SUNDARGARH: It was a year of highs and lows for Sundargarh district which witnessed several new infrastructure projects taking off but man-animal conflict continued to be a major crisis with 17 human lives being lost in 2018.
Among the positive developments were the beginning of work on second Brahmani bridge by National Highway Authority of India and upgradation of RSP-run Ispat General Hospital (IGH), both projects announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2015. The Koida mining circle recovered Rs 3,000 crore as compensation against illegal mining.
The Apex Court stayed the Orissa High Court order disqualifying election of Sundargarh MLA (Congress) Yogesh Singh over alleged false election declaration. While an infant was burnt alive in the incubator leading to sealing of a private hospital, a tribal youth remarried his newly-wed wife to her lover in Bargaon block.
The Rourkela Commissionerate detected Central GST fraud of about `11.5 crore by half a dozen local trading houses, while the Central GST (Intelligence) wing arrested two Rourkela businessmen for `20 crore CGST fraud through supply of fake invoices.
Euphoria gripped the residents when the Union Health Ministry allowed the National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R) to set up a Medical College & Hospital (MCH) with Advanced Research Facility. However, the happiness was short-lived as the Chairman of Board of Governors of NIT-R, Santrupt B Misra dropped the proposal stating that NIT-R did not have the experience or resources for a project like this.
Sportspersons made the district proud this year. Olympian Sunita Lakra was made captain of the women’s hockey team in May for the Asian Champions Trophy and Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas made it to the final squad of Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the much delayed Rukura Medium Irrigation Project. The Blast Furnace-1 ‘Parvati’ of RSP was rebuilt at a cost of Rs 615 crore, but railway land encroachers stopped spadework at Rourkela for laying Jharsuguda-Rourkela third rail line.
On political front, Rourkela BJP MLA Dilip Ray resigned for the party in November over delay in development works for the city. A city youth Muktikanta Biswal grabbed national headlines after walking to New Delhi to meet the PM to apprise him about the inordinate delay in upgradation of IGH and construction of second Brahmani bridge. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted in his favour but Muktikanta failed to meet the PM.
Man-animal conflict claimed at least 17 human lives, while half a dozen elephants including three calves were killed either due to disease or revenge killing.
Hits and Misses
Work started on the second Brahmani bridge and upgradation of RSP-run Ispat General Hospital
Koida mining circle recovered Rs 3,000 crore as compensation against illegal mining
Rukura Medium Irrigation Project was inaugurated by CM
Rourkela Commissionerate detected Central GST fraud of Rs 11.5 crore by local trading houses
Man-animal conflict claimed at least 17 human lives