More Deaths Likely As Angul Wildlife Wing Fails To Tackle Jumbo Attack

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Forest officials in Angul Division have been blamed for mishandling the Elephant-Man conflict issue that resulted in the death of four persons recently at Garh Santry, Chheliapada, Angarabandha and Barasinga.

The officials incurred the wrath of people in the above mentioned villages in Angul district who squarely blamed the forest staff of wildlife wing that lacked expertise to handle the situation. The forest staff relies heavily on bursting crackers to drive away the pachyderms to their habitat, the villagers said and alleged that they do not know how to drive away the marauding jumbos to forest nor managing the vast crowd that gather and irritate the wild animals during the operation.

Wildlife activist P K Behera alleged that subordinate staff who are not trained to drive away the elephants to the habitat are engaged 24X7, but this exercise has not become fruitful. Behera said the forest department should use the services of experts who can guide the staff engaged in the operation. He said driving away the elephants to the habitat is a technical issue and added that it is a branch of study which deals with the behaviourial trends of the wild animals.

The killer jumbo has been roaming different regions of Angul and Dhenkanal districts and nobody knows when it will trample people on the way at night and in the wee hours. As there is no advisory from the local forest or wildlife wings, people are living in a state of panic. They are not sure when the disaster will befall on them.     

Angul Forest Staff Lack Expertise To Confine Jumbos To Habitat

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Lack of a foolproof measures by Angul forest division to tackle the Elephant-Man conflict has acquired serious proportions as herds of pachyderms have wreaked havoc in Bantala forest range and other semi-urban and urban localities in the district.

The forest staff, who seemed to have little expertise in driving away the wild animals to their habitat, largely rely on bursting of crackers to frighten them. However, such an effort has failed to bear result as the panicky jumbos go on a rampage to devastating agriculture fields, vegetation and human habitation in the region.

The wild elephants have now targeted most parts of Bantala forest range and mostly semi-urban areas where people never witnessed marauding jumbos threatening human life. In the past several days, tuskers are found roaming the streets, vegetable and paddy fields in Bantala areas. People were alarmed to see that herds of pachyderms seen roaming the busy streets and lanes of different regions of Bantala region creating a fear psychosis among the people.

Frequent power outages in most parts of Bantala forest range areas at night have further worsened the situation as children and elderly persons live in a state of panic fearing disaster.

The forest officials and local people of Bantala, Shaharagoda, Sabalabhanga, Balasingha and other parts of the region have been trying to drive away the jumbos to their habitat, but they have not been successful in their endeavour.

They have been bursting crackers throughout the day and night to frighten the pachyderms and force them to head for their habitat, but the endeavour has so far not been successful.

Local farmers alleged that their paddy and vegetable fields were devastated by the elephant herd. They said nearly 30 elephants headed by tuskers go on a rampage in the night till the day breaks. The wild animals stay in herds inside village forest and near big ponds in the day and descend on vegetation fields as night falls, the farmers in Shaharagoda said and added that only God can save them from the disaster.

Former President, Angul District Krushak Morcha, Saroj Sahu has criticized the way the elephant menace is being handled and said it is high time that the forest officials of Angul Forest Division and Wildlife Wing must work in unison to chalk out a solid measure to keep the elephants inside their habitat. Sahu said famers of Angul district particularly in Bantala, Banarpal, Garh Santry and other regions have bore the brunt of elephant menace and added that the reserved forest areas must be protected with solar fencing to discourage exodus of jumbos to urban localities.

Environmental activists and nature lovers of Angul district opined that the Elephant-Man conflict is on the rise in Angul Forest Division and the frequency increases during harvesting period in the district. Therefore, the forest department must take concrete measures to put a halt to this practice. It is the responsibility the forest officials of Angul wildlife division to provide relief to the agrarian sector of the district by confining the jumbos to the jungle and discourage the wild animals from roaming the urban areas and streets jeopardizing the lives of people, they reasoned.   

Duped For 18 Years: Sahara Staff, Agents Harass Ex-serviceman in Angul

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The staff of local branch of Sahara India and its agents at Angul in Odisha have been allegedly harassing an ex-serviceman for over 18 years.

Durga Charan Dehury, s/o late Paramananda Dehury, who belongs to Bantala, has alleged that he had deposited Rs 10000 in a policy with Sahara in 2004, but yet to get back the sum with interest from the local branch even after 18 years of maturity.

Dehury said he had deposited a sum of Rs 10000 with Sahara through Shankarshan Dwivedy in 2004 who was then working as an agent of Sahara India in the local branch of Angul. After the maturity of the said deposit, when he approached Dwivedy to get the refund of the deposited sum with interest, Dwivedy instead advised him to reinvest the sum in a fresh policy saying that Sahara was passing through a bad time and he might get back the sum immediately.

The ex-serviceman further alleged that: 'Shankarshan Dwivedy had promised him that he will take necessary steps to get the deposited money with interest after the expiry of the fresh policy and assured him not be worried over the matter. When he again approached Dwivedy after the maturity of the policy, the latter said he was no longer working with Sahara company as an agent and advised him to consult another agent on the matter who will be able to guide him better in this connection.'

The ex-serviceman said after being duped by him, he approached another agent of Sahara who advised him to reinvest the sum in another policy and assured him that he will get the refund with interest after the maturity.

'But, one year has passed by since maturity of the policy. Neither the agent nor the staff of Sahara in Angul come forward to cooperate with him to get back the money with interest', Dehury alleged and said he has been running from pillar to post for over 18 years to get back money, but none cares. 

PTC To Maintain Healthy Relationship Between Parents, Teachers: JNV Principal

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The Parents Teachers Committee (PTC) is an interactive forum with the motto to build a healthy relationship between parents, teachers and students as well, Angul Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) Principal  Arati Pattanayak said.

Addressing the first ever PTC meeting after the Covid pandemic at JNV campus in Champatimunda in Angul district, Ms Pattanayak said this' forum is not meant for blaming each other and go on a  complaining spree but giving valuable suggestions for the wellbeing of inmates for boosting their intellectual growth.

Worthwhile to mention here that parents have been demanding the formation of such a PTC meet since a year and the authorities were delaying it for reasons best known to them. The latest PTC meet has brought cheers among the parents and they have become thankful to the management that the two-way communicative forum would be helpful for their wards in JNV.

Pattanayak said she will do her utmost for academic excellence at Angul JNV, but feared that ' there might be a shortage of teaching staff in the coming days and more and more teachers will be recruited on contractual basis '. She, however, allayed the apprehension that the study atmosphere will not suffer due such a problem and the science faculty is being expanded.

Librarian  Bibhuti Ranjan Mishra dwelt upon the motto and the spirit behind the formation of PTC and said misconceptions still exist in the minds of parents as well as their wards in the relatively interior regions of Angul district about JNV admission, eligibility and selection test. The PTC members must come forward to address these issues and educate and aware parents, wards on this score, Mishra said and added that they have equally important role to play on maintaining socio-economic data of parents, counselling of students, healthcare and other activities of JNV.

While Sudiptarani Biswal introduced the guests to the audience, P K Das (Maths) brought home the basic tenets of parents-teachers interaction that augurs well for its success . S K Behera(Odia TGT) proposed the vote of thanks. The PTC meet also selected new members for the session. A large number of parents and guardians had attended the meet.

Angul Senior Citizens Urge District Administration To Provide Amenities Under Act

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Angul Anchalika Baristha Nagarika Manch has urged the State, Centre and the district administration to provide senior citizens of the district with all the amenities as per the Senior Citizens' Act.

In a memorandum submitted to the District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and the Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena recently, the office bearers of the Manch have further demanded that in view of growing number of senior citizens in Angul district, the administration must take immediate steps to allot suitable land for construction of office and shelters for senior citizens in accordance with the Act. The administration should come forward to implement the Act in its letter and spirit, they added.

The memorandum also demanded issuance of identity cards by the police as done earlier and urged the district administration to carry on the process regularly to identify senior citizens of the district and mitigate their grievances in accordance with the Senior Citizens' Act. District health wing and the district administration should work in cohesion to issue Unique Health Cards to the senior citizens, the memorandum said.  

President of the Baristha Nagarika Manch Subas Chandra Sahu came down heavily on district administration which has failed to implement the Senior Citizens' Act in the district in its true spirit. He criticized the manner in which the district administration was dealing with the issues relating to the senior citizens of the industrial district of Odisha.

Sahu said:' The Manch has been demanding a suitable plot for construction of office and other infrastructure for the senior citizens of the district, but the district administration has paid a deaf ear to their demand. The motive behind district administration's silence suggest that it has a different agenda altogether.'

The Angul district administration has been constantly relegating the issues confronted by the senior citizens to the background, Sahu alleged and added that the administration did not even care to observe the Senior Citizens' Day.

The Naveen and Modi dispensations at State and Centre are adept in playing different cards during election to stay in power, he said and added that this might be another strategy to woo senior citizens by doling out false promises. Sahu, however, added that the senior citizens have the acumen to understand that only by promising them the moon and not showing sincerity to implement the Senior Citizens' Act in its letter and spirit would not be helpful either for the State or the Centre to get political mileage.

Secretary of Manch Krushna Nanda, Sushil Kumar Patnaik, Madan Mohan Patnaik, Prashant Das, Kumara Muduli and Ramesh Sahu were present during submission of memorandum to District Collector and SP.

 

29 Katarang Villagers Allege Duping By Angul Wildlife Officials Over Relocation Package

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Twenty nine families belonging to Katarang village under Tikarapara gram panchayat in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary region in Angul district have alleged that forest officials have duped them over full package of compensation of relocation package.

They have submitted a memorandum to the President Draupadi Murmu through the District Collector recently in this regard urging her to give them justice. They alleged that the wildlife officials have been harassing them and have bulldozed their houses without their concurrence.

Aggrieved villagers of Katarang on dharna

Reports said of the 120 families, 72 families were given evacuation notice to leave the village in the first place and the rest were asked to leave their homestead land at the earliest to the enable the forest officials to complete the relocation process.

Worthwhile to mention here that this relocation is being done for converting the sanctuary to a full-fledged tiger reserve in Satkosia. Villagers said they were promised Rs 20 lakh per family as compensation to leave their village for good.

The 29 aggrieved families of Katarang alleged that the forest officials threatened them with dire consequences if they dare to oppose the demolition. Some even alleged that their names were not enlisted for the purpose and the officials did not cared for their complaint.

The 29 aggrieved villagers in their memorandum to President Murmu alleged that "Katarang is not located in the Critical Tiger Habitat(CTH) nor the village comes under Critical Wildlife Habitat(CWH) of Satkosia Tiger Reserve and therefore they do not pose any threat to tigers". They further alleged that the relocation was unjust as they pose no threat to the tiger habitat in the sanctuary.

The villagers in their resolution alleged that the gram sabha(village meeting) was never convened by Tikarapara panchayat  for discussion of relocation issue. P K Behera, an wildlife activist said the "relocation has not been done properly as it violates wildlife Act of 1972 of 38(V), section 4 and 6 of forest protection Act 2006 and rehabilitation and resettlement Act of 2013".

Houses in Katarang reduced to rubble by wildlife officials

Behera alleged that the motive behind the relocation is under suspense as the wildlife officials have hurriedly convened the village meeting without the concurrence of gram panchayat to discuss the issue. The forest department has no authority to convene gram sabha and it is the sole prerogative of the panchayat, he added.

The social activist further alleged that the wildlife officials of Angul Division have virtually forced the villagers to toe their line in the name of a fake resolution passed in the gram sabha.

A compensation amount of Rs 20 lakh per family does not constitute the full package, Behera said and added that the wildlife officials have ignored other compensation that constitute the full package.

A few years ago, Raiguda village under Bantala forest range in Angul district was relocated to ensure a lively tiger reserve in Satkosia, but the villagers relocated at 'New Raiguda' near Nuakheta cry for lack of basic amenities such as road connectivity and drinking water. Now Raiguda villagers repent that their relocation was unjust and unnecessary. The wildlife officials have failed to protect leopards, let alone breeding Royal Bengal Tigers(RBTs) in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary, the villagers said and added that their sacrifice of livelihood and homestead land for the sake of RBTs has become meaningless.

The male RBT 'Mahaveer' has died a few years ago and the tigress 'Sundari' was relocated to Madhya Pradesh forest after she turned man-eater. The so-called tiger reserve in Satkosia is now without big cats.   

Senior Citizens' Issue To Worry India In Coming Years

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The alarming rise in the number of senior citizens in India is constantly worrying the government of the day with HelpAge India in its latest report saying that this figure has increased at the rate of 36 per cent during 2011 to 2021.

The report said although the senior citizens' issue has become a global phenomenon, yet this will be posing a threat to the governance as well as social structure of India if the pace is not neutralized.

The HelpAge report said the growth in the number of senior citizens in India is so high that it nearly takes twenty years to double. But, in France the growth rate is very slow and it takes nearly 20 years to double the figure. India's pace of growth of in the number of senior citizens will be suicidal for the country, the HelpAge report said and added that their number might increase up to 300 million in a span of thirty years.

In 1950, senior citizens account for barely 5 per cent of the total population of India, while in 2016 the figure rose to 10 per cent and this might rise up to 19 per cent in 2050, the HelpAge report said. The report further said that by 2050, the number of persons in the age group between 60-70 years will be one out of every five in India.

Although India is presently a young nation and the average age of its population is 29 years, there has been a constant rise in the number people aged over 60 years.