Category Archives: News
Four killed in road accident in Sambalpur
In a tragic incident, four persons were killed and one seriously injured when the car in which they were travelling collided with a roadside tree on National Highway-55 at Pradhanpali area under Charamala police station limits in Sambalpur district early this morning.
The seriously injured person, identified as Rohan Bariha of Daleipada area of Sambalpur town, was rushed to government hospital at Redhakhol from where he was later shifted to VSS Medical College and Hospital at Burla as his condition became critical.
Of the four persons who died on the spot, one has been identified as a B.Tech student of Ainthapali area of Sambalpur town.
According to reports, four students of a private engineering college were on the way from Bhubaneswar in a car when the driver lost control of the vehicle which skidded off the road and collided with a tree killing four persons, including the driver, on the spot.
Meanwhile, the police and a fire brigade team have rushed to the spot. Efforts are on to bring out the bodies by cutting the doors of the car.
Central Status for Sambalpur Varsity Sought
Even as the State Government announced that an Open University would come up in Sambalpur, not satisfied with the crumbs the people of Western Odisha have reiterated their demand for Central university status to Sambalpur University.
The Open University was announced in a bid to pacify the agitators who have been demanding establishment of an Indian Institute of Management (IIM).
It was the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan who had raised the issue during the foundation day celebration of Sambalpur University recently. He had said, “Since the university caters to backward areas of Western Odisha and will celebrate its golden jubilee after two years, there is a need for visible development in terms of education and infrastructure.”
A memorandum in this regard was also submitted to Pradhan by the members of Association of Students, Employees and Teachers (ASET) requesting him to pursue the matter with the Ministry of Human Resources Development.
Although the State Government had agreed on principle to confer the status on Sambalpur University around a decade back and sent a recommendation to the Centre, nothing has come out of it as yet.
The university has 180 colleges under it. Established in 1964, it is the only university in the State that covers the largest area of 12 districts in the region.
In 2004, the BJD Government wrote to the Centre, supporting the justification behind the demand. Again in 2008, the demand was raised by the students and teachers following the Centre’s declaration to establish a Central University in Odisha, but that was given to Koraput.
“Centralisation of the University will provide good exposure to students and largely contribute towards advanced research. Fee will also come down, particularly in self-financed courses,” said an official of Sambalpur University.
In the last five years, research in Sambalpur University had gone down due to lack of adequate number of teachers. The vacancies were filled up only last year.
Besides, it does not have accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), a quality rating autonomous body established by the University Grants Commission (UGC), as a result of which it is losing out on various UGC development grants.
NAAC accreditation for Sambalpur University ended in 2010 and it is yet to apply for re-accreditation.
Minor molested by a professor, Sambalpur University
A 13-year-old girl was allegedly molested by a professor of Sambalpur University, as per the police statement.
The head of the post-graduate Department of History of Sambalpur university had allegedly molested the girl when she was alone in her house on January 4, police officials said.
The incident came to light after the victim’s father, who is a colleague of the accused professor, lodged a complaint with the Burla police station yesterday.
Vice-Chancellor of Sambalpur University, C R Tripathy, however, refrained from making any comment on the issue and said that the police had taken up the matter.
The incident sparked sharp reaction among the students, who burnt the effigy of the accused professor in the varsity premises.
The professor was arrested, Additional Superintendent of Police Sushil Kumar Panigrahi said.
Bus driver in Odisha cuts off his tongue protesting harassment
Bhimsen Meher, a driver of OSRTC
Bhimsen Meher, a driver working in the state-run Odisha State Road Transport Corporation, on Wednseday 31st dec 2014, cut off his tongue to protest continued harassment by his seniors.
Bhimsen Meher has been working as a driver for the last 35 years.
He had earlier sat on hunger strike demanding regularisation of job. He called off his fast after he got assurance, but when he rejoined, his seniors refused to give him work.
Because of continued harassment, Bhimsen Meher, on Wednesday, cut off his tongue, and wrote “Jai Kosala” on the wall of his house. He was rushed to Bargarh hospital for treatment.
Kosala Kranti Dal and several other local organisations are demanding statehood for 11 western districts of Odisha — Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Sundergarh.
The region, known as Kosala, is poor and backward.
Train to Bhawanipatna Flagged Off
A new passenger train between Sambalpur and Bhawanipatna was flagged off from here on Sunday. The train was flagged off by Sambalpur Lok Sabha member Nagendra Pradhan in the presence of local MLA, Dr. Raseswari Panigrahi and Ajay Pratap Singh, Divisional Railway Manager of Sambalpur division.
Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan expressed happiness over introduction of the new train and urged for various projects of Sambalpur division including further development of Sambalpur station. MLA Panigrahi called for improvement in passenger amenities in Sambalpur station. The train will leave Sambalpur at 07.15 hrs and stop at all stations between Sambalpur and Bhawanipatna, the release said.
