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Following is an excerpt from a report in tathya.in.

Editors and News Heads of leading Oriya and English newspapers and television channels have expressed their deep concern over the rising number of attacks on media persons in the state.

… The Editors expressed surprise over the fact that police had not taken any action on an elected member of the ruling Biju Janata Dal despite leading a brutal attack on Pipili-based journalist Rajat Ranjan Dash a week ago. They said it strengthened the perception that the state government was against Media Freedom. 

The Editors and News Heads resolved to join hands to ensure the Media responds as one when faced with such challenges.

I have read many news items on attacks on media persons in Odisha and these (the attacks) need to stop.

However, I think, one aspect is missing from the response.

One needs to analyze the reason behind the attacks and address the root cause. I think one of the root cause behind the attacks is that some people or organization rightly or wrongly feel that they have been unfairly portrayed by some media. Now if someone feels that way, what is their recourse.They can of course go to the courts and sue for libel but the courts in India and Odisha are too slow and by the time they process the case the aggrieved person incurs a lot of damage.

Many do not know that there is another outlet. They could file a complaint at the Press Council of India. See http://presscouncil.nic.in/complaints.htm . That is a lawful outlet and thus there is absolutely no reason for people feeling aggrieved by media coverage to resort to violence and become a criminal.

I would suggest the MUFP to highlight this option in their articles and releases so that this outlet becomes well known. It will act as a safety valve and protect them from physical harm.

The media in Odisha does an outstanding job (and in trying circumstances) in keeping various people with power  and influence in check. The threat of media exposure of their misdeeds and/or high handedness constrains the people with power and influence.

However, with "media unity" where media people follow the unwritten code of not exposing each others misdeeds (which may be rare but is not zero), many people and organizations feel helpless against what they think as being victimized by some media.

Sometimes these people and organizations react to this in bad ways:

• I was told one organization had signs made saying "Dogs and reporters of XYZ are not allowed". (XYZ is a media house in Odisha.)
• Similarly recently there were reports of some police officials behaving badly with media person of a particular media organization.

My point is that the Odisha media as a group needs to also refelect on their own conduct and publicize venues such as http://presscouncil.nic.in/complaints.htm and humbly tell people that they are not above criticism or mistakes and if someone feels that they have been wronged by media then they have an outlet such as http://presscouncil.nic.in/complaints.htm which they can approach.

This will greatly enhance the respect of common people towards media and towards the job they do as the fourth pillar of democracy. It will also greatly enhance their safety.

I explored some of the reports of the Press Council of India by googling "Press Council of India Orissa" and found some interesting reports. From reading them it seems that indeed they are a fair organization and their process is impartial. Following are some links to read.

• http://presscouncil.nic.in/Decisions/decision05/5.htm
• http://presscouncil.nic.in/Decisions/agiant_press/12.htm
• http://presscouncil.nic.in/Decisions/9.htm
• http://cyberjournalist.org.in/archive/council.html.

Following is from Samaja.

Following is from Samaja.

The official site http://rtiorissa.gov.in/ has tons of information.

Following is from an ad in Dharitri.

Essel Mining is an Aditya Birla group company. Such allegation, if true, by a Birla group company is really unfortunate. No wonder many people in Orissa mistrust industrialists. If the above allegations are true, the Orissa government should cancel the mining lease of Essel Mining and sue it to get the money Orissa lost.

(Thanks to an IRFCA poster for the pointer.)

See details at http://www.google.co.in/mobile/default/sms/#. The number to SMS is 9-77-33-00000.

• To get PNR status of Indian Railways train ticket one just needs to enter their 10 digit pnr number
• To get the list of trains from Delhi to Mumbai: Just search –  trains delhi to mumbai

Following is the news report on the discussion (almost a confrontation) with the Railway Board Chair, as reported in India Abroad. The basic premise behind our grievances against Indian Railways and our demands is simple.

• Indian railways is scheduled to make 2500-3000 crores/year from Orissa, but spends only 1000 crores/year on Orissa in terms of new lines, doubling and gauge conversion.
• Its current plan for major spending includes freight corridors, metro rails, and high speed rails, none of which touch Orissa. It plans to do gauge conversion of 12000 kms, most of which is unprofitable (this proves that Indian Railway lies when it says it only does profitable lines), very little (less than 100 km) of which is in Orissa.
• Orissa is already behind the national average in terms of rail density and way behind its neighbors such as West Bengal and Bihar. If no changes are made to the 11th plan IR allocations Orissa will further fall behind.
• Indian Railways must not take money from its profit in Orissa, and spend it else where, until it takes care of proper connectivity to Orissa’s tribal, backward and maoist infested areas. The 2500-3000 times 5 = 12,500 -15,000 crore that Indian Railways will profit from Orissa during the 11th plan must be spend in new lines in Orissa until the (i)-(v) lines below and other port and mine connectivity lines are completed during the 11th plan.
• To Mr. Jena’s retort that Mumbai earns so much in taxes and not all of it is spent in Mumbai; we reply that it is often acceptable to take from rich and give to poor; But when did it become acceptable to take from poor (Orissa) and give to rich (freight corridors etc. in other states)?

The lines in Orissa connecting to the tribal and backward areas that we demand to be finished during the 11th plan are:

• (i) Khurda Rd – Nayagarh – Balangir: Lack of connectivity was one of the reasons a recent Maoist mayhem happened in Nayagarh. It seems after recent events, including the confrontation with the Railway Board Chair and various dharanas in Bhubaneswar, IR has started responding to this demand, but not to the extent to promise its completion during the 11th plan. Note that Balangir is the B in the KBK districts that are the most backward in India.
• (ii) Lanjigarh Rd – Junagarh – Nabarangpur – Jeypore – Malkangiri – Bhadrachalam Rd in Andhra Pradesh: Only small part of this is approved. Most of it is not even surveyed. In the long run this will really bring those parts of Orissa closer to the rest of Orissa. This is the most important connection and has to be take care of at the earliest. Like the approved Vijaywada-Ranchi highway, this line will create an alternative Hyderabad – Ranchi path passing through backward and tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Jharkhand. This line will connect the Kalahandi and Koraput districts, the two K’s in KBK. The recent Maoist attack and killing of the Greyhound forces in Malkangiri might have been prevented if this line existed as then the forces would have used the train rather than being seating ducks taking a boat across a lake in Malkangiri.
• (iii a) Rayagada – Gopalpur: This has been surveyed and but work on it has not started. Note that Rayagada is part of the undivided Koraput district, one of the K’s of KBK. This line could come under port connectivity and will be a viable line connecting the industries near Rayagada with the upcoming port in Gopalpur.
• (iii b) Gunupur – Theruvali: This will add to the Naupada-Gunupur line and make it an economically viable line. (IR and Mr. Jena agree about its importance.) This line will be completely inside the Raygada district, part of the undivided Koraput district, one of the K’s of KBK.
• (iv) Talcher – Bimlagarh (connectivity to the tribal district of Sundergarh): This line has been approved but is only being given a few crores each year, which is less than the inflation. This line will reduce the distance between Sundergarh district and teh coastal areas significantly. For example, it will make Rourkela only 4-5 hrs from Bhubaneswar.
• (v) Baripada/Buramara – Chakulia: This line will connect the tribal district of Mayurbhanj to tribal areas of Jharkhand. It will add to the Rupsa-Baripada-Bangiriposi line and make it an economically viable line. (IR and Mr. Jena agree about its importance.)

All these lines can be completed if Indian railways just suspends its practice of taking from poor (Orissa) and giving to the rich for only a few years (may be just 3-4 years). The following maps show the above mentioned lines.

Their web page is at http://pgportal.gov.in/. The page http://dpg.gov.in/purview.htm lists the departments which are under the purview of this mechanism. At present they are:

BSNL in Orissa now has many plans on land line, cell phone and broadband, including certain combinations of them. Following is a recent ad.

• http://orissagov.nic.in/rti/index.htm
  
• http://orissasoochanacommission.nic.in (has details on decisions given by the SIC)
• http://orissarti.com/  (campaign for RTI site)

Following is an excerpt from a New Indian Express report on them.

Do wrong credit card bills scare the daylight out of you while your bank doesn?t give a damn to your complaints?

Are you worried that sanitation work in your locality leaves a lot to be desired and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation is not bothered? Have problems with weights and measures issues but you don’t know who to look forward to? You can turn to a group of senior citizens who would guide you how to go about it.

Assembled under the banner of Orissa Consumer Welfare Foundation (OCWF), they have joined hands to make consumers aware about their rights, and in cases, they would even take up your cause and fight on your behalf.

They may be ageing but they come from different walks of life and with a varied experience behind them. Some of them have long been social workers while others have put in decades as professionals.

All that one has to do as a consumer is write to the foundation and drop complaints in their drop-boxes kept at two points in the City. Members of OCWF would get back to them seeking an audience so that next course of action can be decided. …

“Over 90 percent of the consumers are not even aware that when one gets LPG cylinder, the delivery man must weigh it first. The foundation would take up consumer rights activism in an organised manner,” Jena said.

Rout said, OCWF would help individual consumers in different ways. “Not many know who to approach to in case of rights violation and how. We will draft letters, guide them with technicalities.”

The two contact points of OCWF are: 95 & 96, Surya Nagar as well as Sri Aurobindo House, Near Syndicate Bank Building, Kalpana Square.

A similar organization called “Consumer Protection Council, Rourkela” already exists in Rourkela and they even have a website. Their address, phone number, fax and email are:

Consumer Protection Council, Rourkela
C/66, Sector-2
Rourkela-769006. Orissa. India
Ph/Fax: +91-661-2472521, 2640810
Email: vaidya@advantageconsumer.com or rkl_cpcrkl@sancharnet.in