Odisha

Traffic curbs in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack for Amit Shah visit: Details here

The Commissionerate Police of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack has imposed traffic restrictions on certain routes of both cities on March 5 and 6 in view of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's two-day visit to Odisha beginning Thursday. Shah is scheduled to arrive here around 8 pm and will stay overnight in the city, officials said on Wednesday. According to his schedule, the minister will lay the foundation stone for the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) Bhubaneswar campus at Jatni in Khurda district on Friday. He will also virtually inaugurate the NFSU transit campus in Bhubaneswar and an exhibition on the new criminal laws in the state capital on March 6. Shah will also launch various projects related to cooperation and other departments, they said, adding that he will attend a CISF event at Mundali in Cuttack, police said. In a notification, police said movement of vehicles will be restricted from 8 pm to 8.45 pm on Thursday at Airpo

Maharashtra sets up WhatsApp helpline for citizens stranded in West Asia

The Maharashtra government has launched an emergency WhatsApp helpline for hundreds of state residents stranded in the Middle East amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, officials said on Tuesday. According to officials, several hundred people from Maharashtra are stranded in the Middle East due to airspace closure caused by the Iran war, though all are safe. The Chief Minister's office, in a post on X, said that CM Devendra Fadnavis is personally monitoring the situation and is in constant contact with various agencies. He is also coordinating regularly with the Central government, which is extending all possible assistance, while Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan has been tasked with coordination efforts. The CMO further stated that the state government, in coordination with the Indian People's Forum in Dubai, has issued a WhatsApp helpline number +971 50 365 4357 for stranded citizens who require assistance. US President Donald Trump has said that the heavy and pinpoint ..

Mounting rice stocks raise questions over subsidy-fuelled paddy expansion

As Odisha battles procurement protests and Kerala defends bonuses, mounting rice stocks intensify questions over subsidy-fuelled paddy expansion

5 police personnel killed, 4 injured in SUV-truck collision in Odisha

At least five police personnel were killed and four others were injured in a head-on collision between an SUV and a truck on National Highway 49 in Odisha's Jharsuguda district early on Sunday, police said. The accident took place near Odisha Adarsh Vidyalaya in Jharsuguda Sadar police station area when eight personnel were returning from a wedding in Jharsuguda, while the truck was moving in the opposite direction, a senior police officer said. "Five police personnel from Jharsuguda district were killed in the accident while two were seriously injured and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bargarh. Another injured policeman is in stable condition," Jharsuguda Additional Superintendent of Police Madhusikta Mishra said. The truck driver has also been injured in the accident and he is undergoing treatment, she said. "A case has been registered and further investigation is underway," Mishra said. The truck turned to its side after the collision and the police vehicle w

Majhi lays foundation stone for textile park, data centre in Keonjhar

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday laid foundation stones for a Rs 100-crore textile park and a Rs 187-crore disaster recovery and data centre in his native Keonjhar district. Addressing a meeting on Dharanidhar University campus, Majhi said, "The state government is committed to making Keonjhar a diversified industrial hub. The mineral-rich district will witness a multi-sector hub of industrial growth. Our vision is to build a golden Keonjhar." Hindalco will set up a garment manufacturing unit on seven acres, producing 24 lakh garments annually, including brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England, for domestic and global markets. "It's a matter of privilege for all of us and this project supports Odisha's broader goal of expanding value-added industries beyond mining and heavy manufacturing," he added. Hindalco's president (corporate affairs) Ardhendu Mohapatra said, "This apparel manufacturing unit reflects our commitment to creati

CM Majhi launches BCPPER plan, calls it growth laboratory for Odisha

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday unveiled an economic plan for Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip Economic Region (BCPPER) and said this initiative would be the state's laboratory for development and prosperity. Launching BCPPER, the chief minister said that this region will be developed as a centre of economic growth of the state. "The BCPPER will play an important role in the economic growth of the state as well as the country," Majhi said. Describing the proposed region as a new star in the growth sky of India, the chief minister said that all the cities of this region have their own potentialities and uniqueness. While Bhubaneswar is developing in the field of technology, Cuttack is the business centre of the state. Puri is known for its cultural heritage and tourism potential, while Paradip has emerged as a port-based economy. "Now our plan is that this region will be connected with modern infrastructure, and various projects will be undertaken in each city.

Budget 2026-27 places Odisha firmly at heart of India's growth story: BJP

The ruling BJP in Odisha on Sunday asserted that the Union Budget 2026-27 has placed the state firmly at the heart of India's growth story. "It reflects a clear and confident vision to transform Odisha into a strategic engine of eastern India's development," Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day. Biswal said the announcement of 20 new inland waterways, beginning with Odisha, will unlock immense potential for inland transport, trade, and the coastal economy, giving a decisive push to logistics efficiency and regional commerce. "The East Coast Freight Corridor in Odisha is a true game-changer. It will strengthen ports, boost MSMEs, create large-scale employment, and position Odisha as a critical logistics hub in the national supply chain," he asserted. The BJP leader said equally significant is the dedicated rare earth corridor, which will establish Odisha as a strategic centre for clean

Hindalco Industries unveils ₹21,000 crore smelter expansion plan

Move part of firm's ₹37K cr investment pipeline in Odisha

Hindalco announces major ₹21,000-crore aluminium smelter expansion plan

Hindalco said it planned to invest ₹ 21,000 crore in a smelter expansion with a capacity of 360,000 tonnes per annum at its Aditya Aluminium complex in Sambalpur

Odisha garnered ₹1 trillion worth of investments at Kolkata meet: Govt

The Odisha government on Saturday said it has garnered investment worth Rs one lakh crore through its investors meet and roadshow at Kolkata. During the two-day investors meet and roadshow at the eastern metropolis attended by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain, chief secretary Anu Garg and others, the state signed 27 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and received 19 investment intents from various industries for setting up their plants in the state, an official statement said. While the 27 MoUs envisaged investment of Rs 81,864 crore, generating over 63,161 jobs, the 19 investment intent proposals worth Rs 18,453 crore were received with the potential to create over 27,591 employment opportunities. Together, if grounded, these projects will generate employment for 80,000 people, an official said. The chief minister emphasised that while MoUs are important, the true measure of success lies in execution on the ground. Addressing the Odisha .

Six injured as private aircraft makes crash landing near Rourkela

At least six people suffered minor injuries when a small aircraft of a private airline in which they were flying made a crash landing near Rourkela on Saturday, Odisha's Commerce and Transport minister B B Jena said. The incident took place near Rourkela, he said. "One A-1 nine-seater private flight carrying six passengers from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar has met with an accident. The passengers have sustained minor injuries and are stable. It took place at Jalda, 10 kilometres from Rourkela. By the grace of God, this is not a major accident," Jena told reporters. Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, Prasanna Pradhan said, "The flight was on its way from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela. It made a crash landing 10 km before Rourkela. There were 4 passengers and 2 crew members. All are safe. The flight is India One Airlines. The number of the light is C-208." The minister said the state government has apprised the Director General of Civil Aviation of the situation. "Our director wil

Odisha courts on high alert after receiving bomb threat via e-mail

Deputy Commissioner of Police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said that special bomb disposal squads, dog squads, and additional security teams have been mobilised

Odisha approves ₹55,783 cr projects, set to create over 14,500 jobs

The Odisha government on Thursday approved seven major industrial projects worth an investment of Rs 55,783 crore and having the potential to generate 14,507 jobs, an official said. The project proposals were approved at the High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. "Through these investment clearances, we are focusing on making the state strong, Atmanirbhar and ready for Samruddha Odisha by 2036," he said. The approved projects span key sectors including steel, rare earth manufacturing, automobiles and auto-components, semiconductors, industrial gases, ferroalloys and power and renewable energy and are spread across districts such as Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Keonjhar and Khurda. In the steel sector, Saffron Resources Private Limited, (a JSW Group Company) leads the approvals with a mega investment of Rs 35,000 crore to establish a 6 MTPA steel plant in Dhenkanal. The project alone is expected to generate around 8,000 employment ...

After Census notification, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh chalk out plans

States begin planning Census 2027 houselisting from April, with Odisha and Uttar Pradesh among the first to roll out the digital exercise

BHEL bags BCGCL contract for coal gasification, syngas units in Odisha

State-owned BHEL on Thursday said it has secured an order from Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited for coal gasification and raw syngas cleaning facilities for coal-to-ammonium nitrate project at Jharsuguda, Odisha. Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) is a joint venture company of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Coal India Ltd (CIL). The order covers engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and performance guarantee of the coal gasification and raw syngas cleaning facilities, which form the core process units of the integrated chemical complex. The scope of work includes the gasifier and associated auxiliaries, steam generation plant, air separation unit, coal and ash handling systems, and cooling tower facilities. The project will deploy BHEL's in-house developed Pressurised Fluidised Bed Gasification (PFBG) technology and marks its first commercial-scale application.

Why India's state accounts don't add up, distorting deficits and debt

Misclassification is rife, affecting compliance under FRBM Act, and distorting revenue surplus, fiscal deficit and debt ratios. IMF doesn't like it. Now, CAG is set to clamp down on the bad practic

Odisha govt imposes law banning strikes as doctors continue OPD boycott

The Odisha government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1988, prohibiting strikes by doctors and other healthcare staff, as agitating doctors carried on with their boycott of outpatient department (OPD) services across state-run health facilities. Under the order, strikes in the form of cessation of work by doctors, nursing officers, pharmacists, paramedics, technicians and Class III and IV employees, including contractual staff, engaged in government hospitals and dispensaries have been banned for six months with effect from Tuesday, an official notification said. Doctors in government hospitals and health centres have been boycotting OPD services since December 26, initially for one hour a day, which was extended to two hours from 9 am to 11 am starting January 5. Emergency services, inpatient care and surgeries, however, have continued uninterrupted. The agitation, under the banner of the Odisha Medical Service Association (OMSA), has been ongoing sinc

Broken Data: How states misclassify spending and distort fiscal math

The CAG has noted that such misclassification affects compliance under the FRBM Act, distorting revenue surplus, fiscal deficit and debt ratios

OPD services disrupted in Odisha as doctors begin 2-hour daily work boycott

Outpatient department services across state-run hospitals in Odisha were affected on Monday morning as doctors boycotted work for two hours over a host of issues, including filling up of over 50 per cent of vacant posts. Members of the Odisha Medical Service Association (OMSA) boycotted outpatient services from 9 am to 11 am, demanding that the government fulfil their 10-point charter of demands. OMSA president Kishore Mishra said the doctors have been agitating since November 20. "In the first phase, the doctors joined work wearing black badges, and from December 26, boycotted the OPD service for one hour. They further extended the OPD boycott to two hours from today," he said. "Emergency services, inpatient care, and surgeries will remain unaffected. Now on, OPDs will remain closed from 9 am to 11 am daily, from primary health centres to district headquarters hospitals," he added. Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling appealed to the doctors to shun agitation as the government was ...

Several feared dead as rocks collapse at stone quarry in Odisha's Dhenkanal

Several people are feared to be dead after a large portion of rocks collapsed at a stone quarry in Odisha's Dhenkanal district, officials said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday evening when some workers were engaged in drilling and exploration of stone from the quarry located near Gopalpur village under Motanga police station limits in the district, they said. How many workers are trapped under the rocks, and the exact cause behind the incident has not yet been cleared. However, local fire service teams, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, along with dog squad and machines engaged in rescue operations, have been rushed to the area, a fire service officer said. "The rescue operation is in progress," the officer said. Dhenkanal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil and SP Abhinav Sonkar have reached the spot to supervise the rescue operation. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, in a post on X said, "I am deeply saddened to learn that workers lost their lives due