Page 38 - Odisha

OJEE 2023 counselling registration begins today, check full details below

OJEE 2023 counselling registration starts today, July 6, 2023. Candidates can apply from the official website, and the last date for registration is July 12, 2023

Tata's NINL plant reaches 100% capacity utilisation in 1 yr of acquisition

NINL, a 1.1-million tonne steel manufacturing unit in Odisha, has reached 100 per cent capacity utilisation within one year of its acquisition by Tata Steel. On July 4 2022, the steel major completed the acquisition of Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL) through subsidiary company Tata Steel Long Products Ltd (TSLPL) for a consideration of Rs 12,000 crore. After being shut for almost three years, operations at the NINL unit was started by Tata Steel in October 2023. "NINL has successfully ramped up production to its rated capacity of 1 million tonnes on an annualised basis within just nine months of its acquisition," Ashish Anupam, MD of Tata Steel Long Products Limited (TSLPL), told PTI in reply to a query on the progress in one year of acquisition. The acquisition was efficiently implemented even though the NINL plant had been mothballed for nearly three years. In August 2023, the company will complete the commissioning of its last major facility, a coke oven unit at NINL, he ...

Odisha train tragedy: 'Reporting past red flags could have averted tragedy'

A high-level inquiry has found "wrong signalling" to be the main reason for the Balasore train accident and flagged "lapses at multiple levels" in the signalling and telecommunication (S&T) department, but indicated the tragedy could have been averted if past red flags were reported. The independent inquiry report submitted by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) to the Railway Board said notwithstanding the lapses in signalling work, remedial actions could have been taken by the S&T staff if "repeated unusual behaviour" of switches connecting two parallel tracks were reported to them by the station manager of Bahanaga Bazar, the spot of the accident. The report also suggested that the non-supply of station-specific approved circuit diagram for the works to replace the electric lifting barrier at level crossing gate 94 at Bahanaga Bazar station was a "wrong step that led to wrong wiring". It said that a team of field supervisors modified the wiring diagram and failed to ...

IMD issues yellow warning for 18 districts of Odisha from July 3-7

According to the IMD forecast, light to moderate rain or thundershowers are very likely to occur in a few places in the districts of Odisha

V Karthikeyan Pandian: Another Chanakya in Odisha politics? The jury is out

Pandian, who belongs to the 2000 batch, changed his cadre from Punjab to Odisha after marrying Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, who hails from Kendrapara and is now the Mission Shakti secretary

12-day Rath Yatra in Odisha concludes as deities return to Srimandir

The main aspect of the Niladri Bije ritual is the heavenly love and affection between Lord Jagannath and His wife Goddess Laxmi

13 more bodies of Balasore accident kept at AIIMS handed over to families

At least 13 more bodies of the June 2 Balasore train accident kept at AIIMS Bhubaneswar were handed over to their family members on Saturday, official sources said. Of the 29 bodies identified using DNA sampling, six were handed over to their families on Friday and 13 on Saturday, a railway official said. On the basis of DNA test results and with coordination with AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and GRP, 13 bodies of the Bahanaga train accident victims have been handed over to the kin of the deceased on Saturday, the railway official said. Of the 13 bodies, four have been sent to Bihar, eight to West Bengal and one to Jharkhand, he said. An ex gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh each have been paid to the kin of the family members as announced by the railways, the official said. Stating that the process of handing over of the bodies will continue till claimants come, the official said as many as 62 bodies still remain unidentified and preserved in the containers

UK-based firm plans to set up semiconductor fabrication unit in Odisha

A UK-based company is planning to set up a semiconductor fabrication unit in Odisha's Ganjam district with an investment of Rs 30,000 crore in the first phase, officials said. The SRAM & MRAM Technologies and Projects India Pvt Limited, the Indian unit of UK-based SRAM & MRAM Group, had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government on March 26 to set up the semiconductor unit in the state. After visiting some sites near Chhatrapur in the district, its Indian company officials headed by its chairman Guruji Kumaran Swami held a meeting with the district administration at Chhatrapur on Thursday. Ganjam Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida has assured the investors all facilities for setting up the unit. "We have visited some sites, including the industrial park of Tata and some private lands for the establishment of the proposed semiconductor unit. A technical team of the company will visit the district to finalise the site," said Debadutt Singhdeo, project ...

Odisha train accident: 29 bodies identified, 6 handed over to families

A total 29 of the 81 bodies of victims of Balasore train accident kept in AIIMS Bhubaneswar have been identified and six of them have been handed over to their families on Friday. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayor Sulochana Das said the government has made arrangements to send all the identified bodies to their native places. Of the 81 bodies preserved at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, 29 have been identified based on DNA analysis. We have started the process of handing the bodies to their families, Das said. "Six families reached AIIMS Bhubaneswar and received the bodies," a Railway official said. Indian Railways and AIIMS Bhubaneswar opted for DNA analysis after there were multiple claimants over one body, Das said. There were multiple claimants for 15 bodies and the DNA reports were received from the central laboratory in Delhi after about 20 days, officials said. A total of 88 DNA samples were sent for identification of the 81 bodies, they said. The six bodies which were han

CRS report on Odisha train accident won't be made public: Railways

The Railways will not make public the CRS probe report on the Balasore triple train accident to ensure that there is no "influence or interference" on the CBI's ongoing investigation in the case, senior officials told PTI on Friday. While there has been no official confirmation, some sources said the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) informed in its report that the accident occurred due to human error on the part of on-duty officials in the Signalling and Telecom Department as well as the Traffic Department. The officials failed to follow the standard operating procedure in place for train operations, according to the sources. "We will not be disclosing anything on the CRS report as another independent CBI inquiry is underway. This is to ensure that this report does not in any way influence or interfere with the other report. We will take cognisance of both the reports and make an overall evaluation of the incident and then take whatever steps necessary," a senior official told ...

NHAI plans tunnel at Laxmi Dungri in Odisha's Sambalpur, receives Rs 37 cr

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) received Rs 37 crore for construction of a tunnel at Laxmi Dungri, a reserve forest in Sambalpur district, official sources said. The tunnel's objective is to check disruption of traffic movement due to landslides on NH-53 connecting Mumbai and Kolkata. Project Director, NHAI, Sambalpur, K. Nageswar Rao said the geotechnical survey for the construction of the tunnel is underway. Stating that the plan and design will be prepared once the survey is completed, Rao said the tunnel will be constructed on one section of the four-lane highway. If everything goes according to plan, work will commence by September, he said, adding that the primary objective of the tunnel is safety of passengers travelling on NH-53. Laxmi Dungri has experienced several landslides, which have impacted traffic movement on NH-53 since September 2007.

Triple train crash: CRS submits report to railways, CBI also investigating

The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) probing the triple-train accident in Odisha's Balasore has submitted its report to the Railway Board, sources said on Thursday. The contents of the report could not be immediately ascertained. Senior Railway Board officials refused to comment on the report's findings. On June 2, three trains collided in Balasore district, claiming more than 280 lives and injuring over 1,000 people. The Coromandel Express entered the passing loop instead of the main line near Bahanaga Bazar railway station at full speed and collided with a stationary goods train. Apart from a CRS probe, the CBI is also investigating the tragic incident. Since the accident, the Railways has transferred several top officials of the South Eastern Railway under whose jurisdiction the tragedy occurred. Initial probe had suggested a signalling interference, either by negligence or by intent as the probable cause of the accident.

Odisha CM Patnaik expresses grief over Tripura's Ulta Rath Yatra mishap

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday expressed grief over the death of seven people when a Rath or ceremonial chariot of Lord Jagannath came in contact with a high tension wire in Tripura's Unakoti district during the 'Ulta Rath Yatra' or return car festival. The incident happened on Wednesday when thousands of people were pulling the chariot, made of iron and heavily decorated came in contact with a 133 kv overhead cable in Uttar Pabiacherra in Kumarghat. Parts of the Rath immediately caught fire and people fell on the road with their bodies on flame, Patnaik in a statement said Wednesday's Tripura incident was very unfortunate and he expressed condolence to the bereaved families. He wished speedy recovery of the injured persons. While six persons died due to electrocution on the spot, one died while being taken to hospital. Sixteen other people were injured in the incident.

Odisha CM Patnaik urges FM Sitharaman to withdraw 18% GST on Kendu leaves

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to completely waive the 18 per cent GST tax on Kendu leaves as it would adversely affect the livelihood of the poorest of the poor section of the society. Patnaik in a letter written to Sitharaman on Monday said that 18 per cent GST on Kendu leaves should be waived in the larger interest of poor and tribal people associated with Kendu leaves trade in the state. "Imposition of GST (18%) on Kendu leaves is adversely affecting the Kendu leaves trade. This in turn affects the livelihoods of Kendu leaves pluckers, binders and seasonal workers and implementation of social security and welfare schemes for them," Patnaik wrote in the letter. Stating that the Kendu (Tendu) leaf, which is a minor forest produce, is the financial backbone of 8 lakh kendu leaf pluckers, binders and seasonal workers of Odisha, Patnaik said the people engaged in the trade are mostly tribal and women belonging to the poorest o

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Amit Shah expresses anguish over Odisha road accident that killed 12 people

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday expressed anguish over a road accident in Odisha that killed 12 people in a wedding party and said his thoughts are with the victims' family members. Twelve members of a wedding party were killed and seven injured after their bus collided head-on with another in Odisha's Ganjam district. "Anguished by the tragic road accident in Digapahandi (Odisha) that claimed precious lives. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with their family members. May the Almighty give them the strength to bear this. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," Shah said in a tweet. The accident occurred late on Sunday near the Digapahandi area on the Berhampur-Taptapani Road when the bus ferrying the wedding party collided with another passenger vehicle, Superintendent of Police (Berhampur) Saravana Vivek M said. The group was returning to Khandadeuli after attending a wedding ceremony in Berhampur when the accident occurred.

Odisha CM expresses grief over bus accident, announces Rs 3 lakh ex-gratia

According to a statement from the chief minister's office, Patnaik has ordered to provide free medical treatment to the injured and wished them a speedy recovery

12 killed, several injured in bus accident in Odisha's Ganjam district

District Magistrate of Ganjam Dibya Jyoti Parida said that the injured were rushed to the MKCG Medical College for treatment

Time has come to take pledge to change corrupt govt in Odisha: Pradhan

He alleged that in Garib Kalyan Yojana 3.5 crore people get free rice but on the contrary corruption is at its peak in Odisha

NHPC to develop 2,000 MW of pumped storage, renewable projects in Odisha

State-owned NHPC Ltd has inked an initial pact with an Odisha state utility to develop 2,000 MW of pumped storage projects and 1,000 MW renewable energy in the state. The MoU signed with GRIDCO Ltd envisages setting up self-identified pumped storage projects of at least 2,000 MW and renewable energy projects (Ground-Mounted Solar Projects / Floating Solar Projects) of at least 1,000 MW in the state, a power ministry release said. The MoU was signed on 23rd June 2023, by Executive Director (Strategy Business Development and Consultancy), NHPC, Rajat Gupta and Managing Director, GRIDCO Limited, Trilochan Panda, it stated.