Concerned over impact of deaths of two Russians, Odisha hoteliers write to CM Naveen Patnaik
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Expressing concern over the impact of the deaths of two Russian tourists in the Rayagada district, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha (HARO) wrote to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urging him to ensure a proper investigation.
In a letter to Patnaik, it said that a strong action plan should be chalked out for the safety and security of visitors, especially foreign tourists, coming to the state during the Hockey Men's World Cup, which will begin on January 13.
"We request your esteemed office to kindly examine the case of two Russian tourists who died under mysterious circumstances and necessary steps and investigation may kindly be taken immediately to avoid further spreading of the negative news," HARO chairman JK Mohanty said in the letter.
Noting that the deaths of the two tourists were having a negative impact on the prospects of tourism in Odisha in terms of safety, he said the incident is likely to slow down the arrival of foreign tourists to the state.
Prior to the pandemic, Odisha witnessed around 1.5 lakh foreign tourist arrivals each year, Mohanty said.
The state CID has stepped up its investigation into the deaths of Pavel Antov (65), a Russian lawmaker who died after allegedly falling from a Rayagada hotel's third floor on December 24, and Vladimir Bidenov, his fellow traveller who was found dead in his room at the same hotel on December 22.
They were part of a four-member group, which along with their Delhi-based travel guide Jitendra Singh had checked in to the hotel on December 21.
The post-mortem report of the Russian MP indicates that he died of internal injury after a fall, while that of Bidenov points to a heart attack as the cause of death, police said.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
