Page 14 - Odisha

Give 3 months' advance rice quota to beneficiaries: Odisha CM to officials

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi asked the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department to provide three months of rice in advance to the beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System (PDS). Majhi issued this direction after he reviewed rice distribution under the Public Distribution System, the chief minister's office (CMO) said in a statement on Tuesday. The chief minister's direction is significant as it came after allegation of delayed rice distribution among people at Mandipanka village in Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district. Two women died and six others fell ill in the village after consuming mango kernel gruel allegedly due to scarcity of foodgrains. As per the chief minister's instructions, each beneficiary of the National Food Security Act and State Food Security Scheme will get 15 kg of rice for three months (October to December). Although the rice distribution process started from October 1, about 40 lakh families have not received rice yet. Therefore, th

Paddy procurement for kharif season in Odisha to start from Nov third week

The Odisha government has decided to commence procurement of paddy from farmers for the kharif season 2024 from the third week of November, a minister said on Tuesday. The procurement will start from Bargarh district, he said. The decision was taken during a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee, held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Monday. This will be the first procurement season after the BJP came to power in the state this year. "The BJP government is committed to fulfilling its promise to buy paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal. An additional input subsidy of Rs 800 per quintal of the crop will be given to farmers over and above the minimum support price of Rs 2,300 fixed by the Centre," said Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, who was present at the meeting. During the meeting, modalities to be adopted at the mandi (marketing yard) level were finalised to make the entire procurement hassle-free for farmers, he said. It was also decided in the

JSW Steel, Posco plans to invest $7.7 billion in Odisha steel plant

Last week, JSW Steel and Posco signed an agreement to set up an integrated steel plant with an initial capacity of 5 million metric tons a year

EC must act on Sarma's communal rhetoric, campaigning by Odisha guv: Jairam

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday hit out at the Election Commission for the "tone and tenor" of its recent letter to his party while also urging the poll body to act against "communal and incendiary rhetoric" allegedly used by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during poll campaigns. In an interview with PTI, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications also urged the Election Commission (EC) to take action against Odisha Governor Raghubar Das for campaigning in Jamshedpur. His remarks come days after the Congress slammed the EC after it rejected the party's allegations over irregularities in the Haryana assembly polls. The opposition party had said if the poll panel's goal was to "strip itself of the last vestiges of neutrality", then it was doing a "remarkable job" at creating that impression. In its letter to the EC signed by nine senior leaders, including Ramesh, the Congress had said, "We have carefully studied your response to our complaints. Not ...

Cyclone Dana caused Rs 600 cr worth damage in Odisha: Minister Pujari

Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari on Monday said as per preliminary assessment severe cyclone Dana has caused damage to public and private properties worth around Rs 600 crore in the state. 'Dana' struck the eastern coast early on October 25, triggering torrential rain and high-speed winds uprooting trees and electric poles and causing significant damage to infrastructure and crops in 14 districts of Odisha. Speaking to media persons here, Pujari said as per preliminary estimate the state suffered Rs 600 crore damage due to the cyclone. The final damage assessment report will come up in a day or two, he said. The minister said that a total of 166 blocks in 14 districts have been either partially or fully affected by the cyclone. The districts are - Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Khurda, and Puri. A huge volume of standing crops and houses have been damaged in the ..

JSW-POSCO to set up greenfield steel plant in Odisha's Keonjhar: CM Majhi

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday said that India's fastest growing conglomerate JSW Group and South Korean steel major POSCO will jointly set up a greenfield steel facility in his home district of Keonjhar. Majhi revealed this amid nationwide speculation over the exact location of the JSW-POSCO joint venture. "During our roadshows for the ensuing Make-in Odisha conclave in Delhi and Mumbai, I had discussed with both JSW and POSCO regarding the establishment of a steel plant in Odisha's mineral-rich Keonjhar district," Majhi, who is on a two-day visit to Keonjhar for celebrating Diwali, told reporters. "Meanwhile, they have signed an MoU. They will do it jointly. They have also mentioned doing it in Keonjhar district. It is under process and Odisha will get another steel plant," the chief minister said. The two steel makers on October 29 signed an MoU at JSW Group's corporate headquarters in Mumbai, in the presence of JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal and POSCO ...

Fishing ban along Odisha coast begins for Olive Ridley turtle protection

The Odisha government on Friday enforced a seven-month-long prohibition on sea fishing activity within 20 km of the coast at the river mouths of Dhamara, Devi and Rusikulya as part of the annual Olive Ridley turtle conservation programme, officials said. The fishing ban would remain effective from November 1May 31 to ensure the safety of marine animals during their breeding and mating season, they said. The ban has been clamped in accordance with Sections 2, 7 and 4 of the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982 and provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, they said. The fishing ban imposed along a specified coast of the sea comprising sea turtle congregation area and their buffer zones at the river mouths of Dhamara, Devi and Rusikulya. The prohibition will be strictly implemented as it is done every year as the turtles perish in larger numbers either by getting entangled in fishing nets or hit by fishing trawlers' propellers. It will be a multi-layered patroll

Odisha govt downgrades Naveen Patnaik's security from Z to Y category

The Odisha government has downgraded the security of the state's five-time former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also the leader of opposition, from Z to Y category, an official said on Thursday. Most of the security personnel assigned to Patnaik have been withdrawn after a high-level committee dealing with security issues of important persons recommended the downgrade of the BJD chief's security, he said. Patnaik would now be assigned only two constables in Havildar rank, the official said. "Former chief ministers are provided with two PSOs. Additional security is provided as and when required," he said. As the leader of opposition, Patnaik will be provided with required security by the local police when he undertakes a tour outside Bhubaneswar, he said. However, Patnaik has also personally appointed two senior PSOs who have recently retired from government service. After this year's general elections, when Patnaik lost power after 24 years, the number of security personn

Majhi unveils web portal for Odisha vision document, seeks people's opinion

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has unveiled the logo and web portal for the state's vision document and urged people to give suggestions and opinions for development. The realisation of a dream of building a developed Odisha will play an important role in making a developed India by 2047, he said. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country today is progressing on the development path. Special emphasis is being given to Odisha as part of the Mission Purvodaya, Majhi said. The CM on Wednesday unveiled the web portal Bikasita Bharat pain bikasita Odisha (developed Odisha in developed India) that sought inputs from people for the vision document. Our government is requesting intellectuals, organisations, educators and non-resident Odias to give their suggestions and opinions for the development of the state. Their opinion will be included in the vision document in the coming days and will be discussed, he said. The proposals will be assessed and ...

Odisha to implement Ayushman Bharat scheme by this year: Minister Mahaling

The Centre's health coverage scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana will be implemented in Odisha by the end of the current financial year, a state minister said here on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to launch AB-PMJAY for all citizens aged 70 years and above across the country on Tuesday.Odisha will also adopt it, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling said. The previous BJD government did not implement the central scheme in Odisha. The BJD had launched its health assurance scheme, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) which was renamed Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (G-JAY) by the BJP government. Speaking to media persons here, Mahaling said around 3.5 crore out of 4.5 crore people in Odisha will be covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Besides, the process is on to identify beneficiaries of 70 years and above, he said. "We have already started preparation for its implementation in our state. A budgetary provision of Rs 3,500 c

25 years since 1999 Super Cyclone: Odisha's journey from ruin to resilience

Despite comprising only 17% of India's east coast, Odisha's 480-km coastline is affected by nearly 35% of all cyclonic and severe cyclonic storms that impact the eastern seaboard, according to a 2021

'Cyclone Dana impacted 3.59 mn people in Odisha, no human casualty so far'

A total of 35.95 lakh people in Odisha have been impacted by cyclone Dana and subsequent flooding in 14 districts, the state's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Sunday. Pujari also said as many as 8,10,896 people were evacuated to 6,210 cyclone relief centres. The worst-hit districts include Kendrapara, Balasore and Bhadrak, while the human casualty still stands at zero, he told reporters here. By 10.30 am of Sunday, evacuated people were sheltered in 1,178 cyclone relief centres and they are being provided cooked food and other essential items, the minister said. Polythene sheets are being given to people who lost their houses in the calamity. He said cyclone Dana, which struck early Friday, affected people in 1,671 gram panchayats under 108 blocks spread across 14 districts. According to preliminary reports, around 5,840 houses have been fully or partially damaged due to the cyclone and subsequent flooding, Pujari said. Whenever there is a disaster

Evacuation drive launched in north Odisha as floods hit after cyclone

The Odisha government has launched an evacuation drive in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts due to flooding in some areas and risk of more localities getting inundated owing to rise in water level in Budhabalang River caused by heavy rain triggered by Cyclone Dana, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said. He said 20 villages under six gram panchayats of Remuna and Balasore Sadar blocks in Balasore district have already been affected by floods. "The evacuation drive is underway on a war footing," he said, while briefing media about the post-cyclone situation. Stating that the flood situation was created in Budhabalang River due to heavy rain in Similipal Hills in Mayurbhanj district owing to the cyclone, Majhi said residents were being moved to safer locations and provided with hygienic cooked food at shelters. So far, 10,500 people 2,500 from Remuna and 8,000 from Balasore Sadar -- have been evacuated to safety, the CM said. Meanwhile, officials in the Water Resources Department s

Cyclone, rain damaged crops in Odisha, submerged 2.8 lakh acre land

Severe cyclonic storm Dana and the rain accompanying it are likely to have damaged standing crops in 1.75 lakh acre of land, and submerged another 2.80 lakh acre in Odisha, a senior official said on Saturday, citing preliminary estimations. The state government has directed a joint assessment of crop loss due to the cyclone by officials of the agriculture and revenue departments, he said. "As per preliminary reports, the crop area likely to be affected by #CycloneDana is about 1,75,000 acres (69,995 ha). Eye-estimated submerged crop area is about 2,80,000 acres (1,12,310 ha)," Principal Secretary of Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment Arabinda Padhi said in a post on X. "We've directed field officials of @krushibibhag to assess and enumerate the crop loss (more than 33 per cent and above), jointly with Revenue Dept colleagues in a squad approach under supervision of District Collectors," he said. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi during a review meeting on Friday night said the fina

Odisha safe now, no casualties reported: CM Majhi on Cyclone Dana situation

CM Majhi said eight lakh people have been evacuated so far and restoration of electric wires is underway

Cyclone Dana makes landfall in Odisha; heavy rains lash coastal areas

Cyclone Dana update: According to the IMD, Cyclone Dana, named by Qatar, is expected to weaken into a cyclonic storm by late Friday morning

Isro satellites keep an eye on cyclone Dana: How is real-time data shared

The Indian Space Research Organisation has been actively monitoring the cyclone situation since October 20, ensuring that accurate data is provided to officials for effective action planning

Cyclone Dana hits Odisha and West Bengal: Know latest updates

Cyclone Dana began its landfall on Odisha’s coast late Thursday, October 24, bringing heavy rain and disruption with it. Watch the video to know the latest updates.

'No casualties' reported during cyclone Dana, says Odisha CM Majhi

Several roads were blocked in the area after trees were uprooted following strong winds and heavy downpours

Severe cyclone 'Dana' begins landfall process on Odisha coast: IMD

The landfall process of severe cyclonic storm 'Dana' began on Odisha coast on Thursday night and was expected to continue till Friday morning, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The coastal districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore and nearby Jagatsinghpur district witnessed sudden increase in wind speed which reached 100 kmph to 110 kmph and extremely heavy rain. A revenue department official said reports of trees getting uprooted were also received at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner here. However, there was no report of any major damage or casualty so far even as the landfall process started more than an hour ago, the official said. The storm moved north-northwest at a speed of 15 kmph over the past six hours before making landfall between Bhitarkanika in the Kendrapara district and Dhamra in Bhadrak, with wind speeds of around 110 kmph, a senior IMD official said. The landfall process has commenced and the forward sector of the wall cloud region is .