Catch them wrong
By denying large-scale suicide cases by farmers on account of crop loss and excessive loan burden on the floor of the Assembly, the Naveen Patnaik Government has written its political obituary. Farmer organistions spread in west and the southern parts of Odisha are now rallying around to catch the ruling BJD on the wrong foot. Convenor of Krushak Samannwaya Samiti Ashok Pradhan, lingraj and Saroj in a Press meet held at Sambalpur recently have lashed out at the Government for hoodwinking the farmers with the package worth Rs35,000 crore for farmers of western Odisha. In another corner of the State, farmers’ organisation Rayat Mahasabha has predicted the fall of Naveen Government because of distress and annoyance caused to the deceased farmers and the members of their families. Trinath Biswal is leading a rally at Brahmapur with support from Rabi Rath of Odisha Chasi Suraksha Abhijan, Prafulla Samantara, president of lok Shakti Abhiyan and many others. Whether these people, disorganized as they are, can spell doom for the Government is, however, a million dollar question. The privilege motion brought against the Agriculture Minister is not going to melt the ice in the Assembly. The absolute majority in the Assembly is an advantage that always comes to rescue. Meanwhile, the NHRC has taken cognisance of a case relating to a series of suicide cases directing the Chief Secretary to submit a report in four weeks. The pressure all around is building up and whether the Government of the day sustains it or gets weighed down is to be watched out for.
Caught between devil, deep sea
There may have genuine reasons for agitation of the medicos against the decision to admit students of Sardar Rajas Medical College of Jaring in MKGC and VSSIMSAR, but the claim by the students of a State-sponsored private medical college can in no way be ignored. Their right to continue as students cannot be snatched away. Following decision of the Orissa High Court, the State Government is ready to accommodate them in Government and private colleges of the State, but the decision, which prima facie looked like a solution, has stirred up a hornet’s nest. On the complaint of the students of Government medical colleges, the High Court is unlikely to slap a stay order on its own verdict. Similarly, the Government would not budge from its avowed principle of establishing a PPP mode medical college, and finally the students divided on the rank issue will not call off their agitation. It seems all the affected parties are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. It may take time to find out the missing thread, but the Government must apply the mandate of its discriminate intelligence and go for a long term solution of the issue which lies in declaration of a Government run medical college at Jaring.
From optimism to despair
With traffic congestion visibly multiplying day by day, the optimism once seen among the Rourkelites for a place in the Smart City race is dissipating gradually. The report prepared by the district administration for submission by December 15 can no way justify the present traffic management of the city. A city is known by an intelligent traffic management system which is found missing in Rourkela. Exclusion of the industrial town (Steel Township) from the ambit of Rourkela Municipal Corporation has further jeopardised its chances of getting the central nod. While there is an overall deterioration in the good condition of the city, the road leading from Bisra Chowk to Panposh is facing serious traffic hazards. Major portion of the road covering a distance of around four km is occupied by two wheelers and four wheelers. The scenario continues even after widening of the road during the last one year. Non serious attitude of the enforcing authorities has made it more complicated. In many cases, cows and buffalos have turned the roads into their picnic spots. The traffic police of late has started taking action against wrong parking but that is too little and too late.
(The writer, a former PR Manager of SAIl in Rourkela Steel Plant, a former vice-chairman of PRSI, Odisha Chapter, is functional editor of English weekly Kosal Horizon, email :baidyanathmishra123@rediffmail.com,Cell : 94370 83025)