AC Buses in Bhubaneswar from February 2014

AC Buses in Bhubaneswar from February 2014

Here comes another great news for the people of Odisha. The capital of the state, Bhubaneswar, is going to add another feather towards becoming a metro and modern city of the country. According to the sources Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation is going to launch AC buses in Bhubaneswar in the second week of February, 2014.

Number of AC Buses in Bhubaneswar:

BMC has planned to launch 12 AC Buses in Bhubaneswar. Procurement of these 12 buses has already been completed by the BMC officials. The buses have been supplied by a Kanpur based bus firm.

Routes:

AC Buses in Bhubaneswar will ply on three different routes initially. While one route is from Bhubaneswar to Puri the second route is from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack. Another route that has been finalized is between Airport and Nandankanan.

Facilities:

All the AC Buses in Bhubaneswar will have CCTV cameras and GPS monitoring system. Each of the buses will have 35 seats. The seats will be lower so that the elder and physically challenged persons don’t get any trouble while travelling in it.

Bus Fare:

The bus fare will be finalized the fare fixation committee. It is expected to be in a range which will be affordable by the common people. Dream Team Sahara, which is managing 125 city buses in the city, will also manage the functioning of the AC Buses in Bhubaneswar.

City Bus Route Info Signs to be Displayed on Several Routes :

The population of the Twin City is increasing rapidly due to the increasing job opportunities and affordable place to live in. With the increasing population the transportation facility must be good enough to control the commuters.

Government City Bus is playing a major role in transportation within the city. But most of the people are facing problems while choosing the right bus to their desired destination. So to help the commuters to choose the right bus, now City Bus Route Information will be displayed on the bus stops in the shape of signs.

The commuters will now have a basic idea on which bus to board to reach their desired destination and also about the other bus routes.

The sign boards were lying empty for more than one year after the Bus Bays were made. The City Bus service started on October 10, 2010 and the bus stops were completed recently.

Few days ago an initiation was made by The Telegraph about the empty sign boards held on some routes. But the Authorities before doing anything wrote the information about the bus routes on the empty sign boards. Now three routes 405, 207, 603 are having sign boards, while two more routes 801 and 504 will be added shortly.

“More sign will be developed along other bus routes. The public works department and traffic police will also be consulted on this. At present, the sign work is involving 168 bus stops along the three routes”, said Municipal commissioner Sanjib Kumar Mishra.

Zebra crossings and dividers would also be painted near the bus stops apart from the bus route signs, added  Municipal Commissioner Sanjib Kumar Mishra.

Nishikanta Mishra, chairman of the city bus operator Dream Team Shahara, said: “After covering the 168 sign posts, we will cover 200 more for two more routes. After that, 400 more sign will be added to the remaining 12 routes.”

The Dream Team Shahara is also planning to add more 60 buses to its existing 17 routes and extend the closing time from 8.30pm to 9.30pm after the addition of the new buses to the routes.

Bhubaneswar to become IT hub

Bhubaneswar to become IT hub

An information technology investment region (ITIR) is going to be established in Bhubaneswar. The proposed ITIR region in Bhubaneswar will be developed on an area of 40 square kilometers for which around 10000 acres of land is required. According to the sources, the ITIR region will come up between Bhubaneswar and Khurda at a cost of Rs 17,883 crore. The cabinet memorandum for the same is being made and it will get the approval of the cabinet soon.

The ITIR region of Bhubaneswar will create as many as 2,30,000 jobs in the state while it can accommodate a population of 5,40,000. Around three fourth of the project will be made in public private partnership (PPP) mode. Sources say that the in-principle approval has already been given by the centre. At a time when foreign direct investments (FDI) are gaining pace, the ITIR region will definitely attract a huge amount of investment to the state. The ITIR project is expected to include an airport, a global IT training centre and a science city among other things.

The Infocity II project that is already in progress, is also going to be a part of the information technology investment region of Bhubaneswar. Infocity II is being developed over 600 acres of land. According to the sources, the ITIR project will be completed in two phases. While 20 percent of the project is planned to be completed in the first phase, the second phase will have majority of work which includes 80 percent of the project. The next big thing about the project is land acquisition. As per the ITIR project plan, arounf 40 percent od the land will be allotted to the information technology (IT), IT enabled services (ITES) and electronics and hardware manufacturing units. The other 60 percent of the approved land will have development and research centers. Institutes of national and international importance will also be allotted land in this region. Some schools, hospitals and shopping malls are also planned to be constructed here.

Similar kind of ITIR projects are also approved in other states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. 

Skywalks to be set up in Twin City by Government of Odisha

With the increasing vehicular traffic in the Twin City (Bhubaneswar and Cuttack); the pedestrians are facing a lot of problems in crossing the roads in the congested areas. Many accidents are also happening in the busy areas due to the road crossing. So for the convenience of the pedestrians Government of Odisha decided to build Skywalks on the busy areas of the city. The first Skywalk is going to be set up in Jaydev Vihar. The whole idea of building Skywalks in the Twin City came from from the Mumbai Skywalks.

The main purpose of the Skywalk is efficiently moving the pedestrians from the busy congested areas to other locations. The Skywalk will be connected to the Bus Stations, Taxi Stands and shopping malls through a dedicated walkway. Where the Foot Over-Bridges (FOB) are only meant for crossing the roads while a Skywalk will extend a little bit and to more than one direction.

The state housing and urban development (H&UD) department is looking for an executing agency for the Skywalks project. The project cost of the Skywalk which is to be build in Jaydev Vihar is around 10 Crore. The Whole investment will be done by JNNURM funds for the development of the infrastructure of the city. A similar Skywalk is also to be set up near Link Road in Cuttack. In the second phase, we have planned to construct skywalks at Kalpana Square and Raj Mahal Square in Bhubaneswar, H&UD special secretary S K Ratho said.

The Whole Foot Over-Bridges (FOB) project is now replaced by the Skywalks even if the Foundation stone of the Foot Over-Bridges (FOB) at Javdev Vihar han been laid on 31 August 2013. The government is now planning to construct the Skywalks on every Foot Over-Bridges (FOB) site.

As the Skywalks will not only help the pedestrians to cross the road but also lead them to different locations, this will be best the common people. Most of the Urban Planners welcomed the skywalk concept, but they had a doubt whether it can serve the purpose at Jaydev Vihar.

Skywalks are suppose to be present near Metro Stations likewise in Mumbai, so some people feel that the skywalks needs to be set up at Master Canteen and Kalpana Square. The demand of the people is that the projects should be completed as soon as possible not like the Foot Over-Bridges (FOB) which was announced in 2011 but the construction is yet to start.  

Odia Director’s film selected for International Film Festival

Odia Director’s film selected for International Film Festival

Odia Director Sabyasachi Mohapatra’s feature film ‘SALA BUDHA’ has been selected for International film festival of India’s Indian panorama section. the list of the feature films to be showed in the IFFI-2013 has been announced recently in which 26 films have been shortlisted. The jury that was chosen for the selection of feature films was headed by noted film maker and editor B. Lenin. The jury comprised of nine members and it took 21 days to finalise the list in which ‘SALA BUDHA’ finds a place. Paan Singh Tomar is also shortlisted as direct entry to the festival. It had won Best Feature Film award in the 60^th National Film Awards. Six Malayalam, five Bengali 3 Marathi, 2 English and one film each from Konkani, Kannada, Kosali and Tamil have been selected in the featured film category. A number of movies have also been selected in the non-feature film category.

The 44^th IFFI-2013 is going to be held in Goa from November 20 to November 30, 2013. ‘SALA BUDHA’ is a movie made in Kosali language. It focuses on the rural area. It is an attempt to show the plight of aged people in the western part of Odisha (in the villages) in the form of a movie. ‘SALA BUDHA’ is the daptation of the novel of Kapil Prasad Mohapatra, father of the director Sabyasachi Mohapatra. This movie is made in black and white and the director says that he has enough reasons for doing so. This, being a periodical movie, a black and white adaptation can give it the required justice. The Oscar award winning movie, The Artist, was also made in black and white and that is the inspiration for the director of ‘SALA BUDHA’. The last film to be selected for IFFI was ‘Swayamsidha’ which was directed by Sudhanshu Sahu.

The movie ‘SALA BUDHA’is produced by Susanta Mohapatra. While the dialogues are written by Atala Bihari Panda, Prakash Mohapatra has contributed as the cinematographer. The cast of the movie includes Ghasiram Mishra, Gadadhar Barik, Prithwiraj, Atala Bihari Panda, Netranand, Purushottam Mishra and Ratan Meher. 

Odisha Among Top States in MSME Job Creation

When we talk about job opportunities in the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sector, Odisha has fared well in creating job opportunities in that sector. According to the Union ministry of MSME's annual report for 2012-13 Odisha has been ranked among the 10 leading states in country in terms of employment generated by the MSME sector.

The number of employed people in the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) reached to 3.32 million and 0.173 million are employed in the registered sector. About 3.15 million people engaged in the unregistered sector.

The other leading states in terms of employment in MSMEs are Uttar Pradesh (9.23 million employees), West Bengal (8.578 million ), Tamil Nadu (8.09 million), Andhra Pradesh (7.069 million), Maharashtra (7.04 million), Kerala (4.96 million), Gujarat (4.77 million), Karnataka (4.672 million) and Madhya Pradesh (3.36 million).However, the state did not feature among the top 10 leading states in terms of number of enterprises.

The total number of MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) units in Odisha is about 1.57 million out of which 1.53 units are registered and the rest being the unregistered sector.

It may be noted that enterprises registered with district industries centres in the states/ Union territories, Khadi and Village industries commission (KVIC)/ Khadi and Village Industries Board, Coir Board (as on March 31, 2007) and factories under the coverage of Section 2m (i) and 2m (ii) of the Factories Act 1948 used for Annual Survey of Industry having investment in plant and machinery up to Rs 10 crore were considered to belong to the registered sector.

The top states in terms of number of MSME enterprises are Uttar Pradesh (4.403 million units), West Bengal (3.664 million), Tamil Nadu (3.313 million), Maharashtra (3.063 million), Andhra Pradesh (2.596 million), Kerala (2.2 million), Gujarat (2.178 million), Karnataka (2.02 million), Madhya Pradesh (1.933 million) and Rajasthan (1.66 million).

Similarly, the enterprises engaged in the activities of manufacturing or in providing/rendering of services, not registered permanently or not filed entrepreneurs memorandum (EM) with state directorates of industries/district industries centers on or before March 31,2007 are classified as unregistered enterprises.

The state government is taking keen interest to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) to facilitate credit linkage for MSMEs (micro, small & medium enterprises) in the state.There are 26 DICs and five RICs in the state.

Government of Odisha to develop 2,158 km highways under Road Development Plan

Highways in a state show the development of that area. Wide highways will increase the transportation rate which will ultimately lead to achieve the business goals. That’s why the state government has came out with plans to improve the conditions of 2,158 km state highways with an total investment of Rs 3,000 Crore in upcoming 4 years. The tender notice has been called for the 1st phase of work involving 381 km or state highways with an expenditure of Rs 633 Crore.

A new scheme has been introduced by the Government of Odisha called as State Highways Development Programme (SHDP), which will be working on doubling the State Highways within five years with an estimated cost of Rs 3,000 Crore.

A Project management Cell is going to be set up to manage and monitor the projects under SHDP scheme. The work department has been advised to engage Professional Contract Management Agency to assist the PMC to accomplish the target in due time.

The first phase of the programme include widening and strengthening of the road of 11.772 km long between Hindol and Mahidharpur on SH-64 in Dhenkanal District. The first phase also includes 11.93 km long Umerkote-Raighar-Kundei-Likma on SH-40 in Nabarangpur district, , 8.20 km Seragarh-Nilagiri-Jharanaghati on SH-19 in Balasore district and 7km Arigaon-Bishalpali road in Bolangir district.

The first phase also include Shergada- Badagada-Sorada stretch on SH-36 of 38.95 km in Ganjam district, Manamunda-Kantamala-Ghantapada-Sindhiguda (SH-41) of 24.19 km in Boudh, Banigochha-Madharpur-Khajuripada-Phulbani-Saranagada-Nuagaon-Baliguda (SH-1) of 52.52km in Kandhamal, Baliguda-Muniguda (SH-5) of 24 km in Kandhamal, Parvatipur-Laxmipur (SH-51) of 47.35 km in Koraput district, Karanjia-Thakurmunda-Satkosia-Anandapur (SH-53) of 57.22 km in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar district.

As per the decision, the Berhampur-Mandara stretch (31 km) and Shergada-Badagada-Sorada (38.95 km) in Ganjam district, Padadahandi-Umerkote-Yerla (18.60 km) and Umerkote-Raighar-Kundei-Likma (11.93 km) in Nabarangpur district and Bhawanipatana-Gunupur-Kashipur (18.90 km) in Kalahandi district will also be developed into two lanes.

In a high level meeting which has been held recently chaired by Chief Secretary, J K Mohapatra, the main emphasis was given on widening roads in the Naxal-affected districts. In the meeting, Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra asked the officials to prepare monthly work plans against each road project and accomplish the target.

The State Works Department has decided that project costing more than Rs 20 Crore will be implemented under Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode. The Chief Secretary has advised the works department to finalize contract awards of 800 km roads and finish tendering of balance roads by December 2013.

Electronic Manufacturing Cluster to be set-up at Info-Valley

The IT sector in India, especially in Odisha is growing day by day. The IT sector plays a vital role in foreign exchange as many of the foreign client deal with the Indian IT sector.

Recently the Government of Odisha has decided to set up an Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at the Info Valley in Bhubaneswar. The Department of Information Technology has offered for preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for this project. 

The Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) will be preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR). The the Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) will take at least four months to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) and it will take six weeks for submission of the report and approval from the Centre.

The information and communication policy is the most important part of the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) project which will be finalised after the draft being verified by different departments.

The main goal of the draft policy is to achieve a gross IT turnover of $ 4 Billion including exports of the software and services, ESDM, domestic consumption and training. Such a huge turnover form foreign market and domestic market is not easy at all but the need of the services will make a way for it.

Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) is very hope to attract the ten leading IT companies and five leading Electronic System design and Manufacturing (ESDM) companies.

The project will create a lot of job opportunities for the IT professionals. The target of the policy is creating direct employment of 60,000 IT professionals and ESDM units by 2020.

Apart from this, the Department of Information Technology has also engaged the Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association, the premier trade body representing the ESDM industry, to prepare a road map for the ESDM sector in Odisha. 

Government of Odisha to Start Tourism Projects along Daya & Kuakhai Rivers in Bhubaneswar

Odisha is famous for its scenic beauty, long sea beaches and historical places. But to attract the foreign tourists there must be good tourism projects like hotels, parks etc. near famous places. The tourism projects in Odisha have started few years ago with the bus services for the foreign tourists, but that was not good enough to attract more number of tourists to land of scenic beauty, Odisha.

Recently Government of Odisha had undertaken many of the tourism and development projects and tourism projects near Daya and Kuakhai rivers is one of them. This project will work on establishing hotels, parks and boating facilities along the Daya and Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar.

A state level steering committee meeting was organized to have a blueprint for the project. The meeting was attended by Housing and Urban Planning Minister Debiprasad Mishra, Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management Surya Narayan Patra, Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, Development Commissioner I Shrinivas, State Housing Board chairman Saroj Kumar Samal , Vice Chairman of BDA Bishal Deb and other dignitaries. The meeting was organized presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The committee meeting was about the tourism development projects. The committee is planning to construct a project same as Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. This tourism project will be a new step towards the development of the Odisha Tourism. With these must needed facilities the tourist places will have more number of tourists and the showcase of the traditions and cultures of Odisha will go to a next level.

Furthermore the Government of Odisha is planning of the Greater Bhubaneswar with a future expansion of 146 villages added to its territory. The Greater Bhubaneswar is expected to build in an area of 11059 square kilometers. The decision of building the Greater Bhubaneswar was taken in reference with the Comprehensive Development Plan developed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

The sketching of roadmaps and blue prints of the projects is under processing. The 60 kilometer Ring Road project within the perimeter of the city is also under processing. And also so much awaited rapid transit system is going to start soon. BDA (Bhubaneswar Development Authority) is also planning to build 10,000 cost effective homes in the city. The committee is also planning to build Satellite Township on 1200 acres of land.

If all these projects came true then Bhubaneswar will became one of the developed cities in India. Let’s wait to see the Future Bhubaneswar. 

Metro Rail To Be Set-Up In Bhubaneswar

Good news for the people as Government of Odisha is being ready for introducing a new transport system in Odisha. The wait for the Metro Rail transportation is going to end very soon. The process of the much awaited Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar started on Tuesday 29 August 2013. 

The state Government called Request For Proposal (RFP) to select consultant to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS).

According to Census 2011, the population of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack is 8.37 Lakh and 6.06 Lakh respectively. As by the Bhubaneswar Cuttack Urban Complex (BCUC) the population will increase to 42 Lakh by 2030. So the transportation for the people will be a headache for the Government. That’s why Government of Odisha is taking a step ahead to have a Metro Rail or Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in the state. The Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) will be connected to Jatni, Khurda, Bhubaneswar, Barang, Chaudwar and Cuttack.

The first part of the proposed project has started. The consultant employed by Request For Proposal (RFP) is going to assess mobility, alignment, multi-modal land use integration plan, land acquisition details, transit-oriented development, cost estimation and funding pattern. The station location has been taken into account according to the catchment areas, feasibility of entry and exit facilities, availability of parking areas etc.

The land acquisition for the project is a big headache for the department. The consultant will also recommend land for the project facilities like station area, electric substation, maintenance deport and construction deport.

The consultant will recommend suitable track structure for the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) project. It will also give a detailed report about the type of rails, method of welding and fastening systems. A layout will be prepared by the consultant to handle the projected traffic, said the RFP.

More than 20,000 people go up-down in this route for different purposes. So Metro Rail facility will be definitely helpful for the people of Odisha. As the main up-down transportation is being held between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. The common people will get a cheap and fast transportation service after the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) project.

World Trade Centre to be set up in Bhubaneswar

The World Trade Centre Association (WTCA) which was founded in 1970 after the establishment of the 1st World Trade Centre at New York to encourage the expansion of World Trade. The World Trade Centre Association is a non-forfeit, non political organization for the effective operation of the World Trade Centers across the World.  World Trade Centre Association has 323 members from 95 countries. 

The aim World Trade Centre Association is to maintain international business relationship and understanding among nations.  It also tries to create and encourage mutual assistance and cooperation among members. It also helps nations to increase their industrialization and participation in the World Trade.

The World Trade Centre Association has proposed to set up a World Trade Centre in Bhubaneswar to increase the participation in World Trade and also for the promotion of international trade and investment in Odisha. 

World Trade Centre has 323 members from 95 countries and the number of business associates is around 1 million which account for more than one third of the World Trade Centre.

The proposal of establishing World Trade Centre in Odisha was presented at a high level meeting at World Trade Centre Association where World Trade Centre adviser Jayant Ghate and some of his colleagues were present. The proposal has been accepted and the details will be discussed further, said Ghate.

The aim World Trade Centre is the effective combination of infrastructure and service to promote international trade in Odisha which has a legacy of maritime international trade, Ghate added. 

The World Trade Centre has been providing services in many field across the world like in the field of trade information, trade research, trade education, exhibition facilities, meeting and conversations, temporary residential facilities, shopping arcades, and the most important one import and export activities, said Mr. T Ramachandru, Industries Secretary.

The World Trade Centre Association also proposed to submit a detailed report on the set up of World Trade Centre in Bhubaneswar. The World Trade Centre is most probably to be established on the periphery of the capital of Odisha, Bhubaneswar. If the project of the World Trade Centre became successful then the export import business will increase in Odisha which will lead to earn a good amount of money for the business men.

Two foot overbridges to be built in Bhubaneswar

Two foot overbridges to be built in Bhubaneswar

The state capital Bhubaneswar is soon going to have two foot overbridges. The two locations selected for the purpose are Master Canteen and Jayadev Bihar. Apart from the staircases, the bridges will also have elevators or lifts on both the sides so that the older persons and children can commute conveniently. 

The construction work of the foot overbridges started on August 1, 2013. Though the foundation stone of the Jayadev Vihar foot overbridge was laid long back in the year 2011, construction work started this Friday owing to land disputes.  The bridges will have skywalk of around 35 meters across the road. The elevators that will be attached on both the sides of the bridge will have the carrying facility of 13 people at a time. The structural design for the bridges has already been done. Sources say that it was sent to National Institute of Technology, Rourkela for approval. The institute has approved the design and hence the work is expected to start soon. The estimated expenditure of each foot overbridge is Rs 2 crore. After the completion of the construction work, the maintenance work of the bridges will be given to a private agency. The agency will also be given the authority to monitor advertising on the foot overbridge. In return the agency will pay the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Rs 5 laks per annum. 

Sources say that the foot overbridge was to be built near the fly over of Jayadev Vihar. But it was shifted around 200meters towards Pal Heights as adequate land for the flyover was not available. But people are not happy over the change of location as the new location is not going to serve any purpose. The pedestrians will have to walk this extra distance only to walk over. Jayadev Vihar and Master Canteen are two busiest places in the city. According to sources, BMC is planning to build the third foot over bridge in the city once the construction work of these two bridges completes. The third foot overbridge is is expected to be built at Saheed Nagar near RD Women’s College.

Harley-Davidson on the Roads of Bhubaneswar

Bikers are the king of the Roads. And when it’s Harley-Davidson you are surely a king. A riders dream come true when he owns a Harley-Davidson but everyone is not that lucky to have one in their garage. Speed and Distance everything counts for a biker. One might call them a biker but on the road they are HOGs (Harley Owners Group). Every time the HOG riders go for a drive, it creates a sensation among the people and the area they pass through. If you love bikes then you cannot pass by without looking a Harley-Davidson. And if you found the HOGs then it’s like a dream come true.

This Independence Day, means on 15th August the roads of Bhubaneswar will burn with the Harley-Davidson as the HOGs from the Bengal Chapter are on a visit to Bhubaneswar. It will be a Signature ride for the HOGs. HOGs from the Bengal Chapter came many times to Odisha. Recently on 15th June, a group of 4 riders Naveen Sehgal, Rana Roychowdhury, Ayush Chaturvedi and Ashish Ghosh along with some other employees from the Bengal Harley-Davidson visited Bhubaneswar.

The HOGs started their journey at 6.30 am on 15th June and reached Bhubaneswar in the evening after almost 900 km of journey. The next day there was a test ride and bike display event organized at Mayfair Hotel. After that the riders hit the Marine Drive, the largest Coastal Road in India. The next day they returned to Kolkata. 

Once again the HOG riders from the Bengal Chapter will come to Odisha on this Independence Day. On 15th August the roads of Bhubaneswar will feel the heat of the Harley- Davidson. The HOG riders will roam around the city to celebrate the Independence Day along with other Harley-Davidson riders in Bhubaneswar. This will be a Signature Ride of the HOGs and the proud owners of the classy and stylish Harley-Davidson bikes.

Harley-Davidson lovers get ready for a wonderful day with the HOGs in the temple city Bhubaneswar. Everyone is looking forward for the action on 15th August. So get ready to have a real road action from the HOGs. 

The Odisha Press Club formed

 

The Odisha Press Club formed

The Odisha Press Club has been formed on 30^th July 2013. The owners, editors, resident editors and other officials of different English and Odia Newspapers assembled at the May Fair hotel in Bhubaneswarto form The Odisha Press Club. The Managing Director of Odisha Bhaskar Mr Madhu Mohanty convened the meeting while the Managing Director of Ortel Communication, Jagimangat Panda chaired the meeting. The presidium members of the Odisha Press Club were chosen in the meeting. Editor of leading Odia Daily ‘Sambad’ Mr. Soumyaranjan Patnaik, Editor of ‘Dharitri’ Mr. Tathagat Satapathy, Ortel MD Mrs Jagimangat Panda and Dipak Malabya od LOk Sevak Mandal‘ have been elected as the members of the presidium. The convener of the meeting Mr. Mohanty proposed the names of the above mentioned dignitaries in the meeting and all the members approved it unanimously. The next meeting of The Odisha Press Club will be held on 18^th August, 2013.

The Odisha Press Club aims to work for the interest of the journalists of the state. In the changing time, the journalists of the state are not safe as they have been pressurized by various people. So this club has been formed so that the journalists can show their unity and face any adverse situation. The capitals of other states already have their respective press clubs. Though the attempt to form The Odisha Press Club has been made before, it was not successful. But this time the purpose has been achieved. The speakers expressed their view on this occasion. Ranjiv Biswal of ‘Samaya’ said that the Odisha Press Club needs to have its own building and then only it can serve its purpose in the right way. He also proposed that The Odisha Press Club should have tie-ups with the Press Clubs of the other states of the country. Nageswar Patnaik of Economic Times, Jayasish Roy of Sambad Kalika, Srimoy Kar of The New Indian Express also put some light on the necessity of such a club in the state. They demonstrated the hardships faced by the journalists of the state and hoped that the move will be able to stop that.

All-women city bus service started in Bhubaneswar

 

All-women city bus service started in Bhubaneswar

In an attempt to provide safe and comfortable bus service to the women of the state capital, all-women city bus service has been started. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched this much awaited and much talked about bus service on 29^th July, 2013. Just before 4 months, in a similar kind of attempt, all-women city bus service was started between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar by OSRTC. This time the service is being provided by DREAM TEAM SAHARA and BPTSL in the city. But the number of commuters has been really less in the OSRTC women bus and hence it has been really difficult to register any profit. 

No. of all-women city bus in Bhubaneswar:

Four buses will serve the purpose. These buses would run in two routes i.e. in Airport-Nandankanan route and KIIT Square-Balakati route. Each bus will have around 60 seats. 

Bus no. of all-women bus in Bhubaneswar: 207 and 306(two buses each)

Timing:

The all-women city bus in Bhubaneswar would transport women from 8.30 am to 11am in the morning and from 4.30 pm to 7 pm in the evening. The timing of the buses is aimed to match the timing of working women and female students in the city.

How to recognize all-women bus in Bhubaneswar?

The all-women bus in Bhubaneswar has been painted red all over it so that people can recognize it easily. Several messages and quotations regarding women empowerment have also been written on its exterior part.

Though a lot of people have welcomed the move, there are quite a few others who are skeptical about its success. Instead of having a all-women city bus service, it would have been better if there could have been reservation for women in other buses. In other cities like Kolkata, there is reservation of a certain number of seats in all the city buses.

There are also plans to install CCTV cameras in the city buses to stop anti-social activities. Currently, 125 city buses are running in the city which includes the 4 all-women city services started recently. Hope this new service becomes a success.