Odisha

113 arrested over violence during drivers' protest in Bhubaneswar: Police

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

Odisha SIR: Decision on claims by Sep 17, final voter list on Sep 21

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

Centre clears ₹9,450 crore for 410-km rail projects across four states

Four multitracking projects across West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will add nearly 410 km to the railway network and ease congestion

Congress threatens Odisha Bandh over MMDR Bill, seeks special House session

The Congress alleges the MMDR Amendment Bill threatens Odisha's fiscal autonomy and mineral rights, and has sought an all-party meeting and a special Assembly session

Why do Laxmanananda Saraswati and Dara Singh matter to the Odisha BJP?

Why do Laxmanananda Saraswati and Dara Singh matter to the Odisha BJP? Hemant Kumar Rout analyses

Odisha orders probe into power firm's water discharge amid Keonjhar floods

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.

MMDR amendment sparks revenue fears, Odisha may lose over ₹1 trn dues

Industry and state-level estimates suggest Odisha could lose around Rs 12,000 crore in annual mineral-related revenue and over Rs 1 trillion in outstanding dues

Naveen seeks special Assembly session over MMDR Bill, flags revenue risk

Naveen Patnaik has sought an all-party meeting and a special Assembly session, warning that the MMDR amendment could weaken Odisha's fiscal autonomy and mineral revenues

Odisha Cabinet approves ₹12,458 cr to expand irrigation coverage by FY31

The Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Project will create additional irrigation potential of 262,275 hectares through 161 schemes across all districts of Odisha

Hindalco arm gets ASI certification for Odisha's Baphlimali bauxite mine

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

Odisha set to launch India's first rail-tech manufacturing park soon

The proposed facility at Sahaspur industrial estate will offer common infrastructure and services to railway manufacturers, ancillary units, MSMEs and technology firms

Odisha to launch 5 food parks, target ₹10,000 cr investment at Delhi summit

The state will unveil five new food parks at the Odisha Food Pro 2026 summit in New Delhi as it seeks Rs 10,000 crore in investments and over 20,000 jobs

Coal India enters iron ore mining in latest push towards diversification

Coal India has emerged as the preferred bidder for Odisha's Gadadharpur iron ore block, marking its entry into iron ore mining as it expands beyond coal

Adani group proposes to invest ₹1 trillion for data centre in Odisha

Facility would trail only Google's intended Andhra project in scale

Odisha sees hope of Mahanadi water dispute settlement before Diwali

After talks involving the Union Jal Shakti minister and both chief ministers, Odisha says the Mahanadi water dispute could be resolved through a negotiated settlement before Diwali

Odisha Cabinet clears Bill for economic region development authorities

It targets scaling the regional economy from $22.4 billion to $500 billion by 2047

EC revises SIR schedule in Odisha; objections can be filed till Aug 19

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 ...

Odisha inks 13 MoUs for ₹913 crore women-led investment proposals

The investment proposals span hospitality, biotechnology, manufacturing, agribusiness and renewable energy, with the potential to create more than 4,300 jobs

Amid Neet row, Medical PG exam paper shared in Odisha; inquiry ordered

Odisha University of Health Sciences has launched an inquiry after photographs of a PG medical exam paper surfaced on social media during the test, triggering concerns over exam irregularities

Odisha's women powering MSME boom with eightfold rise in enterprises

Women-led MSMEs are surging in Odisha, with registrations rising eightfold in six years as policy support helps first-generation entrepreneurs create jobs