Gunrunning Racket Busted: Country Made Rifles Used For Poaching, Ganja Trade In Angul District

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Angul police have successfully busted a gunrunning racket in Khamar, Pallahara, Athamallik, Tacher and Kaniha regions with the arrest of four persons. The district police formed a special team to locate and nab the culprits involved in gunrunning racket after a number of shooting incidents in Kishorenagar and Chhendipada in the recent past for settling scores and poaching of wildlife species in Angul forest locations  and facilitating ganja trade Chendipada region in which country made guns were used.

Police sources said the special team, after getting feedback from reliable sources that country rifles were freely available in some parts of the district at a throwaway price, raided Beherabhuin, Kashinathpur, Sunakhani and other villages in Kaniha, Athamallik and Talcher areas and seized barrels, rods, strikers and other parts required for manufacturing guns.

During the operation the police have also gathered that country made guns and pistols were clandestinely manufactured in Pallahara areas and sold at a price as low as Rs 5000 per piece to buyers who are into poaching and other illegal activities. Local media reports said that although the district police claimed to have successfully busted the gunrunning racket in Angul district, this is only a tip of the iceberg. The police need to go deep into such a crime and bring to book their kingpins who are believed to be operating from different states like Bihar and West Bengal and their connections goes beyond Indian borders, the media reports said.

Police sources said a special drive is underway by the district police under the direct supervision of Superintendent of Police Rahul Jain following a number of reports of shooting incidents in Kishorenagar and Chhendipada regions in the recent past and poaching of elephants and other wildlife species in Angul and other forest ranges in Angul district. The sources further said the special team of the district police is working in cohesion with the local forest wing to put up a joint front to tackle poaching menace in different forest ranges where poachers have oflate become active to kill elephants, wildboars, antelopes and other endangered species in reserved forest and Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary.

The wildlife sanctuary is a home to a large number of elephants and other endangered species like bison and antelopes. Odisha forest,environment and climate change department is actively working on the details of converting the wildlife sanctuary to a Tiger habitat. As part of the measure, a number of villages like Raiguda, Chhotkei, Tulka and other villages located in the core areas of Satkosia, are either being shifted or relocated elsewhere for such purpose.

The recent heinous incident involving the killing of a Forester in Hindol in the adjoining Dhenkanal district has established the fact that poachers are on a rampage and they can go to any extent and would not mind eliminating patrolling forest staff if given resistance. The poachers fired upon Forester Prahallad Pradhan and killed him on the spot who along with his staff was on patrol duty to nab the culprits after getting reports that a gang of four poachers were sharing the booty (the meat) after killing a wildlife species. Pradhan was heading a 13-member patrol party in that fateful night of May 23 in Sarasinga village at Tantichira jungle in Hindol range. The poachers after seeing the forest patrol party approaching them immediately opened shots hitting the Forester in the abodomen injuring him severely. Pradhan was immediately shifted to the district headquarters hospital at Angul but doctors declared him dead. The patrol staff nabbed three of the four poachers.

Pradhan, who served the forest department for 16 years with an excellent track record, was honoured as the best Forester in 2025 at a state level function in Bhubaneswar recently.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his deep condolences to the bereaved family and vowed to come down heavily on the poachers. He said the perpetrators will not be allowed to move freely and go unpunished. Majhi announced Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the family. Odisha forest,environment and climate change minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia who rushed to Kamakhyanagar to express his condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased Forester at his house, said the government has taken a serious note of such heinous incident and added that a proposal to provide arms to the patrolling forest staff is under active consideration of the government.

Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF) Sanjay Kumar Swain said the forest official will not be cowed down by the threat of poachers and timber mafia and added that every possible measures will be taken to protect the patrolling staff. Swain said protecting forest and its species are the prime responsibilities of the forest staff and gun-totting mafias will be taught a lesson at the earliest.

Reports said Chhendipada region has become a safe haven for ganja traders who are armed with country made rifles and lethal weapons to react immediately in the event of being nabbed by the police or excise officials. Vast tracts of forest region in Chhendipada block in Angul district have been forcibly acquired by the mafia who are linked to syndicates in other states and possibly neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal as sneaking into their territories are relatively easier, sources who did not want to be named said. Excise officials in Angul said tones of ganja plants were set afire after seizure to discourage trading of the contraband.

 

Efforts On To Build Angul JNV As No 1 Educational Institution: Principal

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) Principal S S Baral on Sunday expressed his commitment to convert the vidyalaya as a centre of excellence in the coming years with the help and cooperation of his colleagues and parents.

Addressing the Parents Teachers Council (PTC) meeting at JNV(Angul) campus, Champatimunda, Baral said JNV Angul is on the scanner of Union Education Ministry and added that the activities of the institution is being closely monitored by the Central Government as how it perfoms in accordance with the New Education Policy (NEP). The performance of JNV Angul is constantly discussed over social media handles like Twitter, the Principal said and added that this shows how much importance the Union Education Ministry attaches to this institution.

Baral emphasized that he believes in inculcating a positive spirit among the students of the institution for excellence in education along with their ethical development and sought the cooperation of parents to fulfill his task to put JNV Angul on the right track in coming years. He exhorted the parents to give him positive feedback and extend full cooperation to forge ahead in his mission, but cautioned that the PTC forum should not be used as platform to give vent to anger and negative attitudes.

Vice- Prinicipal U P Pani rolled out a list of illustrious alumni of JNV who have earned name and fame at home and abroad and said the institution has always produced talented students over the years. Pani advised the parents to contribute their bit towards the development of the institution and said that they must come out of the mindset that only their wards should perform well at studies and never concerned about other students. When the parents will come forward to contribute their bit towards the well being of the institution, then academic and ethical excellence will flourish, Pani said.

The PTC meet was attended by parents of the wards from class VI to XII and teachers of different departments of the institution. Fifteen PTC members were nominated for the current session.    

Poachers Kill Tusker In Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary, Role Of Forest Officials In Question

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The Man-Elephant tussle has again come to a flashpoint after a tusker was electrocuted near forest beat under Pampasara range in Satkosia wildlife sanctuary in Angul district two days ago. The electrocution was done with the help of a booby trap that was laid on the ground.

While Divisional Forest Officer Dr Saroj Panda emphasized that the culprits will be brought to book soon, he was silent about how the poachers clandestinely laid down the trap bypassing high tension overhead electricity lines to materialize their plan. Panda and other forest officials did not think it fit to explain about the laxity on patrolling which is being undertaken on a regular basis to thwart any attempt of poaching of animals including the jumbos in Satkosia wildlife sanctuary.

Villagers at Jagannathpur alleged as the incident has occurred a few metres away from the forest beat house, the employees and officials who were present on duty on that fateful day must be investigated to find out the truth. The forest officials have been stressing that foot and patrolling on vehicles are taken up regularly, but how come they could not get slightest indication that the poachers have laid down traps to kill animals, the villagers questioned. They further said that the role of forest officials must be taken into account keeping in view of the incident that occurred in Athagarh forest division in which forest officials were involved in poaching of tuskers.

Worthwhile to note that over 100 km long overhead electricity lines across Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary have been posing a constant threat to the lives of animals particularly jumbos which are vulnerable due to their height. As the overhead lines are hanging precariously, the elephants come in contact with live wire and get killed. The electricity wing with the help of forest department has so far succeeded in insulating nearly 20 km of overhead lines. But, there is no confirmation either from the electricity or forest officials when the rest part of the overhead lines will be insulated or replaced by cables. 

Bantala Nodal High School Losing Credibility Among Students, Parents

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Bantala Nodal High School in Angul district is losing credibility among students and guardians due to shortage of teachers over the years.

The school is going without a headmaster for months and the post of PCM teacher has fallen vacant for over two years. The authorities, it is alleged, have not yet decided to appoint a headmaster ever since the incumbent retired. The PCM teacher was deputed elsewhere two years ago without minding about the consequences it will have on teaching.

The school Managing Committee sources said resolutions were passed and forwarded to appropriate authorities for early posting of headmaster and required teaching staff, but to no avail. The sources said the sitting MLA Rajanikant Singh has also been requested to look into the matter, but it has gone unheeded.

Shortage of teaching staff has allegedly cast it adverse impact on attendance as a number of students have preferred to take admissions in nearby educational institutions for better schooling. Guardians alleged that it is true that the school has been transformed under 5T, but teaching has become a victim. The high school which was built in 1960, has acquired a new avatar of late, but the days are not far ahead when it will be left with a few students, they said wryly.

The Managing Committee sources further complained that teaching staff apart, the posts of clerk and night watchman have also fallen vacant for over seven years. While the clerk has been deputed to other school, the night watchman is posted at Block Education Office in Angul, the sources added.    

Odisha Govt, Angul Forest Division To Jointly Identify Herbal Plants At Mandaragiri

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The State Medicinal Plant Board and Angul Forest Division will jointly embark on a mission to identify herbal plants in Mandaragiri mountain which is a home to rare medicinal herbs and plants.

Widely known as  a bioreserve in the district, the Mandaragiri mountain is spread over 625 hectares and situated on the confluence of three reserve forest areas under Angul Forest Division. The mountain with rare medicinal herbs is situated close to the district headquarters town of Angul which is a central region of Odisha.

Forest officials said initially the study for identifying herbal plants, species and shrubs will be conducted over the dense forest region of nearly 200 hectares and added that the work will be extended later to other parts of the forest region.

The forest officials said a team of six members from the Capital city Bhubaneswar has discussed with the concerned staff responsible for study and identification of herbal plants in Mandaragiri. Six Van Suraksha Samities (VSS) of Panchamahala, Tumuni, Bhaliapal, Saharaguda and Saradhapur have been protecting the biosphere over the years in close partnership with the local forest wing.

Social activists and local environmentalist said the Mandaragiri mountain is a home to as many as 42 species of herbal plants most of which might be extinct from the earth if necessary steps are not taken for their survival.

Villagers of Mushapapuli and Saradhapur said Mandaragiri mountain had played a key role during Samudra Manthan(Stirring of Ocean) in the mythological era. It was used as stirring stone for such purpose. The stirring of ocean produced nectar. The lords took nectar and Mandaragiri mountain earned  holiness to be a part of such a sacred event. Due to the sanctity of Mandaragiri mountain, whosoever touches its soil becomes sacred and recovers from all diseases, the villagers added.

Of late, there has been growing demand for recognition of Mandaragiri as a major tourist spot of Odisha which is potential enough to contribute immensely to the local economics through generation of livelihood opportunities for the people of the region.