Page 12 - Odisha Government

Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, CM Patnaik pay last respect to Naba Das

Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and many other dignitaries from different walks of life on Monday paid their tributes to deceased minister Naba Kishore Das, who was gunned down allegedly by a policeman at Brajrajnagar town in Jharsuguda district. The chief minister, who had on Sunday visited the hospital twice during hospitalization and after Das's death, on Monday morning again visited the minister's official residence where his mortal remains were kept. Both the governor and CM also met the family members of Das and expressed their condolences. Many ministers, MPs, MLAs, former lawmakers, BJP state president Samir Mohanty and Congress leaders also visited Das's official residence. The state government also accorded Guard of Honour to the departed minister. Later, the minister's body was taken to the BJD party office where hundreds of people made a beeline to pay their last respect to Das. His body would be flown to his native place in Jharsuguda where t

Petroleum Minister Pradhan says will contest elections from Odisha in 2024

Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Dharmendra Pradhan, has expressed desire of contesting elections from Odisha in 2024. Assembly elections are due in the coastal state next year, along with the Lok Sabha polls. I have already requested the party (BJP) I will contest this time, Pradhan said at an event organised by The New Indian Express here. However, he did not make it clear whether he will contest assembly or Lok Sabha polls. I am a strong believer of democracy, I believe in political homework and political hard work, not just management. To continue my connect with the common masses, I think the best way is to contest polls, Pradhan told PTI on Tuesday. Pradhan was elected to the Odisha Assembly in 2000 and to the Lok Sabha from Deogarh Parliamentary seat in 2004, when the BJP was in alliance with Biju Janata Dal. However, Pradhan lost the Assembly elections in 2009 after the BJP-BJD alliance broke. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 and for a second term in 2018. To

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Free canteen for farmers visiting state-run Mandis in Odisha's Gajapati

For the first time free canteens for farmers have been opened in Odisha near paddy procurement centers to provide lunch to those who bring their produce from distant villages. The canteens have been set up in Gajapati district and at least four such canteens have been opened at Paralakhemundi, Kashinagar, Upalada and Garabandh, a district administration official said on Monday. Vegetable meals prepared by the women self help groups (WSHGs) of the areas are being served to the farmers at the free canteens being run by the Paralakhemundi regulated market committee (RMC), Gajapati collector Lingraj Panda said. "We have launched the canteen system to provide free lunch to farmers who come to the procurement centers with their produce and cannot return home for their meal," Panda said. Besides food, the farmers are also being provided free soft drinks and pure water at the procurement centers by the RMC. "The objective of the programme is that farmers should not face problems when the

Odisha prepared to handle Covid-19 resurgence, says health minister

The Odisha government is prepared to tackle any situation if there is a resurgence of coronavirus in the state, state Health minister Naba Kishore Das said on Wednesday. Talking to reporters about the preparedness of Odisha in view of Omicron sub-variant BF.7 creating havoc in certain countries, Das said he held a review meeting during the day on surveillance and testing. If there is sudden resurgence of Covid, it is not about having Plan A or Plan B. We are already prepared under the able leadership of Naveen Patnaik Our government was earlier praised for its handling of the pandemic and for supplying Oxygen to different states. We have instructed all Medical Colleges, including MKCG, VIMSAR and SCB Medical College, regarding readiness of 15 oxygen beds and 5 ICU beds, the minister said. Mock drills were done in all district hospitals on Tuesday. Many hospitals across the country held mock drills on Tuesday to check the readiness of health facilities in view of proper COVID-19 ..

Odisha yet to submit proposal for establishing high court benches: Rijiju

Odisha government has not yet submitted a detailed proposal for establishment of benches of Orissa High Court including its location in consultation with the HC

Odisha govt approves 7 policies to attract investment and boost economy

Ahead of the Make In Odisha Conclave, the Naveen Patnaik government has approved at least seven different policies to attract investment in the state and boost the economy. The decision regarding the State Cabinet approving seven policies and other decisions was announced by Revenue and Disaster management minister Pramila Mallick in the Assembly on Wednesday. The Cabinet at its 52nd meeting on Tuesday approved 17 proposals including seven policies. The policies which have been approved were: Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility Policy-2022, Industrial Policy Resolution (IPR) 2022, Odisha Logistics Policy 2022, Odisha Apparel and Technical Textiles Policy-2022, Export Promotion Policy 2022, Odisha Civil Aviation Policy 2022 and Odisha Tourism Policy 2022. The new Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility Policy-2022 is expected to play a major role in reducing vehicular air pollution and boost manufacture in the automobile sector. As per the provision, all old vehicles that have ...

Odisha govt rakes up 'shelved' Bargarh-Nuapada railway project issue

Ahead of the December 5 bypoll to Padampur assembly seat, the BJD government in Odisha on Sunday raked up a 'shelved' railway project connecting Bargarh to Nuapada, accusing the Centre of neglecting the people's demand for improving the connectivity there. The 142-kilometre new broad-gauge line between Bargarh Road to Nuapada Road stations via Padampur was sanctioned in 2018, but later was "shelved by the Centre", state Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu said. The woman leader of the BJD, in a letter to Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw, urged him to sanction the Bargarh-Nuapada new railway line as it would boost economic activities in the region. Accusing the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of neglecting people in the region, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty pointed out that "Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had, on December 15 in 2018 in a public meeting, announced that a new railway line from Bargarh station to Nuapada via Padampur was sanctioned by the ...

NABARD sanctions Rs 220 cr to Odisha govt for flood protection projects

NABARD has sanctioned the fund for construction of 57 flood protection projects and one bridge at a rural area

Acting on Morbi tragedy, Odisha govt shuts down Mahanadi suspension bridge

Odisha government has closed down the suspension bridge, connecting the Dhabaleswar Shiva shrine on an island in Mahanadi River to Athagarh of Cuttack district

Odisha to prepare disaster management warriors to face calamities: Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said the state is all set to introduce disaster and pandemic management curricula in schools and colleges to prepare Disaster Management Yodhas (warriors) in every village and household. Patnaik said this while addressing a meeting marking the observance of the Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day and National Day for Disaster Reduction. The day is observed to remember the 1999 super cyclone which killed about 10,000 people in the state. "Disaster and Pandemic Management is being introduced in the educational curricula of students from standard 4 to graduation level with a view to preparing Disaster Management Yodhas in every village and household," the chief minister said. Noting that the state government has done everything possible to make Odisha a safer place during natural calamities, Patnaik said during 23 years since the Super Cyclone the state has developed the most robust infrastructure for disaster management. The world has now

Odisha government starts prepping for upcoming 'cyclone season'

The Odisha government has asked its officials to prepare for possible cyclones over the next two months despite no such forecast by the weather office. Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra directed officials concerned to take all precautionary measures at the state-level cyclone preparedness meeting on Monday. Odisha faces severe cyclonic storms in October and November, sometimes even till December 15. This two-and-a-half month is considered the "cyclone season" in the state, he said. "Odisha usually witnesses the wrath of cyclones during the withdrawal of monsoon in October and November. Odisha's geographical situation and climate change have also caused cyclones during the summers since 2019," he added. Regional Meteorological Centre director HR Biswas, who attended the meeting, said the IMD has not forecast any such cyclone for the next 15 days even as there are favorable conditions for a cyclonic storm. The chief secretary asked all the departments to remain prepared to deal with any

Odisha approves Rs 1,923 cr investment in 10 projects in different sectors

The Odisha government on Friday accorded in-principle approval for setting up of 10 different industrial projects with an investment of Rs 1,923.60 crore in different sectors. The approval was given at the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) meeting held here under the chairpersonship of Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra. The committee approved 10 projects worth Rs 1,923.60 crore that would generate employment opportunities for over 5,170 people in the state, said Industry secretary Hemant Sharma. He said the projects approved in the meeting come under diverse sectors like power and renewable energy, chemicals, IT & ESDM, food processing, oil & gas, metal downstream, technical textiles, tourism and infrastructure. The approved projects will be set up across Odisha with four projects being set up in Khurda district, and one each in Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Balasore, Keonjhar and Angul districts. A proposal of Luminous Power Technologies Private Limited to .

NGT stalls Odisha govt's Bali Jatra riverfront project in Cuttack

The National Green Tribunal has imposed restrictions on the Odisha government's ambitious Bali Jatra project, for which the Cuttack district administration had reclaimed an area of around 426 acres of the Mahanadi riverbed, environmentalists said on Saturday. As part of the Bali Jatra riverfront or the Barfi project, the district administration had reclaimed the floodplain zone of the river near Jobra barrage in Cuttack city by filling sand and garbage, they claimed. According to them, the move allegedly "reduced the water retaining capacity of the barrage and posed a threat of inundation to at least 38 nearby villages". A five-member special bench, headed by chairperson Justice A K Goel, said it was difficult to accept the state government's plan for construction on the reclaimed land, which has been clearly established to be part of the floodplain zone. "There's the clear anticipated danger of flooding. We're guided by precautionary principle under Section 20 of the NGT Act," the

Ahead of festive season, Odisha govt hikes staff DA by 3% wef Jan 1, 2022

The proposal has been approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The rate of DA will now be enhanced to 34 per cent from the existing 31 per cent, a statement released by the CMO said.

Only 25 % people in Odisha took Covid-19 precaution dose, says official

The Odisha government appealed to the people on Saturday to take the precaution dose against coronavirus as soon as possible as few weeks are left for the period of free jabs and only a quarter of the targeted population got vaccinated with the third shot. A total of 80.90 lakh people, including frontline workers and those in the 18-60 age group and above 60 years, have taken the precaution dose, Health Director Bijay Panigrahi said at a press briefing in Bhubaneswar. "Around 25 per cent of the targeted population have taken the precaution dose while many are yet to take the jab," he said, adding that 23 lakh beneficiaries of the first shot had the second one due even now. Panigrahi appealed to people to take the precaution dose by September 30, the deadline set by the Union government for giving free jabs at public healthcare institutions. The COVID-19 tally rose to 13,28,244 on Saturday as 174 more people, including 13 children, tested positive for the infection, a health bulleti

Odisha govt plans to set up MSME parks in every district: SC Mohapatra

Odisha government has plans to set up micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) parks in all the 30 districts of the state, a top government official said. MSMEs will get all infrastructure support including land, electricity and water in the districts, chief secretary S C Mohapatra said in a programme here. Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has been given more than Rs 450 crore to develop the required infrastructure in the districts for the purpose, he said at the concluding session of Propack Odisha 2022 and MSME Odisha 2022 organised by Odisha Assembly of Small and Medium Enterprises (OASME) on Sunday. "In the last few years, we saw 30-40% growth in finance to MSMEs by banks which is encouraging. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has held two rounds of meeting with bankers in this regard, Mohapatra said in response to entrepreneurs allegation of non-cooperation from banks. Odisha Industries Minister P K Deb said the younger generation must take risk a

Odisha CM urges PM Modi to add default provision for funds in NREGASoft

Seeking the addition of a default provision in e-governance system NREGASoft, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Top Headlines: Common charger for all mobiles; banks rush to woo depositors

At a time when growth in bank credit is outstripping that of deposits, several lenders, including the country's largest bank, State Bank of India (SBI), have raised deposit rates ahead of the festival

BJD, Congress reject Amit Shah's claim of BJP forming next govt in Odisha

The Congress and BJD rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assertion that the BJP will form the next government in Odisha