Page 20 - Odisha

In big relief to law graduates, SC caps advocate enrolment fee at Rs 700

The Supreme Court has said that the current enrolment fee structure charged by the state bar councils is unreasonable as it causes excessive financial burdens on young law graduates

CM Majhi seeks cooperation from central officers to build 'New Odisha'

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday sought cooperation of senior officers from the state working in various central government departments to help build a 'New Odisha' by 2036, marking the state's 100th year of formation. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi after a meeting with Odisha cadre IAS and other senior officers on central deputation, Majhi emphasised the state's mission to become a developed state by 2047, coinciding with India's 100 years of Independence. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers K V Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, and other senior Odisha government officials. "The state government is working on a mission mode, implementing a 100-day action plan, a five-year plan, a 12-year programme leading up to 2036, and a vision extending to 2047," Majhi said. In a press statement, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) highlighted Majhi's call for the officers' cooperation to expedite the implementation of proposals presented at

ASI to begin repairing Jagannath temple's Ratna Bhandar soon: Odisha min

Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Sunday said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will soon begin repairing the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Jagannath Temple in Puri. The ASI will first assess and repair the outer chamber of the treasury, followed by the inner chamber, he said. "A minor correction has been made in the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the repair work and the date will be finalised soon," Harichandan said. He emphasised that the rituals of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities will not be disrupted during the repair work. The Odisha government is also considering whether to perform laser scanning of the inner chamber to detect any secret compartments, Harichandan said. Addressing the issue of duplicate keys to the 'Ratna Bhandar', the law minister criticised the previous BJD government for allegedly creating "unnecessary drama" around the keys to avoid opening the treasury. "An investigation will be conducted, and those who played with the ..

Ashwini Vaishnaw allocates Rs 70 cr for Odisha's Rayagada Railway Division

The railway ministry has allocated Rs 70 crore for the Rayagada Railway Division in Odisha under the East Coast Railway Zone, officials said Friday. The establishment of the Rayagada Railway Division is poised to bring significant benefits to the region, enhancing connectivity and fostering economic growth, they said. The allocation to the state was informed to Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi, who met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi. "I thank the railway minister for addressing the much-awaited and public-centric Rayagada Railway Division issue. We have had thorough discussions with the minister and I am pleased to announce that most of the formalities for the formation of the Rayagada Division is going to be completed. The work will be started soon once the tenders are in place," Majhi said in a statement. The ECoR zone presently has three divisions at Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Waltair. The new Rayagada division will be created by bifurcating Waltair.

Kargil Vijay Diwas: MP to UP, 6 states announce job quotas for Agniveers

The Odisha government on Friday announced a 10 per cent quota and five years of age relaxation for Agniveers in the state's uninformed services. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi made the announcement before leaving for Delhi to attend the governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog on Saturday. "Our soldiers are our pride. Agniveers, who are trained by our defence forces, are qualified to serve the nation in various security-related sectors," he said. "The Agniveer scheme is a historic initiative launched by PM Narendra Modi. This initiative has made our youth able and fearless so that they can face various challenges in life. That is why the Odisha government has decided to recruit Agniveers in the state's uniformed services," he added.

Odisha presents Rs 2.65 trn budget for FY25 with focus on agri, women

The BJP government in Odisha presented its maiden budget on Thursday with a total estimate of Rs 2.65 lakh crore for the 2024-25 fiscal, laying emphasis on agriculture and women empowerment. The size of the budget for the current financial year was around 15 per cent more than the budgetary estimate of Rs 2.30 lakh crore for the 2023-24 fiscal, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in the assembly. Majhi, who also holds the finance portfolio, proposed an outlay of Rs 33,919 crore for agriculture, which is about 36 per cent more than the allocation made in the previous year. Of the total budget estimates, programme expenditure was pegged at Rs 1.55 lakh crore, administrative expenditure at Rs 97,725 crore and an outlay of Rs 3,900 crore for Disaster Risk Management Funds, he said. To ensure the speedy empowerment of women, as promised by the BJP in its election manifesto, Majhi allocated Rs 10,000 crore for the 'Subhadra' scheme, a financial assistance programme for women. The chi

Govt shifts over 10,000 people from Odisha's Balasore ahead of missile test

Odisha's Balasore district administration has temporarily shifted over 10,000 people from 10 villages to another place ahead of Wednesday's scheduled missile test, an official said. The DRDO also completed the required range preparation for the missile test at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, a defence source said here on Tuesday. The test will be conducted from launch pad number 3 of the ITR. Meanwhile, the Balasore district administration has made arrangements to temporarily evacuate 10,581 people belonging to 10 villages residing within 3.5 km radius of the launch pad prior to the test launch of the missile, said a revenue officer. As a safety measure these arrangements are being made with adequate compensation to affected people, the official said. A preparatory meeting was held here Tuesday by the district administration in the presence of the Collector, Ashis Thakare and Superintendent of Police, Sagarika Nath for the smooth shifting of residents falling in this

Congress, CPI(M) skip all-party meeting ahead of Odisha Assembly session

The opposition Congress and CPI(M) in Odisha skipped the all-party meeting that was convened by Speaker Surama Padhy on Sunday ahead of the assembly session. The BJD was represented by its Chief Whip Pramila Mallik with Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik staying away from the meeting. Senior Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati said as the decision was not made on who would be the legislature party leader, the party did not attend the meeting. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling said, "We had a friendly discussion with the BJD chief whip and she has assured full cooperation for the smooth functioning of the House." "The Congress is yet to name its leader in the assembly. I spoke to state Congress president Sarat Patnaik in the morning, and requested him to send an MLA to the meeting," he said. The lone CPI(M) MLA also did not attend the meeting. After the meeting, the speaker said, "Suggestions of all the members were taken. The assembly will start with the governor's .

BJP govt renames Biju Patnaik Sports Award to Odisha Rajya Krida Samman

The newly elected BJP government has renamed Biju Patnaik Sports Award as Odisha Rajya Krida Samman'. Odisha Sports and Youth Services Department on Friday issued guidelines for the Rajya Krida Samman' which will be awarded in eight categories annually, subject to availability of suitable candidates. The cash rewards remain unchanged. According to the guidelines, the lifetime achievement award for promoting sports will carry a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh, while Rs 2 lakh will be awarded for outstanding performance in sports, and Rs 1 lakh for excellence in coaching. Similarly, a cash award of Rs 1 lakh will be given in each of the following categories - best contribution to sports promotion, excellence in sports journalism, para-sports person of the year, upcoming athlete of the year (junior category), and sports technical official/support staff of the year. The award recipient must be a resident of Odisha and free of any criminal convictions. It will be conferred only once per lifetim

Ratna Bhandar of Puri Jagannath temple reopens for second time in week

The Ratna Bhandar, the revered treasury of the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri, was reopened on Thursday for the second time in a week for shifting of valuables to a temporary strong room, officials said. The treasury was reopened at 9.51 am, they said. After offering prayers before Lord Jagannath and his siblings, the members of a supervisory committee set up by the Odisha government for the shifting of valuables from the Ratna Bhandar, entered the temple around 9 am. Speaking to media persons before entering the temple, the supervising committee's chairman and Orissa High Court former judge Justice Biswanath Rath said, We sought the blessings of Lord Jagannath for smooth completion of shifting of all valuables stored inside the inner chamber of the treasury." Last time, the treasury was opened on July 14 after 46 years. On that day, the ornaments and valuables of the outer chamber of the Ratna Bhandar were shifted to a strong room. Justice Rath also requested Puri's Titula

IMD issues 'yellow' alert for Delhi, Mumbai; heavy rains in several states

IMD weather update: Temperatures in Delhi are likely to peak at around 36 degrees Celsius during the day, with nighttime lows potentially dropping to around 25 degrees Celsius

NLC India bags Odisha coal mine with 1.38 billion tonnes capacity

State-owned NLC India Ltd on Monday said that it has bagged a coal mine in Odisha. The coal produced from the mine will address the energy security of the country. The coal mine has total reserves of around 1.38 billion tonnes with an operatable peak-rated capacity of 30 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). "NLC India Ltd has emerged as the successful bidder for the Machhakata (revised) coal mine in Angul district of Odisha in the eighth round of commercial coal block e-auction," the company said in a statement. This is the second coal mine won by the public sector enterprise after North Dhadu coal block (Western Part). The company said that it is committed to its capacity addition in line with its vision of achieving more than 100 MTPA by 2030 from the present 50 MTPA. NLC India's core business is mining and power generation. Meanwhile, the coal ministry on Monday executed the Coal Mining Development and Production Agreements for three coal mines that were auctioned. The mines for

Puri Jagannath Temple's Ratna Bhandar opens after 46 years: What's inside?

Ratna Bhandar is the treasure trove of the 12th-century Puri-based Jagannath Temple that has been in much discussion since the recently concluded Odisha Assembly elections

High security, traffic arrangements in place for Puri's Bahuda Yatra today

In preparation for the Bahuda Yatra in Puri, which marks the return of the deities to the Jagannath Temple on Monday, authorities have made elaborate arrangements and security measures are in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the procession.Odisha ADG (Law & Order) Sanjay Kumar said that security forces are on high alert and the entire city is under comprehensive CCTV surveillance."All the arrangements have been made. Entrance for normal devotees has been stopped. As per the rituals, things will start at 8 in the morning. Force deployment begin at 6 a.m. Our main concern is traffic. This year, we have implemented one of the finest traffic arrangements, and everyone is appreciating it. The security arrangements have also been upgraded, and we aim to ensure that no problems occur when devotees pull the deities. The forces are in high morale, and everything is well-placed," Kumar said while speaking to ANI on Sunday.He further said that puja will be conducted, and afterward, ...

After 46 yrs, Puri Jagannath temple's 'Ratna Bhandar' set to reopen on Sun

The Odisha government is set to unlock the 'Ratna Bhandar', the revered treasury of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri, on Sunday after 46 years for an inventory of the ornaments and other valuables, officials said. The treasury was last opened in 1978. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which looks after the maintenance of the 12th century shrine, will use the opportunity to carry out repairs, they added. "We are fully prepared for the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar on Sunday. We will strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOP) issued by the government in accordance with the Shree Jagannath Temple Act," Puri District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said. "The 16-member high-level committee constituted by the state government recommended reopening the Ratna Bhandar on July 14. Following traditional attire, we will first offer prayers to Lord Lokanath inside the temple," said Soumendra Muduli, a member of the special committee chaired by retired Justice Biswanath

Jagannath temple forms panel to probe falling of idol during Rath Yatra

Puri's Jagannath temple has formed a three-member panel to probe the falling of Lord Balabhadra idol on some servitors while it was being taken from the chariot to Gundicha temple as part of the Rath Yatra festival, an official said. The committee has expressed concern over the incident during the 'Pahandi' ritual on Tuesday night and also held a detailed discussion on the incident, said V V Yadav, chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri. The three-member panel consisting of an additional district magistrate (ADM), SJTA administrator (development), and a DSP rank police officer will investigate the matter and submit a report within 10 days after completion of 'Niladri Bije' (return of Lord Jagannath and his siblings to their temple), he said. The committee will examine the available video footage and see whether designated servitors were there or not along with other aspects that led to such an incident, Yadav told reporters. The chief administra

Odisha govt approves 26 investment projects worth Rs 5,992.92 crore

The Odisha government on Wednesday approved 26 investment projects worth Rs 5,992.92 crore, which are expected to create employment for more than 19,000 persons, an official statement said. The State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) led by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has approved a series of projects across diverse sectors including steel, chemicals, renewable energy, textiles, manufacturing, packaging, food processing, IT, infrastructure, and tourism, it said. These projects will be implemented in 14 districts including Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Kendujhar, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Jharsuguda, Boudh, Koraput, Balasore, Cuttack, Bhadrak, and Puri. According to the statement, the state government has approved the proposal of GM Iron and Steel Company Limited to establish a 0.23 million tonne per annum (MTPA) integrated steel plant along with downstream and upstream facilities and a 45 MW captive power plant in Mayurbhanj district with an investment of Rs

Odisha gets nod to clear 1,524.17 ha of forest land for irrigation project

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has approved the diversion of 1,524.17 hectare of forest land for the construction of an irrigation project in Odisha's Nayagarh district, officials said on Tuesday. In a statement, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the state government has been waiting for the approval from the Centre for the last 30 years. After the completion of the Brutanga project, irrigation facilities can be provided to 23,000 hectares of land, it said. "On the basis of the compliance report furnished by the state government... final approval of central government under Section 2 of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 is hereby granted for non-forestry use of 1524.17 hectares of forest land for construction of Brutanga irrigation project," read a letter issued by Assistant Inspector General of Forests Dheeraj Mittal on Monday. As per the conditions set by the MoEF for the approval, the legal status of the diverted forest land shall remain .

At least two dead and over 130 injured during Rath Yatra in Odisha

At least two persons died and over 130 were injured in two different incidents during Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra in Odisha, officials said on Monday. A resident of Bolangir district died allegedly due to suffocation in a stampede-like situation on Sunday during the Rath Yatra in Puri, a health official said. "When we put him in the ambulance, his pulse was running. We took him to the hospital and gave him CPR. However, doctors declared him brought dead," said Sushant Kumar Patnaik, assistant commandant of St John ambulance service. According to sources, the devotee fainted on Grand Road while pulling the chariot of Lord Balabhadra. He was immediately rushed to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where the doctor declared him brought. Expressing grief over his death, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. He also instructed officials concerned to ensure the best available medical care for the injured ...

Prez Murmu spends time at beach in Puri during her four-day Odisha visit

President Droupadi Murmu, who is on a four-day visit to Odisha, spent some time at a sea beach in Puri on Monday morning. She witnessed the annual Rath Yatra in the coastal pilgrim town on Sunday. Later, she penned her thoughts about her experience of being in close commune with nature. "There are places that bring us in closer touch with the essence of life and remind us that we are part of nature. Mountains, forests, rivers and seashores appeal to something deep within us. As I walked along the seashore today, I felt a communion with the surroundings the gentle wind, the roar of the waves, and the immense expanse of water. It was a meditative experience," Murmu posted on X. She said it brought her a profound inner peace that she had also felt when she had a darshan of Lord Jagannath on Sunday. Stating that she was not alone in having such an experience, Murmu said, "All of us can feel that way when we encounter something that is far larger than us, that sustains us and that mak