Page 5 - Odisha Economy

PM Modi virtually inaugurates over 270 railway projects in Odisha

Over 270 railway projects were unveiled in Odisha on Tuesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials said. Among these are new railway lines, signalling systems, good sheds and a new Vande Bharat Express that will operate between Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar, they said. These were unveiled by the PM virtually from Ahmedabad along with other railway projects across the country. The new Vande Bharat Express train will operate six days a week, except Saturdays. This will be the state's third Vande Bharat Express train. The first two operate on the Puri-Howrah and Puri-Rourkela routes. The PM also inaugurated the Rs 234-crore Haridaspur-Byree section (16.8 km) of the Bhadrak-Nergundi third line, the Rs 131-crore Damanjodi-Baiguda section (14.6 km) of the Korapur-Raigada doubling project, Rs 167-crore Singapur Road-Rayagada section (9.2 km) of the Vijianagam-Titlagarh third line and the Rs 123-crore Similiguda-Araku-Gorapur (21.6 km) section of the Kotavlasa-Koraput doubling ...

Odisha govt approves seven key projects with Rs 80,125 crore investment

The Odisha government has approved seven key projects with an investment of Rs 80,125 crore in different sectors, an official said. The projects received the state government's nod at a High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday. These investments are expected to create job opportunities for 24,552 people in various sectors, including steel, green energy, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, the official said. These projects are spread over Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Jharsuguda, Ganjam, and Bhadrak districts, he said. Granules Life Sciences Private Limited, a leading producer of paracetamol in India, has proposed to set up its pharmaceutical unit at Tata SEZ, Gopalpur in Ganjam district. The company aims to produce 4 billion units of paracetamol, metformin, ibuprofen and other pharma products, for which it will pump in Rs 1,100 crore in the Ganjam plant, generating jobs for around 1,500 people. Granules CZRO Private Limited will also

PM to unveil development projects worth over Rs 19,600 cr in Odisha today

The projects are from sectors including oil and gas, railways, roads, transport and highways and atomic energy

Odisha approves 27 new industrial projects worth Rs 6,134 crore

The Odisha government has approved 27 new industrial projects to the tune of Rs 6,134 crore across sectors, a senior official said on Saturday. The proposals got the state government's nod at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary P K Jena on Friday. The potential sectors include aluminium, renewable power, manufacturing, aerospace and defence, food processing, apparel and textiles and IT infrastructure, the official said. The proposed projects are likely to create employment for 42,275 people, Jena said.

LS polls: Odisha extends farmers' welfare scheme 'KALIA' for another 3 yrs

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections, the Odisha government on Thursday decided to extend its farmers' welfare scheme 'KALIA' for another three years, sanctioning a total outlay of Rs 6,029.70 crore for the purpose. The state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved three proposals in this regard, Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain told reporters. He said the state has been implementing the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme since 2018-19 as a majority of the population of the state is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Similarly, the state had implemented the KALIA scholarship to ensure the educational development of the children of KALIA beneficiaries so that they avail of professional and technical education in different educational institutions, Swain said. For hassle-free and smooth implementation of this welfare scheme and to bring the ..

RVNL's order book touches Rs 65,000-cr mark, plans to add foreign projects

Public Sector Undertaking RVNL's order book has touched Rs 65,000 crore, 50 per cent of which are railway projects, the company has said. RVNL is also looking for new projects in off-shore markets including Central Asia and UAE and Western Asia, the management said in an investors call. "We have got an order book of around Rs 65,000 crore, which roughly constitutes 50 per cent from the nomination, that is the typical railway projects, and 50 per cent from the market. In time to come, we should maintain an order book of around Rs 75,000 crore," top management officials said in reply to a question. Of the total order book, the share of the Vande Bharat trains was around Rs 9,000 crore, and Rs 7,000 crore was for several metro projects. The company has also bagged projects in the electrification and transmission lines among others. RVNL is also diversifying to other segments and eyeing many projects in the foreign countries, they said. On growth plans in offshore markets, the managem

Veteran BJD leader, 10-time Odisha MLA V Sugnana Kumari Deo dies at 87

Veteran BJD leader and 10-time Odisha MLA V Sugnana Kumari Deo died at a private hospital in Chennai on Saturday while undergoing treatment, officials said. She was 87. Deo breathed her last at about 1 am after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other senior party leaders met her at the hospital on Friday night, they said. She belonged to the royal family of Khallikote. Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and many other dignitaries expressed their condolence on the demise of Deo. "Saddened to know about the demise of V Sugnana Kumar Deo. She was a very senior leader of BJD and she made a lot of contributions towards the party. She has left her mark in the public service by representing both Khalikote and Kabisuryanagar. She was elected to the Assembly 10 times, It is an irreparable loss. May her soul rest in peace and my deepest condolence to the bereaved family", Patnaik said in a post on X. Deo was first elected to

Politics should not be done on sensitive crime issues: Odisha CM Patnaik

Recalling the efforts made by his government during the COVID-19 pandemic, CM Patnaik said that oxygen produced in Odisha saved thousands of lives throughout the country

BJP-BJD 'partnership' in Odisha, alleges Rahul Gandhi ahead of LS polls

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the BJP and BJD has a "partnership" in Odisha and the Congress has been opposing them to protect the interest of the people of the state. Gandhi resumed his 'Bharat Joda Nyay Yatra' in Odisha's steel city here. In a brief speech, he said: "As you know Naveen Patnaik and Narendra Modi run a partnership government in Odisha. They both have joined hands and work in tandem. I find in Parliament that BJD supports the BJP. The BJD people also disturb us at the instance of BJP". Gandhi claimed that it is the Congress party alone which has been opposing the BJD-BJP combine for the people of Odisha. Gandhi said: "I have come to Odisha to open a shop of love in the market of hatred. ('Nafrat ki bazaar me mohabbat ki dukan khulne aaya hu')". The Congress leader also came down heavily on Odisha's BJD government saying that as many as 30 lakh people from the state have migrated as labourers to other states for livelihood as the state government "was not

PM meets Padma awardees in Odisha, acknowledges their 'rich contributions'

The Prime Minister said that it was a privilege to meet Krishna Patel, a celebrated Sambalpuri folk singer, whom the Government of India had conferred the Padma Shri in 2023

PM Modi lays foundation stones of projects worth Rs 68,000 crore in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 68,000 crore. Besides inaugurating the 400-crore permanent campus of IIM, Sambalpur, Modi unveiled several infrastructure projects across various sectors such as power, roads and railways. Modi had laid the foundation stone for the IIM campus in 2021. The PM also flagged off the Puri-Sonepur-Puri weekly express, which will improve connectivity in the region, and dedicated the Jharsuguda Head Post Office Heritage Building to the nation. He also inaugurated the 412-km DhamraAngul pipeline section of the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline project (JHBDPL)'. Built at a cost of around Rs 2,450 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga', the project will connect Odisha with the National Gas Grid. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Governor Raghubar Das and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were present at the function.

PM Modi to visit Odisha, address first public meeting in state in 5 yrs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Odisha on Saturday afternoon to unveil projects worth Rs 68,400 crore, including the new campus of IIM-Sambalpur, officials said. During the visit, Modi will address a public meeting, his first in the state in nearly five years. The prime minister will reach the Jharsuguda airport around 1 pm, and head to the IIM-Sambalpur campus where CM Naveen Patnaik, Governor Raghubar Das and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will join him, they said. Besides the Rs 400-crore campus, Modi will also unveil infrastructure projects worth Rs 68,000 crore. These projects span sectors such as power, roads and railways. Modi will address a public meeting at Remed Ground around 3 pm, before leaving for Guwahati, officials said. He had addressed the last public meeting in the state in April 2019 in Kendrapara in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls and assembly elections in the state, which were held simultaneously. The prime minister visited the state

Odisha govt's anti-tribal schemes only to woo adivasis ahead of polls: BJP

Terming the ruling BJD in Odisha as anti-tribal, opposition BJP alleged that the state government rolled out special packages for tribals only to woo them ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and the assembly elections. The BJD's programmes for adivasis are a poll gimmick to mislead the one-crore tribal population in the state, Opposition chief whip Mohan Charan Majhi told reporters here on Tuesday. They were actually planning to grab tribal land for corporate houses by amending the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (by Scheduled Tribes) Regulation. However, the government failed in its bid in the wake of strong protests from different quarters, Majhi claimed. The Odisha Cabinet on Monday withdrew its earlier decision on tribal land transfer to non-tribals. The BJP leader also mocked the cabinet's approval of a new scheme Laghu Bana Jatiya Drabya Kraya (LABHA) to assure minimum support prices for minor forest produces. With the elections approaching, the state govern

Odisha has created new history in all areas of development, says CM Patnaik

Odisha is on the path of transformation. In the last twenty years, the state has created new history in all areas of development, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday

Schools, colleges in Odisha to be shut on Jan 27 for temple project launch

Schools and colleges across Odisha will remain closed on Saturday on the occasion of the launch of a temple redevelopment project in Sambalpur, officials said. The decision was taken to facilitate people to join the inauguration of the Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economy Initiatives (SAMALEI) project, they said. All government offices will remain shut on that day as it's the fourth Saturday of the month. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to launch the Rs 200-crore project, spread over an area of around 40 acres. The initiative includes beautification and peripheral development of the temple, a heritage corridor and modern amenities, the officials said.

Rs 800-cr heritage corridor project inaugurated around Jagannath temple

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday inaugurated the Rs 800-crore heritage corridor project around the historic Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri. The Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa was officially unveiled by Patnaik in presence of Gajapati Maharaja of Puri Divyasingha Deb and representatives of around 90 temples and thousands of devotees. The project has been possible due to the blessings of Lord Jagannath, the CM said. It includes parking areas, a new bridge and a road to ease pilgrim movement, a pilgrimage centre, restroom facilities, cloakrooms, toilets and other amenities for devotees in and around the Jagannath temple, officials said. The pilgrim town of Puri has been decked up with flowers, colourful lights and graffiti for the occasion, they said.

BHEL gets 2,400 MW greenfield power project from NLC India in Odisha

State-owned BHEL on Wednesday said it has bagged an order to set up a 2,400 MW supercritical thermal power project (STPP) from coal PSU NLC India Ltd. This is the largest power sector order won by the company through competitive bidding, BHEL said in a statement. "BHEL bags an order for setting up a 2,400 MW Supercritical Thermal Power Project. BHEL has won the prestigious order under International Competitive Bidding (ICB) for the greenfield project on an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) basis at Jharsuguda in Odisha," the company said. The scope of the EPC contract includes engineering, manufacturing, supply, erection, and commissioning of crucial equipment, such as boilers, turbines, generators, and other auxiliary systems, for the 3x800 MW thermal power project. The scope also includes boilers with biomass co-firing capability and highly efficient latest pollution control equipment. The project will be commissioned within 64 months. On commissioning, this plant w

Law and order has 'collapsed' in Odisha: Dharmendra Pradhan attacks BJD

Calling Odisha's Biju Janata Dal government as "arrogant", Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan alleged that the law and order machinery has "completely collapsed" in the state and victims do not get justice. Pradhan said this at a meeting in the BJP state headquarters here on Tuesday. "Ruling BJD leaders are too arrogant and the people will teach them a lesson in the next elections," the Union Education minister said. However, Pradhan's allegations were rejected by BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das, who accused the former of not doing anything for the state and also for his home district of Angul. He also highlighted bad road conditions of national highways passing through the Union minister's home district of Angul. Pradhan alleged that the ruling Biju Janata Dal party leaders were involved in the exploitation and killing of a woman school teacher in Kalahandi district. The prime accused in the sensational woman teacher murder case was killed inside the jail. "The government has no ans

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'Hope govt will fulfil our demands,' say drivers as strike ends in Odisha

The association of commercial drivers in Odisha has withdrawn its strike, as the cease work affected passenger bus services and transportation of petroleum products and milk. The Odisha Drivers' Mahasangha announced the withdrawal of the strike on Saturday night, the third day of the agitation, after getting assurance from the state government that their demands would be looked into. "We hope the Odisha government will fulfil our demands," Mahasangha president Prasant Menduli said. State transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur also said that drivers have withdrawn the strike and normalcy will return. Drivers across the country were on strike over stringent provisions for hit-and-run' cases under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which replaces the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Mahasangha was part of the All-India strike. The drivers also said that there was a provision for imprisonment of two years under Section 304 of the IPC for accidents. As per the provisions in the