Page 31 - Odisha

Heavy rainfall forecast for parts of Andhra Pradesh over next two days

The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday forecast heavy rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh for two days from Tuesday, as an existing low pressure over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a depression. The department said that parts of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) and Rayalaseema are expected to receive heavy rainfall. It has also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in a few more parts of the same region, North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP) and Yanam. "The low-pressure area over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining Andaman & Nicobar Islands with the associated cyclonic circulation extending up to the upper tropospheric level persists. It is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal on November 15," said a Meteorological official in a press release. The weather is expected to move in the northwest direction and intensify into a deep depression over the west-central Bay of ...

Railways run special trains between Puri-Patna in run-up to Chhat Puja

In other news, the sale of platform tickets at New Delhi and Anand Vihar railway stations has been suspended temporarily, in order to control the extra rush of passengers

Pradhan urges Gadkari to expand NHs from Raigarh to Talcher to 8 lanes

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written to his cabinet colleague Nitin Gadkari, urging him to take steps to expand an economic corridor connecting two national highways between Chhattishgarh's Raigarh and Odisha's Talcher to eight lanes to facilitate industrialisation in the region. In a letter to Gadkari, the Union road transport and highways minister, Pradhan said the corridor of approximately 300 km, starting from Raigarh in Chhattisgarh and extending up to Ballhar at Talcher, has the presence of three major industrial areas, and the expansion of the arterial roads is needed as economic activities are set to grow there. The Ib Valley area for thermal power, sponge iron, refractories, and coal mines, Hirakud for aluminium and rolling mills and Talcher-Angul for power plants, coal washeries and ferroalloys are the main industrial zones in the region. The rapid industrialisation in recent times and growing economic activities in these areas have made it not only the industria

Congress announces 'Tulsi Yatra' to protest 'mismanagement' at Puri temple

The opposition Congress in Odisha announced that it will undertake a 'Tulsi Yatra', in which tulsi or basil leaves will be collected from houses across 314 blocks of the state and offered to Lord Jagannath in Puri, as a mark of protest over alleged mismanagement at the 12th-century shrine. The decision was taken hours after 10 devotees fell unconscious on Friday due to heavy rush at the temple, state Congress president Sarat Pattnayak said. A huge number of people visit the temple this time of the year as it is the holy month of 'Kartik', he said, adding that they are facing difficulties as the administration closed three of the four gates, and is allowing entry only through the 'Singha Dwar'. "We demand the opening of all the gates in order to avoid major accidents, like a stampede, as more devotees will visit the temple during the 'Panchuka' -- the last five days of Kartik," Pattnayak said. The date of the 'yatra' will be decided soon, he said. Tulsi leaves will be collected fro

Centre transforming local millet into global brand: Odisha Governor

Odisha Governor Raghubar Das on Friday asserted that the Centre is transforming "local millet into a global brand". Addressing a valedictory function of the International Convention on Millets here, the former Jharkhand chief minister said, "Millets are the traditional grains of our country. India is the forerunner in promoting millets... These crops often grow in arid regions with very little chemical inputs." Millets are also high in micronutrients compared to rice and wheat and have higher protein content, which is why they are often called "climate-smart crops", he said. To make millet cultivation a global movement, India proposed a resolution in the United Nations to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets. It was supported by over 70 countries and the UN General Assembly in March 2021 declared 2023 the International Year of Millets, he said. Further, millets were declared as 'Shree Anna' in Parliament while a global conference on millets was organised. He said that

Odisha investing Rs 2,500 crore to support millet farmers: CM Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said his government is investing over Rs 2,500 crore for providing income and livelihood support to millet farmers of the state. The state government recently launched the Odisha Millets Mission in 2017 with a focus on reviving an ecosystem of the cereal. For the government, the promotion of millets is about justice and equity to rain-fed farmers of Odisha, Patnaik said. The authorities have increased the direct benefit incentives for millet farmers and laid out assured procurement of ragi (millet), he said after inaugurating a two-day International Convention on Millets here. Odisha is the "pioneer in designing a people-centric Millet Mission with focus on livelihood and nutrition of tribal communities", he said. My government will put all the efforts to make Odisha become a centre of excellence on millet and contribute to economic growth, wellbeing, and health of the people of Odisha, Patnaik said. Noting that the United Nations

Larsen & Toubro arm secures significant orders in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh

Larsen and Toubro (L&T) on Tuesday said its arm L&T Construction has bagged significant work orders from the governments of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. The company did not disclose the order value. However, according to its classification, significant orders value in the range of Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 2,500 crore. "Water & effluent treatment business of L&T Construction has secured repeat orders from the Water Resources Department, Government of Odisha to execute cluster XXII & cluster XXV mega lift irrigation projects," L&T said in a statement. The scope of works includes the execution of 19 lift irrigation schemes comprising intake points spread across the Manjore reservoir, Brahmani river, Rengali left main canal, Rengali right main canal and lndravati reservoir to irrigate a culturable command area of 28,944 hectares in the districts of Angul, Dhenkanal and Nabarangpur on a turnkey basis. The scope additionally includes establishing a distribution network, ...

Former Odisha minister and Assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty passes away

Senior BJD leader and former Odisha Assembly speaker Maheswar Mohanty died at a private hospital here on Tuesday. Mohanty, who was also a former minister, was 67. He is survived by his wife and two sons. He was admitted to the hospital on November 1 after suffering a cerebral stroke, and died at 3.25 am on Tuesday, hospital sources said. Mohanty was elected to the Odisha Assembly from Puri constituency five times. He had successfully contested the assembly elections as a Janata Dal candidate in 1995 and as a BJD nominee in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014. Born on February 26, 1956, Mohanty had also served in the Naveen Patnaik government as a cabinet minister and had held portfolios such as Panchayati Raj, Revenue, Law and Tourism departments between 2011 and 2019. He was the speaker of the assembly from 2004 to 2008. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condoled Mohanty's death and described him as a "popular leader with high organisational skills". He played an important role in the develo

Odisha's turnaround in disaster management has lessons for the world

Battered by the 1999 Super Cyclone, Odisha invested in communities, infrastructure, and a stellar institution to lead from the front in building resilience

Odisha's GST collections rise by 10.81% to Rs 4,176 crore in October

Odisha's GST collections increased by 10.81 per cent to Rs 4,176.94 crore in October, officials said on Wednesday. The state had collected a gross GST revenue of Rs 3,769.44 crore in the same month last year, they said. The OGST collection during the month was Rs 1,306.47 crore, as against Rs 1,058.38 crore during October 2022, a growth of 23.43 per cent, they said. At the national level, GST collections increased 13 per cent to Rs 1.72 lakh crore in October, the second highest-ever, helped by momentum in the economy, efforts of taxmen in checking evasion and festive demand. "GST revenue collection for October 2023 is second highest ever, next only to April 2023, at Rs 1.72 lakh crore; records increase of 13 per cent Y-o-Y," the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

Odisha CM Patnaik unveils projects worth Rs 1,200 crore in Kalahandi

Asserting that Kalahandi was the "transformation model" of Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday unveiled projects worth Rs 1,200 crore in the district. Patnaik inaugurated projects worth Rs 300 crore, which included the Saheed Rendo Majhi Medical College and Hospital and an affordable bus service that will connect the villages to block headquarters. He also laid the foundation stones for projects worth Rs 900 crore. "Kalahandi is our model. From education, health, communication and industry to agriculture, all the sectors have seen positive development, fulfilling the dreams of the people. Kalahandi has changed its history, and added new success stories. Kalahandi is providing rice to the whole country today," the chief minister said. He said that in Kalahandi, 63 buses will run under under the Location Accessible Multimodal Initiative (LAccMI), connecting villages to the block headquarters. Patnaik took a bus ride to Balrampur from the meeting venue in the Kalahandi ...

Patnaik directs disaster management minister to visit AP train mishap site

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday directed Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marandi to visit neighbouring Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district where a train accident has killed 14 people. According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Patnaik also asked Marandi to meet the injured persons undergoing treatment at different hospitals. At around 7 pm on Sunday, the Palasa Passenger train hit the Rayagada Passenger train from behind at Kantakapalli, causing three coaches to derail. Fourteen people have been killed and at least 50 injured, officials said. The locomotive pilots of Rayagada Passenger and a guard of the Palasa Passenger train have also died in the accident, they said. Patnaik had on Sunday night directed Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu, and the district magistrates of Rayagada and Koraput to extend immediate assistance in the rescue and relief operations. So far, 39 trains have been cancelled and about 24 trains ..

Odisha to spend Rs 2,000 cr for disaster resilient infrastructure: Patnaik

"The Bahanaga triple-train tragedy that took place earlier this year in Balasore district is an example of the preparedness of the State government to tackle the disasters", he said

Odisha to spend Rs 2,000 cr to create disaster-resilient infrastructure

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday said his government has decided to spend more than Rs 2,000 crore to create disaster-resilient infrastructure in various parts of the state. Addressing a gathering virtually at a function at Rabindra Mandap here on the occasion of Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day 2023, he said the government was giving priority to resilient infrastructure and state-wide risk mapping would be undertaken for various disasters. Today, we assemble here to deliberate on our disaster preparedness. We remember the valuable human lives lost during the super cyclone 1999. Since then, we have made significant strides in making Odisha safer during disasters. Today, we are a model for other states and countries to follow, Patnaik said. Noting that the state's efforts for effective disaster management have received wide acclaim, the chief minister said Odisha has been bestowed with the prestigious 'Nataji Subash Chandra Bose Apadaa Prabandhan Puraskar' for 2023 by

How Odisha shows the way in harnessing PPPs to make India a sporting power

With a 2023-24 sports budget of Rs 1,217 cr, Odisha has turned into a sports hotspot

V Karthikeyan Pandian: From bureaucrat to Cabinet minister in 24 hours

Retired bureaucrats have, in recent times, played an important role in the state's politics

Who is VK Pandian? Odisha's ex-IAS given cabinet minister rank in 24 hrs

VK Pandian hails from Tamil Nadu and began his career as an IAS officer in the Punjab cadre

INDIA bloc to hold protests against BJD, BJP in Odisha's Rayagada, Balasore

The opposition bloc INDIA will hold demonstrations in Rayagada and Balaore next month to protest against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the BJD dispensation in the state for "failing" to fulfil promises they had made for the people of Odisha, a Congress leader said on Saturday. A meeting of all anti-BJD and anti-BJP parties was held here on Friday evening to decide on protest rallies, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak said. "The Naveen Patnaik government in the state and the Centre have failed to deliver on promises they have made for the people of Odisha. Both the BJD and the BJP have made false promises. We are going to hold 'Janakrosh' rallies at Rayagada and Balasore on November 8 and 15 respectively, Pattanayak told PTI. The OPCC president also said the opposition bloc INDIA would hold demonstrations in other parts of the state in the coming days. He alleged that Odisha became "a poor state" under the BJD regime as the governmen

Low pressure forms over BoB; coastal Odisha to witness rain during Dusshera

With the formation of a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal on Friday, Odisha's coastal districts are likely to witness a wet Dusshera as the IMD has predicted rains from October 23. The IMD has forecast rains in coastal districts of the state from October 23 to 25. "A low-pressure area has formed over Bay of Bengal..., the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) regional centre in Bhubaneswar said on X. The system is likely to intensify further into a depression around October 23, it said. "Under its impact, some parts of coastal Odisha would experience rainfall activities from October 23 to 25. Whether heavy rainfall would occur or not, can be predicted only after knowing the path of movement of the depression," IMD centre director H R Biswas said. However, he said, dry weather conditions to prevail in the state till October 22. While the Navami of Durga Puja is on October 23, the day following will be celebrated as 'Dasami' or Dusshera. Durga puja organisers are worried ab

14,000 buses remain off roads in Odisha as strike cripples commuters

Passenger bus services across Odisha were hit on Friday, as the apex private bus owners' association launched its "indefinite" strike in protest against the state government's policy over plying on certain routes. Nearly 14,000 private buses remained off the streets as part of the agitation, which began at 6 am, after talks between the association and government failed to resolve the issue, officials said. Hundreds of passengers, travelling to their hometowns for the Durga Puja festivities from the state, were seen waiting in long queues at different bus stands and terminals since early morning. Association general secretary Debendra Sahu said though the Odisha government during a meeting on October 9 had assured that buses under the Location Accessible Multimodal Initiative (LAccMI) will not ply from the blocks to districts, the promise has not been kept. Odisha Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu had appealed to the private bus owners to call off the strike in view of the Durga Puja .