Page 48 - Odisha

Odisha Cabinet approves 18 proposals including new rural housing scheme

The Odisha government Monday approved 18 important proposals, including the plan to launch a new Mo Ghara' housing scheme in rural areas of the state, a top official said. The Mo Ghara' scheme will provide financial assistance to meet the aspiration of the lower and lower-middle-income households of rural Odisha, Chief Secretary P K Jena told reporters after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here. The ruling BJD, which completed four years of its fifth term in office, had promised to convert all kutcha' houses into pucca' ones in this term. The chief secretary said the financial implication of the Mo Ghara' scheme for approximately 4 lakh beneficiaries is expected to be Rs 2,150 crore over a period of two years. It will cover all such families, which were left out of the existing housing schemes due to stringent eligibility criteria or insufficient allocation, and also those who had received housing assistance of smaller amount in the past and now wants t

Wrote to Centre for FBI's assistance in minister's murder case: Odisha govt

The Odisha government on Saturday said it has approached the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for taking assistance from the FBI to investigate the murder of minister Naba Kishore Das. In a statement, the government said assistant sub-inspector of police Gopal Krishna Das, who allegedly shot the minister dead at a public function in January, told the investigators that he was taking medicine for mental illness. However, medical experts found him mentally fit but suggested further examination, it said. As it is a very important, sensitive and rare case, it was decided to use the best techniques and experts to help in the investigation, the statement said. In order to clearly establish that the accused has sound mental health, the Crime Branch decided to approach the Behavioural Analysis Unit of FBI, which has the best experts and equipment for such criminal investigation, it said. Accordingly, the state Home Department approached the MHA for the assistance of FBI for the help in the

Dharmendra Pradhan objects to Odisha govt's move of pension pay in cash

You would appreciate the fact that cash payments, historically, have had tendencies to spur corruption, pilferage, and exploitation of beneficiaries by middlemen, Pradhan's letter read

Jio 5G services now available in all districts, 200 major cities of Odisha

Jio 5G service is now available in all district headquarters as well as over 200 major cities and towns across Odisha, a company official said on Tuesday

Odisha government to provide free crop insurance to farmers for 3 years

The Odisha government on Monday announced that it will provide free crop insurance to all farmers in the state for the next three years. Cooperation Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak made the announcement after a review of his department by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. "The Cooperation Department would bear the premium of the insurance from the 2023 Kharif season to the 2025-26 Rabi season. Odisha is the first state in the country to provide free crop insurance to farmers," he said. He said the department has been providing short terms agriculture loans to the farmers at low interest rates. As promised during the elections, the state government has increased the interest-free loan cap from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Under the scheme, more than 7 lakh small and marginal farmers have been provided loans, amounting to Rs 16,683.57 crore during the 2022-23 financial year, Nayak said.

ITC sets up consumer goods manufacturing unit in Odisha, CM inaugurates

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday inaugurated ITC's integrated consumer goods manufacturing and logistics facility at Khurda. Congratulating ITC CMD Sanjeev Puri, Patnaik urged him to expand the company's footprint in the state. He reiterated the state government's commitment to making Odisha the next industrial hub in the country. The Industrial Policy Resolution (IPR) 2022 aims to transform Odisha into a modern and advanced industrial state by offering the investors outstanding opportunities for sustainable business growth and fostering holistic socio-economic development of the people, he said. The food processing sector is one of the priority sectors in IPR 2022 and this facility by ITC marks a significant milestone for Odisha, he said. The facility is built on an area of 35 acre. It is dedicated to seven production lines, including Aashirvaad atta, Yippee! noodles, Sunfeast biscuits and Bingo! chips. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Jatni MLA Suresh Kum

BJP describes Odisha cabinet reshuffle as 'old wine in new bottle'

With Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inducting three senior leaders- BK Arukha, SP Nayak and Sudam Marndi, into the cabinet, BJP on Monday described the reshuffle as a case of bringing forth "old wine in new bottle". BJP state general secretary Golak Mohapatra asserted to newspersons that bringing back ministers who had earlier been dropped could not improve the efficiency of the Naveen Patnaik cabinet. Asserting that the ministry reshuffle would have no impact on the electoral prospect of Mohapatra claimed, The cabinet reshuffle is like old wine in a new bottle. He pointed out that ministers who were dropped from in the past, have been included in the ministry. "How can their efficiency increase?" he asked. While Arukha and Marndi were dropped from the ministry in the previous ministry reshuffle in June, 2022, Nayak had served as a minister between 2009 to 2012. All the new ministers had some time ago served as members of the Naveen Patnaik Council of Ministers. Mohapatra alleged

Cabinet reshuffle: 3 new ministers to take oath in Odisha on Monday

New ministers will be inducted into the Odisha cabinet on Monday, with Governor Ganeshi Lal scheduled to administer the oath to them at a ceremony here at 10 am, officials said. Bhanjanagar MLA Bikram Keshari Arukha, who resigned as the speaker of the assembly last week, and Rourkela MLA Sarada Prasad Nayak and Bangiriposi legislator Sudam Marandi will be inducted into the cabinet. The governor, who was on a private visit to his home state of Haryana, returned to Bhubaneswar on Sunday, a day ahead of the scheduled event. The ceremony will be held at the convention centre of the Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar around 10 am, according to the invitation sent to the press, including PTI, by the Chief Secretary's Office. Last week, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash and Labour Minister Srikant Sahu resigned. No appointment was also made in place of Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, who was assassinated in January. Odisha's cabinet can have 22 ministers, including the C

Odisha CM may reshuffle his cabinet on Monday, to fill three vacancies

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to reshuffle his cabinet on Monday, official sources said. There are three vacancies in the state cabinet, and the new ministers are likely to be inducted at a simple ceremony around 9.30 am on Monday at the Lok Seva Bhawan, they said. This will be Patnaik's second cabinet reshuffle in his fifth term as the chief minister of the state. Governor Ganeshi Lal, who will administer the oath to the new ministers, is at present on a visit to his home state, Haryana, and is scheduled to return on Monday. But, he has been requested to return on Sunday, sources said. Last week, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash and Labour Minister Srikant Sahu resigned. No appointment was made in place of Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, who was assassinated in January. Along with the two ministers, Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha also resigned last week. The Parliamentary Affairs Department was preparing in full swing for the swearing-in cer

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik's assets increase by Rs 42.90 lakh in 2022

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held properties worth Rs 65.40 crore as of December 2022, which is Rs 42.90 lakh more than his assets possessed by December 31, 2021

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik owns property worth Rs 65.40 crore, shows CMO

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has property worth Rs 65.40 crore and no liability as of December 2022 while 14 of his ministers are crorepatis. The CMO website, which was updated on Friday, showed that the valuation of the chief minister's property rose by Rs 43 lakh from Rs 64.97 crore in 2020-21. All ministers in Odisha submit details of their assets on an official portal. According to the website, Patnaik's movable property increased in 2021-2022 while immovable assets remained the same. Patnaik owned movable property worth Rs 12.52 crore, which included bank accounts in New Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Hinjilicut, and Bargarh, along with jewellery and a four-wheeler. His immovable assets include a two-thirds share in Naveen Nivas', his residence near Bhubaneswar airport worth Rs 9,52,46,190 (approximately), and a 50 per cent share in the property at 3, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road, New Delhi worth Rs 43,36,18,000 (approximately). Patnaik has fixed deposits worth Rs 1 crore in HDFC, R

Odisha likely to get second Vande Bharat Express, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Odisha is likely to get a second Vande Bharat Express, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said here Thursday. The first semi high speed train in Odisha on the Puri-Howrah was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the virtual mode during the day. The union minister, who was speaking at a programme at Puri railway station after the flagging off, said the railways is planning to launch Vande Sleeper and Vande Metro in Odisha. The second Vande Bharat Express in Odisha is likely to run on Puri-Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Angul-Rourkela route, he said. There are plans to run Vande Metro in Puri-Bhubaneswar-Cuttack in January-February next, Vaishnaw, who is elected to Rajya Sabha from Odisha, said. Vaishnaw said he along with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give another Vande Bharat and Vande Metro to Odisha. Odisha will now have world class railway, telecom, internet and highway connectivity, he said. The Modi government has allocated ar

PM Modi flags off Odisha's first Vande Bharat, launches railway projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched railway projects worth Rs 8,200 crore in Odisha on Thursday and flagged off the state's first Vande Bharat Express that will connect Puri to West Bengal's Howrah. Addressing the function through video-conferencing, Modi said new India is building its own technologies and reaching those to the different corners of the country. "The Vande Bharat Express will further strengthen the religious, cultural and spiritual connection between Howrah and Puri," he said. Fifteen Vande Bharat trains are operational in the country at present and those are boosting both connectivity and economy, Modi said. "There was a time when new technologies and facilities used to remain limited to Delhi or the big cities. But now, India has chosen a new path. This new India is making technologies on its own and reaching those to different corners of the country," he said, referring to the indigenously developed semi-highspeed train. The prime minister said that as the cou

PM to flag off Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat, launch projects in Odisha on Thurs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate several railway projects valued at more than Rs 8,000 crores in Odisha on Thursday via video conferencing, officials said. He will flag off the Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express on Thursday from the pilgrimage town of Odisha, a South Eastern Railway official said in Kolkata. The train will cover the 500 km distance between Howrah and Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath, in around six and a half hours. Apart from that, Modi will lay the foundation stone for redeveloping Puri and Cuttack railway stations so that passengers can get all modern amenities in future. The prime minister will also dedicate 100 per cent electrification of the rail network in Odisha. This will reduce the operating and maintenance cost and reduce reliance on imported crude oil, an official of the East Coast Railways said in Bhubaneswar. Modi is also scheduled to dedicate the doubling of the Sambalpur-Titlagarh rail line, a new broad gauge

Run by half-engine govt, Odisha suffers from governance deficit: Pradhan

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday alleged that Odisha suffers from a "governance deficit" which has "led to massive malnutrition" among tribals, and the state government is run by a "half-engine". His comment came three days after BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a veiled attack on the BJP, said it was good governance and not a 'double engine' government that could help a party win an election. Notably, the BJP used its oft-repeated slogan of 'double engine' government (BJP government at the state and the Centre) in Karnataka where the party suffered a heavy loss at the hands of the Congress last week. In a scathing attack on the chief minister, Pradhan said, "Odisha suffers from governance deficit and only half engine' exists in the state. Therefore, Odisha is hit by misrule and bad governance. The state's health survey report speaks volumes." The Union education minister, however, did not name the BJD supremo. He expressed concern over the "rising"

Odisha CM Patnaik flags off maiden flight from Bhubaneswar to Dubai

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday flagged off the maiden flight from Bhubaneswar to Dubai at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here. A total of 174 travellers aboard the first direct flight from Dubai to Bhubaneswar, which landed at 4 pm, were welcomed by state ministers Aswini Kumar Patra and Tukuni Sahu. A total of 170 passengers boarded the Dubai-bound flight from Bhubaneswar. They were presented with 'Uttariya' (traditional stole), sweets and flowers, before the flight took off at 6 pm. Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said aligning Odisha with a global tourism destination such as Dubai will bring in industrial development by facilitating investments, promote tourism and increase connection with the Odia diaspora. He said Dubai being a major tourism junction in West Asia, provides a gateway to European and American markets. Besides people who had booked their tickets after Utkal Dibasa on April 1, various sportspersons and delegates from Mission Shakti, Worl

Naveen steers clear of Oppn unity; Cong says it's to keep agencies out

Whenever there is a move to form a Third Front or a common political platform of non-BJP or non-Congress parties, leaders start searching for Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik

Not single or double engine, governance is important: Odisha CM Patnaik

Stating that history is the witness to such behaviour of the opposition, the Chief Minister said people of Odisha have never tolerated such disrespect towards women

BJD wins Jharsuguda bypoll with a margin of 48,721 votes in Odisha

The ruling BJD in Odisha retained the Jharsuguda assembly seat on Saturday, as its candidate Dipali Das defeated her nearest BJP rival Tankadhar Tripathy by 48,721 votes, an election official said. Das secured a total of 1,07,198 votes, while Tripathy bagged 58,477 votes. Congress candidate Tarun Pandey came third with 4,496 votes, the Election Commission official said. Dipali is the daughter of Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, whose assassination in January allegedly by a police officer necessitated the by-poll. Naba Kishore Das had won the seat by a margin of 45,740 votes in the 2019 general elections.

Biju Janata Dal to go solo in Lok Sabha polls 2024: Naveen Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said his Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will go solo in the next year's Lok Sabha polls as it has "always" done, days after JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar met him amid efforts to forge a united opposition flank. Talking to media in the national capital after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over developmental issues related to his state, Patnaik said Nitish Kumar's visiting him Bhubaneswar was a "courtesy call" and reiterated his party's position of remaining equidistant both from the Congress as well as the BJP. Patnaik has been at the helm in Odisha since 2000 and his BJD is among some regional parties which have maintained a neutral stand on the issues involving clashes between the ruling BJP and Opposition. At times, it has supported the BJP in Parliament as well. Patnaik said he met the prime minister to raise issues related to his state. In the meeting that lasted around 20-25 minutes, Patnaik raised issues related to infrastructu