Jharsuguda Hockey Cup 2011- A small step to uphold the National Game...

           Hockey is our National game. We had been the unparalleled emperor of the game. In Olympics we won the gold medal consecutively from 1928 to 1956. We defeated USA in Los Angeles Olympics with a record margin of 24-1. But where has the gory gone?

           

        We all aware of the fact that Orissa has been producing many world class Hockey players. Many of them have been from Sundargarh district, near to Jharsuguda. Still the craze and the passion that should be there for a national game are yet to be seen in this locality. It can easily be seen, there are many companies, but surprisingly none of them have tried their bit to encourage the game. I must appreciate Vedanta for pioneering a step towards this and organizing a two day- “Jharsuguda Hockey Cup” tournament in Jharsuguda.

 Augmenting its endeavour, Vedanta sponsored the Jharsuguda Cup Hockey Tournament 2011. The tournament was held from 12th February to 13th February 2011 here at the Ghanashyama Hemalata Vidyamandir Playground. Six renowned Hockey teams from different parts of Orissa participated in the tournament which was organized by the local Debadihi club in association with Dilip Tirkey Sports & Research Foundation, Orissa.

            Players from across the state participated and took the game to a different level. Along with Vedanta COO Mr. Abhijit Pati, Padmashree Dilip Tirky (Former Captain of the National Hockey Team) also graced the inauguration ceremony on 12^th February to encourage the players. Frankly speaking, it was really a proud moment for me to watch Mr. Dilip Tirky so lively. People of Jharsuguda and the sports lovers appreciated Vedanta for its effort to uphold the national game in the locality.

            We do have budding talents in every corner of the India, especially in Orissa. But they need to be groomed to take on the world again. Yes, we have the potential to show our prominence again in the game. The future of Indian hockey is bright if we prepare ourselves to see it as bright.  I would request Vedanta to organize such Hockey tournaments in the future to support our local talents.

Industrialisation in Jharsuguda and Pollution...

It’s an eminent fact that since the advent of industrial and technological revolutions, economic indicators have been considered as the principal criteria for measuring progress. The industrial and technological progress however, carries with it the germs of negative environmental impact, abetted by both pollution and degradation. Jharsuguda is also no way out of this. We all unanimously agree that Jharsuguda is a much familiar word worldwide only due to its rapid development for industrialisation within a short instance. Since last decade, Jharsuguda has witnessed many small and large scale industries developing in it. Certainly, it would also have felt a raising level of pollution for this. The industries in Jharsuguda how much give precedence to these environmental norms is the concerned topic.

From last few days, I have been going through many local newspapers where I came to know regarding the official visit of Hon’ble House Committee on Environment to sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Sundargarh. The panel led by Debasis Samantary, comprising Arun Sahu and Nabin Narayan Nanda paid the visit to Jharsuguda on 03^rd Feb. The Committee along with JSG MLA Mr. Naba Kishore Das, Rengali MLA and senior Govt. Officials visited various industries in the region. There they reviewed steps taken by the industrial units to contain pollution and protect environment as per norms

While the panel gave a “Go ahead” green signal to Vedanta and Bhusan for their effective measures taken to contain pollution, on the contrary, they took a strong note on few erring industries for violating the norms of pollution control & environment protection act.

Containing emission and pollution level within the permissible limit by the advanced equipments and techniques can easily be accessible and affordable by the large industries. Whereas for small scale industries, it can be a major cause that enhances their Cost of Production (COP). Thus instead of concerning these issues, they have been trying to increase their profit leeway. Being a huge green field project, for Vedanta, these environmental friendly techniques certainly cannot be a big reason which can affect its COP at a large. I think, above all, ‘zeal’ to do something good for the environs around the plant must be there.

“Go ahead” signal by the Hon’ble House committee on environment to Vedanta will definitely indicates the fact that Vedanta (Talking about Jharsuguda) is very much concerned about its environmental aspect. It is a good sign for the people of Jharsuguda where they can enjoy a standard life residing in it. In spite of this, I must tell you that other industries in the region should also gear up to protect the environment with containing the pollution level.

New Year celebration with “Dulduli” in Jharsuguda

  My Jharsuguda friends!!!

Wish you ‘n’ your family a very Happy and Blissful New Year...2011. Sparkling dawn of 2011 has brought many pleasant surprises to me; I wish so to you also...

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When I sought to pen a blog in this New Year, I went through many themes but couldn’t preserve myself writing about “Dulduli Mahotsava”. It is celebrated every year to mark the Jharsuguda Foundation Day on 01st January. This year, the 15th edition of this cultural fair was begun on 01st January, Saturday where Rajyasabha member Mr. Kishore Mohanty had inaugurated the event in the presence of District Collector Mr. S N Mishra. The venue of the event, Manmohan ME School ground was jam packed by the audience throughout the Mahotsav. Pallishree Mela, a book fair and the show case of the household products by the various SHG groups across the state were amongst the added attractions. But seeing the village women in “Subhalaxmi Mahila Samabaya Ltd” stall with their selling products such as phenyl, aquarium and other household things, I was much impressed. For your information, Subhalaxmi Cooperative Ltd is a women empowerment project promoted by “Vedanta Integrated Jana Jivika Yojana”. Under this project, they carry out all their financial and operational transactions autonomously forming independent Self Help Groups. It indeed helps them not only to be independent but also enhances their value in the society.

About 35 troupes from Orissa and other states put up an impressive show with Sankhvadya, Ranpa, Chaau, Odissi and Kuchipudi performances. Folk dances including Ghumura, Suttli and Ghoda Naach left the audience mesmerised. The biggest eye catching performance was the Dasavatar act by “Prince Dance Group” Berhampur, Orissa in the concluding day of the festival. The group witnessed a thunderous applause from the crowd of Jharsuguda. The Wednesday evening also witnessed poetry recital and felicitation of 57 poets. Former Revenue Divisional Commissioner Mr. R K Panda and former vice-chancellor of Berhampur University Mr. AP Padhi attended the closing ceremony of the function. A souvenir was also released during the fête. The event was held under the aegis of the district administration and the Orissa Rural Development & Marketing Society along with the cooperation of many industries in the region.

Certainly, it is so simple to carve but a tough task to let others realize the overwhelming experience of an event. I wish, New Year elation with the festive celebration must have helped the denizens of Jharsuguda in erasing the gloom of the last year....

Developing Jharsuguda..

        

       It had been long time to get a chance to trip my home town Jharsuguda. Finally I stretched to Jharsuguda after a long interval, rather I should thank to the District Athletic meet for which I got a span to go there.

      I must say, District Athletic Meet had been beautifully organized by Jharsuguda Dist Athletic Association from 15^th December to 17^th in the local railway ground. Later I came to know, Vedanta had come forward to sponsor the event. It was really good to hear that.

        Whatever the reason may be, it was a grand occasion for the local athletes to participate. I was very happy to see many athletes in the occasion. From school level, college level and local sports club many athletes participated to make the meet a grand success. On the closing ceremony, MP Rajyasabha Mr. Kishore Kumar Mohanty, Vedanta Sr. VP Mr. DK Singh, Sr. Railway officials and other dignitaries graced the event. They distributed the prizes to the successful athletes. Mr. Mohanty wished the sportsmen to try hard and to do better in future. Mr. DK Singh also assured the ever support of Vedanta in the sports endeavour of Jharsuguda towards the sustainable development. He applauded the participants for their effort in the ground. But the entertainment of the programme rose to its peak cherishing the eye catching stage performance of the local children. Really it was a good experience. Heartily I appraised Vedanta for its effort to support Dist. Athletic association for bringing out many sport talents from the villages. 

           Next morning, I had to go to Bhurkamunda (a small village near Jharsuguda town) for a personal work. It is worth mentioning that the road transportation from Brundamal to Bhurkamunda has really transformed. The day was there, when it was quite difficult to take a cycle to the village. But now, Vedanta has renovated the road and as a result, many small cabs can be seen running in the route. On requirement, you just come out from the home and you will certainly get a cab, like big cities. Though, sometime small jams are seen in the Brundamal- Jharsuguda road but we also have to admit, every progress has its own pros and cons. It can be seen, for the smooth traffic movement in the route, Vedanta has deputed its security personnel.

You must agree, the road transportation in the town has improved a lot. Certainly, we have been witnessing a sound development in Jharsuguda, from a small town to a developed city.

Wish you an Energetic and a Blissful New Year: 2011

New Jharsuguda...

The people of Jharsuguda who are witnessing this fast emerging cosmopolitan town as the new economic hub of Odisha need an uninterrupted blog page to reflect upon their views. This is what many of my friends suggested when I told them about this blog. They are upbeat and so am I.

From Tata refractory Ltd. near Belpahar, Orient Paper mills, Brajrajnagar and Ultratech cement factories, the industrial era was pillared here but mainly in the last decade (2001-2010). Bhushan steel and power Ltd, SPS, JSPL, ESPL and now Vedanta have made Jharsuguda to realize as an industrial city. Vedanta group is moving ahead to establish a 2MTPA Aluminium plant, Captive power plant and an Independent power plant of 2400MW which seems to be a very large project at a single location.

 Certainly, we can feel the dynamic changes in the society may be in terms of infrastructure, shopping centres, education, medical facilities and agricultural process but simultaneously the raising problem of dust, smoke, stealing activities, expensive life style, can also be noticed due to these industries.

We know industrialisation has its own pros and cons. Development has many synonyms but for me from a low cultivating land to a paled paddy field is the real development. From a mud lane to a concrete road in the village is the development. If a drop of tear can be wiped from a mother’s eye resulting treatment of her child that is development. If the education yardstick, its value and importance can be nourished in a child of a remote area, that is development. We all unanimously agree that Jharsuguda is a much familiar word worldwide only for its rapid development due to industrialisation within a short instance.

Now the time is here to reanalyse the scenario; whether the industrialisation is beneficial or not for this vicinity???

Welcome to Jharsuguda...

       Let me be very honest. I belong to Jharsuguda, a small town in the western part of Orissa (Specifically at 21° 82' N and 84° 1' E coordinates). Adding my total quality time spend here from my busy work rota would be no more than 50-60 days a year. Though a small town but trust me; it is not only popular in India but also now a familiar word in worldwide now. Jharsuguda is enriched with its mineral wealth, especially coal and it can be considered as one of the rapidly developing city in Indian political map. So I feel and you also agree with me that being a resident of Jharsuguda, we should have our own blog space where we can share our views, achievements, suggestions and comments, etc.

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That’s why I have created this blog space – “Jharsuguda Speaks...” With the divine blessing of Baba Jhareswara Mahadev, let me start the blog from the history of Jharsuguda, the developing Aluminium city in Western Odisha.

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  Most of us know that the documented History of Jharsuguda is coded from the time when the present district of Jharsuguda was known as "Jharguda", which was basically a part of the domain of Sambalpur. The history of Jharsuguda is synonymous with the sovereignty of the Chauhan kings in Sambalpur, who came in power far back at 16th century, when Balaram Dev of Chauhan dynasty established the Kingdom of Sambalpur. As the folklores runs, the kishans from the Jharkhand state actually established the kingdom of Jharsuguda with Jharkishan as the head of the tribe. Siva Singha, because of having the royal kinship was given the power of 12 jaigirdars including 12 villages namely Jharsuguda, Badheimunda, Debadihi, Kumdapali, Kureibaga, Banjari, Dalki, Balijori, Beheramal, Ekatali, Buromal, & Sarbahal, which originally was the kingdom of the tribal head Jharkishan. 

        At the closing of the 18th century the, history of Jharsuguda was marked by the aggression & occupation of Sambalpur by the Marahattas Bhonsle. Since the Maratha occupation, Orissa was a part of their empire till the period, when the history of Orissa was vitiated with the British influence. In 1818, when the British occupied the Sambalpur State, Maharaja Sai was made the nominal king, but the British carried out the actual administration. When Maharaja Sai died in 1826, the British declared his widow Mohankumari as the ruler of the Sambalpur. Claiming himself to be the rightful heir of the throne of Sambalpur, thereby challenging the decision of the British, the zamindar of Jharsuguda, Govind Singh launched an armed rebellion against the British. Besides being supported by a number of native chiefs, quite a good number of Gond tribals joined the rebellion. The rebellion of Govind singh continued for a long period of 3 years and in a decisive battle in 1833 between the British and Govind Singh on the vast field adjoining the Jhadeswar, the British defeated Govind singh and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Another claimant to the throne of Sambalpur Surendra Sai, Jamindar of Khinda, when launched armed rebellion against the British was arrested on the charge of dacoity & manslaughter because of his armed attack on the Jamindar of Rampur.
        The British supremacy in Jharsuguda has brought about socio-economic genesis in the district. During 1884, the Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) was commissioned between Calcutta and Nagpur and a Railway Station was established at Jharsuguda. A post office and a police station were established at Jharsuguda in 1895. In 1905, Jharsuguda ceased to be a part of the Central province and merged with Orissa.

       The history of Jharsuguda demonstrates that the district appears to be a significant part of Orissa`s politics after being attached to the Orissa province. In 1882 with the enactment of the local self-government Act, a Sanitation committee was formed for Jharsuguda in 1884. In 1951, according to the Orissa Government Notification No.5124/21851, the Jharsuguda Union Board was replaced by Jharsuguda Municipality, which was comprised of 13 wards and an area of 11.45sq mile. The than Mafidar of Jharsuguda Mr. Lal Haribans Singhdeo was elected as first Chairman of Jharsuguda Municipality on 5th October, 1952.Originally Jharsuguda survived as the Sadar sub division of Sambalpur till 1979 and the Sub-Division with its 5 component blocks namely Jharsuguda, Kolabira, Laikera, Kirmira and Lakhanpur was affirmed as an independent district on 01st Jan, 1994 vide G.O. No. 56413 dt 22nd Dec’1993.

I feel, our friends from western Orissa are very much anxious to go through the developmental phases of Jharsuguda after its affirmation as a district.