Page 6 - Odisha

Cabinet approves ₹8,308 cr 6-lane Bhubaneswar Bypass to ease city traffic

The Cabinet approved a ₹8,308 crore, six-lane Bhubaneswar Bypass in Odisha; stretching 110.9 km, it connects major cities, highways, ports and will boost traffic flow and growth

Union Cabinet approves six-lane Bhubaneswar bypass project worth ₹8,308 cr

The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of a six-lane access-controlled capital region ring road (Bhubaneswar Bypass) in Odisha on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs 8,307.74 crore, I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday. Currently, connectivity between Rameshwar and Tangi on the existing National Highway experience significant congestion due to high traffic volumes, passing through highly urbanised cities Khordha, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. To address these challenges, the 110 km-long project is proposed to be developed as a 6-lane access-controlled greenfield highway, an official statement said. "The project will provide significant benefit to Odisha and other eastern States by diverting heavy commercial traffic away from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Khordha Cities. This will enhance the efficiency of freight movement, reducing logistics cost and driving socio-economic growth in the region," it said. The project alignment integrates with three major

Heavy rain lashes Odisha as low-pressure area intensifies into depression

Heavy rain lashed Odisha on Tuesday as the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression, the IMD said. Among the districts that received heavy rain are Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kandhamal, it said. "The depression over northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal and north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coasts moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 7 kmph during the past 6 hours and crossed South Odisha coast close to Gopalpur during early morning," the IMD said in its 9.20 am bulletin. The weather system is likely to move northwestwards across south Odisha and south Chhattisgarh, and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next six hours, it said. Rain is likely in most parts of the state till August 23, officials said. Landslides, submergence of roads and bridges, and uprooting of trees were reported from the southern districts of Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur, they said. The IMD said

Naveen Patnaik stable, likely to be discharged from hospital today

BJD chief and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital here for dehydration, is now "stable" and likely to be discharged on Monday, a source at the health facility said. Patnaik was admitted to SUM Ultimate Medicare, Bhubaneswar, on Sunday due to dehydration. "Naveen ji is now stable and is likely to be discharged during the day," the hospital source said. The 78-year-old politician has been "responding well" to treatment, and his condition has been "improving", said a bulletin issued by the private hospital on Sunday. BJD vice president Sanjay Das Burma said, "Patnaik is now stable and has recovered from the dehydration problem." Patnaik, the leader of opposition in the assembly, complained of uneasiness on Saturday night, and some doctors visited his residence, Naveen Niwas, BJD leaders said. Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan prayed for the sp

Naveen Patnaik hospitalised in Odisha due to dehydration, condition stable

BJD leader Naveen Patnaik, aged 78, was hospitalised in Bhubaneswar for age-related health issues. A bulletin on his health is expected from the hospital soon

Cabinet approves 4 new semiconductor projects with ₹4,600 crore investment

Four semiconductor units in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab, plus Lucknow Metro's Phase-1B, aim to create jobs, expand connectivity, and boost India's manufacturing base

BJD to move Orissa HC on 'vote discrepancies' in 2024 Assembly, LS polls

The BJD said that it would approach the Orissa High Court regarding "discrepancies" during the 2024 assembly and Lok Sabha polls, as the EC has "failed" to give any satisfactory reply to the regional outfit on the issue. BJD spokesperson Amar Patnaik, MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo and former MP Sarmistha Sethi made the announcement at a press conference here on Monday. "Around eight months ago, BJD had submitted fact-based evidence to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the vote discrepancy observed during last elections and sought a reply, but a satisfactory reply has not been received yet. Therefore, the Biju Janata Dal has decided to approach the High Court regarding this matter," Patnaik told reporters here. "Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has recently raised questions about the transparency of the elections, following which the party's state unit is also raising the issue now. However, the BJD had flagged this long before that. Gandhi also sought the audit system demanded

Apart from Bhubaneswar, 4 cities to be developed as digital hubs: Odisha CM

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that his government is making efforts to develop four more cities, apart from Bhubaneswar, as digital hubs and enabling the youths to equip themselves with AI, cybersecurity and several other emerging technologies. He also said the government is keen to bring development of the IT and electronics sector to Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Berhampur. The state government has signed four MoUs for research, running the O-chip programme, strengthening technical collaboration and startup networks in the state, an official said. An MoU was signed between the Department of Electronics & IT and IIT Bhubaneswar for research, pilot projects, policy inputs, and innovation ecosystem development during a two-day programme here, he said. Another agreement was inked between the state-owned Odisha Computer Application Centre and Semiconductor Fabless Accelerator Lab (SFAL) to run the O-chip programme, he said. The programme aims at creating an ...

Congress alleges irregularities in Odisha's 2024 Assembly, LS polls

The opposition Congress in Odisha on Saturday alleged that irregularities had taken place in the state during the simultaneous elections to the assembly and Lok Sabha last year. Addressing a press conference, state Congress president Bhakta Charan Das claimed that about 42 lakh votes were cast in the state between 5 pm and 9 pm on the day of the polling. "How come such a huge number of voters came to the polling stations in the evening?" he questioned. Das also raised questions on the BJD not winning a single Lok Sabha seat in the state. "The BJD won 51 assembly seats, but was unable to win a single Lok Sabha constituency. The BJD won four or five assembly seats in some Lok Sabha constituencies, but its candidates could not become MPs. How did it happen?" he asked. The Congress won only one Lok Sabha seat, Koraput, as it has won six out of the seven segments that are part of it, he said. Thanking the leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, for bringing the alleged irregularities

No person involved in burning of Puri teen girl, says Odisha Police

Odisha Police have claimed that no person was involved in the burning of a 15-year-old girl, who has succumbed to her injuries, even though the victim's mother alleged that three unknown miscreants set her daughter on fire. The girl, who was undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Delhi after sustaining burn injuries in the incident which took place near her house in Balanga area of Puri district on July 19, died on Saturday. She was earlier airlifted from Bhubaneswar to the national capital for better treatment. The police, however, did not make it clear how the girl "caught" fire. Odisha Police, in a post on X, said, "We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of the victim girl in the Balanga incident. The police have conducted the investigation with utmost sincerity. The investigation has reached its final stage. According to the investigation conducted so far, it is clear that no other person is involved. Therefore, we request everyone not to make any sensitive comments regardi

Investors see strong growth potential in Odisha, says Luxembourg envoy

Ambassador of Luxembourg to India, Peggy Frantzen, on Wednesday said that the business community of her country see Odisha as one of the "investor-friendly" states with huge potential for growth. The Luxembourg Ambassador was speaking at a function marking the inauguration of the corporate office of VCL India Private Limited here. "We are very pleased to see the long-term partnership and cooperation in the steel sector, strengthened through VCL's presence in India. I wish VCL a lot of success in the coming years in its relationship with its customers in and around India," she said. On the occasion, Mario Kratz, chairman, VCL SA & CEO, SAB Group, said, "Our move to Bhubaneswar is driven by our commitment to being closer to our customers and contributing actively to Odisha's vibrant industrial landscape. We see this as a long-term partnership with the state and its industries." VCL Managing Director and global head, Rainer Zilliken, highlighted that Odisha is emerging as a ...

Andhra Pradesh govt cancels two Adani projects at company's request

AGEL wrote to the government to cancel these projects due to boundary disputes between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, which it termed 'local issues'

Mahima Gosain Express derails near Sambalpur; no casualties: Railways

A general compartment of the ShalimarSambalpur Mahima Gosain Express derailed near Sambalpur railway station on Thursday, but there was no report of any injury, an official statement said. The incident took place between the Sambalpur city station Sambalpur junction, shortly after the train departed from Sambalpur city at 9:18 am at a very slow speed, the East Coast Railway said in a statement. "No loss of life or property in this incident reported," the railway statement said. The guard of the train said that a major accident was avoided as the speed of the loco was very slow. Railway officials and local police have reached the site and shifted the passengers to another coach. The East Coast Railway statement said that the rear trolley of a general coach next to the guard van of 20831 Shalimar-Sambalpur Express derailed near Sambalpur City Station at a very slow speed. "Train already left for Sambalpur with all passengers. No one injured," it said. Railway officials including t

Two arrested by Odisha CID for making fake website to dupe tourists in Puri

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Odisha Police has arrested two persons from Rajasthan for creating a fake website of a hotel to dupe tourists in Puri, officials said. The arrested persons have been identified as Aamir Khan (24) and Yusuf (27). Earlier, Anshuman Sharma, another accused person in the case, was arrested from Agra in Uttar Pradesh, the CID said in a statement issued on Monday. The arrests were made against a case registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the chief administrator of Jagannath Temple, Puri, it said. According to the police, the fraudsters had created a fake website and provided a mobile number to trap gullible people in the scam. They gave false assurance of accommodation at the hotel and provided mule bank accounts to transfer funds. However, the hotel's authority was completely unaware of the bookings and eventually received a lot of complaints, the CID said. The arrested accused persons were produced at Govindgarh court in Alwar i

Citizens' group condemns incidents targeting Bengali-speaking migrants

A group of prominent citizens under the banner Bharatiya Bhasha Samooh has expressed concern over the recent incidents related to Bengali-speaking migrant labourers in various parts of the country. The group said it believed that linguistic attack is a "serious threat to the diversity of our country". "In the last one month, there have been reports from various parts of the country that Bengali-speaking migrant labourers are being harassed, beaten, arrested, deported to Bangladesh, and not released despite valid identity documents being shown to the police," the group said in a statement on Sunday. The group feels that the only "crime" of Bengali-speaking people is that they speak in their mother tongue. It claimed that migrant workers from Delhi, Maharashtra and Odisha were directly sent to Bangladesh despite possessing valid Aadhaar and PAN cards. "We strongly condemn the arrest and harassment of these Bengali-speaking citizens. These actions violate the rights of migrant worker

Miscreants set 15-yr girl on fire in Odisha, victim undergoing treatment

A 15-year-old girl was set on fire by unidentified persons in Odisha's Puri district on Saturday, officials said. The girl was rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a critical condition, and she has suffered 70 per cent burn injuries, but she is able to speak, they said. Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who is in charge of the Women and Child Development Department, said the government will bear the expenses of the girl's treatment and that the police have been asked to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. The incident took place at Bayabar village in Balanga police station area around 9 am when the girl was going to her friend's house. Preliminary investigation revealed that three unidentified motorcycle-borne youths intercepted her, forcibly took her to the banks of Bhargavi River, sprinkled an inflammable substance on her body, and set her on fire, a police officer said. The spot of the incident is around 1.5 km from her house at Nuagopalpur Bustee and around 5-7 km from Bala

Odisha observes bandh over Balasore student's self-immolation case

Shops remained shut and traffic was disrupted in many areas, including Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj. In Bhadrak, markets were closed and public transport was affected

FM college rape: Rahul Gandhi assures support to college student's father

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday spoke to the father of the college student, who died after setting herself on fire in Odisha's Balasore district, over the phone and assured him of support in the fight for justice. The second-year B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday night after fighting for her life for three days. She had set herself on fire on the college campus on Saturday over alleged inaction against a professor who sexually harassed her. "Spoke with the father of the brave daughter who lost her life in the fight for justice in Balasore, Odisha. In his voice, I felt his daughter's pain, dreams, and struggle, assured him that the Congress and I stand with them at every step," Gandhi posted on X. "What happened is not only inhuman and shameful but a wound to the entire society. We will ensure in every way that the victim's family receives full justice," he added. The opposition led by Congress has called for an Odisha ban

UGC forms fact finding committee in Odisha student's self immolation case

Panel led by Raj Kumar Mittal will assess safety, grievance redressal and harassment policies at Balasore college after student's sexual harassment complaint went unheard

Balasore student death: Failed system can take life, says Patnaik

Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday said the death of the college student who set herself ablaze following alleged sexual harassment by a professor was due to "failure of the system". Expressing his grief over the death of the college student, Patnaik in a long social media post said: "It is even more disturbing to think how a failed system can take someone's life. The most painful part is that this was not an accident, but rather the result of a system that remained silent instead of helping. Struggling for justice, the girl ultimately closed her eyes." With great courage, Patnaik said the student had written to the college principal, informing them about the sexual harassment she had faced. "Even after being ignored by the college authorities, she did not give up. To seek justice, she reached out to the Higher Education minister, the Chief Minister's office, and even a Union minister," Patnaik said. The former chief minister said the brave student als