Under pressure

PRAFULLA DAS
in Bhubaneswar

The Naveen Patnaik government is facing court strictures and opposition criticism for irregularities in grant of mining leases.

S. SUBRAMANIUM

Naveen Patnaik. He had a clean image when he first came to power in 2000.

WHEN Naveen Patnaik stepped into his father Biju Patnaik's shoes and donned the mantle of leadership of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to become the Chief Minister of Orissa for the first time in March 2000, he was seen as a crusader against corruption. In his initial years in power, he did live up to the expectations of the voters who had rejected a disgraced Congress regime to bring the BJD to power. He removed several Ministers who faced charges of corruption, making the public believe that he was providing a clean and transparent administration. But now, in his third consecutive term as Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik is feeling the heat that he himself generated against his political rivals a decade ago.

“Moneybag industrialisation” and “Vedanta Janata Dal” are some of the epithets that greeted the BJD when the winter session of the State Assembly opened on November 23. The Opposition accused the government of protecting the interests of corporate houses, ignoring the protests of the common people against the loss of land and livelihood owing to unplanned industrialisation.

Accusing the government of large-scale corruption in various deals, Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators said Naveen Patnaik should take moral responsibility and step down in view of the Orissa High Court order quashing the land acquisition process for the proposed Vedanta University. The Anil Agarwal Foundation was to establish the university over 8,000 acres (one acre = 0.4 hectare) of land near Puri. A Bill to establish the university, which was passed in the Assembly in July 2009, is waiting for the Governor's assent.

The Opposition also blamed the government for allowing Vedanta Aluminium Limited to set up a one million-tonne alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district. Vedanta even started work to increase the annual capacity of the refinery to six million tonnes by bending rules. The irregularities committed by the company were detected by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in August, and directions were issued to deny it permission to extract bauxite ore from the Niyamgiri hills for use in the refinery. The MoEF also ordered it to stop the expansion work of the refinery.

Naveen Patnaik has been facing strong criticism from various quarters for not acting upon a report of the State's Lokpal (ombudsman) on alleged irregularities in the acquisition of land for the proposed Vedanta university. In an order passed on March 17 on a complaint alleging illegal acquisition of land, the Lokpal recommended a moratorium on the project until the Anil Agarwal Foundation converted from a private company to a public company.

The Lokpal also recommended the appointment of a competent authority “to thoroughly investigate and inquire into the deal in question from its beginning so as to find out the person(s)/public servant(s) responsible for advancing the cause of the Foundation in haste without compliance of various laws by the Foundation”.

“The plea of the public servants concerned that having the interest of the State in mind they acted in good faith and rendered all assistance to the Foundation is not acceptable though from various circumstances of the case it appears that they were victims of circumstances, having been influenced by a representative of the Foundation or having been pressurised by other quarters,” the Lokpal observed.

Matters became even more complicated for the Chief Minister when the High Court judgment came on November 16 on the controversial land acquisition for the university project.

Disposing of a bunch of public interest petitions, a Division Bench quashed the land acquisition proceedings and directed that “the possession of the acquired land shall be restored to the respective land owners irrespective of the fact whether they have challenged the acquisition of their lands or not”. “On restoration of the possession to the land owners, they shall refund the amount received by them as compensation or otherwise in respect of their lands,” the court ordered.

The Bench observed that “the action of the State government in issuing the impugned notifications is void ab initio in law on account of the fraud played upon the State government by the beneficiary company by misrepresenting the facts and made it to believe and act upon the same to exercise its powers to acquire the vast tract of lands in its favour for which they are legally entitled to and therefore the action of the State government in exercising its power for the purpose other than vested in it, amounts to legal mala fides.”

It also quashed the grant of government lands to the beneficiary company under Rule 5 of the Government Land Settlement Rules with a direction to the State government to resume the lands given by way of lease.

The government had issued notifications for acquiring over 6,000 acres of land spread over 18 villages in favour of the company. The land acquired included 605.87 acres belonging to the Sri Jagannath Temple Management Committee and 702 acres of government land.

PTI

CONGRESS MLAS HOLD placards opposing the land acquisition for Vedanta university, inside the Assembly in Bhubaneswar on November 23.

In his reply on November 25 to an adjournment motion moved by the opposition in the Assembly on the alleged favours shown to the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the Chief Minister said that appropriate steps would be taken in accordance with the law on the court verdict.

Criticism is also growing against the BJD government for allegedly favouring POSCO-India Private Limited, which tried to obtain a mining lease for its Khandadhar iron ore reserve in Sundargarh district and also planned to acquire 4,000 acres of land to set up a 12-million-tonne-capacity steel plant. The company planned to establish its own private port near the proposed steel plant, about 12 km from the Paradip port.

Setting aside the government's recommendation to the Centre to grant a prospecting licence to POSCO, the High Court observed that the mineral policy of the State was in a total mess and that the government had adopted a policy “to suit favoured parties”.

In July, the MoEF asked the State government to stop acquiring land for the POSCO steel plant project in Jagatsinghpur district after a committee from the Centre pointed out violations in the Forest Rights Act. The issue has not been resolved as the MoEF is yet to take a final decision on the matter.

MINING SCAM

The Naveen Patnaik government is also facing criticism over the multi-crore illegal mining scam involving many mining companies. After the scam came to light in 2009, the State government ordered suspension of 246 leases of mines that had been operating without the statutory licence for several years.

Although the State Vigilance Department is investigating some of the illegal mining cases and has registered cases against several government officials and mining companies, petitions seeking a CBI probe into the scam are pending before the High Court. In a public interest petition before the Supreme Court, the petitioner has sought, among other things, a direction for prosecution of all those found involved in the illegal mining activities.

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), in its interim report to the Supreme Court has pointed to the large-scale irregularities. “Mining activities were going on in a large number of mines in Orissa without the requisite approvals under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, environmental clearances, and the Air & Water Acts. The mining activities also exceeded the production limit as approved under the mining plans,” it observed.

Senior journalist Rabi Das, who has moved the Supreme Court over the mining scam, is of the view that illegal mining is still rampant in Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts. “The country has lost huge natural resources and forest wealth owing to rampant illegal mining in the State,” he said.

Despite the mounting pressure, Naveen Patnaik is trying to put up a brave face. The State government has signed about 90 memoranda of understanding involving an investment of about Rs.7,00,000 crore in sectors such as steel, thermal power, alumina refineries and ports. All these industries need large tracts of land, forest land, water and mines, which require approvals from various levels of administration. Since politicians and bureaucrats play a key role in such a situation, allegations of payment of bribes to flout the rules are mounting.

“Orissa is witnessing moneybag industrialisation. All the MoUs that the Naveen Patnaik government has signed, including the ones with Vedanta, POSCO, Jindal, Mittal and Tata, should be reviewed and the violations of rules should be detected,” said Bijoy Mohapatra, former Minister and senior BJP leader.

Season of melas

PRAFULLA DAS

The winter months are packed with religious and cultural festivals and fairs in Orissa.

PTI

Small fancy boats offered by devotees during the Boita Bandana Utsav on Kartik Purnima day on November 21 at the Bindusagar pond near the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar.

COME winter (November-February), and Orissa, the land of gaiety, gears up in a big way to attract tourists from all over the world. The magnificent Rath Yatra of the Puri Jagannath temple, which takes place in the lunar month of Ashada in June-July, is followed by the Dasara and Deepavali festivals. And the season of celebration begins in right earnest. There is an old saying that the people of Orissa celebrate 13 traditional festivals in 12 months.

Orissa is a melting pot of religious and cultural traditions. To showcase this diversity, the State government and various cultural groups organise several events.

The classical dance Odissi is the highlight of the Konark dance festival, which is attended by cultural troupes from other parts of the country, too. A fortnight after Diwali in October-November, which coincides with Kali Puja, a major religious event after Durga Puja, religious tourists from across the State take part in the Boita Bandana Utsav, also known as the Kalinga Bali Yatra in the coastal districts, on Kartik Purnima day, the full moon day in the lunar month of Kartik in November/December. Miniature boats in different sizes and colours are set afloat in the sea, rivers or other water bodies as part of the celebrations. The festival commemorates the rich maritime heritage of the sadhavas (traders) from the coastal State, who had sailed to Bali, Java and Sumatra (now in the Indonesian archipelago) to establish business ties.

ASHOKE CHAKRABARTY

GIVING FINISHING TOUCHES to an exhibit for the tribal fair in Bhubaneswar.

Coinciding with the Boita Bandana Utsav is the Bali Yatra fairs in the millennium city of Cuttack and the port town of Paradip. Lakhs of people attend these annual fairs. Hundreds of stalls selling a variety of goods and cultural shows in the evenings are the major attraction of the yatra. Bali Yatra is followed by the Puri Beach Festival between November 23 and 27. The coastal city of Puri is a major tourist attraction all through the year, but the beach festival draws bigger crowds. The Departments of Tourism and Culture and associations of hotel owners and tour operators have joined hands to make this cultural event, which includes beach parties, rock concerts and dance shows, a success.

This event is followed by the Konark Dance Festival at Konark, 30 kilometres from the pilgrim city of Puri. The majestic 13th century Konark Sun temple on the Chandrabhaga beach provides the backdrop for this festival of classical dances in which dancers and dance troupes from different parts of the country participate. The annual festival held in an open-air auditorium between December 1 and 5 attracts a large number of tourists and dance lovers from outside the country. This festival is billed as the country's second biggest dance event after the Khajuraho Festival organised by the Madhya Pradesh government.

Another major event in December is the Toshali National Crafts Mela in Bhubaneswar, which showcases the arts and crafts of the country. A visit to the fair between December 15 and 27 will give the tourist an opportunity to see the artisans at work in their respective stalls.

As the winter chill continues to grip Orissa, the temple city of Bhubaneswar becomes the venue for three major festivals – the Kalinga Mahotsav, a national festival of martial arts on the foothills of the Dhauli peace pagoda on January 10 and 11; the Mukteswar Dance Festival, a festival of Odissi dance at the Mukteswar temple complex from January 14 to 16; and the Rajarani Music Festival from January 18 to 20.

BISWARANJAN ROUT/AP

THE RATH YATRA in Puri.

The State-run Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre in Bhubaneswar also organises a national Odissi dance and music festival. Started a few years ago, the festival has become an important event for Odissi dancers across the country.

The Gopalpur Beach Festival at Gopalpur-on-Sea in December; the Lok Utsav, the lone annual festival of folk arts in the western Orissa town of Sambalpur in the first week of January; and the Chandipur Beach festival are some other major tourist attractions during the winter months.

Similarly, the annual festivals hosted by the District Councils of Culture have added another dimension to Orissa's cultural calendar. Parab in Koraput district, Mondei in Nabarangpur and Malyabanta in Malkangiri are some of the enchanting extravaganzas. The Vedavyas Festival held in the steel city of Rourkela in November is an important addition to the list of cultural fairs.

The Adivasi Mela, an annual seven-day tribal festival, is held in Bhubaneswar starting January 26. People representing 62 tribes put up their stalls on the lush green exhibition ground, popularly known as Adivasi Padia. Apart from the exhibits, which range from tribal cuisine to art, the mela provides a platform for tribal dance and music. Many fairs are organised starting from Makar Sankranti in mid-January in different parts of the State.

MUCH TO OFFER

Religious festivals such as Laxmi Puja in Dhenkanal and Kendrapara districts, Kali Puja in Bhadrak and Jajpur districts, and the world-famous Dhanu Yatra in Bargarh district attract a large number of tourists. Dhanu Yatra, which is held in what is considered the largest open-air theatre, presents the story of Krishna. The cast mainly comprises local people. The huge potential of the festival, however, has not been exploited.

A number of organisations in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, such as Srjan (Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra annual festival of dance and music), the Orissa Dance Academy (Dhauli Festival of Arts) and the Bhubaneswar Music Circle (an annual National Music Festival and the Kharavela National Festival on the foothills of Khandagiri-Udayagiri hosted by the K.N. Memorial Foundation) hold cultural events. The Gunjan Dance Academy also organises a series of dance and music festivals.

The Konark Dance and Music Festival, which was started by the veteran Odissi exponent Gangadhar Pradhan at the Natya Mandap of the sun temple in 1986, remains a major cultural event. It is held in February.

The number of cultural festivals has increased in recent years with many private organisations and big companies coming together to organise them. The growing interest of corporate houses in sponsoring cultural events is, however, facing criticism from many artists who are reluctant to accept the patronage of companies that are facing opposition from the people in the interior areas of the State.

BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A PERFORMANCE AT the Mukteswar Dance Festival.

Going by the number of festivals and fairs, it is clear that Orissa has much to offer. But the potential for tourism has not been marketed adequately in India and abroad.

Despite making frequent announcements that it plans to introduce a new policy to give a boost to the tourism industry, the State government has done nothing in this direction. As a result, the sector seems to be growing without much government support. Hotels have started coming up in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Paradip. But many big hotel projects are still awaiting implementation.

The sun temple, the second important tourist hub of the State, still lacks proper tourist accommodation. Poor infrastructure continues to make Konark a day-time tourist spot. The Chilika lake, the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia, has huge tourism potential but again lacks infrastructure. The government has been focussing its energies on the capital city, Bhubaneswar. The authorities are hopeful that the tourism industry will overcome these handicaps. The Department of Tourism and Culture is going ahead with plans to organise more festivals. One such is the Chilika Mahotsav, which will be held from 2011.

There is no denying the fact that Orissa has been witnessing some development in the fields of industry and education. The State has a large number of institutions imparting technical and professional education. But tourist footfalls have been fewer, mainly owing to a lack of road/rail/air connectivity to a number of pilgrim centres and cultural hubs in the interior parts. It is time the State government developed tourist infrastructure in the interior districts.