Page 10 - Odisha

Heavy rains lash Odisha as depression nears coast; CM reviews preparedness

The Odisha government on Friday took necessary steps to tackle the impact of a depression over the Bay of Bengal that is likely to cross the south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coast around Saturday morning, officials said. In its 8.13pm bulletin, the IMD said, "The well marked low pressure area over northwest and adjoining central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards, concentrated into a depression. At 5.30 pm, the system lay centered 60 km south-southeast of Puri, 130 km east of Gopalpur and 230 km east-northeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)". "The system is very likely to cross south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puri and Kalingapatnam close to Gopalpur on September 27 morning," a senior scientist at the meteorological centre, Bhubaneswar, said. Keeping in view the IMD warnings, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is on a tour to Jharsuguda to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme at the western Odisha district on Saturday, held a review meeting and

PM Modi to launch railway projects, BSNL 4G stack in Odisha on Sep 27

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Odisha on September 27 during which he will flag off an Amrit Bharat Express, unveil railway projects worth Rs 1,700 crore and BSNL's 'Swadeshi' 4G stack. From Jharsuguda, he will also announce the expansion of eight IITs, grant super-specialty status to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and VIMSAR hospital in Sambalpur, launch a national skill development programme and provide aid to 50,000 beneficiaries under the Antyodaya scheme. This will be the Prime Minister's sixth visit to Odisha in 15 months since the BJP came to power in the state in June, 2024. Initially, the place for his public meeting was fixed at Berhampur in Ganjam district, but it was later changed to Jharsuguda due to a forecast of heavy rain in southern Odisha on Saturday. However, according to the mid-day bulletin issued by the IMD on Friday, Jharsuguda, the place where Modi will address a public meeting, is among the nine districts where ...

CAG flags misuse of ₹148.75 cr funds in 11 Odisha tribal development bodies

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) suspects misappropriation of government funds of Rs 148.75 crore due to divergence of funds from bank accounts operated by engineers in 11 Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) in Odisha. The CAG conducted a compliance audit of 11 of 22 ITDAs in the state covering the period from financial year 2018-19 to 2022-23 and mentioned its findings in its compliance audit report (civil), which was laid before the Odisha assembly on Wednesday. The ITDAs were set up in the state during 1979-80 to 2022-23 for the implementation of various welfare schemes towards integrated socio-economic development of the tribal population residing in the Scheduled Areas. In its audit report, the CAG said government funds of Rs 621.79 crore had been transferred to 71 bank accounts of 11 ITDAs for departmentally executed works during 2018-23. "Details of 67 out of 71 bank accounts whose statements contained irrelevant transactions of Rs 148.75 crore a

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 .

UP, Gujarat, Odisha among 16 revenue-surplus states in FY23: CAG report

As many as 16 states were in revenue surplus during 2022-23, with Uttar Pradesh topping the chart with Rs 37,263 crore, followed by Gujarat and Odisha, according a CAG report. As per the fiscal responsibility and fiscal consolidation path prescribed by the XV Finance Commission, the states were required to have either zero-revenue deficit or become revenue surplus during 2022-23. "As on 31st March 2023, 16 states, out of the total 28 states, were revenue surplus and 12 were in revenue deficit," said the publication on State Finances 2022-23, the first-of-its-kind by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Revenue receipts of these 16 states exceeded their revenue expenditure. Uttar Pradesh was followed by Gujarat with a revenue surplus of Rs 19,865 crore, Odisha (Rs 19,456 crore), Jharkhand (Rs 13,564 crore), Karnataka (Rs 13,496 crore), Chhattisgarh (Rs 8,592 crore), Telangana (Rs 5,944 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 5,310 crore), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 4,091 crore), and Goa (Rs 2,399

Mercury rises in Delhi as monsoon withdraws; east India braces for rain

Navratri week begins with clear skies in Delhi; Many parts of India remain under alert for heavy rainfall amid low-pressure systems developing in the Bay of Bengal

US H-1B visa fee clarification eases tech sector concerns, impact deferred

At least one person died and eight others were injured in an explosion at an illegal firecracker store room in Odisha's Boudh district on Sunday, police said. The incident took place around noon at a firecracker godown at Jiakata-Chhatrapur under Purunakatak police limits in Harabhanga block of the district. The blast was so powerful that the store room was reduced to rubble. The injured were rushed to the Purunakatak Community Health Centre with the help of locals. "The deceased was identified as Laxmindra Behera (40), of Chhatrapur village under Purunakatak police station area. Eight others were injured in the incident," Boudh SP Rahul Goel told reporters. The SP said a massive rescue operation was launched with the help of local police, fire service personnel, ODRAF, bomb squad, scientific team, and dog squad, as it was suspected that some people might be under the debris. "Huge quantities of illegal explosive substances were stored. The hunt for suspects is going on, and furth

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

19 sexual harassment cases reported in colleges, univ in Odisha: Minister

In all, 19 sexual harassment complaints have been filed in different colleges and universities across the state in 2024, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj informed the Assembly on Friday. Replying to a question by BJD legislator Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, the minister said the complaints have been lodged by women students in government degree colleges, non-government aided degree colleges and public universities of the state in the past year. He said two cases each were reported in Utkal University, RD Women's University, Government Autonomous CollegeRourkela, BJB Autonomous CollegeBhubaneswar and Choudwar College. One case each was reported in FM Autonomous College (Balasore), Panchayat Degree College (Bargarh), Anchal Degree College (Padampur), Abhimanyu Samant Singhar Degree College (Balia), SSD College (Gurudijhatia), Athamalik College, Dharanidhar University, Berhampur University and GM University, he said. Out of the 19 cases, three were amicably settled, while the

Odisha approves 25 new projects to be built at a cost of ₹4,739 crore

The Odisha government on Friday approved 25 industrial projects to be built at a cost of Rs 4,739 crore, officials said. The projects were approved during the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja. These projects are likely to create 25,200 jobs in Khurda, Jajpur, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Angul, and Gajapati districts. The latest approvals cover 13 key sectors, including textiles, steel, chemicals, IT, infrastructure, logistics, renewable energy, tourism, cold storage and capital goods. In a statement, the state government said, driven by dynamic governance, strategic foresight, and a robust policy framework that champions ease of doing business, Odisha is fast emerging as the preferred investment destination in India.

Congress moves no-confidence motion against BJP govt in Odisha Assembly

The Congress on the first day of the Monsoon Session of the Odisha Assembly on Thursday submitted a notice for a no-confidence motion against the 15-month-old BJP government in the state. A delegation of Congress MLAs led by legislature party leader Rama Chandra Kadam met Assembly Secretary Satyabrata Rout at his chamber and submitted a petition seeking a 'no-confidence motion' against the state government. Invoking Rule 117(1) of the Assembly procedures, the Congress Legislature Party in the notice said: "That this House expresses no confidence in the present Council of Ministers led by Shri Mohan Charan Majhi." "We have submitted a notice to the Assembly secretary addressed to the Speaker and urged her to accept it for moving a no-confidence motion. We have the signature of 14 Congress MLAs and one member of the CPI(M)," Kadam told reporters. He said that the party had earlier urged the principal Opposition party, the Biju Janata Dal, to move a no-confidence motion against the BJ

What's PM Modi doing on his 75th birthday? Camps, tribal outreach & more

PM Modi turns 75 today with a day full of events - health camps, tribal schemes, sapling plantation and the launch of a textile park in Madhya Pradesh

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

Delhi to see cloudy skies, light rain as monsoon continues across India

IMD forecasts light rain in Delhi today; Himachal, Odisha, and northeastern states face heavy showers and flood alerts

Vedanta in process of acquiring land for 3 MTPA aluminium smelter in Odisha

Vedanta is in the process of acquiring land for its 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) aluminium smelter in Dhenkanal, Odisha, a top company official said on Wednesday. "We are moving towards setting up a new mega aluminium plant at Dhenkanal, Odisha, (with a capacity of) three million tonnes," Rajiv Kumar, Chief Executive Officer for the Aluminium business at Vedanta, said. Currently, the company's total capacity stands at 3 million tonnes. "We want to go to six million tonnes, for which we are actively involved in land acquisition, and hopefully things are progressing very well," Kumar said. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of ALUMEX India 2025, organised by Aluminium Extrusion Manufacturers Association of India (ALEMAI) in the national capital during September 10-13. This green aluminium smelter, he said, has the potential to create over two lakh jobs. On the investment to be made in the said plant, he said that "Aluminium is very heavy on investment and is a ...

Odisha plans to supply broken rice for ethanol as paddy cultivation rises

The Odisha government is planning to supply broken rice for ethanol production, with more farmers taking up paddy cultivation following an increase in the procurement rate, officials said on Tuesday. The state has the main ethanol plant in Bargarh district, which uses both rice grain and rice straw to produce the item for fuel blending, they said. There are smaller ethanol plants in the state as well, utilising grain feedstock, with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) allocating surplus rice to them for the ethanol blended petrol (EBP) programme. A discussion regarding the proposal was held at the first meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for procurement for the Kharif 2025-26 season on Monday, officials said. The meeting, chaired by Deputy CM KV Singh Deo, who is in charge of the Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment Department, discussed the preparation of a roadmap for post-paddy purchase management, they said. The government has planned to procure the Kharif crops by the e

Odisha CM Majhi's flight diverted to Kolkata due to inclement weather

A plane carrying Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was diverted to Kolkata on Friday morning, after it failed to land in Bhubaneswar due to inclement weather, a state minister said. Majhi, who was on a five-day tour to Delhi, was scheduled to land at Bhubaneswar airport around 9.45 am. The flight could not land at the airport here, and was diverted to Kolkata due to bad weather, Odisha's Urban Development Minister K C Mohapatra told reporters. Biju Patnaik International Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan said Majhi's flight hovered over the airport for around 21 minutes amid heavy rain, before being diverted to Kolkata. In a statement, the Odisha government said the state-level Teachers' Day function to be attended by Majhi has been postponed to 3 pm from 11.30 am.

Odisha signs MoUs worth ₹2,655 crore at SEMICON India 2025 Conclave

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday said that Odisha has signed MoUs worth Rs 2,655 crore with major firms for setting up their semiconductor units in the state. The state government signed the MoUs with big names in the industry at the SEMICON India 2025 Conclave in New Delhi. "I had the privilege to inaugurate the Odisha Pavilion, where we signed MoUs worth 2,655 crore with TopTrack Hi-Tech PCB Pvt Ltd (Rs 1,005 crore) and @SancodeTech in technological partnership with Silicon Connect, Inari Amertron Berhad & APIRC Penang (Rs 1,650 crore), while engaging with global majors like Intel, Micron, Western Digital, Renesas, and Siemens," Majhi said in a post on X. Stating that Odisha showcased its vision to emerge as India's next powerhouse in semiconductors and advanced electronics at the conclave in New Delhi, the chief minister said that the engagements with big names in the sector mark a decisive step in positioning the state as a preferred global destination for the ...

Odisha's Debrigarh to become India's newest tiger reserve after revival

In the dense forests where freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai once evaded British forces, Odisha's Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is scripting one of India's most remarkable conservation success stories as it prepares to become the country's newest tiger reserve. The 804-square-kilometre sanctuary, which received National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approval in July 2025, has transformed from a conflict-prone area with human habitation into a thriving ecosystem that generated Rs 5 crore in tourism revenue and attracted 85,000 visitors in 2025 alone. "We have very healthy prey density with populations of gaur, sambar, spotted deer, wild boar and recovering wild dog numbers. The leopard population is also good," Divisional Forest Officer Anshu Pragya Das told PTI. What makes this transformation extraordinary is the numbers: 40 per cent of all animal herds now consist of newborns, while the Indian gaur population jumped from 670 to over 700 in just six months, indicating a thrivin

Odisha power discoms launch 1 kW rooftop solar scheme for households

The Tata Power-led Odisha discoms on Monday launched a 1-kW rooftop solar scheme, enabling households to generate around 100 units of electricity per month, officials said. The scheme was launched under the Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) model, as part of the government's flagship PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. While setting up a 1-kW solar system typically requires an investment of Rs 65,000-Rs 75,000, under the ULA model, consumers are required to make a one-time payment of Rs 5,000, the company said in a statement. The bulk of the cost is met through central and state subsidies, aggregated and facilitated by Tata Power-led Odisha discoms. "With a 1-kW rooftop solar system, households can generate around 100 units of electricity per month, leading to average annual savings of nearly Rs 5,000. This translates into consistent relief in monthly electricity bills while supporting Odisha's renewable energy ambitions," said Gajanan S Kale, chief of Tata Power's Odisha distribution ...