Odisha BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi has claimed that the state's exchequer was suffering losses to the tune of crores of rupees due to the BJD government's "unholy nexus with mine owners". Sarangi, a bureaucrat-turned-BJP politician, claimed that the state government "downgraded" the quality of iron ore being produced in some mines auctioned recently. Insisting that a big scam has been pulled off, the Bhubaneswar MP, during a press meet on Monday, said the ratio of low-grade iron ore in 2019-2020 was valued at 23 per cent; it increased to 95 per cent in 2021-2022. "This would not have been possible without connivance between the government and the mine owners," she said. Earlier, Justice MB Shah Commission, during its probe into illegal mining, had detected losses of Rs 59,000 crore, causing a flutter in the state, she said. It was expected that the situation would change for better after that. The scale of irregularities, however, have only increased with time," the MP said. Rejecti
With seven union ministers visiting different districts of Odisha and undertaking review of various central schemes being implemented in the state, the ruling BJD Saturday said the people will not accept the inspector raj manner" of the central government. While five central ministers reached Odisha on Friday, two others did so on Saturday. The cudgels for BJD was taken up by party MLA Sashibhusan Behera, who hit back at the comment made by Union Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai during his visit to Cuttack on Saturday. Speaking at a press conference in Cuttack, Rai said It appears that the benefits of different central schemes are not reaching the beneficiaries as desired. The state government's inept handlings of central schemes are indicated". Countering the comment, Behera said It is not proper on the part of union ministers to behave in an inspector raj manner. The people of Odisha will not accept it as they know how the state government has been implementing the ...
The Congress and BJD rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion that the BJP will form the next government in Odisha
Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has decided to support the NDA's vice presidential nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar, a party leader said Sunday. "After Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to (Odisha chief minister) Naveen babu, it has been decided that the party will support Dhankhar," senior BJD leader Pinaki Misra told PTI. The BJP had Saturday announced West Bengal Governor Dhankhar as the NDA's vice presidential candidate.
Patnaik said the BJD has been a proposer for Murmu as she is the daughter of Odisha in the fray for the country's topmost position. He asked all the party MLAs to vote for Murmu.
With the support of regional parties NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu's vote share in the July 18 presidential poll is likely to reach nearly two-thirds of total vote share
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu on Friday met Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs and MPs to seek their support for July 18 poll.
While Lal is back in the Raj Bhavan, sources in the ruling BJD said some MLAs are told not to leave the capital city though they were not given any assurance by the party president
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) registered a thumping victory in the Odisha municipal elections, winning three municipal corporations and 95 out of 108 urban local body councils
The results will decide the fate of 6,411 candidates contesting for the posts of mayor and chairperson and 5,842 nominees for councillor and corporator posts
Of the state's total 852 Zilla Parishad seats, the commission has completed the counting of votes in 829 seats, while that in the remaining seats is underway
With paddy crop lying in the field and prediction of a cyclonic storm soon to hit the Odisha coast, BJD on Friday appealed the central government to procure its surplus grain in interest of farmers
The party also blamed the BJD for the hike in the price of cooking gas and fuel
State govts have not been consulted on the personal data protection bill as well as the framework for non-personal data protection which may lead to problems in implementation of the proposed law
Counting of votes for the by-poll held in Pipili Assembly constituency in Odisha earlier this week began on Sunday amid tight security arrangements
As the Odisha Assembly failed to transact any business and witnessed ruckus over "mismanagement" in paddy procurement and suicide bid by a BJP MLA in the House
The BJD president said the regional party named after his father Biju Patnaik has all along been fighting for the rights of women
The Enforcement Directorate has widened its probe in the YES Bank case, taking it beyond loans given to DHFL; it is now looking at the bank's books to see if the Kapoor family received kickbacks
The Prime Minister said Biju Babu worked tirelessly for India's progress and pioneered the development of Odisha.
AAP has managed to break through entry barriers for newcomers in our politics - caste, ethnicity, ideology, dynasty - to establish itself as a Delhi party with all-India recognition