Laptops Distribution to College Students in Odisha

Distribution of 15000 Laptops to the College Students 
by Govt. of Odisha free of cost
- Anatomy of Govt. claimed through RTI -

Highlights

• Govt.  Declaration of 15000 laptops distributed to the College students found false.  As per information provided by Dept. of Higher Education on 26.5.15, only 14923 laptops have been allotted to 30 districts.

• As per information obtained from OCAC, Bhubaneswar, the invoice Bill produced by  M/s ACER India Pvt. Ltd. Shows distribution of 14976 laptops to different 30 colleges of 30 districts of the state.

• Total amount of Rs.    30,30,65,038. 00 ( Thirty Crore Thirty Lakh  sixty five thousand thirty eight  rupees)  has been paid  to M/s ACER India Pvt. Ltd.   Against supply of 15000 Laptops @ Rs. 20,343.75 per Laptop. Though full amount paid, but still there is shortage  of supply of 24 laptops  by ACER India Pvt. Ltd. The State Govt.  has kept 77 Laptops  without supplying to the students.

• Many meritorious + 2 Pass out students have been deprived of  getting this benefit, as  only one college of each district was selected   for distribution of laptop. For example,  as only B.J.B. College was selected,  meritorious students  of  Ramadevi  College  were deprived  to get  benefit.

• District-wise  or  College-wise  fixation of number of Laptops  by the State Govt.   was also not judicious. For example, B.J.B. College was allotted 2265 laptops, while Ravenshaw Junior ( autonomous) College was allotted 1791 Laptops. F.M. College, Balasore allotted 1224 laptops.

• Nobody knows  about the criteria  fixed for allotment of Laptops  to different colleges

Details of Distribution of Laptop PCs by Govt.

Just 8 months prior to General Election-2014, the State Govt.  took decision to  provide Laptop  to the  College students  free of cost. Nobody knows about whether Laptop was distributed to the students of different colleges of the state, name of the students, amount spent for procurement of Laptop, procedure followed for procurement etc.  To have an idea about   distribution of laptop to the students, RTI Application was submitted   to the Department of Higher Education, Govt. of Odisha on 24.5.14 ( RTI Application is attached for reference). The PIO did not supply the information. Then 0n 2.8.14, First Appeal was made to the First Appellate Authority (FAA), Dept. of Higher Education to get the information.  The FAA also remained silence and did not dispose the case.  Finding no order from the FAA, I made second appeal to the State Information Commission on 28.1.15 which is pending in the Commission for hearing.

With the objective to extract information from the Department, series of RTI Applications were submitted to the PIO from January to May 2015.  At  last,  in response to RTI Application  submitted on 19.5.15,  the  PIO, Dept. of Higher Education  forwarded my application  to the PIO,  office of Odisha Computer Application Centre ( OCAC), Plot No- N-1/7-D, Acharya Vihar, Bhubaeswar-13.  The PIO has supplied the information on 19.6.15 which is still incomplete.  The details of the information supplied by the PIO are as follows.

A.     In June 2014, the State Govt. decided  to  implement  the scheme of distribution of  Laptops  free of cost  to +2 pass out meritorious students studying  in various  Government/ Government aided  Colleges  as part of State Youth Policy. These  Laptops  will be delivered  at different nodal  colleges  for distribution  through the Principals and/ or  officers  of Department of Higher Education.

B.   In July, 2014,    OCAC released  advertisement  inviting proposals from  Original Equipment Manufacturers  ( OEM)  for supply, delivery, installation and maintenance support  of 15,000 Laptops  for Higher Education Department.

C.    Following bidding procedure as mentioned in RPF for selection of OEM,  M/s ACER India  Pvt. Ltd. Was selected  as L1 bidder  for supply of Laptops. The following is  the Comparative  Chart  of all bidders  quoted  and  present on price  Bid opening  daye with name and address  of each bidder & Their Laptop.

Sl.	Name of OEM/ Bidder Present	Unit Cost quoted ( in Rs.)	Model quoted by OEM
1	MIS HP India Sales  Pvt. Ltd., Gurgoan - 122022, Haryana	24,990,00/-	HP
2	M/s ACCER India Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata - 700029	20,343.75	ACER-Gateway- 4250s

D.   Two Committees i.e.,  State level Laptop Procurement  Committee,  Technical Committee as follows  were constituted  by IT Department  for  the procurement of Laptop  vide notification  No.- 1645/IT dated 10.6.2013. (The copy of the letter has not been provided).

E.    M/s ACCER India Pvt. Ltd. Has been provided  the following  amount  through RTGS  from Andhra Bank , Acharya Vihar Branch  against supply of  15000 Laptops to  The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd. , Bankalore  ( Bank Ac. No.- 071402523001, RTGS/IFSC No.- HSBC0560002)

Sl.	Cheque No.	Date	Amount ( Rs.)
1	946456	30.10.2013	7,73,75,419.00
2	946545	23.11.2013	10,64,32,397.00
3	947563	31.12.2013	9,08,25,394.00
4	0019999	12.8.2014	76,24,428.00
5	089645	24.2.2015	1,50,24,200.00
6	092316	4.5.2015	57,83,200.00
	Total paid		30,30,65,038

F.          Total 15000 laptops  were procured  and delivered  at the 30  Nodal colleges  by OCAC  as per  distribution list  provided  by Higher Education Department. The details of  Laptop given to different  colleges  as per Invoice /  Bill No of M/s ACCER India Pvt. Ltd is as follows.

Invoice Date of supply	Name of College	Laptop	Quantity	Total amount with VAT
26.9.13	B.J.B.( Autonomous) College, Bhubaneswar	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	1,250 1,250	25,429,687.00
26.9.13	DO	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	265 265	5,391,093.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	51 51	1,037,531.00
23.8.13	DO	DO	699 699	14,220,281.00
26.9.13	Government ( Autonomous) College, Rourkela	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	367 367	7,466,156.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	63 63	1,281,656.00
26.9.13	Dharanidhar ( autonomous) college, Keonjhar	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	303 303	6,164,156.25
31.8.13	DO	DO	40 40	813,750.00
26.9.13	Kendrapara ( autonomous) College, Kendrapara	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	228 228	4,638,375.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	40 40	813,750.00
21.9.13	Gangadhar Meher ( autonomous) College	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	537 537	10,924,593.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	40 40	813,750.00
21.9.13	S.C.S. ( autonomous) College, Puri	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	708 708	14,403,375.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	40 40	813,750.00
20.9.13	Khalikote ( autonomous) College, Berhampur	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	750 750	15,257,812.50
31.8.13	DO	DO	470 470	9,561,562.00
20.9.13	DO	DO	250 250	5,085,937.00
20.9.13	Vikram Dev ( autonomous) ollege,  Jeypore	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	283 283	5,757,281.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	40 40	813,750.00
20.9.13	N.C. ( autonomous) College, Jajpur	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	375 375	7,628,906.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	40 40	813,750.00
20.9.13	S.V.M. ( autonomous) College, Jagatsingh Pur	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	272 272	5, 533, 500.00
31.8.13	Do	Do	40 40	813,750.00
20.9.13	Panchayat ( Degree ) College, Baragarh	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	814 814	16,559,812.00
31.8.13	Panchayat Degree College, Baragarh	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	40 40	813,750.00
19.9.13	Ravenshaw ( Junior) College, Cuttack	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	1,000 1,000	20,343,750.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	491 491	9,988,781.00
DO	DO	DO	300 300	6,103,125.00
19.9.13	Fakir Mohan ( autonomous) college, Balasore	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	750 750	15,257,812.00
DO	DO	DO	250 250	5,085,937.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	224 224	4,557,000.00
19.9.15	Govt.  ( autonomous) college, Bhawanipatna	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	195 195	3,967,031.00
31.8.13	DO	DO	40 40	813,750.00
31.8.13	Sonepur Junior College, Subarnpur	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	182 182	3,702,562.00
31.8.13	Rayagada ( autonomous) College, Rayagada	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	195 195	3,967,031.00
31.8.13	National ( Degree ) College, Nuapara	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	112 112	2,278,500.00
31.8.13	Nayagarh ( autonomous) College	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	40 40	813,750.00
21.9.13	do	do	474 474	9,642,937.00
31.8.13	M.P.C. College, Baripada, Mayurbhanj	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	40 40	813,750.00
21.9.13	DO	DO	817 817	16,620,843.00
31.8.13	Government ( autonomous) College, Phulbani	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	161 161	3,275,343.00
31.8.13	Laxmi Narayan ( Degree) College, Jharsuguda	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	100 100	2,034,175.00
31.8.13	Dhenkanal ( autonomous) College, Dhenkanal	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	40 40	813,750.00
20.9.13	Do	do	266 266	5,411,437.50
31.8.13	Boudh Panchayat ( Degree ) College, Boudh	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	103 103	2,095,406.00
31.8.13	Rajendra ( autonomous) College, Bolangir	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	40 40	813,750.00
19.9.13	Do	Do	362 362	7,364,437.50
31.8.13	Bhadrak ( autonomous) College,	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	40 40	813,750.00
19.9.13	Do	Do	434 434	8,829,187.50
31.8.13	Govt.( autonomous) College, Angul	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	142 142	2,888, 812.50
31.8.13	Sri Krustan Chandra Gajapati ( autonomous) College, Paralakhemundi	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	41 41	834,093.00
31.8.13	Deogarh Degree College, Deogarh	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	12 12	244,125.00
31.8.13	Malkangiri ( Degree) College, Malaknagiri	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	55 55	1,118,906.00
31.8.13	Nawarangpur ( Degree) College	GTW4250S-A4 3320M/2GB  -- EA BACKPACK for OCAC   ---    PC	89 89	1,810,593.75

G.  Quantity of Laptop supplied by ACER Pvt. Ltd.  And District-wise no. of Laptop distributed by the State Govt.  (Information provided by Dept. of Higher Education on  26.5.15 ) does not match  each other. There is gap  in figure  which needs to be  investigated.  The Details follows

Sl.	Name of district	Laptop distributed  as on 31.1.15  ( 2013-14)  claimed by State Govt.	Name of the Colleges of the district  received laptop	Total Laptop supplied by ACER Pvt. Ltd as per invoice
1	Angul	142	Govt.(autonomous) College, Angul	142
2	Balasore	1210	Fakir Mohan (autonomous) college, Balasore	1224
3	Baragarh	850	Panchayat (Degree) College, Baragarh	854
4	Bhadrak	473	Bhadrak (autonomous) College,	474
5	Bolangir	401	Rajendra (autonomous) College, Bolangir	402
6	Boudh	103	Boudh Panchayat (Degree) College, Boudh	103
7	Cuttack	1787	Ravenshaw (Junior) College, Cuttack	1791
8	Deogarh	12	Deogarh Degree College, Deogarh	12
9	Dhenkanal	302	Dhenkanal (autonomous) College, Dhenkanal	306
10	Gajapati	41	Sri Krustan Chandra Gajapati (autonomous) College, Paralakhemundi	41
11	Ganjam	1470	Khalikote (autonomous) College, Berhampur	1486
12	Jagatsingh Pur	309	S.V.M. (autonomous) College, Jagatsingh Pur	272
13	Jajpur	412	N.C. (autonomous) College, Jajpur	415
14	Jharsuguda	100	Laxmi Narayan (Degree) College, Jharsuguda	100
15	Kalahandi	231	Govt.  (autonomous) college, Bhawanipatna	235
16	Kendrapara	268	Kendrapara (autonomous) College, Kendrapara	268
17	Keonjhar	337	Dharanidhar ( autonomous) college, Keonjhar	343
18	Kandhamal	155	Government (autonomous) College, Phulbani	161
19	Khurda	2265		2265
20	Koraput	321	Vikram Dev ( autonomous) ollege,  Jeypore	323
21	Malkangiri	55	Malkangiri ( Degree) College, Malaknagiri	55
22	Mayurbhanj	845	M.P.C. College, Baripada, Mayurbhanj	857
23	Nawarangpur	89	Nawarangpur (Degree) College	89
24	Nayagarh	514	Nayagarh (autonomous) College	514
25	Nuapara	111	National ( Degree ) College, Nuapara	112
26	Puri	744	S.C.S. ( autonomous) College, Puri	748
27	Rayagada	195	Rayagada (autonomous) College, Rayagada	195
28	Sambalpur	571	Gangadhar Meher ( autonomous) College, Burla	577
29	Sonepur	181	Sonepur Junior College, Subarnpur	182
30	Sundargarh	429	Government (Autonomous) College, Rourkela	430
	Total	14923	total	14976

Pradip Pradhan, M- 9937843482, Date-24.06.2015 

Disastrous Medical Infrastructure in Odisha

Disastrous Medical Infrastructure in Odisha 

during 15 years of Naveen Patnaik Regime  

Will the millions of poor people of Odisha survive without basic health facilities from Govt.? 

Health is one of the basic services that the Citizens are entitled to get it  at reasonable price or free of cost  in a welfare state. The State Government is duty bound to provide free health service to the people. As per article 47 of the Indian Constitution, the State shall  regard  the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of the living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties. As per Rural Health Statistics 2014, there are 6688 number of health sub centres, 1305 primary health centres, 377 community health centres and 114 mobile medical units running in the stateto  cater  health service to the people of Odisha. But  these centres are suffering from a lot of issues mainly infrastructure  for  which the poor people are  suffering from health hazards in the state. The 15 year BJD regime has precariously  failed to deliver minimum health service  to the people of Odisha  

Major setbacks to health sector in Odisha

1.  2726 Sub centres functioning in rented building
2. 11 PHCs functioning in rented building
3. Only in 2738 Sub-centres ANM living in the quarter
4. No Available data about the Sub Centres running as per IPHS norms
5.  2408 Sub-centres functioning without regular water supply
6.  2414 Sub-centre functioning without electricity supply
7. 182 sub-centres functioning without all weather motor able approaches
8. 292 PHCs without labor Room
9. 1305 PHCs without Operation Theater
10. 1277 PHCs without at least 4 beds
11. 141 PHCs without electricity supply
12. 292 without water supply
13. 6 PHCs without all weather motor able approaches
14. No Available data on PHCs functioning as per IPHS norms
15. 365 CHCs functioning without 4 specialist doctors
16. 317 CHCs functioning without at least 30 beds
17. 68 CHCs functioning without Operation Theaters
18. 57 CHCs functioning without new born care corner
19. 335 CHCs have no X-Ray machine
20. 85 CHCs have no building for specialists quarter
21. 111 CHCs have no living quarter for specialists living
22. 3068 Health workers (Male) shortfall for Sub centres
23. 212 Sub Centres functioning without Health Worker (Female), 2750 Sub-centres functioning without health worker (Male) and 158 Sub centres running without both
24. 597 Health assistants (Female) shortfall for PHCs
25. PHCs functioning without 1305health assistants (Male)
26. PHCs running with 339 doctors vacant.
27. 110 PHCs running without doctor
28. 1010PHCs running without  lady doctor
29. CHCs running with shortfall of 297surgeons
30. CHCs running with shortfall of 228 Obstetricians & Gynecologists
31. CHCs running with shortfall of 333 Physicians
32. CHCs running with shortfall of 304 Pediatricians
33. Infant Mortality Rate-51

(This information was  presented  in a meeting  by Gouranga Mohapatra, State Convener, Jana Swasthya Abhijan. His contact No is 9437036305)

Pradip Pradhan, M- 9937843482

Discontinuation of Emergency Feeding Programme in Odisha

Discontinuation of Emergency Feeding Programme- 
A Threat to food security of the old, infirm and destitute in KBK region of Odisha

As it is well-known, KBK region (un-divided Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi districts)  is the  most underdeveloped, backward  and drought-prone region  with more than 80% of the people  coming under BPL category.  Every time, Mass media highlights  the plight  of the  people  and their suffering from hunger, starvation and malnutrition in this region. Keeping it in view,  the Govt.  undertakes a number of food security programme and special  project  to ensure  food security of the poor.  Emergency Feeding programme is  one of them.  This programme   is being implemented since 1995-96 to provide hot cooked meal to the old, infirm and destitute old persons who are on the verge of hunger due to acute poverty. This cooked meal is  being supplied to 2 lakh beneficiaries through Anganwadi centre.  It is totally central-sponsored scheme under the Special Plan (RLTAP) helping a lot to the older persons  to get free from hunger.  As per the  information obtained through RTI from the Dept. of Child  and Women Development,  the Central Govt. was providing  around  Rs. 35  crores  and  18000.00 MT rice every year  to provide free meal  to the beneficiaries.

On 17.04.2015, the  Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Dept. of Women and Child Development, Govt. of Odisha  has written a letter to all the Collectors of 8 districts to discontinue the Emergency Feeding Programme  in 8 KBK districts due to Central Govt.’s  decision to stop  supply  of subsidised rice for the said programme. Now the two lakh old, infirm and destitute who always live on the verge of hunger will  be deprived to get  meal and  continue to suffer.  The discontinuation of the programme will no doubt pose serious threat to their life and livelihood. Even if these people will be covered as eligible household under National Food Security Act (each eligible person is entitled to get only 5 kg rice per month), it will no way help them to survive free from hunger.  Secondly, the provision of Rs. 300.00 pension per month to these families under various pension schemes is not enough to fulfil their hungry belly. As the poverty is acute, the poor people require special kind of support for livelihood.

As per the information obtained through RTI,  the central Govt. bears around 75 crores  (it includes  the cost of 18000.00 MT rice)  for running this programme. The said amount is not the big amount for the state as the state Govt.  bears an additional cost of Rs.1400 crores  to provide one rupee rice  to the  BPL families  and  Rs. 5.00 meal ( Rs.15.00 is given subsidy per meal)  to the people in urban areas.  

On 13.06.2015, Right  to Food Campaign, Odisha  has written a letter to Chief Secretary, Odisha demanding allocation of Rs.75 crores to continue  this scheme  for the older persons in KBK region.

Pradip Pradhan, M-9937843482