___________

Following is an excerpt from a Business Standard report in sify.com.

Construction work on the Rs 100-crore Konark Knowledge Park, a biotech-pharma-IT hub, being developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited on around 65 acres of land at Andharua on the outskirts of the city, is set to take off by March 2011.

"The biotech park would have all statutory clearances within four months and construction work will begin soon after that", an official source told Business Standard.

… The land leveling for this project is already over and efforts are underway to provide piped water and power supply to the park.

The park is set to be completely operational within eight years of the commencement of construction work.The park would have a Biotechnology Incubation Centre spread over 10 acres. The incubation centre to be developed within the park would cater to the needs of the researchers, entrepreneurs and students.

The Centre would provide equipment called the biotech incubator worth Rs 25 crore for the incubation centre.The biotech industry in the country is growing at a very good pace and this incubation centre is set to emerge as a Centre of Excellence.

The Konark Kowledge Park is the first of its kind venture to be developed on the public private partnership (PPP) mode in the state in the field of science and technology.

… The Industrial Infrastructure Corporation of Orissa (Idco) has been appointed as the nodal agency for the development of this integrated park would provide all external infrastructure facilities like roads, water supply and electricity for this complex.

The following numbers are obtained (with some calculation) from http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/traffic_news.jsp. (Thanks to Devasis Sarangi for the pointer.)

The numbers in the last column are not directly in any file in the above site, but were calculated using data in multiple files. No assumptions were made.

The following pages give comparative numbers of domestic passenger traffic in Bhubaneswar airport with respect to other airports in India. Note that the decline from 2007-08 to 2008-09 was across the board. However,  the decline of 4.3% with respect to Bhubaneswar airport during that time was much less than the national decline of 11.2% for the same period.

With respect to the above data the domestic passenger traffic in Bhubaneswar is close to the domestic traffic in the international airport of Lucknow and is more than the domestic traffic in the international airports of Trivandrum, Calicut, Amritsar, Port Blair and Nagpur; It is more than the domestic traffic in the custom airports of Mangalore, Trichy, Bagdogra, Varanasi, Patna and Gaya and all other domestic airports that include Indore, Vizag, Vadodara, Jammu, Raipur, Chandigarh, etc.

Following is from a PIB release dated 5th October 2010.

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure

05-October-2010 19:48 IST

Upgradation of road from Vijayawada to Ranchi approved

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) today approved improvement of balance 600 Km. of State roads in Orissa with a view to develop, in a phased manner, the entire 1632 Km. long Left Wing extremism affected Vijayawada-Ranchi corridor at an estimated cost of Rs.1200 crore. The project will be completed in next three years by March, 2014.

The project will also provide a good communication network between the tribal districts of Orissa and other developed areas in the State as well as to the neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

The project will cover Malkangiri, Jaypore, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhmal, Boudh, Sambalpur, Angul, Deogarh, Koenjhar and Mayurbhanj districts in Orissa.

BACKGROUND:

In view of growing activities of Left Wing Extremists in various States, the stretch between Vijayawada-Ranchi Route was considered for development as an integrated project by Central and State Governments. In Sept., 2009, the Government took decision to sanction remaining stretches of National Highways on Vijayawada Ranchi route in Orissa for widening to two-lane standards and undertaking preparation of Detail Project Reports (DPRs) for 600 Km. length of State Roads, which are not covered under any other programme.

***

AKT/SH/SM

Following is an excerpt from a report in Expressbuzz.com.

The wildlife wing of the Forest department has raised concerns over the setting up of 1,000 mw thermal power plant proposed by Tata Power Company at Naraj.

Its proximity to critical sites, impact of pollution on them as well as on the wildlife are issues the wildlife wing is worried about. The ` 4,900 cr coal-based power project is proposed at Naraj Marthapur, about 12 km from Cuttack and 20 km from Bhubaneswar.

“The Centre had referred the project site matter to me. Subsequently, I inspected the proposed power plant site and submitted a report in which I have indicated certain concerns relating to environment and wildlife,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) P N Padhi said on Monday.

One of the major issues is its location. According to Padhi’s report, the power plant is proposed amidst six critical sites.

It has Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on both sides and it is located between two major rivers __ Mahanadi and Kathjodi.

Besides, it is flanked by two wildlife habitats __ Chandaka- Dampara wildlife sanctuary on the one hand and Nandankanan Zoological Park and Zoo, also a notified sanctuary, on the other.

“With two protected areas (PAs) on its sides, a thermal power plant may have adverse impact on wildlife,” Padhi said. Chandaka, for one, is an elephant sanctuary and has witnessed growing man-animal conflict over the past 10 years.

Besides, the jumbos are known to stray out of their habitats more frequently in the last few years.

Similarly, apprehension of pollution is a major concern …

The power project, which is located in Cuttack Sadar tehsil, needs about 990 acres. It is well close to a road that connects Khurda, Chandaka, Barang and Gobindpur. …

That location (close to Sri Sri University) is apt for a knowledge park. Since the Tatas have already worked hard on the land acquisition Odisha government should tell them that instead of a power plant they should create a Knowledge Park there. It could include a large operation of TCS, a TCS training center like the Infosys center in Mysore, space and infrastructure for multiple universities, medical colleges, etc.

There the total land area is about 990 acres. Currently such an amount of contiguous land is not available so close to Bhubaneswar where one can build IT parks and knowledge parks.

So the Odisha government should consider giving the Tatas some other land for their power plant and use that land for a knowledge park, possibly even built by the Tatas.

Following is an excerpt from an article in Deccan Herald.

“My mother-in-law and social worker Sushilavati Swain asked me to start some cultural activity in Konark, so we acquired a piece of land in 1978. Two years later, we built a mud hut and called it the Konark Nata Mandap. Every Sunday we had a meeting and artistes from the nearby areas would come and spend the entire day singing, dancing and playing various musical instruments,” Gangadhar Pradhan says. This created an ambience of culture. The mandap’s activity started in 1980 as a small get-together but soon there was no looking back as it paved the way for the five-day international Konark Dance and Music Festival, that is held every year in this small town of Orissa.

Besides, the Konark Nata Mandap was re-christened Konark Natya Mandap (KNM). It has undergone several changes over the years. And, it has finally taken the shape of the replica of the world famous Sun Temple.

“The festival started in 1986 on the day of Shivaratri. But the seeds of the festival were sown in my mind when I had gone to the Swedish embassy and saw posters of the Khajuraho Festival there. That’s how the idea of the Konark Dance and Music Festival took shape in my mind,” remarks Pradhan.

In the true sense, it was the harbinger of the contemporary festivals of Odisha. “The main objective of the festival is not merely to provide entertainment but to educate and refine. It aims to harmoniously blend the classical, spiritual, tribal and folk aspects of the glorious cultural traditions.”

Built through the painstaking efforts of Gangadhar Pradhan, KNM now is a performer’s delight. A replica of the natyashala of the scintillating and stupendous Sun Temple of Konark, it provides the right kind of ambience for artistes, connoisseurs and art lovers from India and abroad.

The KNM serves as a temple of learning. Following the glorious traditions of Guru Kula Parampara, it provides teaching and training in dance, music, yoga and theatre. Classes on Odissi dance, Gotipua dance, mardal, tabla and Odissi music are being conducted on its premises. Experienced gurus and teachers share their experience with students who get the privilege of presenting their skill on the three stages erected on the premises.

That apart, KNM is functioning as an institution of cultural consultancy in the state for the growth and propagation of Odissi, tradition and classical art forms both at national and international levels. The mandap has shouldered a big responsibility of popularising Odissi dance and the sculptural epic Konark has metamorphosed into a living Konark.

Talking about his dream, Gangadhar Pradhan says that something should be happening in KNM throughout the year. “Now there is a festival happening 220 days in a year.” He is confident of achieving his goal by the middle of this decade.

Explaining about Living Konark, he said that people had seen Konark in stone, now they would see the living Konark and the dancing Konark. Once, this dream materialised, there would be a computerised film on Konark that would be screened.

“When I had given wings to my imagination, I had dreamt of the future 1000 years’ history which takes into account the cultural, spiritual and ritualistic aspects. The triangle of Konark-Puri-Bhubaneswar-Chilka will develop tourism as well as culture. What the tourist sees in one place will not be repeated in other places, so he or she will get to see something new each time,” he added.

I agree with his view on Congress as well as BJP. Following are excerpts from an interview of Dr. Ramachandra Guha by Sheela Bhatt in rediff.

Some Congress leaders have mocked Hinduism, sometimes even Hindu civilisation while trying to attract the minorities.

Lots of people have this view of the Congress. I wish we had a political party to challenge the Congress. That would offer the people of India a wider vision of how this country should be built. But we don’t need polarising issues. Such criticism comes from people who have a polarised vision.

I come from Karnataka. In the last election, the BJP put up 224 candidates but not one Muslim. Almost 15 percent of the population of Karnataka is Muslim. So you are telling 15 percent of Karnataka you don’t count for us. Then how can you blame them for voting for the Congress? The BJP originally, said, ‘appeasement of none, recognition of all.’

But they never followed it. In Karnataka they attacked Christians after the Muslims in Gujarat. They had only one woman in the cabinet and she too has been sacked. So what message are they sending?

Is this the alternative to the Congress? The Congress can be a cynical manipulator. It plays one community against the other, okay, but, what are you offering that is better?

Do you think in the coming decades the BJP will form a national challenge to the Congress?

I don’t think so. It has fallen back to the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). I think it’s possible that in 20 or 30 years time we may see a new political formation. It is possible a middle-class formation which is not captive of one family or one religion or one caste may emerge.

The BJP had a great chance to become a national party, but it has lost it. During Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s time, even at the time of the last election they had a chance to grow, but they always go back to the RSS.

When the Jaswant Singh crisis happened, (former deputy prime minister and then Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha) L K Advani went to see (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat who is head of a social-cultural organisation.

Who will trust the BJP as a young and modern party?

After reading the Congress’s history so well are you surprised by the way in which Sonia Gandhi has taken control of the party in the last ten years? Are you surprised to see the way she has grown and established herself?

I think she is a person of great determination. She has worked very hard. In the revival of the Congress she has been central. But there is a negative side also.

I see that a culture of chamchagiri (sycophancy) has flourished under her. There is a darbari (court) culture, there are chamchas around her. That is not healthy for any democracy.

That is not healthy for the Congress. It is not healthy for India that you have a situation where the prime minister has to come through the Rajya Sabha. He is totally dependent on her. He can not make Cabinet appointments without her approval. I think, there are problems. There are problems in the ways the Congress is run today.

Do you think its basic ideals remain strong today?

I don’t know. I can only say about the Congress is that it is not as bad as its alternatives. It is less bad. You cannot say it’s a healthy, democratic, well-functioning political party.

Look at world leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel. How did she come to the top? In democracies political parties have to be open, transparent and secular institutions where anyone can enter. When they put in hard work and talent they can rise.

Look at how Barack Obama and Merkel came up. In the Congress, unless you are close to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi you will not progress. This is well established. We should know that the culture of sycophancy is undemocratic and foreign to the Congress culture. For 80 years the Congress did not function in this way.

Congressmen think that without the Gandhi family they will disintegrate.

Maybe they should have a process of churning and they should rediscover themselves. I can’t say that it’s a happy situation. Because, it amounts to feudalism and it’s not democracy. It is similar to a monarchy where Sonia Gandhi is the queen and Rahul Gandhi is the rajkumar (prince). That is not democratic.

Following is an excerpt from a Business Standard report in sify.com.

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), which is going to start its Orissa chapter soon, has recommended a slew of measures to the Orissa government to give the much needed fillip to entrepreneurship in the state.

TiE has suggested the state government to set up an incubation centre and also put in place a Seed Fund to promote entrepreneurship in a big way.

"I had discussions with the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on creating a conducive atmosphere for entrepreneurship. What we have suggested is that the state can set up an incubation centre for the first generation entrepreneurs and this centre has to be run by competent professionals. Moreover, a Seed Fund has to be created by the state for funding the entrepreneurial ventures", Venkatesh Shukla, member of the board of TiE told Business Standard.

The state government also needs to rope in Non-Resident Oriyas settled overseas to lend their expertise to the upcoming entrepreneurs in the state, Shukla, who visited the state recently, said.

"What I also emphasized during my talks with the Chief Minister that there is an institutional bias against the start-ups and home grown entrepreneurs and this mindset has to be changed as small businesses create nearly 80 per cent of the jobs. For instance in procurement of IT hardware, a level playing field needs to be created for the local entrepreneurs so that they are not eliminated at the pre-qualification stage", he added.

Shukla pointed out that the rules and procedures for the small businesses and the start-ups need to be eased as any FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) no matter how massive it is, can bring sustainable development for the society.

Venk Shukla in other places has given example of what he refers to as "institutional bias against the start-ups and home grown entrepreneurs". I can not locate his exact writing in the subject now, but what he refers to is that in many government tenders there are often requirments that an applying company need to satisfy and such requirement often are such that the local start-ups and home grown entrepreneurs do not satisfy.

As a result two things are happening:

(i) Local start-ups and home grown entrepreneurs are often left behind.

(ii) Corruption creeps in when someone in the decision making decides to favor a local start-up and/or an home grown entrepreneur.

In contrast, in the US various authorities (cities, states, etc.) officially set aside certain percentage of their tenders for business owned by special groups, such as small businesses, minorities, women-owned etc. That way one can legally favor and promote local start-ups and home grown entrepreneurs.

When giving big contracts the authorities may also require that sub-contracts of certain size must be given to  home grown entrepreneurs. This is also done in various US jurisdictions. Following are some links that may be useful to look at:

• Maryland small business reserve program: https://www.smallbusinessreserve.maryland.gov/faq/index.cfm.
• USDA subcontracting program: http://www.dm.usda.gov/smallbus/subcontracting.htm.
• US Department of Transportation subcontracting initiatives: http://www.osdbu.dot.gov/Procurement/subcontracting.cfm.

Following is from a report in Hindu Businessline.

… Orissa government on Friday approved fresh investment of Rs 6,500 crore …

The investment proposals were approved by the Single Window Clearance Committee (SLWCC) meeting chaired by the chief secretary Mr B K Patnaik here.

“The 16 projects approved today will give direct employment to 15,000 people and provide indirect employment for another 25,000 persons,” Industries secretary Mr Sourav Garg told reporters adding that projects worth less than Rs 1,000 crore got clearance from the SLWCC.

Stating that the projects were in cement (4 units), food processing (one unit), manufacturing (one unit), power (one unit), paper (one unit) and steel (five units) sectors …

The name of the companies and additional details are given in this report from Samaja.

In the past sometimes they would wait till January and sometimes they would forget until a few days before the rail budget. But this time they seemed to be prepared ahead of time. Following is a report from Dharitri.