Page 12 - Odisha

PM Modi to arrive in Bhubaneswar on Jan 8 for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

PM Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu are scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar on January 8 and January 9, respectively, to attend the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, being held in Odisha for the first time. On Saturday, chief secretary reviewed the state's preparedness for the event and issued directions to all departments concerned to ensure flawless arrangements for dignitaries. According to the official schedule, "The PM will reach Bhubaneswar airport by a special IAF aircraft at 8 pm on January 8 from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. He will spend the night at Raj Bhavan." It added, "PM Modi will attend the event's inaugural meet at 10 AM on January 9 at Janata Maidan here. He is scheduled to leave the city around 11.55 AM." President Murmu's flight is scheduled to arrive around 4:35 PM, the statement said. "President Murmu is scheduled to reach the event's convention venue at 11:40 AM on Friday. She will meet Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Carla Kangaloo at the

30 kg gold robbed from Manappuram Finance's branch in Odisha's Sambalpur

About 30 kg of gold was allegedly robbed at gunpoint from the branch of a gold loan company in Odisha's Sambalpur city, police said on Saturday. The robbery took place at Manappuram Finance's branch on Budharaja Main Road on Friday morning, they said. Besides the gold, the robbers took away over Rs 4 lakh in cash, they added. The gang of robbers barged into the branch just after it had opened. Three employees were held at gunpoint, while the hands and feet of the branch manager were tied, police said. While some of the robbers were busy holding the staff of the branch hostage, the others of the gang acquired the keys and password to the vault and robbed the gold jewellery and cash. Some of them were also guarding the branch outside, according to the FIR. "There were around 7-10 robbers and they were wearing helmets and masks. They fled the spot on motorcycles soon after the robbery," said SDPO Tophan Bag. He said the CCTV footage of the area was being scanned and the employees of

Odisha CM blames TMC govt for potato crisis, says Mamata has no 'mamata'

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday targeted Mamata Benerjee, his counterpart in neighbouring West Bengal, and the previous BJD government for the potato crisis in the state. Not self-sufficient in potato production, Odisha depends a lot on West Bengal for its requirement for the tuber and faces problems when the neighbouring state stops supplying the produce to cater to its home demand. While addressing an agricultural event here, Majhi and Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo slammed Benerjee for the potato scarcity in Odisha. Facing potato crisis in Odisha, we have talked to Mamata Didi, but in vain. She settles a score on us at the appropriate time. There is no mamata' (affection) in Mamata Didi for Odisha, Majhi said. The CM, however, did not elaborate on how Banerjee is settling a score. The chief minister also blamed the previous BJD government which he accused of failing to make Odisha self-sufficient in potato and onion production. During the last six month

TAC rejects BJD govt's proposal to amend tribal land transfer rules

The newly constituted Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) rejected a proposal of the previous BJD government to amend the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property Amendment Regulation for allowing tribals in scheduled areas to sell and mortgage their land to non-tribals. In the first meeting of the TAC chaired by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday, it was resolved to explore an alternative mode to facilitate loans for tribal people for essential purposes such as marriage, higher education and business initiatives, an official statement issued by the CMO said. The previous BJD government's move to amend the regulation of Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (By Scheduled Tribes) Amendment was strongly opposed by the people across the state, following which it was withdrawn by the government on January 29, 2024. However, the Naveen Patnaik government did not reject it. The proposal was first introduced in the TAC meeting on July 11, 2023 and later ...

Centre approves Rs 676 cr for development of Odisha's education institutes

The Union government has approved Rs 676.70 crore for infrastructural development of various universities and colleges in Odisha under Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA), state Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said here on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters here, Suraj said that of Rs 676.70 crore, the state would bear Rs 268 crore (40 per cent) while the Centre would provide the remaining Rs 408.70 crore (60 per cent). The fund has been approved under different components, including Multi Disciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU), Grants to Strengthen Universities (GSU), Grants to Strengthen Colleges (GSC) and Gender Inclusion and Equity Initiatives (GIEI), and Management Monitoring Evaluation and Research (MMER), he said. He said Rs 100 crore each has been approved for Berhampur University; Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada; Ravenshaw University, Cuttack; and Sambalpur University, under the MERU component of the ...

Special arrangements for darshan in Jagannath temple for Dec 31, Jan 1

Keeping in mind large congregation of devotees and tourists in this pilgrim town on the occasion of New Year celebration, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and police have made elaborate arrangements for smooth darshan of deities and movement of tourists. The SJTA in a statement said, "Entry for darshan in the 12th-century shrine will be allowed only through the Singhadwar (Lion's gate), while exit has been arranged through the other three gates. General devotees will not be permitted to enter through any gates other than the Singhadwar." However, this arrangement will not apply for servitors and their family members, who may enter or exit through any gate. "We seek everyone's cooperation for the smooth implementation of this arrangement for the orderly darshan of Mahaprabhu (Lord Jagannath)," SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said. He said this arrangement in the temple will be implemented on December 31 and January 1. This apart, the Puri district administratio

Will return money of Urban Cooperative Bank's depositors, says Odisha CM

He said the government has decided to take up 54 programmes under the cooperative sector

President appoints new Guvs for Kerala, Bihar, Odisha, Mizoram, Manipur

Former Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been appointed the governor of strife-torn Manipur, ex-Army chief Vijay Kumar Singh is the new Mizoram governor while Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has been shifted to Bihar as part of gubernatorial appointments effected by President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday. Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has been named the governor of Kerala in place of Khan, according to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Arif Mohammed Khan has been appointed as Bihar Governor, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement. President Murmu has accepted the resignation of Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, it said. Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati has been appointed as the new Odisha Governor in place of Das, the statement said. These appointments will take effect from the dates they will assume charge of their respective offices, it added.

Ireda sanctions over Rs 3,000 crore for green energy projects in Odisha

The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited has sanctioned over Rs 3,000 crore for green energy projects across Odisha, covering solar, hydro, ethanol and renewable energy manufacturing sectors, a top IREDA official said here on Monday. Chairman and Managing Director of IREDA, Pradip Kumar Das said this while addressing the Odisha Solar Investor Conclave, organised by GRIDCO and iFOREST (International Forum for Environment Sustainability and Technology) here. Das reaffirmed its commitment to Odisha's ambitious renewable energy target, with the state setting its vision on achieving 10 GW (gigawatt) capacity by 2030. He highlighted IREDA's unique position as a competitive financier with fully paperless, digitized and borrower-friendly operations, fostering seamless support for green energy projects. Das said Odisha has the potential to emerge as a leading solar power producer and a hub for solar equipment manufacturing. Sharing IREDA's national contributions, he noted tha

Odisha 2nd in India for max increase in green cover inside forest area

Odisha has ranked second in the country for maximum increase in green cover inside recorded forest area, according to the latest India State of Forest Report-2023. Published biennially by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) since 1987, the report, which was released by Union forest minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday, provides a detailed assessment of the nation's forest and tree resources. According to the report, Odisha reported an increase of 118.17 sq km of forest inside the recorded forest area, while Mizoram was at the top position with an increase of 192.92 sq km. Karnataka recorded an increase of 93.14 sq km of forest, West Bengal (64.79 sq km), and neighbouring Jharkhand's growth was 52.72 sq km. In combined forest and tree cover, the state recorded a growth of 558.57 sq km and secured third position in the country. Chhattisgarh topped the list with an increase of 684 sq km, followed by Uttar Pradesh (559.19 sq km). Rajasthan was in fourth position with a 394 sq km rise, th

Raise voice against BJP's 'anti-people' policies: Former Odisha CM Patnaik

Ahead of BJD's 28th foundation day on December 26, its chief Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged members to remain dedicated to serving the people of Odisha, while the party announced a mass demonstration in Bhubaneswar on January 6 to highlight the price rise of essential commodities and other issues. Patnaik asked party supporters to "raise voice against the BJP government's 'anti-people' policies" and also highlight the impact of high inflation, which hits the poor and middle class. "The party leaders and workers need to create awareness among people on the state BJP government's failure in checking price rise of essential commodities and in fulfilling the promises made to the people," the BJD president said. In an open letter to all the party functionaries, Patnaik said the BJD's 28th foundation day "will be observed in all the assembly constituencies." Noting that the regional party is "totally dedicated to the service of people of Odisha since 27 years," Patnaik said though the

Coal scam: Special CBI court acquits former coal secretary, 5 others

he judge held the CBI had failed to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that any "misrepresentation" was made by the accused

Singapore High Commissioner Wong meets Odisha CM Majhi to discuss ties

Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam is expected to visit India in January, during which he will also visit Odisha

Berhampur University Result 2024 released; here's how to check and download

Berhampur University declared the results of various UG and PG courses on its official website today, December 10, 2024. Students can check and download BU Results 2024 through the official website

Repair work for Puri Jagannath temple's Ratna Bhandar to start from Dec 16

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is likely to start repair work for the 'Ratna Bhandar' of the Jagannath temple in Odisha's Puri from December 16, an official said. The ASI has sought approval from the Niti sub-committee of the temple for the proposed repair work, ASI superintendent D B Garnaik said on Sunday. "After getting the time slot, we will start the work, most probably from December 16," he said. Earlier, the ASI had conducted the GPR-GPS survey of the 12th-century shrine's 'Ratna Bhandar' (treasury) with the assistance of the Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute. The institute submitted its survey findings to ASI last month, the official said. The repair work will be conducted as per the survey report and with the approval of the temple management, he said. The 'Ratna Bhandar' repair issue will be discussed during the Chhatisa Nijoga', the confederation of servitors of the Jagannath temple in Puri, scheduled for December 10, Puri Collector Sidd

CAG finds irregularities in payment to hospitals during Covid-19 in Odisha

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found certain irregularities in funding to dedicated private Covid care hospitals (DCHs) set up in Odisha during the Covid-19 pandemic period. In a report tabled at the state assembly on Saturday, the CAG said the Odisha government in April 2020 had issued guidelines for operations of the DCHs, managed by private hospitals. The CAG examined the related records/ documents of 18 DCHs, located in the districts of Khurda and Cuttack. It was noticed that 51,967 Covid patients had been treated in these 18 DCHs in the first two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Rs 724.50 crore had been incurred for the purpose. The audit observed irregularities in passing the bills for payment, without proper check/ verification of documents. Thus, payment of Rs 144.88 crore to the DCHs, without verification of basic documents/ records, was irregular, the CAG said in its report. Similarly, the auditor has also found irregularities worth Rs 2.73 cror

Took several tours of Odisha to speed up development work: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said she has broken the protocol and undertaken several tours of Odisha and her native Mayurbhanj district in order to speed up development work. Murmu, on the last day of her five-day visit to the state, was addressing a gathering here after laying the foundation for three new railway lines, besides a tribal research and development centre, Dandbose airport and sub-divisional hospital at Rairangpur. "Generally, there is no provision of visiting own state and district as the President. However, I broke the protocol and came down here frequently because of the difficulties faced by the people of this area. Keeping in view the requirements of this area, I do whatever is possible on my part," Murmu said. Murmu said she had met the incumbent Railway Minister several times when she was the governor of Jharkhand to press for the development of railways in tribal areas. "When I was the transport minister of Odisha in 2000, I had requested the incumbent

BJD delegation meets central govt officials over AP's Polavaram project

A delegation of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has met top officials of ministries of environment and tribal affairs in New Delhi and apprised them of adverse impacts of Andhra Pradesh's Polavaram irrigation project on livelihood, land and interest of indigenous people in Odisha's Malkangiri district, the party said on Thursday. The team met the central officials on Wednesday. The BJD delegation, led by senior leader and former minister Debi Prasad Mishra, had also met Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil in the national capital on Tuesday and apprised him of the potential of submergence of large areas in Malkangiri due to the construction of the multi-purpose project in the neighbouring state. The team met Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Leena Nandan and submitted a memorandum to her, highlighting how the Polavaram project would cause extensive damage to the flora and fauna in tribal-majority Malkangiri district of Odisha. The BJD memorandum said, The Polavaram projec

In Odisha, dogs attacked 777 people daily in 22 months: Govt data

Odisha recorded over 5.20 lakh dog bite cases between January 2023 and October 2024, according to data provided by the state government in the Assembly on Wednesday. This means stray canines or domesticated ones have targeted an average of 777 individuals every day during that period. In a written reply to a question from Rayagada MLA Kadraka Appala Swamy of the Congress, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik said that a total of 5,20,237 dog bite cases were reported in Odisha during those 22 months. While 2,59,107 dog bite cases were reported during 2023, 2,43,565 such cases were recorded from January to October of 2024. The maximum number of such cases at 33,547, 32,561 and 29,801 were reported during January, February and March of 2024, respectively. According to the 2019 Livestock Census, Odisha has 17.34 lakh stray dogs. Following the Animal Birth Control Rule, 2023, municipalities and urban local bodies are implementing the Animal Birth Cont

Only 16 of 207 water supply projects completed in Odisha: Minister Naik

Only sixteen of 207 approved mega piped water supply projects have been completed in Odisha and the rest are in progress, a minister informed the assembly on Tuesday. Replying to a question by BJD legislator Souvic Biswal, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik said the projects were targeted to be completed in two years after issuance of work orders. However, some projects got delayed due to various reasons, including delays in the conduct of detailed engineering surveys and investigations, identification of the source of water and approval of different departments, Naik said. Considering the prevailing issues and progress, steps are being taken to complete the ongoing 191 projects in three phases, he said. Fifty-six projects were targeted to be completed by March 2025, and an additional 54 would be to be completed by December 2025, the minister said. A target has been set to complete the remaining 81 piped water supply projects, which were started at the en