Page 22 - Odisha

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

CM Majhi mourns devotee's death during Rath Yatra, announces ex gratia

Chief Minister Majhi announced Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased who died during chariot pulling in Puri

Odisha Police to use AI for traffic, crowd management during Rath Yatra

The Rath Yatra, also known as the Chariot festival, is believed to be as old as the Jagannath Temple in Puri. This year, Lord Jagannath Yatra will take place on July 7

Vedanta group chairman Agarwal, Odisha CM discuss areas of collaboration

Vedanta group on Saturday said its Chairman Anil Agarwal met Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and discussed new areas of collaboration to accelerate the state's transformative journey and enhance its industrial development. During the meeting, Agarwal reiterated the group's commitment to the progress of the state, Vedanta said in a statement. The discussion focused on identifying new areas of collaboration that could further accelerate Odisha's transformative journey, enhancing the state's industrial and socio-economic development, it said. "My meeting with Majhi Ji was highly productive, and we discussed our shared vision for Odisha's growth. Under his capable leadership, our longstanding partnership will continue to thrive, driving the state to greater heights," Agarwal said. Vedanta group has made significant investments in Odisha, amounting to more than Rs 1 lakh crore. This is the conglomerate's largest ever investment anywhere in the world. These investments have led

Surrogate mothers also have right to avail maternity leave, says Orissa HC

Orissa High Court has recently ruled that female employees who become mothers through surrogacy have the same right to maternity leave and other benefits as provided to natural and adoptive mothers. The single judge bench of Justice S K Panigrahi gave the ruling on June 25 while hearing a petition filed by Supriya Jena, a female Odisha Finance Service (OFS) officer, in 2020. Jena became a mother through surrogacy, but she was denied 180 days maternity leave by her higher authority in the Odisha government. So, she moved the high court against the government. The court observed that a leave of 180 days is granted to female government servants on the adoption of a child up to one year of age in line with maternity leave as admissible to natural mothers for proper care of the adopted child. However, there is no provision for maternity leave for the purpose of rearing a child blessed through surrogacy, it said. "If the government could provide maternity leave to an adoptive mother, it

Former Odisha minister Surendra Nath Naik passes away at 87 due to illness

Former Odisha minister and senior BJD leader Surendra Nath Naik died here on Friday morning, his family said. He was 87. Naik was suffering from age-related ailments and died at his residence here, his family said. He was elected to the Odisha Assembly seven times from the Kakatpur constituency on Utkal Congress, Janata Dal and BJD tickets between 1971 and 2009. Naik had served as the minister of several departments, including excise, revenue, agriculture, school and mass education and panchayati raj under the leadership of Biju Patnaik and Naveen Patnaik. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Ministers K V Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Speaker Surama Padhi and several others paid floral tribute to the politician in the state assembly. Majhi said Odisha has "lost a tall leader and the vacuum created by his demise will remain unfilled". He expressed condolences to the bereaved family of Naik. In a post on X, Singh Deo said, Heartfelt condolences on the passing of

Railways to invest Rs 1 trn in Odisha over next 5 years, says Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said new railway projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore will be implemented in Odisha in the next five years. Vaishnaw said this while addressing a felicitation programme organised by Odisha BJP here to felicitate the party's 20 MPs and 78 MLAs elected in recently held Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state. The Congress government and then the BJD government have neglected the development of the railway sector in Odisha. So, with the formation of a double-engine government of BJP in Odisha and Centre, now, the gap created during the past years, will be met by creating a new record in these five years, he said. Though many mega railway projects have been sanctioned, those were delayed due to delay in land acquisition by the previous BJD government, said Vaishnaw, adding, "Now double engine government is formed and the pace of the railway projects will be accelerated." The Union minister said the allocation to Odisha in the railway budget has b

Odisha CM Majhi urges Jaishankar to establish UAE consulate in state

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for a UAE consulate in the state. Majhi raised the demand while meeting Jaishankar at his residence in New Delhi. The meeting was also attended by Deputy CMs Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo and Pravati Parida, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Since many people from Odisha are working in Dubai, a UAE consulate will be very helpful, Majhi said. He also drew the attention of Jaishankar to the eight people from Odisha stranded in Dubai and sought his support for their safe return. Jaishankar promised the CM that he would take urgent steps in this regard, the statement said. Majhi also discussed measures to attract foreign tourists to the state, including the setting up of an international tourism centre. Later, the CM met Union Health Minister JP Nadda, whom he urged for setting up medical colleges in those districts of the state that don't have one. Expansio

Odisha okays investment proposal worth Rs 903 cr in renewable energy sector

The Odisha government on Thursday approved investment proposals worth Rs 903.41 crore in the renewable energy (RE) sector, according to an official statement. The single window committee (SWC) of the Energy Department led by Principal Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev cleared the investment proposals with an aim to meet the state's RE target of 10 GW by 2030. The panel approved the proposal of HPCL Renewable & Green Energy Ltd to set up a 48-MW wind energy project at Umerkote in Nabarangpur district, while ONGC Tripura Power Company Ltd got the go-ahead to develop a 49.5-MW wind energy project in Astaranga in Puri district, the statement said. The total investment for these two wind energy projects stands at Rs 881.28 crore, it said. Till date, the SWC of Energy Department has approved investment proposals totaling Rs 3,723.57 crore with 499.48-MW capacity in the sector.

Odisha govt asks collectors to be prepared for possible flood situation

The Odisha government has asked all district collectors and municipal commissioners to remain fully prepared for probable flood situation in the monsoon season. In a letter to all collectors and municipal commissioners, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu on Monday said IMD has forecasted that an intense spell of rainfall due to active monsoon would occur throughout the state from June 26. "As a result, there may be instances of flash floods, flood like situation, waterlogging and landslides at different locations. Keeping this in mind, you are requested to take immediate action," Sahu told the collectors. He said the field-level functionaries should not leave the headquarters and they should be deployed in strategic locations of flash flood or waterlogging and ready to meet any eventuality. As low-lying areas in urban pockets may have waterlogging and roads may be submerged, the SRC directed the urban local bodies (ULBs) to keep the drains and storm water channels ..

New Odisha govt seeks higher allocation of funds for infra development

The new BJP government in Odisha has submitted a memorandum to the Centre seeking the expansion of Paradip port, a second AIIMS at Sambalpur and higher allocation of funds to further accelerate infrastructure development in the state. The memorandum was submitted by Odisha Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo who attended the meeting of finance ministers of the states before the Union Budget. The meeting was chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Saturday. The Odisha government memorandum sought higher allocation under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SACI), 2024-25 to further accelerate infrastructure development, an official release said. Apart from the demand for the establishment of a second AIIMS at Sambalpur, the state government also sought expeditious completion of National Highways, specifically the Coastal Highway and Capital Region Ring Road (CRRR) projects, in Odisha. The new BJP government in Odisha also .

Tata Steel, ICAR-NRRI join Odisha govt to reclaim acidic soils in state

Tata Steel and Odisha government have decided to implement a sustainable agricultural initiative to reclaim acidic soils in the state, an official said. The collaboration aims to utilize industrial waste, such as basic oxygen furnace (LD) slag and fly ash, as soil amendments to reclaim acidic soils in Odisha. The first consignment of LD slag was flagged off from Tata Steel Meramandali (TSM) plant in Dhenkanal district on June 18, the official said. The project, titled "Economic and Environment-Friendly Utilisation of Basic Slag and Fly Ash as Soil Amendments to Reclaim Acid Soils of Odisha (SAFAR)," is being spearheaded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Rice Research Institute (ICAR-NRRI) in Cuttack, Odisha. The initiative is part of the Odisha government's "Waste to Wealth" programme, which promotes a circular economy. "We are pleased to collaborate with the Government of Odisha and ICAR-NRRI on this important initiative," said Rajiv Mangal, vice ...

Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to be leader of opposition in Assembly

Former CM Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said he would be the leader of the opposition in the Odisha assembly. Speaking to reporters, Patnaik said the decision was taken at the BJD's legislature party meeting. "We had a meeting of the MLAs of the BJD. I congratulated and thanked them. They have elected me as the leader of the opposition and leader of the BJD legislature party," he said. Senior MLA Prasanna Acharya was named the deputy leader of the opposition, while former speaker Pramila Mallik would be the chief whip of the opposition in the House. Patnaik named Pratap Keshari Deb as the deputy chief whip of the opposition in the assembly. The BJD, which ruled the state for 24 years, lost power to the BJP in the recently concluded assembly elections.

Can Naveen Patnaik's BJD make a comeback in Odisha? It's a tricky course

With a 40.22% vote share in Assembly polls, it remains Odisha's preeminent party but is untested in the Opposition space

Odisha CM Majhi allocates portfolios to ministers, keeps home, finance

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday allocated portfolios to his council of ministers, keeping home, finance and several other departments to himself, according to an order issued by the Raj Bhavan. Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo was given the charge of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment and Energy departments. The other deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, a debutant MLA and the lone female in the 16-member council of ministers, has been assigned Women and Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism department. Majhi was sworn in as the state's first BJP chief minister here on Wednesday. The other departments which are also held by the chief minister are general administration and public grievances, information and public relations, water resources and planning and convergence. Veteran BJP leader Suresh Pujari was allocated Revenue and Disaster Management, while Rabi Narayan Naik, a farmer leader, was given Rural Development, Panchayati Raj & Drinking ...

Who is Mohan Charan Majhi? Key details about Odisha's 15th Chief Minister

Replacing former BJD CM Naveen Patnaik, Mohan Majhi was named the Chief Minister of Odisha after BJP swept the 2024 Assembly polls in Odisha