Adani News

Tag: Demonstration

  • Demonstration on hunger strike for 2 years

    Demonstration on hunger strike for 2 years

    Visakhapatnam: Marking the completion of two years of initiation of the relay hunger strike camp staged against strategic sale of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, demonstrations were held in the city on Saturday. The protest was held under the aegis of Visakha District Karmika, Praja Sanghala and Prabhuthva Ranga Samsthala Parirakshana Committee, All-Party Labour Unions and Student Unions of Visakha District. Their representatives demanded the Union government to continue VSP in the public sector unit and women groups participated in large numbers.

    A rally was held from GVMC Gandhi Statue to RTC Complex junction. It was followed by a public meeting. Speaking on the occasion, AITUC national vice president D Adinarayana said with self-sufficiency, the VSP had a highly skilled labour force. While the government is favouring the corporate sector without revaluing the net worth of the company, it is unfair to try to build a Rs 3 lakh crore plant at the lowest price of Rs 33,000 crore to the private companies, he mentioned.

    Recruitment of permanent manpower in place of retired personnel, allocation of captive mines, withdrawal of privatisation of the plant were some of the measures demanded by the protesters. An army of trade union leaders, including Ch Narsinga Rao, Jaggu Naidu, G Nagabhushan, D Appa Rao, P Ramana, V Rammohan Kumar, among others participated. Representatives from AITUC, CITU, INTUC, HMS, CFTUI, IFTU, TNTUC, YSRTUC, PDF Women Associations, AISF, DYFI and other organisations participated in the public meeting.

  • Demonstration in Bhubaneswar about Mayurbhanj King’s Dakota

    Demonstration in Bhubaneswar about Mayurbhanj King’s Dakota

    Baripada: Almost all in Odisha are well aware of the iconic ‘Dakota’ aircraft once used by legendary leader and former chief minister Biju Patnaik. One of the Dakotas, earlier owned by him, was recently brought to Odisha from Kolkata and put on display on the premises of Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.

    But not many know about the Dakota once used by the last Independent king of erstwhile Mayurbhanj princely state Pratap Chandra Bhanjadeo, who was an expert pilot. The king sold the plane to the Odisha government for a token money of Rs 1 in 1958. This vintage plane is now adorning the premises of Hotel Mayfair in Bhubaneswar.

    There is an interesting story behind this Dakota. During the World War-II,  the king of Mayurbhanj extended help to the British government, which returned the favour by gifting him this aircraft. The Dakota bearing registration no -VT-CNOY and model no – D18 STUN was manufactured by USA’s Douglas Aircraft Corporation in 1942. One of the most successful military transport aircraft designs in history, the aircraft was widely used by the Allies during the World War II.

    On its maiden flight to Odisha, the aircraft landed at airstrips at Rasagobindapur and Rajabasa. The king also used to fly it, source said.

    On January 1, 1949, Mayurbhanj princely state formally merged with Odisha province. King Pratap Chandra Bhanjadeo had signed the merger agreement in New Delhi on October 17, 1948, in the presence of Home Minister Sardar Balabh Bhai Patel. At that time, the king donated a number of his assets, including the Dakota, to the Odisha government. Legendary leaders like Harekrusha Mahatab and Biju Patnaik used to fly in this aircraft until it was sold to a private company in 1975.

    The company repaired and remodelled the aircraft before selling it to Coal India Limited, which used it for flying officials for over two decades. The aircraft was found unfit for flying in 1994 and was sold as scrap in 1996.

    The Mayfair Group of Hotels & resorts, realising its long glorious history, purchased it to perpetuate its memory.