Page 3 - Odisha Economy

PM launches Odisha govt's Subhadra Yojana, projects worth over Rs 3,800 cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched the Odisha government's flagship women-centric programme Subhadra Yojana, and unveiled railway and national highway projects worth over Rs 3,800 crore here, marking 100 days of the third NDA regime at the Centre. Modi also released the first instalment of assistance to nearly 10 lakh beneficiaries under PMAY-G across 14 states. He also took part in 'Griha Pravesh' celebrations for 26 lakh beneficiaries under the housing scheme from across the country. He also launched Awaas+ 2024 App for a survey of additional households for PMAY-G. While participating in the Griha Pravesh celebrations, Modi visited Sabar Sahi slum in Bhubaneswar where he interacted with the beneficiaries. The PM inaugurated the homes of 20 beneficiaries under the PMAY there. Accompanied by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the PM visited the home of Antaryami Nayak, a beneficiary of the housing scheme, and savoured the traditional Odia sweet dish, 'kheeri'

Holiday for school, colleges in Bhubaneswar on Sept 17 amid PM Modi's visit

According to the Prime Minister's Office, 'SUBHADRA' scheme is the largest, single women-centric scheme and is expected to cover more than 1 crore women

Odisha set to lead petrochemical sector: Union minister Anupriya Patel

Union Minister Anupriya Patel on Friday said Odisha is ready to become a leader in the petrochemical sector which is projected to be a USD 1 trillion industry by 2047. Addressing a conference "Advanced India: Indian Chemicals and Petrochemicals Paving the Future" here, she said the eastern state with its skilled manpower and strategic coastal location is poised to become a major hub in the sector. She also said the India Chem 2024 summit, scheduled to take place in Mumbai from October 17-19 after a two-year hiatus, is expected to attract significant global participation. Odisha, with its skilled manpower and strategic coastal location, is poised to become a major hub for chemicals and petrochemicals, and will offer vast opportunities for manufacturing, employment and exports, Patel, the minister of state for chemicals and fertilizers, said. The sector, currently valued at USD 220 billion, is projected to surpass USD 1 trillion by 2047, she said, adding that the government's focus o

UN, Odisha govt launch India's first 'grain ATM' to boost food security

Odisha and WFP are introducing 'Annapurti' 24-hour grain ATMs statewide to enhance food security. The first machine was launched in Bhubaneshwar on August 9

SC on retro tax on minerals: Odisha and Rajasthan to watch out for

Odisha, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Jharkhand, are India's top five mineral producing states by value annually, and in the same order as of FY23 data

Odisha announces policy of one-day paid menstrual leave for women employees

The policy is aimed at supporting the health and well-being of the menstruating people and will be extended to both public and private sector

Odisha passes appropriation bill for Rs 95,000 cr, house to meet on Aug 20

The Assembly on Wednesday passed the Odisha Appropriation (Vote-on-Account No.2) Bill, 2024, which authorises the state government to withdraw Rs 95,000 crore from the Consolidated Fund for use in August and September of the current 25 financial year. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also oversees the finance department, presented the Bill. It was passed by a voice vote despite protests from the Opposition, including members of the BJD and Congress, who walked out. This is the second Vote-on-Account passed within the same financial year. The first was approved in February, covering the months of April, May, June, and July. Since the current Vote-on-Account expires on Wednesday, July 31, well before the budget's passage, the state introduced this second Vote-on-Account to cover expenditures for August and September. Before the House passed the Bill, Majhi explained, "I have presented a Bill of Rs 95,000 crore for the House's approval. This appropriation includes 30 per cent ...

BKS slams ICAR for dubious agreements with multinational companies

The resolution assumes significance as the RSS is also the ideological fountainhead of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Odisha govt presents Rs 2.65 trn budget for FY25, renames several schemes

The BJP government in Odisha presented its maiden budget on Thursday with a total estimate of Rs 2.65 lakh crore for the 2024-25 fiscal, laying emphasis on agriculture and women empowerment. The size of the budget for the current financial year was around 15 per cent more than the budgetary estimate of Rs 2.30 lakh crore for the 2023-24 fiscal, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in the assembly. Majhi, who also holds the finance portfolio, modified and renamed several popular schemes like KALIA, 'Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana' (BSKY) and 'Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana' (BPGY). He proposed an outlay of Rs 33,919 crore for agriculture, which is about 36 per cent more than the allocation made in the previous year. Of the total budget estimates, programme expenditure was pegged at Rs 1.55 lakh crore, administrative expenditure at Rs 97,725 crore and an outlay of Rs 3,900 crore for Disaster Risk Management Funds, he said. To ensure the speedy empowerment of women, as promised by the BJP in

Odisha presents Rs 2.65 trn budget for FY25 with focus on agri, women

The BJP government in Odisha presented its maiden budget on Thursday with a total estimate of Rs 2.65 lakh crore for the 2024-25 fiscal, laying emphasis on agriculture and women empowerment. The size of the budget for the current financial year was around 15 per cent more than the budgetary estimate of Rs 2.30 lakh crore for the 2023-24 fiscal, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in the assembly. Majhi, who also holds the finance portfolio, proposed an outlay of Rs 33,919 crore for agriculture, which is about 36 per cent more than the allocation made in the previous year. Of the total budget estimates, programme expenditure was pegged at Rs 1.55 lakh crore, administrative expenditure at Rs 97,725 crore and an outlay of Rs 3,900 crore for Disaster Risk Management Funds, he said. To ensure the speedy empowerment of women, as promised by the BJP in its election manifesto, Majhi allocated Rs 10,000 crore for the 'Subhadra' scheme, a financial assistance programme for women. The chi

India successfully tests Phase-II ballistic missile defence system

India on Wednesday successfully flight-tested the second phase of its ballistic missile defence system, demonstrating home-grown capabilities to defend against hostile missiles having a range of 5,000 km. The flight test fully met all the trial objectives validating complete network centric warfare weapon system, the defence ministry said. The missile was tested at the integrated test range (ITR) in Odisha's Chandipur. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the successful flight test and stated that it has again demonstrated India's ballistic missiles defence capability. "The DRDO successfully flight-tested Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence System on July 24," the ministry said. The target missile was launched at 1620 hours mimicking an adversary ballistic missile, which was detected by weapon system radars deployed on land and sea and activated the interceptor system. "The Phase-II AD Endo-atmospheric missile was

State govt will fill up 1.5 lakh vacant posts: Odisha Governor

Odisha Governor Raghubar Das on Monday said the state government will fill 1.5 lakh vacant government posts in a fair and transparent manner, with 65,000 positions set to be filled within the next two years. He made these remarks during the inaugural session of the newly formed 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly. In a bid to transform Odisha into a vibrant manufacturing hub, the state government will prioritise industries such as automobile, electric vehicles (EV), semiconductors, and IT/ITES under the Make in Odisha' initiative, he said, adding such a move will generate over 3.5 lakh jobs by 2029, thereby boosting economic growth and employment opportunities across the state. Das emphasised the government's commitment to enhancing skill development and apprenticeship opportunities for youth to equip them with essential experience and expertise. Highlighting the empowerment of SC and ST youths, Das underscored the government's efforts to foster entrepreneurial initiatives among these

Nothing wrong in UP police diktat to display names of shopkeepers: Manjhi

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday asserted that he saw "nothing wrong" with fruit sellers along the 'Kanwar Yatra' route in Uttar Pradesh being asked to display their names at their stalls. Manjhi was responding to journalists' questions about the controversial UP police directive, which has faced criticism from the opposition and some BJP allies, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Union Minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). Manjhi, who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha, said, "I cannot speak for other parties, but I see nothing wrong with such an order. What is the harm if people involved in businesses are asked to display their names and addresses prominently?" "In fact, such display only makes it easy for buyers to spot a favourite stall. It is wrong to view the episode through the prism of religion", said Manjhi, who made his parliamentary debut, at a ripe age of 79, in the recent elections. Manjhi's stance on the issue differs

Odisha seeks higher allocation of Centre's funds for infra development

The new BJP government in Odisha has submitted a memorandum to the Centre seeking expansion of Paradip port, a second AIIMS at Sambalpur and higher allocation of funds to further accelerate infrastructure development in the state, an official release said on Saturday. The memorandum was submitted by Odisha Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo who attended the meeting of Finance ministers of the states before the Union Budget. The meeting was chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Saturday. The Odisha government memorandum sought higher allocation under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SACI), 2024-25 to further accelerate infrastructure development, the release said. Apart from the demand for the establishment of a second AIIMS at Sambalpur, the state government also sought expeditious completion of National Highways, specifically the Coastal Highway and Capital Region Ring Road (CRRR) projects, in Odisha. The new BJP

Naveen Patnaik likely to become leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly

BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to become the Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly as the regional outfit has scheduled its first legislature party meeting on Wednesday. This could be Patnaik's first time as leader of opposition (LoP) in his political career, which began in 1997. Patnaik served as the CM of Odisha five consecutive times from 2000 until June 2024. If Patnaik takes on the role of LoP, the party may elect a deputy leader to handle day-to-day activities in the Assembly, party sources said. In the 147-member Assembly, the BJP has 78 members, followed by the BJD with 51, Congress (14), CPIM 3, and Independents 3. In the last Assembly, the BJD had 113 MLAs. While Patnaik is expected to be unanimously elected as LoP, one of the senior leaders of the party is likely to be his deputy in the House. Given the saffron surge, many senior leaders lost their seats, but a few managed to retain it. Senior BJD leaders who won include Prasanna Ach

'Pandian not my successor, people of Odisha to decide': Naveen Patnaik

The Biju Janata Dal suffered a defeat in the Odisha assembly polls at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party, putting an end to the 24-year-old reign of Naveen Patnaik

LS polls 2024 phase 5: Odisha records over 35% voter turnout till 11 am

Odisha recorded around 6.99 per cent voter turnout in the first two hours of polling in five Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 Assembly segments on Monday, officials said. Voting started at 7 am in Aska, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Bolangir and Sundergarh parliamentary constituencies along with 35 assembly segments within the jurisdiction of these Lok Sabha seats. Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha. Police said there was no report of any untoward incident in any polling booths Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer N B Dhal Monday said that the voting was underway in all the 9,162 polling stations across peacefully in five Parliamentary Constituencies and 35 assembly segments under their jurisdiction with some reports of EVM glitches. Till 9 am around 6.99 per cent of the over 79.69 lakh voters have exercised their franchise, officials said. Officials said EVM glitches were reported from Sundergarh Lok Sabha constituency and they were addressed immediately.

LS polls: People of disputed Kotia to cast votes in both AP, Odisha

Armed with two voter cards issued by two states, over 5,500 electors of the disputed Kotia region are eligible to exercise their franchise in both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha elections in the fourth phase on May 13. Twenty-one of the 28 villages of the picturesque Kotia cluster are claimed by both states and a case over the dispute has been pending with the Supreme Court since 1968. Due to the dispute, residents of Kotia get the best of both worlds since they have Aadhaar and ration cards issued by both states and receive the benefits of schemes announced by the two governments. "I will vote in both states. While the Andhra Pradesh booth is nearer, the one established by Odisha for our village is at Ransingh, and to reach there we have to trek a few miles. Nevertheless, we will participate in polls of both states," Tamal Kanaya, a resident of Tadivalsa village, said. "We are not bothered about the dispute between the two states. We vote in both states because we benefit from the sche

LS polls: Job promises galore as Odisha scores low on employment index

Despite declining by three percentage points in 2022-23 (FY23) compared to FY19, Odisha's unemployment rate remains higher than the average in India

LS polls: Temple narrative not a guarantee for victory in Odisha elections

Voters in Puri, Sambalpur say local issues, poll dynamics matter