Odisha Government

Why 200% salary hike for Odisha MLAs could set an uneasy national benchmark

With lawmakers in Bhubaneswar self-appraising salaries amid public backlash, Ramani Ranjan Mohapatra explains how these are fixed, and why Odisha's move matters

Odisha govt aims to develop 15 fully operational airports by 2047

The Odisha government has set an ambitious target to have at least 15 fully operational airports by 2047, when India is going to celebrate 100 years of independence, an officer said on Sunday. The programmes undertaken to achieve the target were discussed at the 4th Meeting of the High Power Committee on Aviation held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja on Saturday, the officer said. Focused on advancing Odisha's aviation ecosystem in line with the Vision of Vikshit Odisha 203647, the committee reviewed the emerging opportunities in the aviation sector and discussed measures to accelerate infrastructure development, enhance connectivity, and create an enabling policy environment. Odisha will complete 100 years of formation in 2036. Odisha has 19 airports or airstrips, of which 12 are state-owned. However, at present, only five civilian airports are operational Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda, Jeypore, Utkela and Rourkela, he said. Bhubaneswar is currently the only ...

49 Bangladeshi infiltrators in Odisha sent back to their nation: CM Majhi

The Odisha government has identified 51 Bangladeshi infiltrators in different districts since the BJP came to power in the state, and 49 of them were deported to their nation, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told the assembly on Monday. In a written reply to a question of BJD legislator Goutam Buddha Das, the chief minister said, "Since the new government came to power in Odisha, a total of 51 Bangladeshis have been identified in various districts of the state." The BJP government led by Majhi assumed office on June 12, 2024. Out of the identified Bangladeshi infiltrators, 49 were repatriated, while cases were registered against the other two immigrants (one in Ganjam and another in Kandhamal) for getting Indian passports in their names using fake documents and sent to judicial custody, he said. As per the statement of the CM, a maximum of 24 Bangladeshi immigrants were from Urban Police District (UPD)-Khurda district, 15 from UPD-Cuttack, six from Ganjam district, three from ...

Odisha imposes 7-month fishing ban to protect nesting Olive Ridley turtles

The Odisha government on Saturday imposed a seven-month-long ban on sea fishing activity within 20 km of the coast at the river mouths of Dhamra, Devi and Rusikulya as part of its annual Olive Ridley turtle conservation programme, officials said. The ban on sea-fishing, however, remains enforced round-the-year in the Gahirmatha coast, which is widely regarded as the largest habitation corridor of these highly endangered marine species. Besides, Gahirmatha has been accorded the status of a marine sanctuary in view of the congregation of turtles, said forest officials. The ban on sea fishing activity would remain effective from November 1 to May 31. It ensures the safety of marine animals during their breeding and mating season, said officials, adding that the ban has been clamped in accordance with Sections 2, 7 and 4 of Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982 and provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The ban will be strictly implemented as it is done every year to

Two killed in Odisha's Gajapati landslide; CM announces ₹4 lakh ex-gratia

Chief Minister also held discussions with the district collector to assess the situation and directed Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena to visit Gajapati and oversee relief operation

Odisha speaker rejects Congress no-confidence motion against BJP govt

Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy on Monday rejected the opposition Congress's notice seeking to move a no-confidence motion' against the 15-month-old BJP government in the state. While rejecting the notice, Padhy said it could not be moved in the House due to continuous disruption of the proceedings for three previous days. The Congress claimed that the notice was rejected without any valid reason and started a dharna on the Assembly premises. The Speaker said that the Congress had submitted the notice to the Assembly secretary on September 18 and she had asked the authorities to bring it for discussion the next day. However, the notice could not be taken up due to continuous ruckus in the House. The Congress Legislature Party which has 14 members had submitted the no-confidence notice with signatures of 15 MLAs including one from the CPI (M). The Congress had also requested BJD to support the no-confidence notice against the BJP government for its alleged all out failure in .

BJD MLAs disrupt Odisha assembly over alleged 'fertiliser scarcity'

BJD MLAs created ruckus in the Odisha assembly for the third consecutive day on Saturday over alleged fertiliser scarcity across the state, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings till 4 pm. The party MLAs, holding placards and banners highlighting the fertiliser crisis and farmers' distress in the state, trooped into the well of the House and demanded a full-fledged discussion on the issue. Meanwhile, the House made an obituary reference to former MLA George Tirkey, who died on Friday night. The opposition members continued to raise their voices against the state's BJP government and blamed it for the farmers' distress. Unable to run the House, Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the proceedings till 4 pm. The BJD members demanded that the Speaker cancel all the business of the House, including Question Hour, and hold a detailed discussion on the alleged fertiliser scarcity in the state. They claimed that the alleged fertiliser scarcity was due to black marketing and hoardin

CM Manjhi launches 27 major industrial projects worth ₹25,308 crore

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday virtually performed the ground-breaking ceremony for 27 major industrial projects, which will bring a total investment of Rs 25,308 crore and generate 52,000 jobs. He asserted that Odisha was moving from "promise to performance, potential to prosperity". The projects would come up in 12 districts -- Angul, Rayagada, Jajpur, Cuttack, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Khurda, Puri, Bhadrak, Koraput, Jharsuguda and Ganjam. "Our industrialisation is inclusive as 27 of the 30 districts of the state now have industries," Majhi said. Majhi, who became the chief minister 15 months ago, claimed that his government, in the last 165 days, laid the foundation stone for 84 industries and attracted investment of Rs 5 lakh crore, of which Rs 2 lakk crore-investment has been materialised so far. He also claimed that employment opportunities have been created for 77,894 people, of whom 56,859 or 80 per cent are Odias. "No one can raise fingers at the state

Scarcity amid surplus: The paradox of India's fertiliser shortage

The urea 'shortage' reveals deeper problems: Supply mismanagement, black markets, and panic-driven demand surge

Odisha identifies 1K acres for semiconductor cluster; work to begin soon

Odisha govt to set up a 1,000-acre semiconductor cluster near Bhubaneswar airport, housing SiCSem and 3D Glass units; foundation stone for SiCSem to be laid in October

TCS to manage Odisha govt's AI-enabled integrated financial system

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has partnered with the Odisha government to design and implement Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) 3.0. The company has been working with the state government since 2005, beginning with the integrated Odisha Treasury Management System. This collaboration progressed through the implementation of IFMS, followed by IFMS 2.0, culminating in the launch of IFMS 3.0 the third generation of the solution, TCS said in a statement. As part of this programme, TCS will also implement its AI Workbench, an open-source solution designed to support AI/ML projects in designated operational areas, including model development, monitoring, and retraining, it said. This enables IFMS 3.0 to apply analytics and machine learning to decision-making and operational processes, with features such as multilingual chatbot interactions to enhance user experience. The assistant is developed to address FAQs, automate service desk procedures, and carry out functional tasks

Odisha 5th in green mobility in India, aims to expand e-bus fleet beyond 1K

The Odisha government on Friday said that the state ranks fifth in the country in green mobility, and the authorities have set an ambitious target to enhance its electric bus fleet to over 1,000 in the coming years. According to data, 14,329 e-buses are currently in operation across India, of which Delhi has the highest number of vehicles at 3,564, followed by Maharashtra (3,296), Karnataka (2,236), and Uttar Pradesh (850), according to an official statement. Odisha is in the fifth position among all states in the adoption of electric buses. Odisha has outpaced the neighbouring states in this field West Bengal (391), Andhra Pradesh (238), Chhattisgarh (215) and Jharkhand (46), it claimed. The central government, under various schemes, provides financial assistance to states to roll out e-buses. Odisha's Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) has been proactive in leveraging this support, while also preparing for an ambitious expansion of services to Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar

Odisha govt nominates ex-CAG Girish Murmu, nine to Jagannath Temple panel

The Odisha government on Tuesday nominated 10 people, including former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Girish Chandra Murmu, to the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC). The appointments have been made under the provisions of the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1954 (Odisha Act 11 of 1955), according to the notification issued by the Law department. The administration of Lord Jagannath's temple in Puri is under the Law department of the state government. The Gajapati Maharaja, the titular king of Puri, Dibya Singh Deb, is the permanent chairman of the SJTMC. The SJTMC is considered the apex body of the 12th-century shrine, and the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), who is an IAS officer, is the secretary of the SJTMC. Apart from Murmu, Chartered Accountant AK Sabat and eminent culture researcher Mahesh Kumar Sahoo have been nominated to the SJTMC. The other members nominated to the SJTMC are: Dr Siddheswar Mohapatra, ...

Odisha Governor meets ex-CM Naveen Patnaik, enquires about his health

Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Monday visited the residence of BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik and enquired about his health. Patnaik, the 78-year-old leader, was released from a hospital here on August 20 after recovering from dehydration. The governor's visit to Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar was primarily aimed at enquiring about Patnaik's health and overall well-being, following his recent stay at a private hospital in the city, a statement released by Raj Bhavan said. They engaged in a cordial conversation lasting around 1520 minutes, it said. Patnaik, the leader of opposition in the Odisha assembly, shared updates on his health, and the interaction remained friendly and informal, the Raj Bhavan statement said. Taking to X, the Raj Bhavan said, Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati paid a visit to @Naveen_Odisha Leader of the Opposition, at his residence and enquired about his health. He offered prayers to Lord Jagannath for his speedy recovery, goo

Cabinet clears ₹9,814 cr projects for Kota-Bundi airport, Odisha ring road

Union Cabinet approves Rs 9,814 crore for new greenfield airport in Kota-Bundi and six-lane ring road connecting Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in Odisha, boosting infrastructure in Rajasthan and Odisha

Patnaik slams Odisha govt's decision to cancel Bhubaneswar Metro project

BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik expressed concern over the Odisha government's decision to cancel the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project initiated during his tenure, saying the move will push the city 10 years back in terms of urban mobility and development. Patnaik's reaction came hours after it was reported that the state's BJP government had scrapped the Metro rail project contract with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Taking to social media on Saturday, Patnaik said, "Shocked to know that Bhubaneswar Metro Rail contracts have been cancelled by BJP led #Odisha Govt. It has always been our dream to develop #Bhubaneswar into a world-class city. We have been focusing on world-class sports infrastructure, organising marquee international events, providing seamless modern transport and developing IT ecosystem to transform the temple city into a world-class city." Stating that the project would have reshaped the way the state capital moves with Mo Bus and other last-mile connectivity, ...

Miscreants set 15-yr girl on fire in Odisha, victim undergoing treatment

A 15-year-old girl was set on fire by unidentified persons in Odisha's Puri district on Saturday, officials said. The girl was rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a critical condition, and she has suffered 70 per cent burn injuries, but she is able to speak, they said. Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who is in charge of the Women and Child Development Department, said the government will bear the expenses of the girl's treatment and that the police have been asked to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. The incident took place at Bayabar village in Balanga police station area around 9 am when the girl was going to her friend's house. Preliminary investigation revealed that three unidentified motorcycle-borne youths intercepted her, forcibly took her to the banks of Bhargavi River, sprinkled an inflammable substance on her body, and set her on fire, a police officer said. The spot of the incident is around 1.5 km from her house at Nuagopalpur Bustee and around 5-7 km from Bala

Odisha observes bandh over Balasore student's self-immolation case

Shops remained shut and traffic was disrupted in many areas, including Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj. In Bhadrak, markets were closed and public transport was affected

Odisha planning to include yoga in school curriculum, health schemes: CM

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday said the state government is taking initiatives to include yoga in the school curriculum and public health programme as this helps create a healthy, self-reliant and efficient India. Addressing a state-level programme on the occasion of International Yoga Day at Kalinga Stadium here, he said yoga is not just a physical exercise but something that keeps the body, mind and soul active. The programme, organised by Odisha's Sports and Youth Affairs Department, was attended by over 10,000 people, including ministers, lawmakers, bureaucrats, students, women and others. In Odisha, we are making yoga available to everyone. We organise awareness campaigns on yoga in schools, colleges, hostels and sporting centres. We can also include yoga in school curriculum and public health programmes, the chief minister said. Majhi said that the awareness programmes on yoga teach people to maintain a healthy life. Though yoga has been practised in In

Schools to stay shut in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack due to PM Modi's visit

The Odisha government has announced a school holiday in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on June 20, 2025, due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to ensure smooth proceedings and events