Page 3 - Odisha

Deep depression triggers heavy rain across Odisha, IMD issues alert

Heavy rain continued to lash Odisha on Thursday as the depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression and is moving towards the coast prompting the state government to deploy men and machinery in identified vulnerable districts to tackle the situation, an official said. Almost all parts of the state have received heavy rain since Wednesday, especially the coastal and southern region. The IMD issued an alert for heavy rains for all the 30 districts of Odisha on Thursday. In a statement, the IMD said that the deep depression formed on Wednesday night over the Bay of Bay of Bengal is moving towards the coast with a speed of 17 kmph. The system at 5.30 AM of Thursday lays centered at about 190 km south-southeast of Gopalpur, 190 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 230 km south of Puri (Odisha), 250 km east of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 310 km south-southwest of Paradip (Odisha), it said. The system is very likely to cross Odisha and adjoinin

Jindal Steel commissions 3 MTPA oxygen furnace at Odisha's Angul plant

Jindal Steel on Tuesday announced commissioning a basic oxygen furnace (BoF) of 3MTPA capacity as part of its ongoing over Rs 20,000 crore expansion project at Angul in Odisha. With the installation of the new BoF, the plant's crude steel making capacity has increased to 9 million tonne per annum (MTPA) from 6 MTPA earlier, Jindal Steel said in a statement. A basic oxygen furnace (BoF) converts molten iron or hot metal into steel using gaseous oxygen. The Naveen Jindal group company is in process of investing over Rs 20,000 crore to scale up the capacity of its Angul facility to 12 MTPA making it one the country's largest single location steel manufacturing unit. Jindal Steel said it has commissioned its 250 MT BoF converter at the Angul integrated steel plant, adding 3 MTPA of crude steelmaking capacity. "The new BoF is now running, and the first heat has been successfully tapped. This achievement marks a significant step toward Angul's goal of becoming a 12 MTPA steel-making pla

Odisha approves ₹12,000 cr for scheme to set up 2,200 primary schools

The Odisha Cabinet on Monday approved an outlay of Rs 12,000 crore to set up 2,200 primary schools under the Godabarish Adarsha Vidyalaya (GAV) scheme in three years from 2025-26, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said. The state Cabinet meeting, chaired by Majhi, also approved three other proposals including beautification of the Maa Tarini Temple at Ghatagaon in Keonjhar district at a cost of Rs 226 crore. Briefing media persons after the meeting, the chief minister said at least one model primary school will be developed at each Gram Panchayat (GP) under the GAV scheme. Targeting the erstwhile BJD administration, he alleged: The primary education system collapsed during the 24-year rule of the previous government. They had just painted broken walls of the schools in the name of 5T transformation. The 5T Initiative was a governance model of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government, that focused on Teamwork, Transparency, Technology, Time, and Transformation. To strengthen the primar

PM Modi launches BSNL Swadeshi 4G, flags off Amrit Bharat Express in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth over ₹60,000 crore in Odisha in a bid to boost train travel, healthcare, education, and rural housing

Heavy rains lash Odisha as depression nears coast; CM reviews preparedness

The Odisha government on Friday took necessary steps to tackle the impact of a depression over the Bay of Bengal that is likely to cross the south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coast around Saturday morning, officials said. In its 8.13pm bulletin, the IMD said, "The well marked low pressure area over northwest and adjoining central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards, concentrated into a depression. At 5.30 pm, the system lay centered 60 km south-southeast of Puri, 130 km east of Gopalpur and 230 km east-northeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)". "The system is very likely to cross south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puri and Kalingapatnam close to Gopalpur on September 27 morning," a senior scientist at the meteorological centre, Bhubaneswar, said. Keeping in view the IMD warnings, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is on a tour to Jharsuguda to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme at the western Odisha district on Saturday, held a review meeting and

PM Modi to launch railway projects, BSNL 4G stack in Odisha on Sep 27

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Odisha on September 27 during which he will flag off an Amrit Bharat Express, unveil railway projects worth Rs 1,700 crore and BSNL's 'Swadeshi' 4G stack. From Jharsuguda, he will also announce the expansion of eight IITs, grant super-specialty status to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and VIMSAR hospital in Sambalpur, launch a national skill development programme and provide aid to 50,000 beneficiaries under the Antyodaya scheme. This will be the Prime Minister's sixth visit to Odisha in 15 months since the BJP came to power in the state in June, 2024. Initially, the place for his public meeting was fixed at Berhampur in Ganjam district, but it was later changed to Jharsuguda due to a forecast of heavy rain in southern Odisha on Saturday. However, according to the mid-day bulletin issued by the IMD on Friday, Jharsuguda, the place where Modi will address a public meeting, is among the nine districts where ...

CAG flags misuse of ₹148.75 cr funds in 11 Odisha tribal development bodies

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) suspects misappropriation of government funds of Rs 148.75 crore due to divergence of funds from bank accounts operated by engineers in 11 Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) in Odisha. The CAG conducted a compliance audit of 11 of 22 ITDAs in the state covering the period from financial year 2018-19 to 2022-23 and mentioned its findings in its compliance audit report (civil), which was laid before the Odisha assembly on Wednesday. The ITDAs were set up in the state during 1979-80 to 2022-23 for the implementation of various welfare schemes towards integrated socio-economic development of the tribal population residing in the Scheduled Areas. In its audit report, the CAG said government funds of Rs 621.79 crore had been transferred to 71 bank accounts of 11 ITDAs for departmentally executed works during 2018-23. "Details of 67 out of 71 bank accounts whose statements contained irrelevant transactions of Rs 148.75 crore a

Odisha speaker rejects Congress no-confidence motion against BJP govt

Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy on Monday rejected the opposition Congress's notice seeking to move a no-confidence motion' against the 15-month-old BJP government in the state. While rejecting the notice, Padhy said it could not be moved in the House due to continuous disruption of the proceedings for three previous days. The Congress claimed that the notice was rejected without any valid reason and started a dharna on the Assembly premises. The Speaker said that the Congress had submitted the notice to the Assembly secretary on September 18 and she had asked the authorities to bring it for discussion the next day. However, the notice could not be taken up due to continuous ruckus in the House. The Congress Legislature Party which has 14 members had submitted the no-confidence notice with signatures of 15 MLAs including one from the CPI (M). The Congress had also requested BJD to support the no-confidence notice against the BJP government for its alleged all out failure in .

UP, Gujarat, Odisha among 16 revenue-surplus states in FY23: CAG report

As many as 16 states were in revenue surplus during 2022-23, with Uttar Pradesh topping the chart with Rs 37,263 crore, followed by Gujarat and Odisha, according a CAG report. As per the fiscal responsibility and fiscal consolidation path prescribed by the XV Finance Commission, the states were required to have either zero-revenue deficit or become revenue surplus during 2022-23. "As on 31st March 2023, 16 states, out of the total 28 states, were revenue surplus and 12 were in revenue deficit," said the publication on State Finances 2022-23, the first-of-its-kind by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Revenue receipts of these 16 states exceeded their revenue expenditure. Uttar Pradesh was followed by Gujarat with a revenue surplus of Rs 19,865 crore, Odisha (Rs 19,456 crore), Jharkhand (Rs 13,564 crore), Karnataka (Rs 13,496 crore), Chhattisgarh (Rs 8,592 crore), Telangana (Rs 5,944 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 5,310 crore), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 4,091 crore), and Goa (Rs 2,399

Mercury rises in Delhi as monsoon withdraws; east India braces for rain

Navratri week begins with clear skies in Delhi; Many parts of India remain under alert for heavy rainfall amid low-pressure systems developing in the Bay of Bengal

US H-1B visa fee clarification eases tech sector concerns, impact deferred

At least one person died and eight others were injured in an explosion at an illegal firecracker store room in Odisha's Boudh district on Sunday, police said. The incident took place around noon at a firecracker godown at Jiakata-Chhatrapur under Purunakatak police limits in Harabhanga block of the district. The blast was so powerful that the store room was reduced to rubble. The injured were rushed to the Purunakatak Community Health Centre with the help of locals. "The deceased was identified as Laxmindra Behera (40), of Chhatrapur village under Purunakatak police station area. Eight others were injured in the incident," Boudh SP Rahul Goel told reporters. The SP said a massive rescue operation was launched with the help of local police, fire service personnel, ODRAF, bomb squad, scientific team, and dog squad, as it was suspected that some people might be under the debris. "Huge quantities of illegal explosive substances were stored. The hunt for suspects is going on, and furth

BJD MLAs disrupt Odisha assembly over alleged 'fertiliser scarcity'

BJD MLAs created ruckus in the Odisha assembly for the third consecutive day on Saturday over alleged fertiliser scarcity across the state, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings till 4 pm. The party MLAs, holding placards and banners highlighting the fertiliser crisis and farmers' distress in the state, trooped into the well of the House and demanded a full-fledged discussion on the issue. Meanwhile, the House made an obituary reference to former MLA George Tirkey, who died on Friday night. The opposition members continued to raise their voices against the state's BJP government and blamed it for the farmers' distress. Unable to run the House, Speaker Surama Padhy adjourned the proceedings till 4 pm. The BJD members demanded that the Speaker cancel all the business of the House, including Question Hour, and hold a detailed discussion on the alleged fertiliser scarcity in the state. They claimed that the alleged fertiliser scarcity was due to black marketing and hoardin

19 sexual harassment cases reported in colleges, univ in Odisha: Minister

In all, 19 sexual harassment complaints have been filed in different colleges and universities across the state in 2024, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj informed the Assembly on Friday. Replying to a question by BJD legislator Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, the minister said the complaints have been lodged by women students in government degree colleges, non-government aided degree colleges and public universities of the state in the past year. He said two cases each were reported in Utkal University, RD Women's University, Government Autonomous CollegeRourkela, BJB Autonomous CollegeBhubaneswar and Choudwar College. One case each was reported in FM Autonomous College (Balasore), Panchayat Degree College (Bargarh), Anchal Degree College (Padampur), Abhimanyu Samant Singhar Degree College (Balia), SSD College (Gurudijhatia), Athamalik College, Dharanidhar University, Berhampur University and GM University, he said. Out of the 19 cases, three were amicably settled, while the

Odisha approves 25 new projects to be built at a cost of ₹4,739 crore

The Odisha government on Friday approved 25 industrial projects to be built at a cost of Rs 4,739 crore, officials said. The projects were approved during the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja. These projects are likely to create 25,200 jobs in Khurda, Jajpur, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Angul, and Gajapati districts. The latest approvals cover 13 key sectors, including textiles, steel, chemicals, IT, infrastructure, logistics, renewable energy, tourism, cold storage and capital goods. In a statement, the state government said, driven by dynamic governance, strategic foresight, and a robust policy framework that champions ease of doing business, Odisha is fast emerging as the preferred investment destination in India.

Congress moves no-confidence motion against BJP govt in Odisha Assembly

The Congress on the first day of the Monsoon Session of the Odisha Assembly on Thursday submitted a notice for a no-confidence motion against the 15-month-old BJP government in the state. A delegation of Congress MLAs led by legislature party leader Rama Chandra Kadam met Assembly Secretary Satyabrata Rout at his chamber and submitted a petition seeking a 'no-confidence motion' against the state government. Invoking Rule 117(1) of the Assembly procedures, the Congress Legislature Party in the notice said: "That this House expresses no confidence in the present Council of Ministers led by Shri Mohan Charan Majhi." "We have submitted a notice to the Assembly secretary addressed to the Speaker and urged her to accept it for moving a no-confidence motion. We have the signature of 14 Congress MLAs and one member of the CPI(M)," Kadam told reporters. He said that the party had earlier urged the principal Opposition party, the Biju Janata Dal, to move a no-confidence motion against the BJ

What's PM Modi doing on his 75th birthday? Camps, tribal outreach & more

PM Modi turns 75 today with a day full of events - health camps, tribal schemes, sapling plantation and the launch of a textile park in Madhya Pradesh

CM Manjhi launches 27 major industrial projects worth ₹25,308 crore

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday virtually performed the ground-breaking ceremony for 27 major industrial projects, which will bring a total investment of Rs 25,308 crore and generate 52,000 jobs. He asserted that Odisha was moving from "promise to performance, potential to prosperity". The projects would come up in 12 districts -- Angul, Rayagada, Jajpur, Cuttack, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Khurda, Puri, Bhadrak, Koraput, Jharsuguda and Ganjam. "Our industrialisation is inclusive as 27 of the 30 districts of the state now have industries," Majhi said. Majhi, who became the chief minister 15 months ago, claimed that his government, in the last 165 days, laid the foundation stone for 84 industries and attracted investment of Rs 5 lakh crore, of which Rs 2 lakk crore-investment has been materialised so far. He also claimed that employment opportunities have been created for 77,894 people, of whom 56,859 or 80 per cent are Odias. "No one can raise fingers at the state

Delhi to see cloudy skies, light rain as monsoon continues across India

IMD forecasts light rain in Delhi today; Himachal, Odisha, and northeastern states face heavy showers and flood alerts

Vedanta in process of acquiring land for 3 MTPA aluminium smelter in Odisha

Vedanta is in the process of acquiring land for its 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) aluminium smelter in Dhenkanal, Odisha, a top company official said on Wednesday. "We are moving towards setting up a new mega aluminium plant at Dhenkanal, Odisha, (with a capacity of) three million tonnes," Rajiv Kumar, Chief Executive Officer for the Aluminium business at Vedanta, said. Currently, the company's total capacity stands at 3 million tonnes. "We want to go to six million tonnes, for which we are actively involved in land acquisition, and hopefully things are progressing very well," Kumar said. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of ALUMEX India 2025, organised by Aluminium Extrusion Manufacturers Association of India (ALEMAI) in the national capital during September 10-13. This green aluminium smelter, he said, has the potential to create over two lakh jobs. On the investment to be made in the said plant, he said that "Aluminium is very heavy on investment and is a ...

Odisha plans to supply broken rice for ethanol as paddy cultivation rises

The Odisha government is planning to supply broken rice for ethanol production, with more farmers taking up paddy cultivation following an increase in the procurement rate, officials said on Tuesday. The state has the main ethanol plant in Bargarh district, which uses both rice grain and rice straw to produce the item for fuel blending, they said. There are smaller ethanol plants in the state as well, utilising grain feedstock, with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) allocating surplus rice to them for the ethanol blended petrol (EBP) programme. A discussion regarding the proposal was held at the first meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for procurement for the Kharif 2025-26 season on Monday, officials said. The meeting, chaired by Deputy CM KV Singh Deo, who is in charge of the Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment Department, discussed the preparation of a roadmap for post-paddy purchase management, they said. The government has planned to procure the Kharif crops by the e