Page 35 - Odisha

16,372 died in natural calamities in Odisha in last five years: Minister

As many as 16,372 people have died in various natural calamities in Odisha in the last five years, Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi informed the assembly on Thursday. In reply to a question from BJP MLA Kusum Tete, Marndi said 16,372 people have died in natural calamities such as cyclone, lightning strike, fire accident, boat capsize, drowning, flood, heatwave, whirlwind, heavy rain and snakebite from 2018-19 to 2022-23. While 7,874 people drowned, 5,219 died due to snakebites and lightning strikes killed 2,058 people in Odisha in the last five years, he said. Similarly, 759 people died in fire accidents, 140 in cyclones, 46 in boat capsize incidents, 73 in floods, 141 due to heatwaves, while whirlwinds and heavy rain accounted for 31 deaths each. As per the statement of the minister, Mayurbhanj district has registered the highest number of 1,444 disaster deaths during the period, followed by Ganjam (1,162), Balasore (1,139) and Keonjhar (1,115). Boudh reported the lowest

OPCC launches 'Ghar Ghar Congress' campaign to reach voters in Odisha

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Monday launched Ghar Ghar Congress' campaign to reach out to voters ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls. The drive has been launched to create awareness among voters about the failures of the BJD government in power in the state for 23 years and the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, PCC campaign committee chairman Bijay Patnaik said. It will continue till October 15, he said. Launching the drive in Gajapati district, Patnaik said people are aware of the anti-democratic rule of the BJD government and the BJP. They want a change and only Congress can provide them good governance. He also conducted door-to-door campaign in Paralekhamundi town to seek the people's support for the party. The Congress leader said the party had led the Independence movement and initiated all developmental activities in the country. In Odisha, major irrigation projects including Hirakud, Indravati and Upper Kolab, roads, hydro

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BJP to campaign on women's reservation Bill in 50,000 villages of Odisha

The BJP on Saturday announced that it will launch an awareness campaign on the Women's Reservation Bill in all 50,000 villages of Odisha and highlight Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts towards women empowerment. This was announced by senior party leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in presence of BJP state president Manmohan Samal. "The party will rope in local organisations to hold awareness meetings in 50,000 villages in Odisha. At present, Lok Sabha has 81 women MPs which will increase to 182 after the implementation of the bill. While the Odisha Assembly has 18 women MLAs, it will increase to 49," Pradhan told reporters here at the BJP's state headquarters. The bill to reserve one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women received the parliamentary nod on Thursday as the Rajya Sabha unanimously voted in its favour. The Lok Sabha passed it on Wednesday. It will now require the approval of a majority of the state assemblies. The ..

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Over 1,000 security personnel deployed for Odisha Assembly session

Over 1,000 security personnel including 125 police officers have been deployed under a three-tier security arrangement in and around the Odisha Assembly for the monsoon session beginning Friday, an official said. Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Sunil Bansal on Thursday reviewed the security arrangements. Police commissioner Soumendra Priyadarsi, ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar and director intelligence Sanjeeb Panda briefed the DGP about the security arrangements made for the session. As it is an important session during which the supplementary budget will be placed, a three-tier security arrangement internal, campus and peripheral has been made in and around the Assembly, said the DGP. Bhubaneswar DCP will directly look after the security arrangements under the supervision of the police commissioner, he said. He informed that 30 platoons (one platoon comprises 30 personnel) of police force along with officers of the commissionorate police have been mobilised for the ...

Odisha CM Patnaik disburses financial assistance to over 4 million farmers

He stated that to date financial assistance worth Rs 12,500 crore has been given to the farmers of the state under 'Kalia Yojana'

Odisha CM disburses Rs 900 cr for farmers under income assistance scheme

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday disbursed Rs 900 crore for the state's 44.56 lakh farmers, under an income assistance scheme on the occasion of Nuakhai, an agrarian festival celebrated mostly in the western region of Odisha. According to an official, an amount of Rs 2,000 each was directly transferred to the bank accounts of 43.88 lakh small and marginal farmers and other 68,750 landless farmers in Odisha under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme for Rabi crop. The state government launched the KALIA scheme in 2018, under which farmers are given Rs 4,000 in two equal instalments. So far, the state government has disbursed Rs 12,500 crore to farmers under the scheme. Today, on the occasion of Nuakhai, the farmers are paid Rs 2,000 as KALIA assistance for Rabi crop. Nuakhai is the festival of Mother Earth. Mother Earth blesses us with resources that are made available to us through the hard work of our farming community. They

President Droupadi Murmu greets citizens on the festival of Nuakhai

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday greeted citizens on the festival of Nuakhai and wished for the prosperity of the country and its people. Nuakhai is an agrarian festival where the first crop of the field is offered to the goddess in the western districts of Odisha and people seek the blessings of elders in each household. The festival is observed mostly in Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Deogarh and Sundergarh. "My hearty greetings to all the countrymen, especially the people of Odisha, on the auspicious festival of Nuakhai related to agriculture! On this holy festival, people celebrate the harvest of paddy. This festival gives us the message of brotherhood and mutual harmony. On this auspicious occasion, I pray to God for the prosperity of the country and its people," Murmu, who hails from Odisha, said in a post in Hindi on 'X'.

CM Patnaik inaugurates, lays foundation of projects worth Rs 541 cr

Amid protests by opposition workers, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation of projects worth Rs 541 crore. He inaugurated nine projects worth Rs 341 crore and laid foundation of four other projects with an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore. The nine inaugurated projects include Rs 90-crore Netaji Bus Terminal built on 15 acres of land at Khannagar area of Cuttack on the banks of Kathajodi River. He had laid the foundation of the bus terminal on the occasion of the the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on January 23, 2021. Cuttack-Barabati MLA Mohammad Moquim, who was expelled from Congress, boycotted the event alleging that locals were ignored in the construction and operation of the project, while BJP activists staged a protest, demanding the rehabilitation of vendors displaced by the project. Patnaik, who attended the function amid tight security, said the terminal, which was named after Netaji who was born in Cutta

Odisha to launch over Rs 3,000 cr scheme for public, commodity transport

The Odisha government has approved a proposal to launch a scheme with an estimated cost of over Rs 3,000 crore to ensure sustainable, affordable and safe transportation of passengers and commodities across the state, a minister said. The roll-out of the Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative was among 19 proposals, which were given go ahead at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday. Under the new scheme, the government will be able to ensure a seamless public transport network across Odisha from the gram panchayat level to the state capital to provide reliable and affordable services, state Education Minister Atanu S Nayak said. Within the framework of the scheme, women's empowerment stands as the top priority. Due to safe transport space, women would be encouraged to participate actively in the workforce. Mission Shakti Self Help Groups (SHGs) will be engaged in various operation and maintenance-related activities within the blocks, the minister ..

Opposition BJP to boycott Odisha Assembly Speaker's election on Sept 21

The opposition BJP on Friday decided to boycott the election for the Odisha Assembly Speaker on September 21 as it coincided with the 'Nuakhai' festival, an agrarian event in the western region of the state. The BJP's decision came a day after the Congress announced boycott of the Assembly Speaker election. Both the opposition parties accused the BJD government in the state of maintaining a "step-motherly" attitude towards the people of the western region of the state. BJP MLA Nauri Nayak at a press conference here alleged that the BJD leaders have "no respect towards the sentiments of the western Odisha people". "It is not possible for the MLAs of western Odisha to reach the Odisha Assembly a day after the Nuakhai festival. This is because the celebrations continue till the next day for 'Bhet-ghat'. Though we had demanded a change in the date of the election, the government paid no heed to it. This has hurt the sentiments of the people of western Odisha," Nayak said. While Nuakhai

Health services firm CureBay plans expansion in rural Odisha, Chhattisgarh

Startup has raised Rs 61 crore in financing from Elevar Equity, Incred and angel investors

Congress to boycott Odisha Speaker's election on Sep 21 in view of Nuakhai

The Congress on Thursday said its legislature party would boycott the election for the Odisha Assembly Speaker on September 21. Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra said the party's MLAs will not join the election process as the day on which the poll will be held happens to be Nuakhai, a major festival of western Odisha. He said the festival is observed for two days across the western region of the state. He accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of meting out "step-motherly" treatment to the people of the western part of the state. Unfortunately, the chief minister has called for the assembly session on September 21. Despite protests, the government did not listen to our problem. The Congress MLAs will not be able to attend the Speaker election on that day. It is a step-motherly attitude towards western Odisha, Mishra alleged. Claiming that Nuakhai is "deeply rooted" in the sentiments of the people, he urged the residents of western Odisha to stand up against such a

World Bank to fund Odisha for better social protection, disaster resilience

World Bank has decided to fund the Odisha government to support its early forecasting systems for improved response to natural disasters and enhance social protection coverage for poor and vulnerable households through digital platforms, an official release said on Thursday. A meeting was held between the Odisha government and a World Bank team here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of development commissioner Anu Garg on the Externally Aided Project (EAP)-Odisha State Capability and Resilient Growth Programme (OSCRGP). The Centre has signed an agreement with the World Bank in July for the programme which costs around Rs 1,183 crore and the state government funding is Rs 367 crore, an official said. The state cabinet had approved this project in December last year. OSCRGP has been declared effective from August 11, 2023 by the World Bank. Garg focused on expediting the World Bank-funded project which is aimed at protecting the poor and vulnerable households from the impact of ...

Odisha govt sounds health alert after 'Scrub Typhus' kills 5 people

"Scrub typhus and Leptospirosis cases are being reported from most of the districts across the state. So intensive surveillance system for early diagnosis need to be strengthened," govt said

Election Commission asks Odisha to delete names of 345,000 deceased voters

The Election Commission (EC) asked Odisha's district collectors to focus on the special summary revision of electoral rolls, and ensure that names of 3.45 lakh deceased people are deleted from the voters' list, an official said. The directions were issued on Wednesday at a meeting of an EC team that was attended by Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal, the collectors of all the 30 districts, revenue divisional commissioners (RDCs) and other senior officials. It was mentioned in the meeting that names of "as many as 3.45 lakh deceased people were found in the voters' list". "The EC team asked the collectors to take necessary action to make the list flawless," the official said. The collectors were also asked to create awareness among people on the use of different apps for making corrections in the voters' list. Though the meeting fuelled speculations of early assembly polls in Odisha, a senior official claimed it was a routine exercise ahead of the 2024 general ...

ESR Group to invest Rs 360 cr to build 57 acre logistic park in Odisha

ESR Group on Wednesday announced that it has acquired 57 acres of land in Cuttack, Odisha to develop a logistic park with an investment of about Rs 360 crore. ESR Group, one of the leading asset managers in Asia Pacific, in a statement, said it has acquired 57 acres of land in Cuttack with a total development potential of 1.2 million square feet. ESR Group will make an investment of about Rs 360 crore for the construction and development of ESR Cuttack Logistics Park. Abhijit Malkani, CEO of ESR India, said, "ESR Cuttack Logistics Park assumes a pivotal role in reshaping the next phase of expansion for e-commerce, retail, and 3PL customers." The steadfast growth of online and retail consumers in Odisha has motivated us to expand in the region and offer a best-in-class facility integrated with green building features, he said. ESR Cuttack Logistics Park was acquired with one operational building, which is now fully leased and occupied by one of India's largest e-commerce companies.

Odisha govt to promote employment-generating projects on unutilised land

The Odisha government has decided to promote employment-intensive projects on unutilised land acquired earlier for industrial purposes, officials said. The decision was taken at a meeting of senior officers at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Tuesday after it received grievances from people on the non-utilisation of industrial land. During public hearings in Brajarajnagar, Jharsuguda, it was brought to the notice of the CMO that large tracts of industrial land leased to Orient Paper Mills are lying unutilised and therefore, can be put to better use. The matter has been enquired by Collector, Jharsuguda and the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), and a report was presented in the meeting, an official release said. "Keeping in view of the larger public interest, it was decided to explore alternative options for utilising the land for setting up employment-intensive projects," an official said, adding that the Jharsuguda district administration and IDC

BJD starts 'master trainer' programme ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls

With Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections due next year, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has started 'Master Trainer Programme' where at least 200 grassroots level party workers from each 147 Vidhan Sabha segment will be trained on skills to win elections. The 37-day long training programme began here at 'Sankha Bhavan', the BJD headquarters here on Monday. "The master trainers will take the party's message to each household in the state and development is our main agenda. The people will be told how the Naveen Patnaik transformed Odisha from a poor state to a developing region," BJD vice-president and convenor of the training programme Debi Prasad Mishra said. Stating that the focus is on the achievement of the Patnaik government, Mishra said the state government's flagship programmes like Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) where women are given health assurance worth Rs 10 lakh, will be highlighted. He said the BSKY, launched on August 15, 2018, is the most effective scheme