and bound by its rules and regulations. Therefore, it is no surprise that all the 18 members including its president Ranjib Biswal and secretary Asirbad Behera have stepped down. Reluctantly though, their exit will not hamper England-India one-dayer at the Barabati Stadium because they would like to hold on to the honeycomb and continue to serve the organization as ordinary members. Many newspapers of the State have carried the news of this forcible exit on their front pages. A day before, the Sports Minister cracked the whip on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and suspended the Olympic body till the time it reversed the decision of having made the scam tainted duo Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as lifetime presidents. Asirbad Behera continued to enjoy the self regulated privileges and prerogatives during his tenure of last 16 years. The Odisha Cricket Association functioned as a private limited company of Behera in the ploy of protecting the autonomy of sports. Downstream, there are district sports bodies which have been captured by elements known for their greed and the Government is a mute spectator to their blatant violation of ethics. Cracking whips on such organizations will help the State to cleanse these bodies in the interest of sports in Odisha.
Pay anomaly: RSP union leader gheraoed
Promises are made to be kept especially when one wins an election. The Executive Association of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), however, does not believe in this dictum. Officers below the rank of Managers especially those in E-1 and E-2 grade recently gheraoed the residence of Bimal Bisi, president, RSPEA, for not taking up the anomaly issue pertaining to their salary which is lower than their counterparts working in other steel plants of SAIl. Since Bisi garnered votes on some promises made to those low ranking officers, they have reacted sharply when their long standing demands of to set right pay anomaly have gone unheeded. It is rather astonishing that such discrimination existed in a public sector undertaking like SAIl. President and the general secretary of the association owed an explanation to the agitating officers. Fact remains that despite negotiations continued at the highest level in this regard, they have not been successful so far. If they fail in their next attempt, there will be no alternative left except moving the appropriate court of law for a decision, the office bearers have said. After a span of ten years when there is yet another salary revision due for these officers, they have been left high and dry in the absence of a decision in their favour. But the grapevine has it that the agitation was a fixed tie meant only to pressurise the SAIl management.
Mentally ill left to fend for himself
The Bonai administration came on its feet when news about Sumanta, an orphan psychiatric patient from Bonaigarh, came to light through print and electronic media. Sumanta Amat was living in a corner of a house with his feet tied to a piece of shackle in most inhuman condition. The local Sub Collector took note of the incident after receiving a letter from the Additional District and Sessions Judge to inspect and report as to whether the incident was a human right violation. Sub-Collector Swadhadev Singh rescued Sumanta from Amatpali village in Bonai sub-division of Sundargarh district and sent him to Burla MCH for treatment. Praiseworthy job indeed! But what happened thereafter in the mental ward of Burla medical can be a shock for anybody with a human heart and matured brain. Sumanta’s sister Mamata Amat and her husband Padmalochan Singh are now running from pillar to post for meeting the expenses for blood test and city scan. Poorest of the poor as they are, they find it very difficult to arrange money. It was for want of money Sumanta was kept confined to the house. And now when Sumanta has been admitted at the behest of the Sub Collector, the cost of the treatment should also be logically borne by the administration.