Bonded Labourers Issue Remains Invisible In Odisha's Nuapada By-Poll

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The issue of bonded labourers in Nuapada seems to have gone out of reckoning. As the D-day approaches for Nuapada by-poll in Odisha, parties are more inclined to woo voters by allegedly rewarding or paying them to cast votes in favour of their candidates than concerned about the issue of migrant labourers and their fate. The heavyweights of ruling BJP, BJD and Congress have already descended on the campaign trail but the issue of bonded labourers or migrant workers is out of view.

The by-election is believed to be a three-cornered contest between BJP, BJD and Congress. Political analysts are of the opinion that the parties in the fray might experience a roller coaster ride. The situation is evenly balanced, they opined. But, the candidates contesting from Nuapada constituency seem to be little bothered about why over 30000 families from the district have gone out of the state to work in brick kilns and construction sites in Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat to earn their livelihood. They try their best to dodge any question relating to unemployment crisis in the district.

Nuapada district in Odisha has a population of over 6 lakh according to 2011 census. The literacy rate in the district is nearly 49 percent. Statistics say that nearly 40 percent of agriculture land is irrigated although over 80 percent of the population depend on agriculture. The Upper Jonk irrigation project is in limbo as this has made little progress over the years. The political representatives have allegedly not cared for early completion of the irrigation project. They severely lack political will and more concerned about how to nurture their vote bank to be in the saddle, social activists working at the grassroots in Nuapada alleged.   

Shyamsundarpur Case: Angul Police Still Clueless On Minor Girl's Rape, Murder

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Police are yet to find out the clue for the alleged rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl who belonged to Shyamsundarpur village under Sadar police station limits in Angul district. The gruesome incident occurred on September 8, 2025. The girl's body was recovered by the police from a rivulet near the village.

There was no information on the postmortem report and viscera and the police are tightlipped on the matter. The residents of Shyamsundarpur and nearby villages had staged road blockades and have met Angul SP Rahul Jain demanding early action, but to no avail. In the meanwhile, media reports have claimed that the crime rate in Angul district has maintained an upward trend in the past few months.

Angul SP Rahul Jain has taken the onus of investigation on his own to nab the criminals who are involved in the the gruesome murder of the the 11-year old girl belonging to Shyamsundarpur. Jain said the culprit will be brought to book soon, but over one month has elapsed and the police are yet to find out the person who was responsible for the cold blooded murder of the innocent girl. According to the statistics, Home Department of Odisha has revealed that 2,826 rapes and 1,362 murders had occurred in 2023. In 2024, the raped cases rose to 3,054 and there were 1,258 murders.

The Pari case in Nayagarh had drawn the attention of the country in 2020. Although the case had baffled the police, after a thorough investigation a special court convicted and sentenced the perpetrator in 2024.

Angul is the highly industrialized and crime ridden district in the state. The industrial town has recently seen a spate of outsiders hailing from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh who are selling tea and doing petty business. They have chosen Angul as their place of work for the reason that this district has a number of industries and offers opportunities for whatever business they take up. But, there are instances in which some outsiders from these above mentioned states have been rounded up by the police for involvement in crimes in the district. Recently, there has been a spurt of bike theft in most parts of Angul district and in most cases the culprits are yet to be nabbed.     

Opposition's Vote Chori Allegation Rocks Indian Polity

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Leader of the Opposition (LOP) Rahul Gandhi at a press conference in August this year has levelled serious charges against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that it is involved in 'Vote Chori'(vote theft) in a number of constituencies in the country. Gandhi alleged that it was most glaring in Karnataka's Mahadevpura.

This explosive allegation of the LOP of India has shocked everybody as Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is hand in glove with the BJP to indulge in large scale manipulation or tampering voter rolls.

The Allegation: Gandhi has alleged that the voter rolls were manipulated with insertion of duplicate names, addresses not found or fake. He alleged that the act was approved by the ECI. Gandhi alleged that glaring discrepancies were found in Aland in Karnataka and Rajura in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district and claimed that there was mass deletion and manipulation of voter names.

However, the ECI has brushed aside the allegations as misleading and baseless. It said it was never possible to delete names online as the whole process involved verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) after serving notice to the voters. The ECI has even dared Gandhi to file an affidavit or apologize to the nation  and made it clear that there was no third option for him. But, the ECI's direction to Gandhi to file an affidavit or apologize has not gone down well with other political parties and even intellectuals who had decried its very motive. 

Political Upsurge:

The BJP leaders have alleged that the leader of the Opposition is acting in an irresponsible manner. They alleged that Rahul Gandhi is subverting Indian democratic system and deriding the election officials who have toiled hard to ensure free and fair elections in the country. Contrary to this, Gandhi's claims are backed by exact figures of irregularity in a number of states like Karnataka and Maharashtra. The BJP overlooks this.

Indian Democracy In Peril?

Experts are of the opinion that whether proven or not, Gandhi's allegations have far reaching consequences  in the Indian polity. This is likely to erode the public faith in the electoral system if left unresolved. One will observe that the vote chori has become an issue with the Opposition parties in India as the leaders have become united demanding action against the ECI. Observers have maintained that a third party audit must be done to study in detail the claim of Congress on the matter as it is of very severe nature.

Whatever be the situation, Gandhi's allegations on the fairness of the electoral system has put question marks on the credibility of ECI. It is the foremost duty of the ECI to come forward on its own to put to rest the aspersions cast on it. It is advisable for ECI to try its best to convince the Indian citizens that their right to vote has not been compromised in any way. 

How Beneficial Next Gen GST Will Be For Common Man?

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The Next Gen GST or GST 2.0 has become effective with the sole intention of providing relief to the common man of the country. The reforms in tax slabs have been carried out after long eight years. During these eight years, Indian citizens, particularly the common man, virtually paid through their noses for goods and services. The Opposition leaders of the country have been demanding the scrapping of GST terming it as Gabbar Singh Tax as prices of essential commodities skyrocketed due to implementation of different slabs such as 5, 12,18 and 28 percent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally bowed down to the pressure of the Opposition leaders particualary that of Rahul Gandhi of Congress party to carry out reforms for the benefit of poor people of India. PM Modi in his address to the nation has described the reforms as 'Bachat Ka Ustsab' or a celebration for savings. But, only time will tell how the savings of the poor people are protected with the implementation of the Next Gen GST.

What Is GST?

It stands for Goods and Services Tax and was introduced in the country by the Modi Governemnt in 2017. At that time it was widely broadcast, telecast and written that the government had introduced the measure as part of one nation one tax system. But, over the years, the GST turned out to be very complicated for small time businessmen and traders in the country due to multipliticity in slabs. The government imposed taxes on essential food items rising their prices enormously. It was widely believed that the Modi Government was in favour of corporate friends and the GST was implemented in the country with the sole purpose of protecting their interest.   

What Is Next Gen Reforms?

The Central government has declared that the reformes will provide relief to consumers, particulary those who are coming under lower income and middle class. It said a number of items such as food, milk and paneer, household essentials, health-care goods, and education-related items will now become cheaper.  The reduction in tax system will also benefit agriculture and rural sectors in the country, the government said.

According to the government, GST reduction on different goods will encourage more people to purchase more and this will increase demand leading to growth of the economy. The Finance Minister has said the rate cuts will inject about Rs 2 lakh crore into the economy.

Revenue Loss To Govt:

Both the Centre and state governments will incur losses due to rate cuts which is roughly estimated to be nearly Rs 50,000 crore annually. Economists said that there is likelihood is that the rate cuts will affect the structures upstream. They said transition from one slab to another involves issues that will affect the  traders, retailers as well as manufacturers for updating systems acquired under older rates. Swift actions are needed to resolve the disputes leading to rate cuts of goods and services.

Everybody knows that the Modi Government has announced the rate cuts of essential goods and services keeping an eye on Bihar election in two months and subsequent polls later in other states. This move might be populist, but everything depends on how the measures are implemented to benefit the poor.

Conclusion

Finally the corrections to the GST has been made and this is an welcome move by the Modi Government at the Centre. The tax system has been simplified to provide relief to the citizens, mostly the common man.

Despite the reforms, the government has to ensure the implementation of the Next Gen system has to benefit across society, particularly the marginalized sections of the society. The reformative measures have to be carried out well, with good intent and put into good practice.

Why Satkosia Remains A Tigerless Tiger Reserve?

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

There are no tigers in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Angul district, yet it is known as Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR). Spread over 1000 sqkm spanning Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh districts, the wildlife sanctuary is a home to rare species of flora and fauna with a rich biodiversity. The seven mile long  Satkosia Gorge is unique as the largest river of Odisha, Mahanadi, flows through it. In 2007 the wildlife sanctuary was declared as a tiger reserve with 12 tigers, but the census conducted in 2022 clearly mentioned that there was no tiger left in the habitat.

Odisha forest department initiated country's first ever interstate tiger relocation in 2018 to grow the population of the big cats in Satkosia Tiger Reserve. Accordingly, a male tiger from Kanha and a tigress from Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, were brought to the sanctuary as an experimental step to boost tiger population. However, the programme was derailed due to stiff opposition from villagers living inside the sanctuary as the tigress, which was named as Sundari, turned violent attacking and killing livestock. The male tiger Mahaveer died under mysterious circumstances. The wildlife wing of Angul did not cite any reason how the relocated royal Bengal tiger (RBT) died.

Why Satkoisa Is Tigerless?

Although it is difficult to pinpoint reason, a number of factors including  social, ecological and administrative, are believed to have contributed to wiping out of RBTs from Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary. According to environmentalists, the constant loss of biodiversity in Satkosia, leading to decline in the prey base, has more to do with the issue than anything else. They are of the opinion that tigers, mostly RBTs, need vast forest tracts with teeming prey base of deer and wildboars, for their survival. The habitat quality has been constantly declining due to poaching and encroachment of forest territory by the villagers living inside the sanctuary. This has resulted in human-animal conflict. There are reports that booby traps have been used to kill wildboars and deer casting a negative impact on the decline of prey base for tigers.

Administrative Lacunae:

Informed sources said as conservation of RBTs involves a lot of planning and investment, relocation of tigers could not be successful in Satkosia. Planning demands regular patrolling and involvement of local communities for conservation of tigers. Unfortunately, this didn't happen in Satkosia. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has clearly mentioned in its guidelines that the forest dwellers must be taken into confidence before relocation of RBTs actually takes place. But, in the case of Satkosia Tiger Reserve, there was no transperancy of activities taken for relocation of tigers. This enraged the denizens living  inside the sanctuary, and at the end, the programmes was unsuccessful. Of course, the wildlife division of Angul has taken initiatiatives to shift villagers from Raiguda,Katrang, Asanbahal and Bhurkundi to make way for relocation of RBTs in the sanctuary. Villagers from Purunakote, Gopalpur, Chhotkei, Majhipada and Tikarpada will be shortly shifted from the sanctuary, but there are allegations that villagers are being forced to leave their home and hearth for RBTs. They have alleged that the compensation is not adequate to purchase land elsewhere and make a decent living. Wildlife organizations in Angul district said community participation should be core for successful implementation of a tiger habitat. The thrust must on the livelihood alternatives of the displaced persons to accommodate tigers in their area.

The wildlife wing of Angul must work on the issue of human-wildlife conflict by involving experts to find out the reason and solution before the actual process of relocation of RBTs takes place. The wildlife staff have to be educated and trained to successfully implement relocation project. Conservation goals are best achieved by the participation of local communities. The wildlife staff must understand this.

Why Are Endangered Gharial Hatchlings Vanishing In Satkosia Gorge?

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

A number of Gharial hatchlings have been swept away by floodwaters in Mahanadi in Odisha's Satkosia Gorge, media reports said. The reports said that out of 160 Gharial hatchlings bred in captivity in Gharial Conservation and Research Centre at Tikarpadain in Angul district in the past five years, a very few have have been left. Environmentalists have expressed their concern over the lack of preparedness by the wildlife officials in Angul division to save the hatchlings from gushing waters of Mahanadi during monsoon. Gharial hatchlings being swept away during floods in Mahanadi, the largest river in Odisha, does not occur occasionally, rather this is a regular phenomenon during rainy season.

Flood Factor Overlooked:

Gharial hatchlings are very small and measure nearly 40 centimeters after coming out of their eggs. They are always vulnerable to gushing waters of Mahanadi that overwhelm the sandy beds of the river where hatchlings take shelter after coming out the eggs. The irony is that the wildlife staff of Angul division become active to search for the lost hatchlings after they were swept away by floods. Environmentalists alleged that the wildlife staff never tried to relocate the Gharial hatchlings from Mahanadi's sandy beds to more safer places before monsoon. Therefore, breeding of the endangered species is always replete with danger, they reasoned.

Mugger, Illegal Fishing Challenges:

It is a known fact that Muggers pose severe threat to the fish-eating Gharials in river Mahanadi. In addition to this, illegal sand mining and fishing also have serious threat to the survival of the hatchlings. Although the Satkosia Gorge has been declared as a no-fishing zone, illegal fishing and sand mining activities in upstream locations of river Mahanadi have jeopardized the habitat.

Measures To Safeguard Gharials:

• The wildlife division of Angul must take proactive measures to protect the hatchlings before they are swept away by surging waters of Mahanadi.
• The department must ensure that there are enough makeshift enclosures at Tikarpada to house the hatchlings during floods. This measure must be taken much before the onset of monsoon. The hatching site at Baladamara is prone to be washed away during monsoon, therefore the wildlife staff must be prepared to arrange alternative sites as safe habitats for the Gharials .
• Community participation is always encouraging for conservation of endangered species. The wildlife staff, as a good measure, should engage the local fishing community in rescue operations during floods in Mahanadi.
• Enforcement of stricter rules for protection of habitat should be the utmost task of the wildlife division to discourage illegal sand mining upstream.

Media Advocacy:

Media advocacy is one of the most important tenets of conservation policies in most parts of the world as the target audience could be educated on a particular issue. This works incredibly well on wildlife topics. As media plays an important role on awareness on the merits of conservation of biodiversity, it is advisable for the wildlife division in Angul to grab the opportunity to save environmental disaster in the industrial district of Odisha. This is high time that the wildlife wing of Angul must take fruitful measures for survival of Gharials in Satkosia Gorge. The challenge for wildlife staff is, no doubt great, but they have to rise to the occasion and face it.   

Felling Of Trees In Chhendipada Will Bring Environmental Disaster To Angul District

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Large scale felling of Sal trees from reserved forests in Chhendipada block in Angul district has sparked a debate among nature lovers as well as general public in Odisha whether environmental depredation should be allowed for the sake of opencast coalmines. The Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has started its expansion of coalmine activities in Chhendipada region as huge deposits of coal, otherwise known as Black Diamond, is found beneath its surface.

Environmental Cost:

Environmentalists, nature lovers as well as general public in Odisha are concerned over the colossal loss of forest, particularly the endangered species of Sal in Chhendipada region. Media reports said the forest cover in Chhendipada not only includes Sal species but a number of herbal plants are also available which contributes to biodiversity of the region. Mahua and Kendu trees are abundantly available in Chendipada forest ranges that ensures livelihoods benefits for tribal people since ages. People of Chhendipada block will, in all probability, face displacement scourge like their counterparts in Talcher in the days to come. The displacement will mostly hard hit the sections who are marginalized in the society. The coalmine projects have displaced a large number of families from different villages in Talcher. But, unfortunately, a good percentage of oustees are yet to get compensation as jobs or financial benefit, despite losing their homestead land other landed properties. The people of Chhendipada will also face such fate soon, local environmentalists fear.

Extensive mining operations particularly through opencast method is responsible for erosion of soil. This leads to air and water pollution in Chhendipada region as the people of Talcher have already experienced. Water bodies including Kukurpeta minor irrigation project in Chhendipada region will be contaminated due to extensive mining. Talcher region has already witnessed air and water contamination due to opencast mining projects. People in the area struggle to get a few buckets of potable water throughout the year and scarcity of water prevails during rainy season also.

Environmentalists have alleged that there are lacunae in Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) as the general public have not been taken into confidence. They are not properly consulted by the authorities  before allowing several mining projects in Chhendipada. It is often argued that afforestation would make up the loss of forests in Chhendipada region, but this could never match the the effectiveness of natural forest that existed with herbal species. Scientific studies have shown that trees act like natural air filters and protect the humanity from environmental pollution. But, this will be a thing of the past in Chhendipada region due to large scale felling of tress and in most cases complete wiping out of natural forest from the region.

Call To Action:

Ø  Public hearings in Chhendipada must be mandatory and the EIA has to be transparent. Local voices should not be crushed for industrial development.

Ø  Eco friendly species must be included in plantation programmes to counter the bad effects of environmental pollution. As the livelihood security of a large number of tribal communities in the region have been jeopardized following large scale felling of trees like Mohua and Kendu, it is obligatory on the part of MCL to take up afforestation projects in which such native species are included.

Ø  Angul district administration must ensure that District Mineral Fund (DMF) is allocated for fulfillment of needs of the affected families in Chhendipada region due to extensive felling of trees for mining operations. Initiation of skill development programmes must be included in rehabilitation packages for those who have lost their home and hearth for mining.

Coal Mining Projects in Talcher:

The MCL has a number of coalmining projects in Talcher and such activities have started in the area way back in 1929. Earlier, there were underground mines, but opencast mines have come to be a part of modern day trend. The mining company has opted in favour of opencast mining activity because this operation is less risky as compared to subterranean mining activities. Due to sheer depth, such mining activities were hazardous as loss of life could not be avoided in most situations. Waters of Brahmani, the second largest river in Odisha, along with Nandira and other rivulets in Talcher region are contaminated following excavation of coal and release of industrial effluents into the rivers. Villagers living all along the banks of Brahmani alleged that water of the river has become unfit to bath even, let alone use it for drinking. They further alleged that most people of their villages have contracted skin diseases by bathing in the river. Fishermen community is the worst hit as they don't get enough fish catch to sustain their livelihood. Presence of effluents in Brahmani water has adversely affected fish and other aquatic creatures. The fishing community has moved to other areas in search of employment due to dwindling fish reserve in Brahmani.