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Odisha Police have so far arrested 113 people for their alleged involvement in the violence during a protest of app-based cab and auto-rickshaw drivers and motorcycle riders in Bhubaneswar, officials said on Thursday. While 113 people have been arrested and forwarded to the court, another 60 detained people have been released on bond of good behaviour, a police officer of the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissionerate said. The police have also seized 354 vehicles for violating norms, he said. So far, seven FIRs have been registered against the protesters at Kharvel Nagar police station here in this connection with the violence. "Anyone taking law into their hands will be dealt with strictly as per law," he added. Drivers and riders registered with various online ride-hailing platforms began a cease-work on August 17, pressing for the fulfilment of their seven-point charter of demands, including a fare hike, reduction in application fees, social security and other benefits. Hundr
The final decision on claims and objections submitted during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Odisha will be taken by September 17, and the voter list will be published on September 21, an official statement said. The deadline for filing claims and objections for registration and revision ended on Wednesday, they said. A statement issued by the office of Odisha's chief electoral officer (CEO) said the final decision on all claims and objections will be taken by September 17 and the final voter list will be published on September 21. The CEO said that till August 19, notices have been issued to 58.36 lakh people. "Till now, a total of 3.09 crore eligible voters in the state have been considered for inclusion in the final voter list," it said, adding that the number may further increase as the hearing process is ongoing. Officials made it clear that the electors to whom notices have been issued but have been unable to submit the required valid certificate
The Odisha government on Saturday ordered a probe into the alleged discharge of excess water by a private power generation company into the Baitarani river without informing the authorities amid floods in Keonjhar district. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, after reviewing the flood situation in northern Odisha, said the discharge had aggravated the situation in parts of Keonjhar. "The flood situation in Keonjhar district worsened after a private power generation company discharged excess water into the Baitarani without informing the authorities or the district administration," he told reporters. Pujari said he had directed the Keonjhar district collector to investigate the matter and take appropriate action. "The company had created a similar problem during the last monsoon as well. Taking this matter seriously, the district collector has been directed to conduct a detailed inquiry," he said.
Utkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL), a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Ltd, has secured Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard Certification for its Baphlimali bauxite mine in Odisha's Rayagada district, a company statement said. The ASI is a global sustainability standards and certification organisation for the aluminium value chain. Its performance standard evaluates environmental, social and governance across operations, covering areas such as biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, community engagement, human rights, occupational health and safety, and responsible business practices. The statement claimed that UAIL is the first bauxite mine to achieve this certification. The company said that the certification covers the planning, mining, onsite crushing and conveyor transportation of bauxite from the Baphlimali mines, which have an annual production capacity of 8.5 million tonnes. The mines supply bauxite to Utkal Alumina's refinery operations and
The Election Commission has revised the schedule for the ongoing SIR exercise in Odisha, giving voters an additional fortnight to file claims and objections, and pushing the final publication of the electoral rolls to September 21, according to a notification. The last date for filing claims and objections has been extended from August 4 to August 19, according to the notification issued by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Friday. Consequently, the period for issuing notices, scrutiny of applications, hearings and disposal of claims and objections has also been extended from the earlier September 2 deadline to September 17. The final electoral roll, originally scheduled to be published on September 6, will now be released on September 21. July 1, 2026, will continue to be the qualifying date for the revision exercise. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which included house-to-house enumeration between May 30 and June 28, led to the exclusion of around 20.14 lakh ...