Page 29 - Odisha

With Jagannatha temple corridor, Naveen Patnaik's BJD looks to one-up BJP

With the grand unveiling of the Jagannatha heritage corridor, Naveen Patnaik plans to undercut any gains the BJP may have in Odisha because of the Ayodhya event

Will not contest Lok Sabha polls from Balasore, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said he will not contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Balasore seat in Odisha, putting speculations to rest. Speculations were rife that the BJP may field Vaishnaw, a Rajya Sabha MP, in the Balasore seat in the Lok Sabha elections. He was the district collector of Balasore as an IAS officer. "I will not contest from Balasore. We have Pratap 'Nana' here," he told reporters, referring to sitting BJP MP Pratap Sarangi, who is a former Union minister. The speculations were further fuelled by Vaishnaw's extensive visits to various places in Balasore and attending public programmes. He visited the Balasore railway station in the morning, and asked officers to write 'Baleswar', as the place is known in Odia, instead of 'Balasore' in signages. He also visited Jhadheshwar Shiv temple along with Sarangi. He donated an ambulance to the Balasore district hospital, and also went to the AIIMS satellite hospital nearby. Last week, when Vaishnaw vi

BHEL to set up 2,400 MW thermal power plant at Odisha's Jharsuguda

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) will set up a greenfield thermal power plant of 2,400 MW capacity in Odisha's Jharsuguda district, an official statement said on Saturday. NLC India Limited, a Navaratna company under the Ministry of Coal, has awarded the EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contract to BHEL to set the 2,400 MW capacity (3x800 MW-stage I) after inviting competitive tenders, it said. The contract scope to BHEL includes engineering, manufacturing, supply, erection and commissioning of equipment such as boilers, turbines and generators for the plant, the statement said. For the thermal project, coal linkage is available from Talabira II and III mines of NLCIL. The water required for the project will be sourced from Hirakud reservoir, it said. The first unit of the project is scheduled for commissioning in the financial year 2028-29.

Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurates Gopinathpur Nilgiri-Balasore railway line

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Saturday inaugurated the 18 km stretch of Gopinathpur Nilgiri-Balasore passenger railway line and flagged off a newly introduced MEMU train. The MEMU train between Gopinathpur Nilgiri to Balasore in South Eastern Railway division will operate thrice in a day, railway official said. Flagging off the train at Gopinathpur Nilgiri railway station, Vaishnaw said that Odisha on an average gets Rs 10,000 crore each year for the development of railway infrastructure under the NDA government of Narendra Modi. The allocation for the state under the UPA government was very low. He said Odisha is getting Modi's special attention for development of railways and no delegation from Odisha is required to seek it. While the average expansion of railway track was earlier only 25 to 30 km a year, it is more than 450 km in the national network in a year now, the minister said. Speaking of the railway projects in Odisha, Vaishnaw said the Jaleswar-Chandaneswar rail rou

DRDO successfully flight-tests new Akash missile off Odisha coast

Lighter and more deadly, the Akash-NG will protect airfields in the northeast

Sebi to auction 30 properties of 6 companies to recover money on Feb 13

Sebi on Thursday said it will auction 30 properties of six companies, including Mangalam Agro Products, on February 13 to recover money illegally collected from the investors. The properties will be auctioned for a reserve price of nearly Rs 30 crore. The other companies whose properties will also be auctioned are Bishal group of companies, Purusattam Infotech Industries, NVD Solar Ltd, Sun Plant Business and Jivan Sathi Dream Projects. The properties that go under the hammer include land parcels, plots, land with building structures and flats in West Bengal and Odisha, and they will be auctioned at a reserve price of Rs 29.97 crore, according to a notice issued by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). The markets regulator invited bids for sale of properties in the recovery proceedings against Mangalam Agro Products, Purusattam Infotech Industries, Jivan Sathi Dream Projects, Sun Plant Business, Bishal group and NVD Solar, along with their promoters/ directors, it said.

Nalco bets on allotted coal blocks, alumina refinery for expansion

State-owned NALCO on Monday said the ongoing expansion of refinery and plans for upcoming expansion of smelter have been propelled with operationalisation of allotted coal blocks and clearances for Pottangi bauxite mine. Backward integration and securitisation of energy and bauxite has increased the business span of the National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) for the next 30 years, its Chairman and Managing Director Sridhar Patra said. He was speaking at the company's 44th Foundation Day. "The strenuous efforts of the last 43 years and constant pursuit towards exhibiting excellence in almost all domains of business has succeeded in creating a formidable business enterprise like NALCO and the company has always striven to do better than the previous set benchmarks. "The past three years has witnessed significant achievements and have brought new laurels to the company," Patra said. NALCO has been operating its captive Panchpatmali bauxite mines for the pit-head alumina refinery, a

'Hope govt will fulfil our demands,' say drivers as strike ends in Odisha

The association of commercial drivers in Odisha has withdrawn its strike, as the cease work affected passenger bus services and transportation of petroleum products and milk. The Odisha Drivers' Mahasangha announced the withdrawal of the strike on Saturday night, the third day of the agitation, after getting assurance from the state government that their demands would be looked into. "We hope the Odisha government will fulfil our demands," Mahasangha president Prasant Menduli said. State transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur also said that drivers have withdrawn the strike and normalcy will return. Drivers across the country were on strike over stringent provisions for hit-and-run' cases under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which replaces the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Mahasangha was part of the All-India strike. The drivers also said that there was a provision for imprisonment of two years under Section 304 of the IPC for accidents. As per the provisions in the

Commercial drivers' strike continues in Odisha; fuel & milk supply affected

With the strike of commercial drivers entering third day in Odisha, passenger bus services, and transportation of petroleum products and milk were affected across the state. The Odisha Drivers' Mahasangha announced continuance of its stir even as the state transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur expressed optimism that the agitation would end soon. Drivers across the country were on strike over the recently enacted hit-and-run' Law under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which replaces the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Mahasangh is part of the All-India strike. "Our strike will continue as discussions are still underway with both the state and Central governments," Mahasangha president Prashant Menduli told reporters. The drivers also said that there was a provision for imprisonment of two years under Section 304 of the IPC for accidents. As per the provisions in the BNS, drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing police

CM Naveen Patnaik launches sports projects worth Rs 120 crores in Sambalpur

Aligned with Chief Minister's vision, 'Sports for youth, youth for future', these projects have been undertaken under the 5T initiative to benefit people, especially youth of Sambalpur, release said

Two cases of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 detected in Odisha's Bhubaneswar

The two cases were detected in Sundargarh and Bhubaneswar, Director of Health Services Bijay Kumar Mohapatra said, adding that the health conditions of both patients are stable

Bus-truck collision in Odisha kills both drivers, one passenger; 20 injured

At least three persons were killed and 20 others injured on Tuesday after the bus in which they were travelling collided head-on with a truck in Odisha's Cuttack district, police said. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the death of three persons in the accident and announced an ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh to the next kin of each deceased. The accident took place on Cuttack-Chandbali road near Katarapada around 7.30 am in Nischintakoili block when the bus with 60 passengers on board collided with the goods vehicle, a senior officer said. Drivers of both the vehicles and a passenger were killed in the accident. Two deceased were from Kendrapara district, while the identity of the truck driver is yet to be ascertained. The truck is from Rajasthan, Cuttack collector Narahari Sethy said. Teams of fire brigade stations and police personnel rushed to the spot and rescued the passengers trapped inside the damaged bus. The injured passengers were admitted to Nischintakoili ...

Odisha's Jagannath temple to open its doors at 1am; details inside

The district collector Samarth Verma said that it was decided that rituals of Odisha's Jagannath temple will be completed on time on Sunday so that the doors are closed at 11 pm and reopens at 1am

Odisha CM lays foundation stone of Rs 6,225 crore Bhubaneswar Metro project

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday laid the foundation stone for the Rs 6,225 crore Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project. Before laying the foundation stone at Ratagada Lenka Sahi near Trisulia, Patnaik held a roadshow on the 26 km route of the proposed metro project. People stood on both sides of the road and different groups performed traditional folk dance and music to welcome the chief minister during the roadshow. "Apan Mane Khusi Ta (Are you happy)", Patnaik asked the people gathered on the occasion. "Today (Jan 1, 2024) will remain in the history of Odisha's development. As promised earlier, we are laying the foundation stone of the metro rail project", he said. Stating that this is the state government's single largest investment made in any infrastructure project in Odisha's history, Patnaik said that this is also the flagship project of Odisha under the 5T (transformational) initiative. Patnaik said the project will have 20 stations covering 26 km from Bhubaneswar

3,000 CAPF troops to move from Odisha to Chhattisgarh to end Naxalism

Three battalions of the BSF comprising more than 3,000 personnel will move across the border from Odisha to Chhattisgarh and an equal number of ITBP units will further move into the Naxal stronghold of Abujhmad as part of a strategy to intensify anti-Maoist operations in their last bastions, official sources said. The new operational blueprint is part of a plan under which Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently made a declaration that India was "on the verge of" eliminating Left Wing Extremism (LWE). "The last strike against LWE by forces such as the BSF, the CRPF and the ITBP is in the process. We are determined to end Naxalism in the country," Shah said on December 1 in Hazaribag, Jharkhand while addressing BSF troops on their 59th raising day. These forces are called as central armed police force (CAPFs). Sources in the security establishment told PTI that the Border Security Force (BSF) has been directed to create six new COBs or company operating bases in Chhattisgarh's ...

Odisha's Nandankanan zoo to get cheetahs, lions, birds from Dubai

Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) in Bhubaneswar is set to receive a pair of cheetahs, six lions, chimpanzees, lemurs, and other animals and birds from Dubai next month, according to an official. The animals will be brought in through an animal exchange programme, said Susanta Nanda, the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), during a press conference on Wednesday. Zoo officials have signed an agreement with Dubai Safari Park in the United Arab Emirates to bring these exotic animals and birds through the exchange programme. According to the zoo authorities, a male and female cheetah will be exchanged for five Manipur brow-antlered deer, consisting of two males and three females. The official also mentioned plans to bring four white lions (one male and three females), as well as two African lions (one male and one female). Additionally, two chimpanzees, five ring-tailed lemurs, three red-necked wallabies, eight Hamadryas baboons, seven African grey parrots, and five blu

NINL was home to snakes, scorpions when acquired by Tata Steel: MD Mehta

Snakes and scorpions crawled the premises of NINL, the land around was covered with bushes and the plant machinery was full of rust, its MD & CEO Sudhir Kumar Mehta said remembering the challenges involved in restarting the sick unit within a set 90-day deadline. The company was in debt, Mehta said, adding NINL is now doing financially good and has generated a revenue of around Rs 3,000 crore in the April-September or first half of the ongoing fiscal. On July 4, 2022, Tata Steel completed the acquisition of Odisha-based Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL) -- the first state-owned steel company to be divested by the Narendra Modi-led government -- through its erstwhile subsidiary Tata Steel Long Products (TSLP) for a consideration of Rs 12,100 crore. "NINL premises is of 2,500 acre. It had been closed for a long period. When we first entered the unit post the acquisition, there were snakes, scorpions, and lizards crawling in the premises. Bushes up to several feet had grown all over .

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Odisha govt approves seven industrial projects worth Rs 1482.53 crore

The Odisha government approved seven industrial projects with a collective investment of Rs 1482.53 crore, which would create employment for over 11,500 people. The State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) led by Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena on Friday approved these projects to be set up in Khurda, Ganjam, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Balasore, and Rayagada districts, a government statement said. The SLSWCA approved the proposal of Tech AIC DRI Pellets Pvt Ltd to set up a steel manufacturing plant with an investment of Rs 800 crore in Keonjhar district, it said. MAS Udyat India Pvt Ltd got the state government's nod for establishing an integrated textile facility with an investment of Rs 214.40 crore in Khurda district. Alenn Steel Industries Pvt Ltd has committed to invest Rs 178 crore by establishing a cold rolled precision pipes manufacturing unit at Kalinganagar in Jajpur district. The state government also approved the Rs 121.21 crore investment proposal

Dropout rate at 27% in Class 10, not 49.9%: Odisha counters Centre

The Odisha government on Tuesday claimed that the dropout rate in Class 10 was 27 per cent in the state in 2021-22 and not 49.9 per cent as stated by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Lok Sabha a day before. Odisha School Education Programme Authority Director Anupam Shah asserted that the Centre's data did not include the number of students admitted to various industrial training schools after passing the 10th standard. He also said the school and mass education department will soon clarify its stand on the prevailing dropout rates at the school level. Responding to a question on Odisha registering the highest dropout rate of 49.9 per cent in Class 10 in 2021-22, he said, the data released by the Centre was old. "The data released by the Centre did not include the number of students admitted to different industrial training schools. The overall dropout rate at present (2022-23) in Odisha would be 17 per cent, Shah told PTI. He explained that the dropout rate is .