Page 19 - Odisha

Odisha to establish breastfeeding cabins in offices, public spaces

This is one of the measures taken by the new BJP government after approving one day's paid menstrual leave for women employees on August 16

CM Majhi slams Mamata for making hateful, negative comments on Odisha

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi slammed his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee for allegedly making "negative" and "hateful" comments on the coastal state. Referring to the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in a Kolkata hospital, Majhi also alleged that Banerjee was making "vindictive" comments "without giving justice to the victim of the heinous crime". "If Bengal is set on fire, Assam, northeast, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Delhi will also be affected," Banerjee had said, addressing a TMC students' wing rally in Kolkata on Wednesday. "Odisha is a peaceful state and its people are responsible...who has given you the authority to make negative, divisive and insensitive remarks on Odisha? The people of Odisha will not accept such a hateful, negative remark and insensitive attitude towards our state," Majhi said on X on Wednesday night. He urged Banerjee to refrain from making such comments. "Without giving justice to the victim of the heinous

Odisha govt culls over 11,700 chicken, health dept issues alert on bird flu

The Odisha government has culled over 11,700 chickens in Puri district's Pipili, following the detection of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, an official said on Monday. After mass deaths of chickens at a local poultry farm in Pipili, culling began on Saturday and was completed on Monday evening. Additional culling in homes and nearby villages will take place on Tuesday, the official added. Jagannath Nanda, additional director of disease control, said 13 rapid response teams are handling the culling, with some poultry farm owners conducting culling independently. No other unusual chicken deaths have been reported elsewhere in the state, he added. In response to the outbreak, the state health department has heightened surveillance and issued an alert. Bijay Mohapatra, director of health services, emphasised that while bird flu is not new to Odisha, the department is working with stakeholders to manage the situation. He assured that sufficient medicines are available and urged poul

Odisha culls more than thousand chickens after Avian flu outbreak

The epicentre of the outbreak was in the Puri district, about 19 miles from the state capital Bhubaneswar, and follows the recent death of 1,800 birds at a local poultry farm

Cong allies with NC ahead of J-K polls as it is hungry for power: Odisha CM

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi slammed the Congress for joining hands with the National Conference (NC) ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, alleging that the grand old party is "hungry for power". He sought clarification from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi whether his party would "support the National Conference's promise for a separate flag in Jammu and Kashmir". Does the Congress support any unrest in Jammu and Kashmir by increasing terrorist activities once again? Will the Congress have the support to promote separatists by talking to the arch-enemy Pakistan, instead of establishing peace by talking to the people of Jammu and Kashmir?" Majhi asked Gandhi in the video message. He also asked, "Will the Congress party support the cross-border terrorism by opening trade with Pakistan? Will this not affect the local ecosystem?" The BJP leader sought clarification from the Congress on "whether it supports the decision of the National Conference to give government jo

Odisha's unemployment rate at 3.9%, situation worse in urban areas: Govt

Odisha had an unemployment rate of 3.9 per cent, which was higher than the national average of 3.2 per cent, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain told the assembly on Friday. In a written reply to BJD MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo, Swain said Odisha was in the 21st position among all states and Union Territories in the unemployment rate as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2022-23 conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). While the unemployment rate in the state's rural areas was 3.6 per cent, it was 6.2 per cent in the urban areas, he said. There were 11,04,229 youths -- 3,86,699 females and 7,17,530 males, who registered themselves with different employment exchanges in the state till May 31, 2024, he added. The highest number of 1,37,986 people registered at the special employment exchange for SC/ST. A total of 57,855 people registered with the employment exchange in Puri, followed by 54,001 people with the exchange in Berhampur in .

Odisha govt makes administrative changes, transfers 18 senior IAS officers

The Odisha government has transferred 18 senior IAS officers, a notification issued by the General Administration department said. Satyabrata Sahu was appointed Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Home department while D K Singh was appointed Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management department. Sahu is also allowed to hold additional charge of ACS, Forest, Environment and Climate Change department. Singh is allowed to remain in additional charge of Special Relief Commissioner, Odisha and Managing Director, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority. The additional appointment of Satyabrata Sahu as SRC and MD of OSDMA shall stand terminated from the date Singh takes over, the notification said. Surendra Kumar, ACS, General Administration and Public Grievance department with additional charge of ACS, Tourism and Parliamentary Affairs, is appointed as ACS, Steel and Mines department. He is allowed to remain in additional charge of ACS, General Administration and Publ

5 dead, 12 injured as tanker overturns after colliding with bus in Odisha

Four people were killed and 13 others injured as a tanker overturned on a roadside tea stall after a head-on collision with a bus in Odisha's Ganjam district on Thursday morning, police said. The accident happened on National Highway 59 at Samarjhola near Hinjili, they said. The bus was on the way from Bhawanipatna to Berhampur, while the tanker was going towards Aska when the accident happened, they added. One person on the bus was killed, and the other three deceased were people sitting at the tea stall, police said. Those injured were admitted to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital, officials said. The condition of two persons was stated to be critical, they said. "We have confirmed four deaths so far," Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena said. The deceased are yet to be identified, he said. A police team and firefighters were clearing the highway to open it for traffic, he said.

Amazon's home, kitchen segment witnesses 25% growth in FY24 in Odisha

E-commerce major Amazon India on Wednesday said its home, kitchen and outdoors segment has grown by nearly 25 per cent in Odisha in the 2023-24 fiscal as compared to the previous year. The company also registered a 15 per cent growth in new customers in Odisha which is one of the fastest-growing states, Amazon India's Home, Kitchen and Outdoors segment Director K N Srikanth said. There is growing demand for sports and sporting equipment in the region with the cricket gears experiencing more than 80 per cent year-on-year growth, he said. Similarly, demand for equipment for racquet sports, including badminton, tennis and table tennis, surged nearly 150 per cent during the last financial year, indicating a strong focus on outdoor sports, he said. The online marketplace has 51 service partners, 52 delivery stations and nearly 16,000 sellers in the state. The company will continue to work with local stores and MSMEs across the state, he added. Catering to evolving customers' needs, Am

14 fall ill after consuming spurious liquor in Odisha's Ganjam district

At least 14 people fell ill after allegedly consuming 'spurious' liquor in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place at Moundpur village in Chikita area late on Monday night. All the affected persons hailed from Karbalua village. They had consumed country liquor. Some of them complained of uneasiness and severe vomiting. They were rushed to the community health centre at Chikiti. Later 14 of them were shifted to the MKCH Medical College Hospital here. While 12 people were being treated at the medicine ward, two had been admitted to the ICU, police said. Excise Commissioner Narasingha Bhol and Ganjam district collector Dibyajyoti Parida visited the hospital. "Some people have been arrested on charge of selling illicit liquor. Samples of the liquor have been collected and sent for laboratory test", the district collector said. The excise commissioner said stringent action to be taken against the people undertaking illegal liquor business in the area.

Odisha vigilance arrests three including GST officer on graft charge

Odisha vigilance on Sunday arrested three persons including a commercial tax and GST officer on the charge of bribery, evasion of taxes, and causing loss to the government, officials said. Binay Bhusan Tripathy, an assistant commissioner of enforcement unit, Jajpur along with two private persons Jyoti Pattnaik and Md Golam Sad has been arrested for evasion of taxes and misappropriation of government money over Rs 5.85 lakh, the vigilance officials said. According to the vigilance, Tripathy had intercepted one goods vehicle carrying scrap worth Rs 8.89 lakh at Revena in Jajpur district in May this year. He detained the vehicle at a dhaba on the NH and demanded Rs 2.5 lakh bribe from the owner to release the vehicle. However, when the bribe demand was not met, in contravention to the laws of GST, Tripathy, with an ulterior motive, illegally sold the entire scrap to another scrap dealer, and realized nominal tax and misappropriated Rs 5.85 lakh. The investigation revealed that Tripath

Enduring essence of Indian classical dance: A mix of sadhana & spirituality

The purpose of Indian classical dance is not just entertainment but also philosophical expression. It is also a way to tell stories from sacred texts, showing the bond between divine and human realms

Odisha announces policy of one-day paid menstrual leave for women employees

The policy is aimed at supporting the health and well-being of the menstruating people and will be extended to both public and private sector

Upholding pride, Odisha to reach pinnacle of development: CM Majhi

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said the state has embarked on a journey for change and development while upholding its Ashmita' (pride). After hoisting the Tricolour and taking a salute from the security forces during the Independence Day celebration at the Mahatma Gandhi Marg here, Majhi also announced several development programmes. Today is a very important day for Odisha. The state has embarked on a path of change. The people of Odisha have left the path of propaganda," the chief minister said. This is the first Independence Day function under the BJP government in the state. While paying tribute to the great sons and daughters of the soil who sacrificed for the nation, Majhi said, Odisha has vowed to reach the pinnacle of development with Asmita (pride) and Swaviman (self-respect)." Noting that he does not believe in showing big dreams to the people, Majhi said he is committed to fulfil promises made to the state. For the sake of my land, I know how to

Committee formed to probe rape of 2 patients at Odisha's SCB College

The arrested doctor has been identified as Dilbag Singh Thakur

India's first round-the-clock grain ATM opened at Mancheswar in Odisha

The Annapurti Grain ATMs will be launched in all the districts of the state

Andhra Pradesh govt abolishes two-child policy for local body elections

The two-child policy was introduced in the then unified Andhra Pradesh in 1994, barring candidates with more than two children from local body elections

Odisha steps up vigilance on sea to prevent illegal entry from Bangladesh

The Odisha government has stepped up vigil along its 480-kilometer coastline to prevent influx of people from turmoil hit Bangladesh, a senior police officer said. The state is located about 200 kilometres away from the Bangladesh coast. People from Bangladesh used to (illegally) enter Odisha using small boats. According to information received through different channels, it is learnt that many criminal elements have come out of jails during the unrest in Bangladesh. Those elements may try to sneak into India, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Sanjay Kumar, said. The priority is to check the entry of such people into India, he said. We have put our 18 marine police stations on high alert. The ADG coastal security has opened a control room and the state has deployed all employees, boats and other equipment at strategic locations, Kumar said. The additional director general of police (coastal security) has been in touch with the Coast Guard and Navy, he said. K

BJP spreading lies, trying to create fissures in BJD: Odisha's Oppn whip

Opposition chief whip in the Odisha assembly Pramila Mallik alleged that the ruling BJP was spreading lies that several BJD leaders would join the saffron camp, asserting that such an attempt was aimed at creating fissures in the regional party. Her comment comes after BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi had, on August 4, said Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mohanta joining BJP after resigning from the BJD was just a trailer and many others would follow her suit. Mallik, a former state minister and ex-Speaker of the assembly, also rejected several BJP leaders' remarks that many BJD functionaries were in touch with the saffron camp. A false campaign is being spread by BJP leaders, she said. Several BJP leaders, including former minister and MLA Arabinda Dhali, were accused of spreading lies that many BJD leaders would join the saffron party as they did not have confidence in former chief minister Naveen Patnaik. They (BJP) are spreading lies to disturb our party. No one from our party is interested in

Odisha passes appropriation bill for Rs 95,000 cr, house to meet on Aug 20

The Assembly on Wednesday passed the Odisha Appropriation (Vote-on-Account No.2) Bill, 2024, which authorises the state government to withdraw Rs 95,000 crore from the Consolidated Fund for use in August and September of the current 25 financial year. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also oversees the finance department, presented the Bill. It was passed by a voice vote despite protests from the Opposition, including members of the BJD and Congress, who walked out. This is the second Vote-on-Account passed within the same financial year. The first was approved in February, covering the months of April, May, June, and July. Since the current Vote-on-Account expires on Wednesday, July 31, well before the budget's passage, the state introduced this second Vote-on-Account to cover expenditures for August and September. Before the House passed the Bill, Majhi explained, "I have presented a Bill of Rs 95,000 crore for the House's approval. This appropriation includes 30 per cent ...