5 railway stations in Odisha's Sundargarh LS seat to be made world class: Vaishnaw

5 railway stations in Odisha's Sundargarh LS seat to be made world class: Vaishnaw Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said five stations falling under the Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha will be redeveloped as world-class ones. Bimlagarh, Rajgangpur, Panposh, Rourkela and Hemgir are going to become world-class railway stations, he said while speaking to media persons during campaigning for BJP candidate in the Bonai assembly segment. Asked about the status of the Talcher-Bimlagarh railway link, he said, It will be completed soon. This year, Rs 550 crore has been provided in the budget for the new railway line. The state government is not providing the required land for this important link. But we are working on it. Over 28 km of the new railway line on the Talcher-Bimlagarh route has been completed. ''The railway tracks have come up to Samal from Talcher and this year the link up to Khamar will be completed. From the Bimlagarh side, the work needs to be expedited but it depends on the availability of land,'' the railway minister said. Around 100 4G mobile towers have been set up in the Bonai area, he added. Odisha has got a special place in the PMs heart. Modi ji is always serious about Odishas development and how the dreams of the Odias are fulfilled, Vaishnaw said. He exuded confidence that the BJP will form the government in Odisha in this election. The second round of the simultaneous elections to five Lok Sabha seats and 35 assembly seats in Odisha will be held on May 20. BJP leader and veteran Bollywood actress Hema Malini on Saturday campaigned for Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and local MLA candidate Subash Panigrahi in Deogarh district. She also joined the campaigning trail in the Pallahara assembly segment in the Dhenkanal district. Malini said the people of Odisha have made their mindset to elect Pradhan in Deogarh, and the BJP to form double-engine governments in the state and at the Centre. The term ''double engine'' is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma sought votes for the BJP nominees in Bhubaneswar and Puri. Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly constituencies.

Odisha: Amit Shah tags BJD government Jhola Sarkar in Rourkela rally

ROURKELA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah once again launched a scathing attack on the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government, dubbing it the Jhola Sarkar over issues related to the Public Distribution System (PDS) rice scheme. Addressing a massive election rally in Rourkela, Shah sought votes for BJPs Sundargarh Lok Sabha candidate Jual Oram and the partys Assembly candidates for Rourkela, RN Pali, and Birmitrapur. Shah questioned the competence of the BJD government, raising concerns about the administration of Odisha being led by non-Odias. Naveen Babu, people of Odisha want to know where are the original keys of the Ratna Bhandar of Puri Jagannath temple, who made the duplicate keys and if the Bhandar was opened? he asked and promised to reveal the suppressed inquiry report within a month if BJP forms the government in Odisha. It is a Jhola Sarkar. Modiji sends five kg grain per person and Naveen Babu delivers it in a bag, he said referring to the alleged hijacking of central schemes. Shah accused the BJD government of repackaging the central grain allocation of five kg per person. He challenged the state government to contribute an additional 2.5 kg of rice to benefit the poor, emphasising the need for a double-engine government for Odishas development. Odisha lost 25 yrs under Naveen Patnaik government: Amit Shah Shah criticised the BJD for Odishas lack of progress over the past 25 years, claiming the state has regressed by 50 years. He cited deficiencies in basic amenities, with 27 lakh families still lacking pucca houses, over 26 lakh households without piped water, and 6,412 villages without roads. The income of farmers in Odisha is lowest in the country and if BJP government comes to power, we would enhance paddy MSP to Rs 3,100 per quintal and implement Ayushman Bharat universally, Shah roared. He pointed to unfulfilled promises, including a government medical college, hospital, and the Koel Barrage project. Highlighting the importance of Odia culture and governance, Shah lamented that government officers, rather than elected representatives, run the administration under Naveens rule. Under Modi government, tribal welfare budget was increased from Rs 24,000 crore to Rs 1.24 lakh crore, 740 Eklavya Residential Model Schools were constructed and a mission launched to end sickle cell disease, Shah said urging voters to support Modi for a third term as prime minister, aiming to make India the third-largest economy.

At least 4 dead, 7 injured in Rourkela road mishap

Rourkela: Four people were killed and seven others suffered serious injuries Friday when the vehicle they were travelling in overturned near Bonai. All the passengers of the car were coming here to attend the last rites of Swapan Kumar Mohanty, an RSP employee who breathed his last Thursday after a prolonged battle with cancer. The []

BJP Crossed 270 Seats Mark in First Four Phases of Elections, Claims Shah

Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had already crossed the 270 Lok Sabha seats mark in the first four phases of elections. Elections for 380 Lok Sabha seats have already been held in the first four phases. In Bengal, elections for 18 seats have been completed. Today, I can confidently tell you that out of 380, PM Modi has achieved an absolute majority by already winning 270 seats. The fight ahead is to cross 400 and we are confident to achieve the target, Shah said while addressing a poll rally in Odishas Rourkela. Earlier, the Opposition had accused the BJP of going silent on the Ab ki bar, 400 paar claim after the first and second phases of elections. The Prime Minister, in an interview, had earlier said that the NDA crossing 400 is now a reality. Similarly, in an interview with a daily, Shah said that the NDA will certainly cross 400 seats and that there are no ifs and buts. In its pursuit of 400 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP had earmarked 160 seats which it had lost in 2019 with a small margin. Setting aside this focus on seats at least a year and a half before the elections, the BJP had aimed to win at least 50 per cent of the 160 seats. Shah said the country had achieved many milestones in different sectors under PM Modis visionary leadership. He also claimed that under PM Narendra Modis rule, Naxal activities in different states, including Odisha, were brought under control, and development activities in backward districts had gathered pace.

BJP Will Win 15 Lok Sabha And 75 Assembly Seats In Odisha: Amit Shah

Rourkela: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched a scathing attack on the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in Odisha over various issues in Rourkela. Addressing the public in Rourkela, Shah said, BJP will win 15 Lok Sabha and 75 Assembly seats in Odisha. Odisha will turn saffron as BJP will win over [] The post BJP Will Win 15 Lok Sabha And 75 Assembly Seats In Odisha: Amit Shah appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Shah Predicts Saffron Wave in Odisha: BJP Eyes 75 Assembly and 15 LS Seats

Shah Predicts Saffron Wave in Odisha: BJP Eyes 75 Assembly and 15 LS Seats Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday claimed that Odisha would turn saffron after the elections, since the BJP would win over 75 assembly and 15 Lok Sabha seats. He asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already won 270 Lok Sabha seats in the first four phases of elections and is now moving towards 400. Lok Sabha and assembly elections are held simultaneously in Odisha. ''With more than 15 MPs and 75 MLAs, Odisha is about to be coloured saffron. This election is the election to make Narendra Modi the PM for the third time,'' Shah said while addressing a rally at Rourkela. The state has 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly seats. Referring to the missing keys of the Puri Jagannath Temple 'Ratna Bhandar' (treasure chest), the BJP leader alleged that Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik is misleading people and playing with their faith. The missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar have been a major political issue in Odisha for the past few years. Shah said this election is to restore Odishas pride, language, culture and tradition. He also claimed that the Odisha government is run by officers.

Bolero Crashes Into Divider In Sundargarh, Two Dead, 8 Critical, Hospitalised

Sundargarh: At least 2 persons were killed while eight others sustained critical injuries after a bolero crashed into a roadside divider on NH 143 near Dhannagar under Chandiposh Police station in Sundargarh district on Friday. The injured persons have been rescued and admitted to the Rourkela Government Hospital for treatment. Further details are awaited. The post Bolero Crashes Into Divider In Sundargarh, Two Dead, 8 Critical, Hospitalised appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Excise dept crackdown leads to huge seizures

Rourkela: Since the announcement of the dates of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, the Excise department has been on an overdrive in and around this town. Elections to the Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency and the Assembly segments within it will be held May 20. The Excise Department has launched a massive crackdown []

BJP struggling to reach 200 seats in LS polls: Kharge

Bhubaneswar: Asserting that INDIA bloc will form the next government at the Centre, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said the BJP and its partners are struggling to get 200 seats as people are opposed to their policies. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that the NDA will secure 400-plus seats this time, Kharge asked, From where the BJP will get these seats? You (Modi) are nowhere in sight in South India. In the rest of the country, seats will come down by half. BJP will not form the government at the Centre. It will struggle to secure 200 seats. Addressing a press conference, he pointed out that the NDA partners are facing difficulties in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. You are also facing problems in Odisha as people are in a mood to vote for the Congress as they are fed up with both the BJD and the BJP, Kharge added. Lambasting both the BJD and BJP, the Congress president claimed that the Naveen Patnaik government will be voted out and the Congress will come to power in the state. Dwelling upon various failures of the state and central governments, Kharge hoped that this time the coalition government will come to power at the Centre to save democracy and protect the Constitution as well as to make India united. Dismissing Modi's guarantees, Kharge said, In the past too, the PM had made promises like Rs 15 lakh per family, doubling of income of farmers by 2022, two crore jobs per year and others. Those have not been fulfilled. Rather Modi increased the prices of all commodities including oil and cooking gas. Noting that Odisha was an important state for the Congress, Kharge alleged that both the BJD and the BJP have destroyed the state. There is no development in Odisha even though the Naveen Patnaik government ruled the state for 25 years. The state is rich in natural resources on which industries of other states are dependant. There is no development here, he said. Kharge also expressed concern on the high rate of unemployment in Odisha. As per the ILO report, Odisha has the highest unemployment rate of 41 per cent among all states, he said. Referring to corruption, Kharge said lakhs of crores of rupees have been looted through chit fund and mining scams in the state and appealed to people to throw the BJD government out of power. There are 30 lakh government posts lying vacant in the country, which have not been filled in the last 10 years. Out of these 30 lakh posts, 15 lakh were meant for Dalits, tribals and backward communities, Kharge said, adding, As soon as the INDIA bloc government is formed, we will fill all these vacant posts. We will start working on this on August 15, which is within two months of formation of the government. Appealing to people to vote for the Congress in order to save democracy during an election rally in Kandhamal district, Kharge said the party promises to provide 10 kg rice per head under the food security scheme. Kharge reminded people that the Congress had contributed a lot for the development of the state. He said the party had a role in setting up the Paradip Port, Rourkela Steel Plant, Nalco, Hirakud Dam and others along with KBK Yojana for eradication of poverty. The Congress president also said the Congress was the only party that all along fought for the welfare and protection of tribals, dalits, OBCs and others. The Modi government has been attempting to abolish reservation for the STs, SCs and OBCs. It is also trying to change the Constitution and deny fundamental rights to people, he said, appealing to people to save democracy and save the Constitution. Reacting to Kharge's remarks, senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said they (INDIA bloc) do not have any common agenda. They are fighting separately and making different promises. The people do not believe them at all, he added. On Kharge's allegation that the Modi government will end reservation, Birla said, The Congress is telling lies. There is no question of ending reservation for STs, SCs and OBCs, Birla added.

Naveen Patnaik pushes campaign pitch in Sambalpur

BHUBANESWAR/ROURKELA: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik embarked on a vigorous campaign on Wednesday to bolster the electoral prospects of BJDs organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das, who is contesting against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat. He urged people to vote for Jodi Sankha (two conches). Addressing a series of election meetings in Deogarh, Chhendipada, and Athamallik, Patnaik drew massive crowds with his speeches. Taking aim at the BJP-led Centre, he questioned the fulfillment of promises made, particularly the elusive Acche Din promise, lamenting the lack of accountability from the BJP. Addressing the gatherings, Patnaik declared that free electricity would be provided to the people starting from July, eliciting positive responses from the audience. He emphasised that this commitment was a guarantee from his administration. Highlighting the governments welfare initiatives such as the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), Mission Shakti, school transformation, and Mamata scheme, Patnaik sought feedback from the people, who responded affirmatively. Accompanying Patnaik in the campaign trail was BJD leader VK Pandian, who also addressed the election meetings alongside the chief minister, further solidifying the partys stance and rallying support for Pranab Prakash Das. Earlier on the day, Naveen and Pandian addressed a massive public meeting at an election rally in Rourkela. Naveen reiterated his commitment to the welfare of the people and highlighted various government schemes, and sought a response from the crowd on whether these schemes are good, to which, the people gave him an applauding reply. From July you will not get energy bill because BJD government will provide free electricity. Opposition leaders are spreading lies and shedding crocodile tears, Naveen quipped urging the electorate to support the BJD symbol, the conch, and cautioned against falling for misinformation spread by Opposition parties. On the occasion, Pandian lauded the CMs efforts in bringing international recognition to Rourkela by successfully hosting the FIH Mens Hockey World Cup 2023. Naveen Babu loves Rourkela. He has greater plans for Sundargarh district, especially Rourkela and RN Pali region. Big leaders of other parties come and talk big. Our CM talks less acts more, the bureaucrat-turned-politician assertively stated. Pandian said, The CMs second decision after taking oath in his sixth term will be to expand the BSKY to include all like anganwadi workers, ASHAs, government employees and others. BJDs LS candidate Dilip Tirkey, Minister and Rourkela AC candidate Sarada Prasad Nayak along with BJD candidates for RN Pali, Birmitrapur, Bonai, Rajgangpur, Talsara and Sundargarh ACs Archana Rekha Behera, Rohit Joseph Tirkey, Bhimsen Choudhary, Anil Barwa, Jogesh Singh and Binay Toppo respectively attended the rally.

Odisha: OMC rescheduled E-auction date for sale of minerals to May 21

ROURKELA: The OMC Limited, in a course correction, rescheduled the national e-auction date for sale of minerals to May 21. The change of date came shortly after the news about clashing of the schedule with the date of voting in Sundargarh district on May 20 was published in TNIE on Tuesday. MSTC Ltd, a government of India enterprise rendering e-commerce services and conducting the e-auction for OMC Ltd, on Wednesday through email informed the prospective bidders that the national e-auction originally scheduled for May 20 at 11 am has been rescheduled to May 21 at 11 am. However, no specific reason was cited. Further details including the national e-auction notices, offer quantity, floor price and pre-bid EMD will be intimated soon, the mail further read. The national e-auction of the OMC Ltd for sale of different grades of iron and chrome ores in Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Jajpur districts was fixed on May 20 leaving the prospective bidders particularly those from Sundargarh apprehensive that they would not be able to vote. The Sundargarh LS and seven Assembly constituencies under it will go to polls on May 20.

Odisha: Congress struggles for relevance in Rourkela Assembly constituency

ROURKELA: Congress candidate for Rourkela Birendra Nath Patnaik faces an uphill battle as the contest heats up between BJP heavyweight Dilip Ray and BJD minister Sarada Prasad Nayak. Despite the glaring disparity in the race, with the Congress far behind the BJP and BJD, Patnaik remains undeterred in his efforts to make a mark in the prestigious Assembly constituency. The Congress struggles to regain lost ground as internal strife and desertions have left the party wounded. Factionalism and defections have plagued the party, with the Rourkela District Congress Committee (RDCC) witnessing multiple leadership changes in a short span of time. As fate would have it, Patnaik faced betrayal, reminiscent of a decade-old incident where he had led a rebellion against the partys chosen candidate. This time, it was Patnaik who faced opposition, with former Congress colleagues defecting to the BJD, leaving him to navigate the campaign without star campaigners. Undeterred, the Congress candidate has taken charge of the campaign himself, engaging in grassroots-level interactions promising free power, job creation, and welfare initiatives for marginalised groups. Addressing minority voters, Patnaik warned against the consolidation of power in the hands of the BJP and BJD. If you do not support Congress this time, there would not be any election in future. Your voting right and the Constitutional provisions would cease to exist. The BJD and BJP are the two sides of the same coin, he asserted. He emphasised the need to address fundamental issues plaguing Rourkela, including water scarcity, inadequate sanitation, and declining healthcare and education services. Despite facing questions about internal divisions within the party, Patnaik remained resolute, asserting that factionalism was no longer a concern within the Congress ranks. With a history of diminishing vote shares in past elections, Patnaiks primary challenge lies in revitalising Congress support base and preventing further erosion of its electoral influence. Incidentally, in 2009 the Congress had polled an all-time low voting of 14,707 at 17.02 per cent which in 2014 further dipped to 10,397 votes at 8.43 pc. In 2019, the party polled 13,944 votes at 10.86 pc while the BJD winner Nayak had polled a total of 60,705 votes at 47.29 pc. The greatest challenge for Patnaik is not to win, rather shore up the waning Congress vote share.

Bridge construction resumes as admin provides police cover

Rourkela: Work for construction of a bridge-cum-barrage over Deo river, which had been stalled for some time now, has resumed again under security cover. Due to threats issued by the Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI), the company engaged in the construction of the bridge had deserted the site earlier this year. Initially work for []

BJD Supremo Naveen Guarantees Free Electricity for 90% Population, BSKY for All

Rourkela: Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik Wednesday held marathon campaigning starting from Rourkela seeking votes for party candidates. On the contrary, BJD leader Karthik Pandian said in the meeting, The people of Rourkela should not make any mistake. Naveen Babu will build new Rourkela, new Raghunathpalli. If the people of Rourkela [] The post BJD Supremo Naveen Guarantees Free Electricity for 90% Population, BSKY for All appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Naveen addresses massive gathering in Rourkela

Rourkela: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who made a quick visit to the Steel City Wednesday, addressed a massive gathering at the Sector-13 Melana Field. There was a presence of over 50,000 persons from different parts of the district who thronged here braving the scorching sun. The CM was found in a very jolly mood as []

Odisha CM & BJD Supremo Continues Marathon Campaign In Western Odisha Today

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Odisha and Biju Janata Dal supremo Naveen Patnaik continued marathon campaigns in Western Odisha On Wednesday to bolster the partys prospects in the upcoming elections. According to sources, the ruling party chief proceeded for Rourkela where he addressed a huge gathering. He will then leave for the Deogarh Assembly constituency [] The post Odisha CM & BJD Supremo Continues Marathon Campaign In Western Odisha Today appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

OMC e-auction and voting on same day puts Sundargarh bidders in a fix

ROURKELA; In a move that has raised eyebrows, the state government-owned OMC Ltd has issued notice that it will hold national e-auction for selling minerals on May 20, the date on which Sundargarh is scheduled to go for elections. This has come as a shocker for the residents of the district since the ECI has particularly stressed on enhancing voter turnout and the district administration, in particular, called upon employers to grant paid leaves to employees so that they can exercise their franchise. On May 20, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Balangir and Aska Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 Assembly constituencies under Sundargarh district will be going to the polls. The announcement by the OMC is, meanwhile, likely to affect polling in Sundargarh LS constituency and seven Assembly constituencies under it. The notice issued on Monday informed that the national e-auction for sale of different grades of iron ores produced at mines across districts would be held at 11 am on May 20. Similarly, chrome ores produced in Sukinda valley of Jajpur and Bangur Chromite Mines in Keonjhar are scheduled for auction on the same date through national e-auction. A central government enterprise, MSTD Ltd, has been conducting the national e-auction for OMC. Asked about clashing of the e-auction date with voting on May 20, MSTD regional manager TDMV Satyasai said the issue has come to his notice and the same has been conveyed to the client organisation OMC. However ironically, OMC authorities do not see a problem with the auction date clashing with the elections. OMC general manager Bibek Nishant Nath said voters can go for voting after participating in the e-auction which will be held online. Asked about the possibility of postponing the e-auction, Nath said he cannot comment over it, adding for technical reason the OMC has to conduct the e-auction from May 15 to 20 and accordingly May 20 has been fixed. Those familiar with the e-auction process of OMC said usually auctioning of prices continues for 8-10 hours and under no circumstances someone participating in the auction would be able to vote. Conservatively, above 500 in Odisha including about 200 businessmen or their representatives from Sundargarh district are likely to participate in the e-auction. RCCI general secretary Pravat Tibrewal said it is unfortunate that the OMC being a government sector firm has no regard for the democratic process of voting. He hoped the OMC suitably changes the e-auction schedule.

CM Naveen Patnaik to give final push to BJD campaign in Rourkela

ROURKELA: Amid fierce fight between the BJD and BJP for the simultaneous polls in Sundargarh district on May 20, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will arrive here on Wednesday to give final push to the partys campaign. BJP too has lined up election rallies of a series of its national campaigners for the simultaneous general elections 2024 for the Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) seat and seven Assembly constituencies (ACs) under it. BJDs Rourkela town president Gagan Panda said the CM is scheduled to arrive at the Rourkela airport and address a public meeting at the adjacent airport ground at 11.25 am on Wednesday. Soon, he would leave for Deogarh district at 12.15 pm. Earlier, on May 10 and 11 the 5T chairman and BJD star campaigner VK Pandian had intensively campaigned in all seven ACs through roadshows or public meetings. Incidentally, Union Home Minister and BJP star campaigner Amit Shah was scheduled to address an election rally of BJP at the same venue on the same day at about 3.30 pm. However, it was postponed and Shahs fresh itinerary is likely to be communicated soon. Reliable sources in BJP said, Shah would most likely arrive in Rourkela on May 17 or 18. They said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is also scheduled to address a massive public gathering in Bonai AC on May 17, while Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav is set to address two election rallies in Bonai and Rajgangpur ACs on May 18. Besides, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai is scheduled to address three election meetings in Sundargarh, Rajgangpur and Birmitrapur Assembly constituencies on May 16 and 17. Rebellion in BJP and Congress puts BJD in pole position in Rourkela

70 Assembly candidates have serious criminal records in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: On par with their Lok Sabha counterparts, 33 per cent of candidates across parties have criminal cases pending against them in phase two Assembly polls in the state. As many as 35 Assembly segments under five Lok Sabha constituencies - Bargarh, Sundargarh, Balangir, Kandhamal and Aska in nine districts will go to polls in the phase on May 20. An analysis of candidates profiles by Odisha Election Watch and Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), shows of 265 candidates, including 41 women, 87 have declared criminal cases with 70 among them having serious criminal cases against them. While five candidates have declared cases related to murder, 16 have cases related to attempt to murder and 11 are accused of crimes against women. Among major parties, 28 candidates out of 35 from BJP, 17 from Congress and nine from BJD have declared criminal cases in their affidavits. The maximum 20 candidates from BJP, 12 from Congress and eight from BJD have serious charges against them. The ADR has declared 14 Assembly segments as red alert constituencies where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases. The directions of the Supreme Court seem to have no effect on the political parties as they continue to follow their old practice of fielding candidates with criminal cases, observed an ADR member. The role of money power in the elections is also evident from the fact that all major political parties have preferred to nominate wealthy candidates and 95 among them are crorepatis. The analysis found, the maximum 30 (86 per cent) candidates from BJD, 24 (69 per cent) from BJP and 24 (73 per cent) from Congress have declared assets valued at more than Rs 1 crore. While the average of assets per candidate contesting in the second phase is Rs 3.98 crore, it is Rs 13.11 crore for BJP, Rs 12.09 crore for BJD and Rs 2.95 crore for Congress. With total assets worth over Rs 313.53 crore, BJPs Rourkela candidate Dilip Ray is the richest, followed by BJDs Balangir nominee Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, who has assets of over Rs 73.66 crore. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is the third richest with assets worth over Rs 71 crore. He is in fray from Hinjili and Kantabanji seats. Independent candidate from Boudh Pradip Sahu is the poorest with assets of only Rs 7,000. BJDs Jharsuguda candidate Dipali Das has highest liabilities of Rs 19.39 crore. Almost half of the candidates have declared their educational qualifications to be between 5th and 12th standard while 122 candidates have declared to be graduate or above. One-fourth candidates are ages between 25 to 40 years and 150 candidates are of 41 to 60 years and 50 candidates are senior citizens.

Businessman arrested for grabbing forest land

Rourkela: A businessman, identified as Rajesh Agarwal, and two of his accomplices have been arrested for allegedly encroaching on forest land and trying to construct a house on it, officials informed here Tuesday. Even though the three were arrested May 11, the Forest Department disclosed the matter Tuesday. Officials said that Agarwal had been warned []

CEO reviews poll preparedness in Rourkela

Shah, Gandhi to Hold Rallies in Odisha Amidst State Visit

Shah, Gandhi to Hold Rallies in Odisha Amidst State Visit Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address election rallies in support of their respective party candidates in Odisha on Wednesday. Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha. Shah will hold a roadshow and two public meetings on Wednesday, while Rahul Gandhi will join a bike rally and address an election rally on Wednesday. Sources in BJP said that Shah after his arrival in Bhubaneswar will address two public meetings at Sorada under the Aska Lok Sabha seat and at Boudh under Kandhamal Parliamentary constituency before coming to Cuttack to attend a roadshow in the evening. Rourkela and Kantabanji, the second seat from where BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is contesting the Assembly polls, have reportedly been omitted from Shah's itinerary, according to BJP sources. Congress candidate from Bolangir assembly segment Samarendra Mishra said Gandhi will join a bike rally and attend address a public meeting at Bolangir on Wednesday.

Paid leaves, theme-based booths to lure voters in Sundargarh

ROURKELA: The Sundargarh administration has come up with a host of innovative and corrective measures to ensure high voters turnout in the polling booths during elections. Rourkela and RN Pali Assembly constituencies are under special focus as the areas had recorded low voting rates in 2019 largely due to urban apathy. In 2019, Rourkela and RN Pali recorded 61.4 per cent and 63.75 pc votes as against the states average of 73.20 pc. The most likely reason for the low voters turnout was that urban voters avoided taking the pain of standing in queues for voting, they said. For RN Pali AC comprising the entire Rourkela Industrial Township of Rourkela Steel Plant, the voting time till 4 pm was seen as an added problem as a sizeable number of the workforce was thought to have remained stuck at workplaces, sources said. Rourkela additional district magistrate and municipal commissioner Ashutosh Kulkarni said the administration has this time taken elaborate measures to increase voting on May 20. The RSP management has agreed to give paid leaves to their employees to allow them to vote. The voting time has also been extended till 6 pm. I am sure this will increase the voting rate in Raghunathpalli and Rourkela ACs, he said. Meanwhile, a multi-pronged approach has been adopted to sensitise and encourage first-time voters and home voting facility enabled for persons with disabilities (PwDs) among other things. Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities are also underway with involvement of women, youths, local athletes, celebrities and other citizens along with display of hoardings. The district administration is sending relevant messages with cooking gas cylinders to encourage women to take part in voting. The district has more women voters at 7,93,327 over total male voters at 7,73,571. At rural pockets, folk art performers have been educating and encouraging voters with folk performances in local languages. In Birmitrapur, jingles on voting themes are being played in LaccMI buses and vans during household waste collection. Besides, booth-level officials have been directed to collect feedback with door-to-door visits on low turnout of voters in 2019. District election officer and Sundargarh collector Parag Harshad Gavali said as a preventive measure for excessive heat, the district administration has planned to set up sheds and ORS distribution points along with deployment of health personnel at polling booths. Theme-based booths will be a new experience for the citizens of Rourkela this time. We are planning to set up booths based on themes such as All Women, All youth and hockey booths, Gavali added. Meanwhile, Rourkela Hotel & Restaurant Association president Praveen Garg offered 10 per cent discount on food bills at member restaurants for customers who successfully cast vote on May 20.

Bhubaneswar: Rs 3 cr cash seized from PSO of senior political leader

BHUBANESWAR: In a major crackdown, Income Tax department officials on Monday evening seized a whopping Rs 3 crore in cash from the close confidante of an influential political leader in the city. Acting on a tip-off, the IT officials stopped the car of the political leader in the evening and recovered the huge amount of cash. Sources said the political leader was not travelling when the raids took place. Unconfirmed sources said the cash was recovered from the personal security officer (PSO) of the political leader when he was travelling in his car. The IT officials suspect the cash belongs to the leader for which raids were later conducted in his house in the city to ascertain if he has stashed more money. Earlier, the IT department seized Rs 1 crore cash from a city based real estate firm Stalwarts Projects. The firms proprietor Sharat Kumar Sahu was unable to give a satisfactory response about the source of the cash. Sources said IT department officials are investigating whether the cash was supposed to be distributed during elections or it was accumulated by evading payment of taxes. In another development, flying squad stopped the car of a lady political leader in Adenigarh area within Purunakatak police limits in Boudh district on Monday and seized Rs 10 lakh cash. The IT officials were alerted about the cash movement in Boudh district. It has also launched an investigation into the seizure of over Rs 10 lakh cash each from Rourkela and Jharsuguda in the last two days. A close vigil is being kept on illegal movement of cash ahead of elections. Information is also being collected to ascertain if anyone has stashed cash possibly to use it during the polls, said IT sources. In another development, the Income Tax department seized Rs 1 crore from city-based real estate firm Stalwart Projects. The firms proprietor Sharat Kumar Sahu was not able to give a satisfactory response on the source of the cash. Sources said IT department officials are investigating whether the cash was supposed to be distributed during elections or was accumulated by evading taxes. In another development, a flying squad stopped the car of a woman political leader in Adenigarh area within Purunakatak police limits in Boudh district and seized Rs 10 lakh in cash. The IT department has been alerted about the seizure. Sources said the department has launched a probe into seizure of over Rs 10 lakh each from Rourkela and Jharsuguda in last two days.

Jharkhand: Security forces thwart Maoist bid to block voter access to polling booths in Singhbhum

Polling parties and materials were air-dropped in 126 polling stations in Singhbhum, the officials said and added that apart from that, about 100 polling parties were dispatched via a special train from Chakradharpur to Rourkela. Upon reaching their destinations, namely Manoharpur, Jaraikela, and Posaita stations, they continued their journey on vehicles and foot to reach their assigned polling stations.

Will Bonai assembly segment throw up a surprise for BJP in Odisha?

ROURKELA: Of the seven Assembly segments under Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) constituency, the mineral-rich Bonai (ST) is perhaps the weakest link of the BJP where it needs some element of surprise to win the seat. While a triangular contest is on the cards in Bonai, the BJP is likely to be placed at the third position in the home-turf of BJP stalwart and partys Sundargarh LS candidate Jual Oram. The formidable BJD, on the other hand, is trying hard to dislodge the sitting MLA of CPM Laxman Munda (65). Sources said despite being the highest mining revenue contributor in Sundargarh, Bonai continues to be among the poorest and most backward Assembly constituencies in the district. Ideally after Laxmans two consecutive terms in 2014 and 2019 and little development in the region, there should be strong anti-incumbency against the sitting MLA. But Laxmans base seems intact. The CPMs strategy of maintaining a firm control on the workforce at the railway sidings and mines in Koida Mining Circle (KMC) along with its committed tribal vote bank looks to be working well for the Left party. Poll observers said in the run-up to the election on May 20, the CPM appears to be in a advantageous position. Moreover, the party has the backing of its alliance partners Congress and JMM. BJD nominee and former Bonai MLA Bhimsen Choudhary (62) looks confident of ending the winning spree of Laxman and hand over the ruling party its first-ever victory from the seat. However, the BJD faces the threat of sabotage from within. Back in the old days, the BJP was a dominant force in Bonai till factionalism crept in from 2000 onwards to push the saffron party to the brink. Jual initiated his political journey by winning Bonai in 1990 when the party was a lesser-known entity in Odisha. Then, BJPs Junagarh MLA Bikram Keshari Deo and Jual were the only two BJP legislators in Odisha Legislative Assembly. Jual retained the seat in 1995 but resigned later to contest the Lok Sabha election from Sundargarh. This time, BJP has fielded Sebati Naik (50), a former chairperson of Lahunipada panchayat samiti, as its candidate from Bonai. The partys local unit believes the 2024 election would throw up a surprise. There has been a strong Hindutva undercurrent in Bonai and the highest number of BJP followers were mobilised from the Assembly seat for the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony, said a party leader. There are 10 candidates in the fray in Bonai this time. Five Independent candidates and two nominees of lesser-known parties may split votes which will eventually benefit the BJP, he claimed. Jual said the BJP is poised for a win as there is a strong undercurrent in favour of the saffron party over issues of Ayodhya Ram temple, scrapping of Article 370 and overall achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sources said the BJP is likely to organise a rally of Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Bonai where he had served as sub-collector in mid-1990s.

Naveen Patnaik ignorant about Odisha, being fed by coterie: Dharmendra Pradhan

SAMBALPUR: Union Education Minister and BJPs candidate from Sambalpur Parliamentary constituency Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday took Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik head on, issuing a point-by-point rebuttal to the latters claims in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJD manifesto has nothing new says Dharmendra Pradhan Pradhan said Naveens video in reaction to PM Modis speeches only displayed his ignorance on key issues such as his claim that the Centre sat on the states proposal seeking classical status to Odissi music. There is no such system to accord classical status to music. On the other hand, Odia language and Odissi dance have been accorded classical tag. The Sangeet Natak Akademi had made it amply clear that there is no such provision in the country under which Odissi music can be accorded classical status. But the CM insists on writing letters on such non-existent subjects to score political mileage, the union minister said, addressing mediapersons here. He charged that Naveen has been talking about Odia Asmita but the BJD government did precious little when the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) sought a patch of land in Odisha to establish a centre after Odia was granted classical language status in 2014. Five years later, the state allotted a building, not land, on which the Centre of Excellence for Classical Odia began to operate, he said. Pradhan said Naveen is surrounded by a coterie of non-Odia officers who keep feeding him factually incorrect things. The senior BJP leader reminded the CM that after Odia was accorded classical language status, a grant of Rs 30 crore was provided by the Centre for promotion of Odia language. The UGC brought out engineering text books in Odia language too and Naveen was part of the event where the books were released. He said Odisha Research Centre has been established for advanced research on Odia identity and the art, culture, history and politics of Odisha. Books have been made available in the Desiya, Kui, Gadaba, Juang and Saura dialects. The Central government is developing language-based education but Naveens aides have not informed him about our commitment towards Odia language, he added. Pradhan also informed that on April 1, 2015, the Prime Minister came to Rourkela to celebrate Utkal Divas and the same year, a grant of Rs 50 crore from the Centre was provided for Nabakalebara of Srimandir. The Modi government has honoured 49 people from Odisha with the Padma award for their contribution to the state in diverse fields. It is sad that instead of thanking the Prime Minister, the CM is abusing him, said Pradhan who also refuted Naveens claims on MSP for paddy and coal royalty.

Rabindra Sangeet recital captivates Steel City audience

Rourkela: A function for the recital of Rabindra Sangeet titled Unmesh to commemorate the 163rd birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was held at Bhanja Bhawan Auditorium in Steel City, Sunday. The audience was enthralled by the exhilarating performance of quality and sacredness of the concert and expressed their appreciation throughout the event. Similar performances []

BJP lines up Modi, top guns for phase-2 polls in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Firmly setting his focus on Odisha with a determination to wrest power from the ruling BJD and improve BJPs Lok Sabha tally in the Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not leaving anything to chance. The prime minister who has made two rounds of visit to the state before the first phase elections in the state for four parliamentary constituencies and 28 Assembly segments to be held on Monday is all set to undertake the third leg of his campaign on May 20. He will hold a roadshow in Puri and address election rallies in Cuttack and Angul the same day, state BJP vice-president Golak Mohapatra told mediapersons here. Modi stirred up the hornets nest at his Berhampur meeting on May 6 by inviting people of the state to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in Bhubaneswar on June 10. He also gave June 6 as the date for selection of the chief minister of his party. The Puri roadshow was long planned but a date could not be finalised because of his pressing campaign engagements in other states. Mohapatra said, there is a perceptible advantage for BJP in the Puri parliamentary constituency. The PMs roadshow will further consolidate the position of Sambit Patra, who is contesting from the Lok Sabha seat for the second time. He lost the seat to BJD candidate Pinaki Mishra with a narrow margin. Lotus will bloom in Odisha this time says Modi The prime minister held his first roadshow in Bhubaneswar on May 10 for party candidate Aparajita Sarangi which turned out to be a roaring success. The BJP has also lined up three other top guns of the party for the next two phases of polls on May 20 and 25. Apart from the PM, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit on May 15. He will address public meetings in Rourkela, Kantabanji and Sorada. Similarly, BJP national president JP Nadda will visit the state on May 17. He will address election rallies at Sundargarh, Hinjili and Padampur, Mohapatra said.

After 25 years, has Gujarat become No 1?, questions Pandian to PM Modi

ROURKELA: Spearheading BJDs election campaign, 5T chairman VK Pandian on Saturday tore into the BJP during his whirlwind tour of Sundargarh district and claimed only Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik can make Odisha the number one state. Countering the PMs assertion of making Odisha number one, Pandian asked ,Sir I humbly ask you, after 25 years of your rule has Gujarat become number one? He went on to cite that against national average of 32 per cent malnutrition, Odisha is at 29 per cent while Gujarat stands at 40 per cent. Even in other health and human index parameters, Gujarat is much behind Odisha, the 5T chairman added. All high schools in Odisha have undergone transformation and there is not a single school left with blackboard as all have been replaced with digital boards, but most schools in Gujarat continue with blackboards, he stated assertively demanding the PM to give Odisha its due of special category status and stop neglecting the state in Railways, Telecom and National Highway sectors. He said many villages in Sundargarh still lack mobile towers. Reiterating that only Naveen can make Odisha No 1 Pandian said, You (PM) have been blessed by the countrymen to make India No 1. You rather focus and reduce the prices of petroleum products and unemployment and take the country ahead. Pandian took a jibe at PM urging him to give guarantee for reducing prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and enhancing job and said fulfilling these guarantees would enable BJP 400 seats and leave the rest of the guarantees on Naveen to take care. He claimed numerous foundations were laid by the PM, but those projects never saw light of the day. He also highlighted the achievements of the Naveen government including LAccMi bus services and Biju Health Card. Pandian said, Naveen Babu rules the heart of the people of Odisha and he is going to take oath for the sixth term. On the day, Pandian mocked the BJP stating Prime Minster (PM) Narendra Modi and four chief ministers of BJP-ruled states are frequenting Odisha to give booster dose to the demoralised BJP as it continues to be in a state of paralysis after losing all 30 Zilla Parishad (ZP) councils in Odisha recently. Earlier on Friday, Pandian covered the Talsara and Rajgangpur assembly constituencies (ACs) and held a 5.6 km roadshow at Rourkela on Friday night. He visited temples and held public interaction at the Chhend Colony in Rourkela AC and addressed a public meeting at the Durga Puja ground at Sector-2 in RN Pali AC on the day. He also addressed other meetings at Rampal football ground of Birmitrapur AC and at Rajamunda of Bonai AC. Later, he held a roadshow at the Sundargarh district headquarters town and a public meeting at the College ground.

Odisha: Penury as his ally, rural activist enters poll fray to help poor

ROURKELA: He is a self-proclaimed priest, does not have a name, fame or money. Jagabandhu Oram does not even have a regular source of earning, yet this 43-year-old rural activist has entered the fray for the prestigious Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) constituency. Edge-of-the-seat thriller in the offing as Dilip Tirkey tries to dribble past Jual Oram While heavyweights like BJPs Jual Oram and Dilip Tirkey of the BJD are hogging the limelight, Oram away from the spotlight aspires to end poverty in the region which he has experienced all his life. I am very poor and throughout my life, I have experienced the pangs of poverty. Rural tribal families face immense hardship for survival. I am fighting to help them come out of the suffering of poverty. My task looks impossible but, with the blessing of Lord Jagannath, it is achievable. Its why I am contesting, he says. Oram leads the life of a vagabond and works as a daily wager to make both ends meet. However, he has managed to save Rs 12,500 over a long period of time for the mandatory security deposit for filing of nomination. He, in all likelihood, will lose his security deposit but Oram is undeterred. Nor is he worried about how many votes he would poll. A native of the Badadalki panchayat in Lathikata block under Brahmani Tarang police limits in Sundargarh, Oram is the only Independent candidate among the eight contestants in the fray. And poorest among all, of course. Oram said for many years he has been fighting at the grassroots level to protect the poor from exploitation and helping them get the benefits of poverty alleviation and welfare programmes in Lathikata block and nearby areas. In his affidavit, Oram has declared he owns no cash or movable properties, while his immovable assets comprise an acre of agriculture land and a small village house with a total present valuation of about Rs 5.25 lakh. He completed his intermediate education in Arts from Gurundia Plus II College in 2010. Oram claims his wife is a government school teacher and has a son but he stays away from them at Tainsor for personal reasons. If Oram is to be believed, he worked with different political parties in minor roles. He claims to have spent considerable time at the Jagannath Temple in Puri in assisting priests and sevayats and learnt the nitty-gritty of worship rituals. Oram says he volunteers services at different local temples and in return, they offer him food and small donations. If I get opportunity, I will ensure not a single poor man is left out of the government benefits, explore ways to help them get a livelihood, promote health and education, he said. Asked how he funds his campaign and plans to cover the vast LS constituency spread over 9,712 square kilometres with about 15.67 lakh registered voters, Oram said his election expenditure mostly comes from willing and acquainted donors. I am personally contacting as many as people as possible in Lathikata block. Due to funding and mobility constraints, I may not be able to reach out to voters in the rest 16 blocks. I am using social media platforms as a campaign tool, he added. A semi-literate tribal woman Sushila Tigga is managing his social media outreach through WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook posts. Tigga said in her leisure time she posts short videos and photos of Oram and whenever possible she accompanies him for campaign.

Forest officials toil to prevent wildfires, poaching of trees

Rourkela: The alertness of the Forest department has prevented major fires in jungles and poaching of trees this summer, officials informed here Friday. They said there is a new trend to set forests on fire and then cut down the half-burnt trees to sell those as timber outside the state. Hence, officials of various Forest []

Odisha: Rebel BJP candidate expelled by party

ROURKELA: Rebel BJP candidate in Rourkela Assembly constituency and the partys state executive committee member Nihar Ray was expelled from the party by state president Manmohan Samal. Nihar has been contesting against BJPs official nominee and former Union Minister Dilip Ray. The expulsion order was issued by BJPs state general secretary (organisation) Manas Mohanty on Tuesday. Nihar along with 11 others were expelled from BJP in Odisha for contesting against official nominees and for anti-party activities. In a separate development, Monalisa Kujur, daughter-in-law of former Congress MP of Sundargarh Late Maurice Kujur on Wednesday joined BJP at a party programme held at Sundargarh town in the presence of BJPs Sundargarh Lok Sabha candidate and incumbent MP Jual Oram and Sundargarh Assembly seat candidate and sitting MLA Kusum Tete. Meanwhile, in the run-up to the simultaneous general elections for Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency and seven Assembly seats under it on May 20 a leaderless Congress continues to bleed as more than 200 members on Thursday joined the BJD at Rourkela in the presence of Rourkela Assembly seat candidate of BJD and minister Sarada Prasad Nayak. Former Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) general secretary Biren Senapati was among those who joined the regional outfit.

BJD promises free power to consumers up to 100 units

BHUBANESWAR: In a move to woo voters ahead of the elections, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday promised free power for consumers using up to 100 units of electricity and 50 per cent subsidy for those consuming between 100 to 150 units. Announcing the Peoples Manifesto of the BJD here, the chief minister said that around 75 per cent of families of the state consume less than 100 units of electricity and another 10 to 15 per cent use 100 to 150 units. The decision will ensure energy security of 85 to 90 per cent of the families in the state, he said, adding this will encourage responsible use of electricity among the people. The manifesto has sops covering all sections of people including women, youth, SC, ST and OBC. Stating that Odisha will be converted to number one state of the country by 2034, two years before the centenary of its creation as a separate state, the chief minister said youths have a major role to play in writing the new growth story of Odisha. Naveen announced a separate budget of Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth in next 10 years. He said Rs 1,000 crore will be spent from this budget as per the advice of the youths. Such an initiative will be a first-of-its-kind through which youths can create their own identity, he said. Annual scholarships for girls and boys under the Nua-O scholarship will also be increased to Rs 14,000 and Rs 12,000 respectively. Keeping in view the fact that the growing unemployment among the youths has emerged as one major source of worry, the chief minister announced creation of two lakh jobs during the next five years. Besides, loan for self-employment will also be increased from the existing Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. The manifesto also announced several sops for women, who form a significant support base of the party. The manifesto promised interest-free loan of Rs 15 lakh for women. The SHGs will have financial linkage of Rs 1.5 lakh crore by which they will be returned interest of Rs 2,500 crore. The SHGs will be provided government business of Rs 20,000 crore in the next 10 years. Mission Shakti women will also be provided pension, he added. Besides, to placate the middle class people, the manifesto announced their coverage in BSKY scheme, interest-subvention on house loans up to Rs 20 lakh and scholarships for students. He said that government employees and contract workers will also be covered under the BSKY. The manifesto announced a corpus fund of Rs 1,000 crore to provide assistance of Rs 1 lakh each for 10,000 ST, SC and OBC youths during the next 10 years to create self-employment opportunities. Besides, loans up to Rs 10 lakh will be made interest-free for SC, ST and OBC youths for encouraging entrepreneurship. Besides, a corpus of Rs 1,000 crore was announced for protection of heritage places. A corpus of Rs 100 crore will also be created for development of Odia as a classical language. The chief minister announced that government will encourage urbanisation so that population in urban centres will be doubled during the next 10 years. Four mega-clusters covering Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Khurda-Puri, Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Rourkela , Baripada-Balasore-Bhadrak and Berhampur-Chhatrapur-Gopalpur will ensure all-round development. Besides, 20 towns will also be developed further. Poll sops Free power for consumers using 100 units 50 pc subsidy for consumers using 100-150 units 2 lakh new jobs in 5 years Rs 15 lakh loan to women without interest Rs 20,000 cr business to women SHGs in 5 years Pension for Mission Shakti members Rs 1,000 cr corpus for development, protection of heritage places Rs 100 cr for development of Odia as classical language Rs 1 lakh each for 10,000 SC, ST and OBC youths for entrepreneurship

Unidentified Mans Body Tied To Huge Stone Found Under Bridge In Sundargarh, Murder Suspected

Rourkela: The body of an unidentified youth, tied to a huge stone, was found under Jamunadhipa bridge under Brahmanitaranga police limits in Sundargarh district on Thursday. It is suspected that the man might have been murdered. Police upon receiving the information reached the scene and initiated an investigation to find the identity of the man [] The post Unidentified Mans Body Tied To Huge Stone Found Under Bridge In Sundargarh, Murder Suspected appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Naxalite posters surface in Sundargarh

Rourkela: As the first phase of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha draw near, Maoists are trying to make their presence felt in the state, sources stated here Wednesday. This development has prompted security forces to remain on high alert. Even then, Maoists are putting up posters and banners in various parts of []

Odisha: Colleges in soup over zero admissions

BHUBANESWAR: Close to 50 colleges in the state saw zero admissions in several subjects including those being offered in self-financing mode in 2023-24 academic year. Besides, six self-financing degree colleges did not get any students at all for the academic year. Recently, the Higher Education department wrote to the four regional directorates of education, seeking explanation from degree colleges regarding zero admissions in both regular subjects and self-financing institutions. For 2023-24 academic session, there are 1,047 degree colleges in the state which are aided, non-aided, government-run and self-financing. Here, apart from regular courses like Physical Science, Biological Science, Arts and Commerce, many others are offered in self-financing mode. Higher officials of the department said in many of the colleges, there have been zero admissions to various subjects including Arts and Physical Science after all rounds of admissions. Consider this, at Gayatri Plus III Science college at Balangir, there were no admissions to 32 seats in the Physical Science stream. In Sambalpurs Badriprasad degree college, no student took admission in Commerce stream. Some of the other colleges are Government Womens colleges at Titilagarh and Sundargarh, Government Autonomous college of Rourkela. This apart, there are 68 self-financing degree colleges in the state and of them, six have been witnessing zero admissions for the last two academic years. The colleges are CUTM-Balangir, Micro Solutions Computer Academy college at Balasore, Madhusudan college at Dhenkanal, Gurukul Kalinga college at Jajpur town, Baba college at Jatni and Prince Science college at Morada in Mayurbhanj. These colleges have sanctioned strength of 64 to 360 seats but no students have taken admissions in them since 2022. Apart from seeking explanations from all these self-financing institutions on zero admissions, the department of Higher Education has restricted admissions to three of the colleges at Dhenkanal, Jajpur town and Jatni for the 2024-25 academic year. Higher officials of the department said the primary reason behind zero admission to self-financing colleges is substandard quality of education and high fees. No takers Several colleges saw zero admissions to various subjects including Arts and Physical Science Of 68 self-financing degree colleges in state, six have been witnessing zero admissions for last two academic years The department of Higher Education has restricted admissions to three colleges at Dhenkanal, Jajpur town and Jatni for 2024-25

Kalunga ROB project to be over by year-end

ROURKELA: Residents of Kalunga panchayat on the outskirts of Rourkela can hope to get relief from the intolerable communication woes as the under-construction road over bridge (ROB) project in IDC area is likely to be completed by the end of this year. The ongoing ROB project over the level crossing no-213 on the busy Howrah-Mumbai main line through the IDCO Industrial Estate is of critical importance as the route is used both by local residents and industries operating in Kalunga under Lathikata block. Sources said after a delay of around 12 years, work on the ROB started in May 2022 at a cost of Rs 43 crore. The state government and South Eastern Railway (SER) are sharing the cost of the project which is being executed by the Works department. The length of the bridge is around 780 metre and it will have a total of 15 slabs. As of now, the pillar work has been completed. SDO, Works department A Jena said the bridge project is progressing on schedule and by end of 2024, it would be completed. Besides, a four-lane road of the IDCO with a length of around 3.5 km is also under construction to connect the new ROB. The estimated cost of the road project is around Rs 20 crore. It is being funded from the Sundargarh District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and executed by the Works department. Jena said requisition has been given for shifting of utilities following which the road project would be executed expeditiously. The road laying would take maximum of three to four months and by November, it would also be completed. The four-lane road would connect the ROB and boost connectivity in the region. Sources said residents are forced to commute on the existing highly-damaged road which is used by heavy vehicles ferrying raw materials and finished goods to and from the local industries.

BJP's Baijayant Panda accuses CM Naveen of keeping Odisha poor

BHUBANESWAR: BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda on Tuesday asked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to explain why Odisha is lagging behind many states even after he ruled the state for nearly 25 years uninterruptedly. Lashing out at the chief minister for keeping the state poor despite abundant resources, Panda said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made India the fifth largest economy within 10 years. The next target of Modi is to make it the third largest economy in the world. The chief minister owes an explanation to the people as to why he failed to lift the state to fifth position in the country even after staying in power for a quarter century. Panda who is contesting from Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat said the Prime Minister has rightly pointed out that massive corruption, bribery and PC culture are the major impediments in the path of progress. A change of government in the state has become inevitable to steer it into the path of rapid economic progress. He said the farmers of the state are the worst-affected in the BJD regime due to its anti-farmers policies. While the BJD has miserably failed to fulfill its promise to provide assured irrigation to at least 35 per cent agricultural land in each block of the state, the farmers continue to sustain huge loss in the absence of cold storages. Touching five points of the BJP manifesto, Panda said his party will keep its promise of constructing 75,000 km new roads, develop industrial corridor linking Sambalpur, Rourkela, Dhamra and Paradip, fill up 65,000 out of 1.5 lakh vacant posts in the first two years. Responding to a query on 5T chairman VK Pandians assertion that BJD CM will take oath on June 9, Panda said, only two people cannot make government by travelling in a helicopter.

Eight candidates in Sundargarh LS, 63 in Assembly constituencies

ROURKELA: After cancellation or withdrawal of nominations, as many as eight candidates are left in the fray for the prestigious Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) constituency, while a total of 63 candidates are left for the final contest for seven Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in Sundargarh district. In the LS seat, the main players including Jual Oram of BJP, Dilip Tirkey of BJD and Janardan Dehuri of Congress along with four candidates of lesser-known parties and one Independent candidate are left in the fray. In Rourkela AC, 11 candidates are in the fray while in Sundargarh, Talsara and RN Pali ACs, eight each candidates will fight among themselves. The Rajgangpur AC, which traditionally used to see highest number of candidates in all elections, has thrown up a surprise with distinction of having the lowest number of candidates in the district with only six contestants in the final fight for the 2024 poll. The Birmitrapur AC has the highest number of candidates at 13 including eight Independent candidates, while the Bonai AC has 10 candidates including five Independent contestants. Except for JMM candidate and former MLA of Birmitrapur Nihar Surin from the Birmitrapur AC following cancellation of his nomination, rest all prominent contestants either in the LS or Assembly seats remain in the fray.

Rejection of JMM candidates nomination changes poll equation in Birmitrapur Assembly constituency

ROURKELA : Rejection of the candidature of the Congress-backed JMM candidate and former MLA Nihar Surin from the Birmitrapur (ST) Assembly constituency (AC) in Sundargarh district appears to have abruptly tilted the balance in favour of the BJD. Till this development, the BJD was worried that JMM would heavily dent the Christian votes to eventually damage the winning prospect of BJDs parachute candidate Rohit Joseph Tirkey, who has still not been accepted by an influential section of the BJD rank and file. Accepting rejection, Nihar explained that his nomination papers contained names of two proposers instead of 10 which is why his candidacy was rejected. Since JMM is not a recognised party in Odisha, my nomination should have been backed by 10 proposers as is done in the case of Independent candidates. Before submission of the nomination papers, I had insisted my lawyer for 10 proposers, but I was told only two proposers were needed, elaborated Nihar. During submission of papers, the returning officer (RO) for Birmitrapur AC issued an acknowledgement stating all necessary documents were received. The JMM nominee claimed that since he was doubtful about the number of proposers, he had also approached the Birmitrapur RO and Panposh additional sub-collector Saroj Mishra to accept another set of nomination but he refused citing nomination filing time was over. With this development, the fight is now two-pronged between sitting BJP legislator Shankar Oram and BJDs Rohit, son of four-time Birmitrapur MLA and firebrand tribal leader George Tirkey. The BJD dramatically overlooking the fierce opposition from within had taken Rohit in the party and made him the candidate, while George was told to support the BJD from outside. However, currently there is strong resentment among the JMM rank and file for two reasons. First, Nihar was imposed on them and second, cancellation of Nihars candidature. The JMM supporters who felt betrayed, claim the development will stop splitting of decisive Christian votes. Nihar, a former MLA of JMM, had switched over to BJD after losing from the Birmitrapur AC in 2009. Opposing Rohits nomination, Nihar had quit the BJD on April 7 and bypassing the JMMs district unit, had obtained ticket from party chief Shibu Soren. Estimating the JMM-Congress combination of having minimum of 25,000 votes, mostly from the Christians, the BJD insiders now predict that majority of the votes would go to the BJD. Nihar denied the allegation that he may have been gained over by the BJD and claimed that majority of the JMM and Congress voters still dislike Rohit and his father, adding the JMM would ensure its votes go to some suitable Independent candidate.

Sarada turns good Samaritan

Rourkela: Minister for Labour and ESI Sarada Nayak, who is contesting for the Rourkela Assembly seat on BJD ticket in the ongoing polls, showed his humane side Monday morning as he rescued a seriously injured person lying on the road on his way to an election campaign meeting. The accident took place near Sector-21 Chowk []

Man arrested for setting fire to reserve forest

Rourkela: A team of forest personnel from the Bonai forest division nabbed a transporter while trying to set fire to a jungle, forest officials said Sunday. The accused was identified as Satyanarayan Yadav, 39, a truck owner. The accused was handed over to the police. Police registered a case and produced him in the court []

BJP promises Rs 50K voucher for women in its manifesto

BHUBANESWAR: With an eye on women voters who constitute nearly 50 per cent of the states electorate, the BJP on Saturday promised to launch Subhadra Yojana under which every woman will a get cash voucher of Rs 50,000, if it comes to power. Releasing the Sankalp Patra (election manifesto) with the stamp of Modis guarantee for Odisha Assembly elections that will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls commencing May 13, BJP national president JP Nadda said the voucher can be encashed over a period of two years. The scheme is aimed at empowering women through financial assistance but the real motive is to wean women members of self help groups (SHGs) from the grip of BJD. The women SHGs are considered the major vote bank of BJD. The saffron party has also promised to increase the remuneration of anganwadi workers to Rs 12,000 and anganwadi heplers to Rs 8,000 per month. Just before announcement of the general elections, the state government had increased the monthly salary of anganwadi workers from Rs 7,500 to Rs 10,000, mini anganwadi workers from Rs 5,378 to Rs 7,250 and anganwadi sahayikas from Rs 3,750 to Rs 5,000. The state has around 1.48 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers. Nadda said the NDA government has empowered one crore rural women to become Lakhpati Didis. The party now aims to create 25 lakh Lakhpati Didis in Odisha by 2027. The party further promised it will request the Central government to include ASHA workers in National Health Mission (NHM) permanently. We will power Odisha into a top performing economy and create over 3.5 lakh jobs by 2029 by developing an industrial corridor connecting Rourkela, Sambalpur, Paradeep and Dhamra by 2027. We will also set up four state-of-the-art IT parks in Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Balasore, the manifesto said. The party promised to fill up 1.5 lakh vacant government posts in a fair and transparent manner. Recruitment for 65,000 posts will be completed within two years of BJP coming to power. Nadda added. The BJP also promised to procure paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal and ensure the payment is transferred to farmers within 48 hours through DBT. Special emphasis will be laid on the need to eliminate the practice of katni-chhatni. Moreover, the manifesto has also promised to increase the lean period allowance to Rs 10,000 for every fisherman in the state. The BJP president said his party will undo the wrongs done by the BJD government by implementing Ayushman Bharat scheme within 100 days of coming to power. It promises to establish 36,000 beds in CHCs and PHCs, modernise every CHC with ICUs, dialysis units, and operation theatres along with establishing a nursing college, a medical college and a super-specialty hospital in every district. For us, manifesto is a very serious document. It will be our implementation programme for the next five years. On coming to power, the party will constitute a cabinet sub-committee on manifesto to monitor the progress of implementation of promises made every month, said Nadda. State party president Manmohan Samal, MPs Aparajita Sarangi and Jual Oram, national vice president Baijayant Panda, spokesperson and partys Puri candidate Sambit Patra along with senior leaders Samir Mohanty and Bimbadhar Kuanr were present. Promises Rs 50,000 cash voucher for every woman 1.5 lakh govt posts to be filled up 3.5 lakh job creation 25 lakh Lakhpati Didis by 2027 Rs 3,100 per quintal paddy Rs 10,000 lean period allowance for fishermen 36,000 beds in CHCs, PHCs Medical college, nursing college in every district

BJP's Odisha Manifesto Unveils 3.5 Lakh Job Creation Plan in 5 Years

BJP's Odisha Manifesto Unveils 3.5 Lakh Job Creation Plan in 5 Years The BJP on Sunday released its manifesto for the assembly elections in Odisha, promising 3.5 lakh jobs in five years, cash voucher of Rs 50,000 for women, returning the money people lost by investing in chit fund companies, and procurement of paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal. The manifesto, titled 'Modi Ka Guarantee for Odisha 2024', was released by BJP president JP Nadda for the four-phase elections to Odisha's 147-member assembly, which will be held simultaneously with polls for the state's 21 Lok Sabha seats, starting on May 13. In the manifesto, the BJP promised 'Samrudh Krushak Niti', under which paddy will be procured at Rs 3,100 per quintal and the money will be credited to the bank accounts of farmers within 48 hours. If voted to power, the BJP said it will launch 'Subhadra Yojana' under which every woman will receive a cash voucher of Rs 50,000 which can be encashed over two years. ''We will aim to create 25 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' in Odisha by 2027. For this, we will create industrial clusters for every 500 self-help groups, wherein we will provide facility management for product marketing and promotion,'' Nadda said. The BJP promised to build 'Odia Samudaya Bhawan' in all metro cities of the country for the welfare of Odia people living outside the state. The party promised an annual lean period allowance of Rs 10,000 to every fisherman, construction of 75,000 km of roads in the state, Rs 5,000 scholarship per year to tribal students, and Rs 3,000 monthly pension for all senior citizens, physically disabled persons, widows and destitute. The BJP promised to provide 3.5 lakh jobs by 2029 and said it will fill up 65,000 vacant government posts in a transparent manner within two years. It promised that it would return the money people lost by investing in chit-fund companies within 18 months, and implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme within 100 days. The BJP also promised medical, engineering and law courses in Odia, and set up IT parks at Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Berhampur and Balasore, besides textile parks in western Odisha. If voted to power, the BJP said it would expand the capacity of government hospitals by 36,000 beds, modernise ICUs, dialysis units and operations theaters, and establish nursing colleges, medical colleges and super speciality hospitals in every district. Alleging that the BJD government in the state mismanaged the Jagannath temple in Puri, Nadda said, ''We will expedite the investigation of the missing key of the Ratna Bhandar, and make its inventory public.'' All the mutts evicted during the redevelopment project will be fairly compensated and re-established, and all four gates of the temple will be opened for devotees, he said. Nadda alleged that violence against women has increased in the state under the Naveen Patnaik government, and scores of BJD leaders are involved in atrocities such as rape and murder.

Odisha: RO rejects BJP claims, says Saradas candidature valid

ROURKELA: High drama unfolded at the office of the returning officer (RO) for the prestigious Rourkela Assembly constituency (AC) during scrutiny of nomination papers after the BJP demanded rejection of BJD nominee and minister Sarada Prasad Nayaks candidature on ground of false declaration made by him. However, at the end of scrutiny, the candidacy of Nayak was found to be valid. Representing heavyweight BJP candidate Dilip Ray, senior advocate of the Orissa High Court Pitambar Acharya on Saturday appeared before the RO and Panposh sub-collector Bijay Nayak with a petition. Acharya said he appealed for cancellation of nomination of Nayak accusing him of suppression of information in the prescribed Form 26. Acharya claimed two pending criminal cases against Nayak while the latter mentioned only one case. Acharya said, One of the criminal cases in which charge has been framed and the next hearing is on May 9 at the Panposh SDJM court, has not been mentioned in the affidavit submitted by Nayak. It is a valid ground for cancellation of Nayaks candidature and there is precedence of the court having revoked elections of two election winners due to submission of false affidavit. Acharya said Nayak concealed information about his shares in joint ownership of immovable properties, claiming Nayak had showed ownership of one landed property at his native place Sankilo in Cuttack district, but suppressed information about 29 other plots. Information of land records obtained from the Bhulekh Land Records web portal of the Odisha government has been provided to the RO, Acharya added. Citing the guidelines of the ECI and relevant ruling of the Supreme Court of India we appealed to the RO to apply his judicial conscience and cancel the nomination of Nayak and also register criminal case against him, Acharya further stated. Incidentally, while Acharya and others were submitting their petition, BJDs Rourkela unit vice-president and election convenor Sudam Das raised a hue and cry objecting the entry of Acharya in the office of the RO during scrutiny of papers. Das, a practising advocate at the Rourkela court, said only a candidate or the authorised agent is allowed. BJD spokesperson Jayant Mishra in a statement said the BJP, for the fear of losing, conspired to get Nayaks nomination cancelled, but failed, adding the voters of Rourkela would give befitting reply to the BJP. Meanwhile, the RO confirmed to this paper that the petition of the BJP was rejected and Nayaks nomination stood valid after scrutiny.

Two boys drown, another rescued at Takera dam

Rourkela: Two youths drowned while another had a close shave while taking a bath in Takera dam on Brahmani river under Raghunathpali police limits near Rourkela, Saturday. According to reports, three boys Zareeb Khan, 19, Rajkumar Mahato, 19, and Bhabesh Prasad, 19 had been to the Tarkera dam to take a bath at []

Forces on high alert as Maoist posters resurface

Rourkela: Maoist posters were Saturday found pasted on a tree and the wall of a school building barely a kilometre away from Odisha border in neighbouring Jharkhand. The posters were found in Rela village under Goelkera PS limits. In the two posters written in Sadri, the local dialect, the ultras have threatened the politicians and []

Investments exceed Rs 308 crore, assets touch Rs 461 crore: BJD's Santrupt Misra leads wealth charts in Odisha elections

Santrupt Misra, the BJD candidate from Cuttack, is the wealthiest candidate in the ongoing Odisha Lok Sabha elections, declaring assets worth Rs 461 crore. This includes movable assets of Rs 408 crore and immovable assets of Rs 53 crore. His income tax returns indicate earnings of Rs 76.23 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 66.21 crore in 2022-23. Dilip Ray, BJP nominee for Rourkela assembly seat, owns assets valued at around Rs 300 crore. Sanatan Mahakud, BJD candidate from Champua assembly seat, declared assets worth nearly Rs 152 crore.

Rourkela Municipal Corporation election to be Dilip Rays poll plank

ROURKELA: Former union minister and BJPs candidate from Rourkela Assembly constituency Dilip Ray has made a strong pitch for holding the election to Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) which is pending for the last nearly 11 years. During his campaign, Dilip has been insisting that if voted to power, he would ensure that the RMC elections are held at the earliest. He is also highlighting the difficulties in execution of infrastructure projects and delivery of civic services in absence of an elected council for the RMC. Dilip said there is no fully functional RMC council with elected and accountable representatives to offer interactive platform for exchange of ideas, feedback and opinions from the public. As the Rourkela MLA between 2014 and 2018, Dilip on many occasions had drawn the attention of the state government towards holding the RMC elections. After upgradation of Rourkela Municipality into RMC on November 14, 2014, a section of tribals opposed the merger of Jagda gram panchayat and part of Jhartarang into the corporation. Subsequently, they challenged the formation of RMC and obtained a stay order from the Orissa High Court in March, 2015. The five-year tenure of the elected council of the erstwhile municipality ended on August 20, 2013. Since then, election to the RMC has not been conducted citing the court litigation. In 2021, a writ petition was filed in the high court by former chairperson of the erstwhile municipality Nihar Ray seeking direction to the state government to hold the RMC election. The petitioner argued that the high courts stay order was on formation of RMC and it implied that the municipality still exists. Hence, the Odisha Municipal Act and Rules, Odisha Municipality Delimitation of Wards, Reservations of Seats and Conduct of Election Rules, 1994 are applicable for administration of the Rourkela Municipality. Former Rourkela MLA of Congress Pravat Mohapatra said residents are deprived of their democratic right of election and facing immense difficulties in availing civic services. Among other things, the sanitary situation of the city has deteriorated while traffic congestion and vehicle parking issues are going from bad to worse. Run by government officers, the RMC has no idea about the suffering of city residents. The officers too are not responsive to the people, Mohapatra alleged.

Headache for BJP as rebel party leader Nihar Ray files nomination from Rourkela Assembly seat

ROURKELA: In a blow to the BJP, rebel leader Nihar Ray filed his nomination against the partys official candidate from Rourkela Assembly seat Dilip Ray on Friday. After visiting Singhasani temple at Udit Nagar, Nihar marched to the Panposh sub-collectors office in an impressive rally and submitted his papers to the returning officer. The turnout at Nihars rally was larger-than-expected and surprised both poll pundits and voters. Political observers said if the crowd turnout at Nihars rally actually converts into votes, it would be real trouble for the BJP camp. In a damage control exercise, BJP insiders claimed it was a paid crowd and the show of strength by Nihar was superfluous. More than half of the youths who participated in Nihars procession had also attended the nomination rallies of BJP and BJD. BJPs Odisha spokesperson Dhiren Senapati said the partys decision to nominate Dilip as its Rourkela candidate was taken by the state and central election committees. As a committed and discipline party member, Nihar should have accepted him. It is unfortunate that he chose to go against the party decision. A state executive committee member of the BJP, Nihar had contested the 2019 election from Rourkela seat and polled over 50,000 votes. But he lost to BJD candidate Sarada Nayak by a margin of over 10,000 votes. Nihar said he strengthened the BJPs organisation in Rourkela with hard work and his nomination is a fight against the injustice meted out to him by the party. BJP sources said in the event of Nihar not withdrawing his nomination on May 6, he along with two former mandal presidents Tubu Goswami and Harbinder Singh would be suspended from the saffron party.

Congress loss could be double gain for BJP in Talsara Assembly segment

ROURKELA: Congress loss appears to be BJPs gain in Sundargarh district after the grand old party in a suicidal decision dumped former India hockey captain Prabod Tirkey and the BJP lost no time to make him its minority face. Declared as Congress candidate from Talsara Assembly constituency (AC), Prabod had started campaign when he was unceremoniously replaced with a lesser-known new entrant Debendra Bhitiria, a man from the dominant Bhuiyan tribal community. It is believed the Congress did so with an eye to getting Bhuiyan votes. The rocky start to the new career of the political greenhorn has come as a boon for the BJP as Prabod (39), a tribal Christian, has now turned its face helping the saffron party to cosy up with minority voters. Prabod campaigning for the BJP assumes much significance in the backdrop of the Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) constituency conservatively accounts for between 2.85 lakh to 3.15 lakh Christian voters out of the total 15.67 lakh registered voters. Moreover, Sundargarh districts affinity for hockey, especially among the tribal Christians, is key to Prabod helping the BJP neutralise the BJDs Dilip Tirkey effect. In fact, BJD had fielded the hockey legend and Hockey India president Dilip as its Sundargarh LS candidate for its huge pull among the Christian community. With end of nomination filing, the BJP plans to use Prabodh to woo Christian voters and hockey lovers although Prabod is no match for the immense popularity of Dilip. Whatever minority votes BJP draws would be a bonus, a senior BJP leader said. Prabod said he is personally meeting and convincing people of his community that BJP is the right choice for development and economic growth of the country, state and local areas. He has been attending small group meetings with BJP heavyweight candidate and sitting MP Jual Oram and was seen on the forefront during the nomination filing processions of Jual and all seven Assembly candidates including Rourkela candidate Dilip Ray and three sitting MLAs. Prabod said he is getting positive response but elderly people of his community continue to be rigid about BJP, adding he is convinced they will slowly come to like BJPs tagline of Sabka Saath, Sabka Bikash, Sabka Biswas and Sabka Prayas. Sundargarh organisational district president of BJP and Talsara candidate Bhawani Shankar Bhoi said the former hockey star is a popular name in Sundargarh and asset for the BJP. During Congress campaign in Talsara, Prabod was pulling impressive crowd, he said, adding even committed voters are angry with the Congress for insulting the national pride.

Bhupender Yadav predicts BJPs victory in Odisha

ROURKELA: Union Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday predicted BJPs victory in Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) constituency and the rest of Odisha in the upcoming elections. Addressing a large gathering during the nomination filing of BJPs Sundargarh LS candidate Jual Oram and three Assembly nominees here, Yadav said during his visit to Odisha in the last several days, he has felt the wind of change blow in favour of the saffron party. The BJP would win all the 21 LS seats and also form the next government in the state. I know for last 25 years, the state government looted the mineral resources of Odisha. If voted to power, the BJP government would ensure that people of Odisha get their rights, he said. Yadav further said under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Rs 10,000 crore to Odisha for provision of drinking water to all households. But the state government failed to use the funds. If BJP forms government in Odisha, all households would be get water. Besides, there is a need for expansion of irrigation coverage in the state. We are fighting election in Odisha with the Modi Guarantee plank. Modi Guarantee means completing all the pending works, he said. The union minister said if BJD forms the government in the state, it would ensure the return of Pandian Raj. To remove it, there is a need for people of Odisha to unite and dethrone the incumbent government. Now is the time to take forward Odishas pride, self-respect, culture and tradition, he added. On the day, a large number of BJP workers gathered at Sundargarh town for nomination filing of Jual and BJP candidates from Sundargarh, Talsara and Rajgangpur Assembly seats Kusum Tete, Bhawani Shankar Bhoi and Narsingh Minz respectively. Jual is locking horns with BJD candidate and hockey legend Dilip Tirkey in Sundargarh LS seat. The BJP heavyweight had defeated Dilip by a margin of 18,929 votes in 2014 election.

Change of guard in women's hockey team: Salima replaces Savita as skipper

Barring three changes, the squad was the same that took part in the Bhubaneswar and Rourkela legs of the Pro League in February this year

Intense heat wave continues to sweep Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Jharsuguda and Keonjhar emerged hottest by 11.30 AM with 41 degrees C while Bhubaneswar and Balasore stood second at 40.7 and 40.1 degrees C respectively by the time. Places close to 40 degrees C are Rourkela (39.6), Chandbali (39.2), Sambalpur (38.2), Hirakud (37.8). Similarly, coastal town Puri recorded 34.4 degrees C by 11.30 [] The post Intense heat wave continues to sweep Odisha appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Penalty of Rs 3.48 crore imposed on Vedanta for tax evasion

Penalty of Rs 3.48 crore imposed on Vedanta for tax evasion A penalty worth Rs 3.48 crore has been imposed on mining company Vedanta in a case pertaining to input tax credit during the periods 2018-19 and 2019-20, the company informed stock exchanges in a filing on Sunday. The Company has received an Order from Office of the Additional Commissioner, GST & Central Excise Commissionerate, confirming Penalty of Rs 3.48 Cr along with Tax demand and applicable Interest. The issue pertains to Input Tax Credit availment during the period FY 2018-19 to FY 2019-20, the filing read. Office of the Additional Commissioner, GST and Central Excise Commissionerate, Rourkela sent the notice. The Company said it now intends to file an appeal against the said order with the appellate authorities. The Company is hopeful of a favourable outcome thereof and does not expect the said Order to have any material financial impact on the Company, the filing read. In explanation for the delay in disclosure, the Company said it was in the process of assessing the reasons for the penalty order and examining its veracity. (ANI)

Edge-of-the-seat thriller in the offing as Dilip Tirkey tries to dribble past Jual Oram

ROURKELA : A rerun of an epic fight is in the offing in Odishas reserved Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency where BJP stalwart and sitting MP Jual Oram (63) has locked horns with Indian hockey legend Dilip Tirkey (46) of the BJD. The former Union tribal affairs minister and the present Hockey India president have been old rivals with Jual edging past Dilip in a triangular contest that also featured former chief minister Hemanand Biswal of the Congress in 2014. Dilip was surprisingly dropped in 2019 and the BJD fielded Biswals daughter Sunita against Jual but failed to gain any traction. This time, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has fallen back on Dilip to unseat Jual who is seeking his sixth victory to end his electoral politics on a high note. The sitting MP, one of the most prominent tribal leaders in the BJP, has already made his last election an emotional campaign pitch along with the overriding Modi factor. It is my last election. After 35 years in electoral politics, I intend to make way for the new generation, Jual says. In Dilip, a Catholic Christian and inarguably the greatest sports icon of Odisha, the BJD has sought to address multiple sections of the voters even though the previous attempt had failed. Sundargarh district has been considered the cradle of hockey in India. For the majority tribal population, hockey is a way of life, especially the tribal Christians. Rising from the interiors of the district to make way into the Indian national team and become the captain, bringing laurels to the country in many international tournaments, Dilip has been a matter of pride for the people of the region. But that, somehow, has not translated into the electoral backing for him. This year, however, has the potential for an edge-of-the-seat thriller. In a well-thought strategy to register its first-ever win from Sundargarh, the BJD government had laid out the stage five years ago to cash in on the peoples craze for hockey. The government had constructed the worlds largest Birsa Munda international hockey stadium at Rourkela and successfully co-hosted the FIH Mens Hockey World Cup (HWC) last year. Simultaneously, astro-turf hockey training centres were constructed in all 17 blocks of Sundargarh. The BJDs strategy appears to be to pull maximum hockey-loving and Christian voters through Dilip. It has targeted other segments of voters on Naveen Patnaiks popularity, the plank of development works and politics of doling out goodies to all. Dilip also never forgets to remind voters about Naveens contribution to hockey and development of sports, including infrastructure and facilities in the district. Under his leadership Odisha has been witnessing rapid all-round development, economic growth and welfare of the people. The peoples overwhelming love for our CM is all pervasive. The BJD will win the LS and all seven Assembly seats under it, he asserts. Dilip Rays return to BJP a boon for Jual Oram The BJD draws confidence from the fact that in 2022, it won 33 of 35 Zilla Parishad seats and two urban local bodies (ULB). Still, it is too much of an ask for the BJD, especially when Assembly and LS voting patterns are altogether different from local polls. However, the regional outfits bid to penetrate the BJPs traditional bastion is fraught with tough challenges as the former Union minister is firmly holding his ground. The tribals have been with the BJP since the 1990s, hence Juals record of winning five of six elections with two tenures as Cabinet minister. When the BJP was a non-entity in Odisha in 1990, Jual was one of the only two MLAs in the state winning from Bonai segment under the LS constituency. He repeated the victory in 1995. In 1998, he won the LS seat with a lead of over 1.26 lakh votes, and in 1999, he returned to Parliament with a more emphatic victory. Jual became the first tribal affairs minister in the country, as a separate ministry was created by the Vajpayee government. He won the 2004 LS election but suffered a shock defeat to Hemanand in 2009. He bounced back in 2014 and returned as the tribal affairs minister in the Modi government. Though not been made a minister in 2019, Jual has been one of the seniormost leaders of the BJP with a formidable following. There are multiple factors in his favour. First and foremost is the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman from Odisha, becoming the President of India has as fuelled positive sentiments among the tribals here while the various welfare programmes of the Modi government has created a committed labharthi base as seen in other parts of the country. Moreover, there is a perceptible undercurrent for the BJP over the Ram temple issue, thanks to the deep inroads made by the RSS and its affiliates in the region. Expressing confidence in his victory, Jual summed up his challenger saying, Dilip is like my younger brother and a former star international hockey player. But, he lacks experience and is relatively novice in electoral politics. On the political front, the return of former Union minister of coal Dilip Ray to the BJP and contest from Rourkela has come as a boon for Jual. The LS seat has about 15.67 lakh registered voters and about 7.99 lakh are tribal voters, including Christians. Christian and Muslim voters account for about around 2.85 lakh and 75,000, respectively. They have been traditionally wooed by the Congress and BJD. Dilip is likely to corner a majority of the non-Hindu votes and the rest would go to the Congress candidate Janardan Dehury. Dehury, ex-MLA of Bonai and president of the Sundargarh District Congress Committee, is far behind in the race. There are about 3 lakh voters of Bhuiya tribe, which had been a mainstay vote bank of the Congress, but since last 15 years they have drifted to the BJP and BJD. The BJP, however, has relied on Hindu and non-convert tribal voters. Undercurrent for the BJP over Ram temple There is a perceptible undercurrent for the BJP over the Ram temple issue, thanks to the deep inroads made by the RSS and its affiliates in the region. Other factors in favour of BJP are popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman from Odisha, becoming the President of India and various welfare programmes.

Bhawanipatna Touches 35C By 8.30 AM

Bhubaneswar: The mercury breached 32C in many places across Odisha by 8.30 am on Saturday. According to the regional centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bhawanipatna recorded 35 degrees C by 8.30 AM becoming the hottest place in Odisha. At 34.2 degrees C, Bolangir came second in the row. Rourkela, Cuttack, Baripada, Keonjhar [] The post Bhawanipatna Touches 35C By 8.30 AM appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Bhubaneswar sizzles at 43.6C as mercury soars 40C or above across Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The people of Odisha reeled under extreme heat with the maximum day temperature breaching 40C or above at many places in the State at 2.30 PM on Thursday. The state capital, Bhubaneswar was the hottest city with 43.6C followed by Jharsuguda 42.6C, Balasore 42.2C, Sambalpur 41.7C, Hirakud 41.4C, Chandbali 41.2C, Keonjhar 40.9C, Rourkela 40.2C, [] The post Bhubaneswar sizzles at 43.6C as mercury soars 40C or above across Odisha appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

From NIT Rourkela to UPSC Rank 2: Animesh Pradhan shares his secret to success

From NIT Rourkela to UPSC Rank Animesh Pradhan shares his secret to success

Dilip Ray returns to electoral politics, to contest from Rourkela assembly seat

BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 16: After a hiatus of five years, former Union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Dilip Ray has returned to electoral politics as he made a cut into the second list candidates that was released by the party for assembly elections in Odisha. The BJP, which had on April 2 cleared 112 names for assembly polls, released 21 names in the second list. Dillip, who was elected to Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2014 by defeating Sarada Nayak of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Rourkela seat, had refrained from contesting from election in 2019. Rays return to electoral politics assumes significance as the BJP hopes his participation in the polls will have positive repercussions in Sundargarh parliamentary constituency and the seven assembly segments under it. BJP stalwart and former Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram is seeking his reelection from Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat. He is now pitted against former Hockey India captain Dilip Tirkey. The seven assembly segments that come under Sundargarh parliamentary constituency include Talsara, Sundargarh, Biramitrapur, Raghunathpali, Rourkela, Rajgangpur and Bonai. Dilip is a great asset for us. His presence in the electoral battlefield will make a huge difference. He carries the power to inspire the partys cadres and workers, said senior BJP leader Biranchi Tripathy. As many as four BJD turncoats who recently joined the BJP have found place in the second phase list. They include Jagannath Nundruka, Kailash Kulesika, Amarendra Dash and Dambaru Sisa. Kailash Kulesika, a firebrand tribal leader hailing from Rayagada district, said the BJP would do well this time in South Odisha and the BJD would be completely decimated. I was in the BJD. They had assured me that they would give me a ticket. Though I gave my blood and sweat for the party for years, they ignored my case and gave a ticket to Prabhu Jani as he protects and promotes their mining business interests in our area. They even tried to bribe me which I rejected, said Kulesika, The full list of BJP candidates for Assembly seats in Odisha Rourkela: Dilip Ray Patna (ST): Akhil Chandra Naik Saraskana (ST): Bhadav Hansdah Rairangpur (ST): Jolen Barda Bangiriposi (ST): Sanjali Murmu Karanjia (ST): Padmacharan Haibru Jharigam (ST): Narsingh Bhatra Bissam Cuttack (ST): Jagannath Nundruka Rayagada (ST): Basanta Kumar Ullaka Laximpur (ST): Kailash Kulesika Kotpad (ST): Rupa Bhatra Pottangi (ST): Chaitanya Nandibali Chitrokonda (ST): Dambaru Sisa Dabugam (ST): Somnath Pujari Rajanagar: Lalit Behera Balikuda-Ersama: Satya Sarathi Mohanty Jagatsinghpur: Amarendra Dash Kakatpur (SC): Baidhar Mallick Ranpur: Surama Padhy Sanakhemundi (ST): Uttam Kumar Panigrahi Mohana (ST): Prasanta Mallik

Former Goldman Sachs executive tops 2023 civil services exam

NEW DELHI: Lucknows Aditya Srivastava, a former Goldman Sachs executive and currently an Indian Police Service (IPS) trainee, has topped the coveted 2023 civil services examination. Animesh Pradhan secured the second position from Odissa, and Telanganas Donuru Ananya Reddy stood third. Reddy is also the topper among female candidates. A total of 1,016 candidates cleared the examination and have been recommended for various central government services. The Civil Services Exam is conducted annually in three stages -- preliminary, mains, and interview - by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) selects officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others. Srivastava, who left a lucrative job at Goldman Sachs in Bengaluru to pursue civil services, opted for Electrical Engineering as his optional subject and cleared the exam on his third attempt. He holds a B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur. Previously, Srivastava had cleared his UPSC CSE 2022 and had ranked 236. He had opted for the Indian Police Service and is currently undergoing IPS training in Hyderabad. Second-ranked Animesh Pradhan is a computer science graduate from NIT Rourkela, while Reddy, the topper among women candidates, studied B.A (Hons) Geography from Miranda House, Delhi University. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to congratulate those who cleared the prestigious examinations. I congratulate all those who have successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination, 2023. Their hard work, perseverance and dedication have paid off, marking the start of a promising career in public service. Their efforts will shape the future of our nation in the times to come. My best wishes to them. He also had advice for those who couldnt make it. I want to tell those who didnt achieve the desired success in the Civil Services Examination - setbacks can be tough, but remember, this isn't the end of your journey. There are chances ahead to succeed in Exams, but beyond that, India is rich with opportunities where your talents can truly shine. Keep striving and exploring the vast possibilities ahead. Wishing you all the very best. The UPSC mains examination was conducted on September 15, 16, 17, 23, and 24, 2023. The interviews for the personality test were conducted in January-April 2024. The top 25 candidates comprise ten women and 15 men.

BJP Releases 2nd List Of Candidates For Odisha Assembly Polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released 21 names in its second list of candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Odisha. Out of the total 147 Assembly constituencies, the saffron party had on April 2 announced the names of 112 candidates. The full list of BJP candidates for Assembly seats in Odisha Rourkela: Dilip Ray Patna (ST): Akhil Chandra Naik Saraskana (ST): Bhadav Hansdah Rairangpur (ST): Jolen Barda Bangiriposi (ST): Sanjali Murmu Karanjia (ST): Padmacharan Haibru Jharigam (ST): Narsingh Bhatra Bissam Cuttack (ST): Jagannath Nundruka Rayagada (ST): Basanta Kumar Ullaka Laximpur (ST): Kailash Kulesika Kotpad (ST): Rupa Bhatra Pottangi (ST): Chaitanya Nandibali Chitrokonda (ST): Dambaru Sisa Dabugam (ST): Somnath Pujari Rajanagar: Lalit Behera Balikuda-Ersama: Satya Sarathi Mohanty Jagatsinghpur: Amarendra Dash Kakatpur (SC): Baidhar Mallick Ranpur: Surama Padhy Sanakhemundi (ST): Uttam Kumar Panigrahi Mohana (ST): Prasanta Mallik

Aditya Srivastava tops civil services exam; Animesh Pradhan, Donuru Ananya Reddy get 2nd, 3rd ranks

Aditya Srivastava has topped the prestigious civil services examination 2023, with Animesh Pradhan and Donuru Ananya Reddy getting the second and third ranks respectively, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced on Tuesday. Srivastava qualified the examination with electrical engineering as his optional subject. He has done his graduation (Bachelor of Technology) in electrical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, according to the results of the civil services examination 2023 announced by the UPSC on Tuesday. Animesh Pradhan, a graduate (BTech) in computer science from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, secured the second rank with sociology as

BJP nominates ex-Union Minister Dilip Ray from Rourkela, Surama Padhi gets Ranpur seat

BHUBANESWAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday released the second list of candidates for 21 Assembly seats and nominated former Union Minister Dilip Ray from Rourkela. In a notable change, the central election committee (CEC) of the BJP renominated senior leader and former minister Surama Padhi from Ranpur Assembly segment by replacing Tapas Ranjan Martha. Martha, BJP's Nayagarh district unit president, was among the 112 candidates who figured in the first list the party announced on April 2. He was stated to have the backing of national spokesperson and Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra. Pottangi is the other Assembly constituency where the party changed the nominee. Chaitanya Nandibali has replaced Chaitanya Hantal as the latter belong to scheduled caste. The assembly seat is reserved for scheduled tribe (ST). Days after joining the BJP, former Congress MLA from Laxmipur Kailash Chandra Kulesika has got nomination from the seat. Kulesika had joined BJD following assurance of a ticket from the regional party which repeated its sitting MLS Prabhu Jani. Making an explosive statement after his nomination, Kulesika alleged that tickets are being sold by the BJD and the asking rate for Laxmipur was in the range of Rs 5 crore to 6 crore. Earlier, he had claimed that the BJD offered him Rs 1 crore with a promise to make him the chairman of the Special Development Council if he withdrew from the ticket race. As many as 16 out of the 21 candidates are new faces. The party sprang a surprise by naming Lalit Behera, a political greenhorn from a moderate background for politically sensitive Rajnagar Assembly seat. After a long wait for BJD to name its candidate for Kakatpur seat, the BJP has accommodated former MLA from Nimapara Baidhar Mallick from the constituency. After denying renomination to Union Minister Bishweswar Tudu from Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat, the party has not considered his candidature for Assembly election so far.

Odisha: BJP announces names of 21 Assembly candidates, Dilip Ray to contest from Rourkela

Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state will be held simultaneously in four phases on May 13, 20, 25 and June 1. . While releasing the second list of candidates for the Odisha Assembly elections, the party nominated Ray from the Rourkela assembly seat. At least five turncoats who recently joined the BJP after quitting the BJD also got BJP tickets. They are Amarndra Dash (Jagatsinghpur), Dambaru Sisa (Chitrakonda), Kalilash Kulesika (Laxmipur), Bhadav Hansdah (Saraskana) and Jagannath Nudruka (Bissam Katak).

LS polls 2024: BJP replaces Union minister Som Parkash with his wife in Hoshiarpur

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday named seven more candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji, from Satara in Maharashtra. The ruling party dropped Union minister Som Parkash from Hoshiarpur in Punjab but decided to field his wife Anita Som Parkash to keep the influential local leader's support intact. It has fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu, who comes from an influential political family long associated with the Akali Dal, from Bathinda. In Uttar Pradesh, the party has fielded Vishwadeep Singh from Firozabad and Shashank Mani Tripathi from Deoria, dropping its sitting MPs from the two seats. It has named Abhijit Das from Diamond Harbour in West Bengal. With the new list, the party has named its candidates for around 430 seats for the polls to 543 seats starting from April 19. The party also released its second list of 21 candidates for the Odisha assembly polls, fielding former minister Dilip Ray from Rourkela. So far, the BJP has named 133 candidates for the sate polls.

BJP announces names of 21 Assembly candidates, Dilip Ray to contest from Rourkela

BJP announces names of 21 Assembly candidates, Dilip Ray to contest from Rourkela The BJP on Tuesday released the names of 21 candidates for the Odisha Assembly elections, including that of former Union Coal Minister Dilip Ray. While releasing the second list of candidates for the Odisha Assembly elections, the party nominated Ray from the Rourkela assembly seat. At least five turncoats who recently joined the BJP after quitting the BJD also got BJP tickets. They are Amarndra Dash (Jagatsinghpur), Dambaru Sisa (Chitrakonda), Kalilash Kulesika (Laxmipur), Bhadav Hansdah (Saraskana) and Jagannath Nudruka (Bissam Katak). Ray will fight against Odisha's Labour Minister and BJD candidate Sarada Nayak from the Rourkela seat. The party also changed two candidates who were named in the previous list. Surama Padhi was replaced by Tapas Ranjan Martha in the Ranpur assembly segment while the party nominated Chaitanya Nandibali in place of Chaitanya Hantal in the Pottangi assembly segment. Two women candidates - Surama Padhi and Sanjali Murmu (Bangirposi) - also figure in the list of 21 candidates released by the BJP. With this, the BJP has so far announced the names of 131 candidates out of 147 assembly segments in Odisha. The party had earlier released the names of candidates for all the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state will be held simultaneously in four phases on May 13, 20, 25 and June 1.

BJP Announces Candidates For 21 Assembly Constituencies In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today announced candidates for 21 Assembly Constituencies in Odisha for the upcoming elections. While former Union Minister Dilip Ray, who recently received a breather from the Delhi High Court in a coal scam, has been fielded from Rourkela Assembly seat, Surama Padhy will contest from Ranpur seat in the [] The post BJP Announces Candidates For 21 Assembly Constituencies In Odisha appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Odisha sizzles under scorching sun; capital city Bhubaneswar reels under 41.2 degree Celsius

Bhubaneswar: Odisha capital Bhubaneswar, Chandbali in Bhadrak district and Nuapada on Monday recorded a maximum of 41.2 degrees Celsius temperature by 2.30 pm, said to be the highest this summer. A few other places like Baripada (41.4 degrees Celsius), Malkangiri (41.1 degrees Celsius); Paralakhemundi, Jharsuguda and Jagatsinghpur ( all 41 degrees Celsius), Balasore (40 degrees Celsius), Hirakud (39.5 degrees Celsius), Sambalpur (39.4 degrees Celsius) and Rourkela (39.2 degrees Celsius), also witnessed extreme heatwave conditions. The weather department warned that the heat wave condition will continue for the next five days. Maximum temperature (day Temperature) is likely to rise gradually by 4-6 degrees Celsius at many places over the districts of Odisha during the next 4-5 days, said India Meteorological (IMD), predicting that the mercury may touch 43 to 45 degrees Celsius at some places between April 17 and April 20. We have issued a warning for a heatwave in the coming five days. Currently, the dry air entering the state from the west and north-west in the lower part of the atmosphere and the intensity of sunlight are contributing to the rising mercury, said Umashankar Dash, weather scientist at IMD Bhubaneswar. According to the IMD officials, the mercury began to rise early in the morning. By 8.30 am, the temperature had reached 32 degree Celsius.

Dilip Ray is likely to contest from Rourkela, says former Union Minister Jual Oram

Delhi High Court had stayed his 2020 conviction in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Jharkhand in 1999

Dilip Ray to Contest from Rourkela: Jual Oram

Senior BJP leader Jual Oram on Tuesday informed that Dilip Ray will be the partys candidate from the Rourkela seat. The announcement came following the Delhi High Courts order that stayed the conviction of former union minister in the 1999 coal scam case, allowing him to contest in the upcoming election, 2024. Oram confirmed that [] The post Dilip Ray to Contest from Rourkela: Jual Oram appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Bhubaneswar Records Maximum Temperature Of 36.2 Degrees C By 11:30 AM

Bhubaneswar: Odishas capital city Bhubaneswar on Sunday recorded a maximum day temperature of 36.2 degrees Celsius till 11:30 am. Similarly, Rourkela recorded 36 degree celsius, while Sambalpur recorded 35.5, Hirakud at 34.8, Chandbali at 34.7, Jharsuguda- 34.4 and Puri at 32.2 degree celsius. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that people of Odisha will get [] The post Bhubaneswar Records Maximum Temperature Of 36.2 Degrees C By 11:30 AM appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Odisha: BJD releases list of nominees for 9 assembly seats

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday announced names of nine candidates for the assembly elections in the state. He, however, did not announce the name of Lok Sabha candidate for the Balasore seat. The nine names which were released in the third phase list include Sudarshan Haripal (Rengali), Sarada Prasad Nayak (Rourkela), Rohit George Tirkey (Biramitrapur), Meena Majhi (Keonjhar), Raisin Murmu (Rairangpur), Swarup Das (Balasore), Prakash Behera (Barabati-Cuttack), Prasant Behera (Salipur), Naba Kishore Mallik (Jayadev). With this, the BJD has fielded its candidates for 108 of 147 assembly seats. The party has so far announced nominees for 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats. On April 2, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had announced the much-awaited list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Odisha. Of the total 147 Assembly constituencies, the saffron party announced the names of its candidates for 112 seats. The saffron party has already announced names of 21 Lok Sabha seats. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan is contesting from Sambalpur. He is pitted against ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) stalwart Pranab Prakash Das. Almost all the sitting MLAs made a cut into the BJPs candidates list. There are 49 new faces in the list. Manmohan Samal, the BJP state president, will contest from Chandbali in Bhadrak district The Congress, also on April 2, announced candidates for 49 out of 147 assembly seats and eight out of 21 Lok Sabha seats. The grand old party fielded father-son duo Bhakta Charan Das and his son Sagar Charan Das from two different Assembly seats in Kalahandi district. It also gave tickets to father and daughter duo Bhujabal Majhi and Lipika Majhi respectively for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat and Dabugaon assembly constituency. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Pattanayak will contest from Nuapada Assembly seat in Nuapada district. Former Indian hockey player Prabodh Tirkey has been fielded by Congress from the Talsara Assembly seat. Former chief secretary Bijay Patnaik has been fielded from the Paralakhemundi Assembly seat. Congress has fielded Manoj Mishra, Odia film actor, from Balangir district.

Odisha govt appoints new DMs of Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur

Odisha govt appoints new DMs of Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur The Odisha government has appointed two IAS officers as district magistrates of Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur after the Election Commission of India approved their posting, an official said. Arindam Dakua, a 2011-batch IAS officer was appointed as the new District Magistrate of Cuttack replacing Vineet Bharadwaj, while Anupam Saha, a 2012-batch IAS officer, replaced Parul Patwari as Jagatsingpur District Magistrate on Friday, the official said. On April 2, the Election Commission of India had ordered the Odisha government to transfer Bharadwaj and Patwari, along with six other IPS officers, to non-election-related posts with immediate effect. The 6 IPS officers who were transferred were: IGP (central range) Ashish Singh, Cuttack DCP Kanwar Vishal Singh, Rourkela SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra, Angul SP Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra, Khurda SP Jugal Kishore Banoth and Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek Kumar. The state government has appointed Sanjay Kumar Kaushal as the new IG (Central) range in place of Ashish Singh. DIG of Police, Vigilance, Prakash R has also been transferred and posted as Cuttack DCP replacing Kanwar Vishal Singh, while DIG of Police, Intelligence in-charge Security Wing, Brijesh Kumar Rai, has been appointed as Rourkela SP, replacing Mitrabhanu Mahapatra. DIG of Police, SIW, Umashankar Dash, has been asked to take charge from Angul SP Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra. A Home department notification said Ashish Singh will be the new IGP in Chief Minister's Security, while Mitrabhanu Mahapatra was appointed as Additional Special Relief Commissioner. Vishal Singh has been posted as the DIG, SIW (special intelligence wing), while Sidhansu Sekhar Mishra will be the new SP Vigilance and Jugal Kishore Kumar Banoth will be AIG of Police, headquarters. Saravana Vivek M was posted as SP vigilance. A General administration department notification said Vineet Bhardwaj will be Director-cum-Additional Secretary in Drinking Water and Sanitation department while Parul Patawari was appointed as the State Project Director, Odisha Education Programme Authority. Puri Jagannath Temple Additional Chief Administrator Samartha Verma, a 2011-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the Works department while Subhankar Mohapatra, a 2018-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as Director in the Rural Development department.

Naveen Announces BJD Candidates For 9 Assembly Seats In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Friday released its third list of candidates for the ensuing elections to the Odisha Assembly. In a televised message, BJD Supremo & CM Naveen Patnaik announced the names of the partys candidates to contest for nine Assembly seats. Here is the list of candidates: Rengali: Sudarshan Haripal Rourkela: [] The post Naveen Announces BJD Candidates For 9 Assembly Seats In Odisha appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

India ready for Australia challenge ahead of Paris Olympics

India ready for Australia challenge ahead of Paris Olympics The in-form Indian men's hockey team will look to pass the ''litmus test'' that the formidable Australian side will pose at home when the two face off in a five-match Test series beginning here on Saturday. The series offers India a chance to gauge their strengths and capabilities ahead of the Paris Olympics. ''This series serves as a litmus test for our team's preparedness ahead of the Paris Olympics. We aim to fine-tune our strategies and identify areas for improvement to ensure we are in peak form for the mega event. ''Our focus will be on executing our game plan effectively and adapting to the challenges posed by the Australian side,'' chief coach Craig Fulton said. The away assignment offers the ideal chance for India to break their decade-long dry spell against Australia and secure a Test series win. Notably, India won the last away Test series against back in 2014. Fresh from their impressive performances in the FIH Pro League in February, the Indian squad, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Singh, is approaching this assignment with confidence. India's exceptional abilities and unwavering determination were evident as they clinched victories in three out of four matches in Bhubaneswar (within regulation time) and remained unbeaten in Rourkela (also within regulation time). However, they had lost both their matches against Australia. With the two sides drawn in the same group at the Olympics, the Test series provides the perfect platform for both to gauge each other's strengths and weaknesses before the ultimate showdown in Paris Games. ''We are geared up for the challenge that lies ahead. Every match is an opportunity for us to showcase our skills and make our nation proud. We are aware of the tough competition Australia presents, but we are confident in our abilities and our preparations,'' captain Harmanpreet said. ''As a team, we are united and determined to give our best on the field. Our goal is to not only perform well in this series but also to learn and grow as a unit, laying a strong foundation for our campaign in the Paris Olympics.'' India and Australia have clashed on the hockey field a total of 43 times since 2013, according to data from the FIH Data Hub. Among these match-ups, Australia have emerged victorious 28 times, while India have celebrated triumph in eight games. Additionally, seven matches have concluded in a draw. With India ranked fourth and Australia fifth in the current world rankings, the stage is set for a gripping battle between two hockey powerhouses. Match starts 2PM IST.

ECI approves names of three IPS officers for fresh posting in Odisha

The ECI in a letter to Odisha Chief Secretary has approved the appointment of Brijesh Kumar Rai for the post of Rourkela SP, Prakash R as Cuttack DCP, and Umashankar Dash as Angul SP.

RSP gears up to get Responsible Steel certification

RSP gears up to get Responsible Steel certification Odisha-based Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), a unit of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), has engaged a multinational company to guide it and provide support in getting the 'Responsible Steel certification', an official said. 'Responsible Steel certification' combines all the complexities of good social and environmental performance across the value chain and is one of the most rigorous social and environmental standards in the industry. RSP has engaged Bureau Veritas Industrial Services, a reputed multinational company to guide and provide support in achieving this certification, the official said. The on-board cum kick-off meeting for this was held under the chairmanship of Atanu Bhowmick, director in charge of RSP with additional charge of Bokaro Steel Plant on Wednesday. ''The certification will not only validate our efforts to operate in an environmentally and socially responsible manner but also contribute in creating a sustainable society,'' Bhowmick said. He emphasised on completing the responsible steel certification process in the minimum possible time. By adhering to the rigorous standards set forth by Responsible Steel certification, RSP is willing to exhibit its commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement, the official said. Responsible Steel certification is not merely a matter of compliance but is a strategic imperative for long-term success and resilience.

Congress Announces Names Of Candidates For 8 Lok Sabha, 49 Assembly Seats In Odisha

The Indian National Congress on Tuesday announced the first list of candidates for eight Lok Sabha and 49 assembly seats in Odisha. As per the notification, Sanjay Bhoi will contest from Bargarh while Janardhan Dehury from Sundargarh. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak will contest from Nuapara assembly seats. Saptagiri Ulaka, the lone Congress Lok Sabha member from the state, has been renamed as the partys candidate from Koraput seat. He will fight against ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Kaushalya Hikka and BJPs Keleram Majhi. Noted cine actor Manoj Mishra has been nominated to contest from Bolangir LS seat. He will lock horns with BJPs Sangeeta Singhdeo. The BJD has not announced its candidate yet. As per the list, former MLA Bhujabal Majhi will contest from Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat while his daughter Lipika Majhi has been nominated as the partys candidate for Dabugaon assembly seat. Former Union railway minister Bhakta Charan Das and his son Sagar Das have made a cut into the list of assembly candidates. The father and son duo will contest from Narla and Bhawanipanta assembly constituencies, respectively. Here is the list of Congress candidates for Lok Sabha seats in Odisha: 1. Bargarh Sanjay Bhoi 2. Sundargarh Janardan Dehury 3. Bolangir- Manoj Mishra 4. Kalahandi Draupadi Majhi 5. Nabarangpur Bhujabal Majhi 6. Kandhamal- Amir Chand Nayak 7. Berhampur- Rashmi Ranjan Patnaik 8. Koraput- Saptagiri Ulaka The list of 49 candidates for Assembly seats as announced by Odisha Congress: 1. Padampur Tankadhar Sahu 2. Bijepur Kishor Dafadar 3. Bargarh Nipon Kumar Dash 4. Bhatli Brahma Mahakud 5. Brajarajnagar Kishore Chandra Patel 6. Talsara (ST) Prabodh Tirkey 7. Sundargarh (ST) Sudharani Raudia 8. Biramitrapur Left to JMM 9. Raghunathpali (SC) Gopal Das 10. Rourkela Birendra Nath Pattnaik 11. Rajgangpur (ST) Dr. CS Raazen Ekka 12. Bonai (ST) Left to CPI-M 13. Loisingha (SC) Om Prakash Kumbhar 14. Patnagarh Anil Meher 15. Bolangir Samarendra Mishra 16. Kantabanji Santosh Singh Saluja 17. Nuapada Sarat Pattanayak 18. Umarkote (ST) Sanraj Gond 19. Jharigam (ST) Harabati Gond 20. Nabarangpur (ST) Dilip Pradhan 21. Dabugam (ST) Dr. Lipika Majhi 22. Lanjigarh (ST) Balabhadra Majhi 23. Junagarh Tuleswar Naik 24. Dharmgarh Rasmirekha Rout 25. Bhawanipatna (SC) Sagar Charan Das 26. Narla Bhakta Charan Das 27. Baliguda (ST) Surada Pradhan 28. G. Udayagiri (ST) Prafulla Chandra Pradhan 29. Phulbani (ST) Prativa Kanhar 30. Kantamal Manoj Kumar Acharya 31. Boudh- Naba Kumar Mishra 32. Banjanagar- Prasanta Bisoyi 33. Polasara- Agasti Barada 34. Kabisuryanagar- Chiranjeevi Bisoyi 35. Surada- Harikrishna Rath 36. Sanakhemundi- Ramesh Chandra Jena 37. Chikiti- Ravindra Nath Dyan Samantaray 38. Mohana Dasarathi Gomango 39. Paralakhemundi- Bijay Patnaik 40 Gunupur- Satyajeet Samango 41. Bissam Cuttack- Nilamadhab Hikaka 42. Rayagada- Kadraka Allapaswamy 43. Laxmipur- Pabitra Saunta 44. Kotpad- Anama Dian 45. Jeypore- Tara Prasad Bahinipati 46. Koraput- Krushna Chandra Kuldeep 47. Pottangi- Ramchandra Kadam 48. Malkangiri- Mala Madhi 49. Chitrakonda- Mangu Khila

Hockey India 6th Annual Awards 2023: Hardik Singh, Salima Tete win Player of The Year

Hockey India 6th Annual Awards 2023: Hardik Singh, Salima Tete win Player of The Year The highly-anticipated Hockey India 6th Annual Awards 2023 took place in New Delhi on Sunday, with the National Federation celebrating the country's best hockey stars, officials and legends of the sport. In the presence of some of the biggest names in Indian Hockey, Ashok Kumar won the prestigious Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award, while Hardik Singh and Salima Tete were honoured with the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year 2023 awards in men's and women's categories, respectively. The total prize pool at Hockey India 6th Annual Awards 2023 was an 'unprecedented' Rs 7.56 crores, according to an official release. Opening the awards gala, Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh welcomed the guests, dignitaries and hockey stars. It is always a great occasion for us at Hockey India when we are able to gather under the same roof and celebrate everyone, who has been responsible for helping our beloved sport in its tremendous growth over the past year. I offer my congratulations to all the players, officials, and support staff for their unparalleled strength, fierce determination and relentless pursuit of excellence, because of which Indian hockey has scaled to new heights, he was quoted as saying in a release by Hockey India. I congratulate all the nominees and the winners for their invaluable contribution, and also thank our beloved legends of the sport for their presence, and for being a source of inspiration for all of us, as we move further into another important year for the sport of hockey. Hockey India has been taking incredible steps to further grow the sport and we also want to re-confirm today that we will soon launch the Hockey India League for both teams with eight Men's teams and six women's teams. We aim to launch the same latest by January next year, he added. The ceremony started with the Milestone Awards 2023, with Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Udita, Salima Tete, and Gurjant Singh winning a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a trophy each for completing 100 International caps. Nikki Pradhan, Amit Rohidas, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, and Neha were also presented with Rs 1.5 lakh and a trophy each for reaching the milestone 150 international caps. Indian men's hockey team defender Harmanpreet Singh was awarded Rs 2 Lakh and a trophy for completing 200 International caps, while Indian women's hockey team goalkeeper Savita was presented with Rs 2.5 Lakh along with a trophy for earning her 250th International cap. Indian men's hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was presented with a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh along with a trophy for earning his 300th International cap. Last year, Vandana Katariya became the first Indian women's hockey team player to earn her 300th International cap. She received a cheque of Rs 3 Lakh along with a trophy for reaching the career milestone. The final milestone award of Rs 3.5 lakh and a trophy was presented to Manpreet Singh for playing 350 international matches for India. In the second category of Individual Achievement Awards, Deepika, Mohith H S, Annu, Anjali Barwa, Maninder Singh, Deepika Soreng, Mandeep Singh, Salima Tete, Sangita Kumari, Harmanpreet Singh were awarded a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a trophy each for their spectacular individual performances across tournaments. Savita, who was awarded FIH Goalkeeper of the Year at the Star Awards 2023, received Rs 5 lakh while Hardik Singh, who was awarded FIH Player of the Year at the Star Awards 2023, was presented a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. The gold medal-winning Indian junior men's Hockey team of Uttar Pradesh Hockey Junior World Cup Men Lucknow 2016 was felicitated, with each player receiving a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a trophy. The gold-winning Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team of Men's Junior Asia Cup 2023, Salalah, Oman and the gold-winning Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team of Women's Junior Asia Cup 2023, Kakamigahara, Japan were also honoured, with each player earning a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and all the members of the support staff receiving cheques of Rs 1 lakh each. The gold medal-winning Indian Men's Hockey Team for Men's Hockey 5s Asia Cup Salalah 2023, and the gold-winning Indian Women's Hockey Team for Women's Hockey 5s Asia Cup Salalah 2023 were felicitated at the ceremony, with each player earning a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and all the members of the support staff earning a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each. The gold-winning Indian Men's Hockey Team of Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023, and the gold-winning Indian Women's Hockey Team of Jharkhand Women's Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 were also felicitated with Rs 3 lakh for each player and Rs 1.5 lakh each for all members of the support staff. The Indian men's hockey team was also honoured for their gold medal-winning performance at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, China, with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh for each player and Rs 2.5 lakh each for the support staff. The Indian women's hockey team that won the bronze medal in the tournament were awarded Rs 3 lakh for each player and Rs 1.5 lakh for each member of the support staff. The silver-medal winning Indian women's hockey team of FIH Hockey 5s Women's World Cup 2024 Muscat Oman, were presented with Rs 3 lakh for each player and Rs 1.5 lakh for all members of the support staff. Meanwhile, the final category of the Hockey India Annual Award for the year 2023 began with Hockey Haryana winning the Hockey India Best Member Unit of the Year Award 2023 and walking away with a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh. Hockey India President Award for Umpire/Umpires Manager of the Year 2023 was presented to G Harsha Vardan, along with prize money of Rs 2.5 lakh. The Hockey India President Award for Technical Official of the Year 2023 was presented to Sonia Bathla along with prize money worth Rs 2.5 lakh. Hockey India President Award for Outstanding Achievement 2023, along with prize money of Rs 5 lakh, was presented to SAIL Hockey Academy, Rourkela. Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution 2023 was presented to Dr Bibhu Kalyan Nayak, who also received a cheque of Rs 5 lakh along with a trophy. The award ceremony saw PR Sreejesh winning the prestigious Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year, earning a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a trophy. For his consistent performances throughout the year, Harmanpreet Singh won the Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year, earning himself a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a trophy. Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year was won by Hardik Singh, while Abhishek won the prestigious Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year, both earning themselves Rs 5 Lakh and a trophy each. The gen-next was also honoured with youngster Deepika Soreng winning the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women - Under 21), earning a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a trophy. Araijeet Singh Hundal was named the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men - Under 21), winning a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a trophy. Hardik Singh and Salima Tete won the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year Awards for men and women respectively, each earning a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, along with a trophy. Speaking on the win, Hardik Singh said, It is a matter of great pride for me to win the prestigious award. This is truly reflective of the hard work and the commitment that our team displayed over the past year. I am thankful to each and everyone for their support and I will continue to work even harder in the coming year to justify the honour. Meanwhile, Salima Tete, on her win, said, I wish to thank my teammates, coaches and the support staff for showcasing their faith in me. It is a matter of great pride for me every time I get to wear the Indian jersey and step out on the field to represent the nation. This award will further motivate me to continue to do even better each day so I can continue to make the country proud. The ceremony closed with Hockey India celebrating the achievements of Ashok Kumar, honouring the Indian Legend with the prestigious Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award, with a cash prize of Rs 30 Lakh and a trophy. Key winners of the Hockey India 6th Annual Awards 2023: Rs 5,00,000 - Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year - Winner: PR Sreejesh Rs 5,00,000 - Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year Winner: Harmanpreet Singh Rs 5,00,000 - Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year Winner: Hardik Singh Rs 5,00,000 - Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year Winner: Abhishek Rs 10,00,000 - Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women - Under 21) Winner: Deepika Soreng Rs 10,00,000 - Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men - Under 21) Winner: Araijeet Singh Hundal Rs 25,00,000 - Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year (Women) Winner: Salima TeteRs 25,00,000 - Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year (Men) Winner: Hardik SinghRs 30,00,000 - Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award - Winner: Ashok Kumar. (ANI)

Cyber frauds: Collaborating closely with Cambodia to rescue citizens

NEW DELHI: India has rescued and repatriated nearly 250 Indians, out of which 75 were rescued in the past three months. Several advisories have been issued by the Indian Embassy and Ministry to Indians who have been lured under the pretext of jobs and have ended up working forcibly for cyber frauds. Our embassy in Cambodia has been promptly responding to complaints from Indian nationals who were lured with employment opportunities to that country but were forced to undertake illegal cyber work. We are collaborating closely with Cambodian authorities. They have rescued and repatriated about 250 Indians out of which 75 were during the last three months, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesman, Randhir Jaiswal. India has stated its committed to helping all Indian nationals in Cambodia who are seeking support. We are also working with Cambodian authorities and agencies in India to crack down on those responsible for these fraudulent schemes, said Jaiswal. There are reportedly 5,000 Indians trapped in cyber slavery in Cambodia, allegedly being forced into cyber fraud activities targeting people in India. The government suspects that during the past six months these fraudsters defrauded Indians of at least 500 crore. Recently, the MHA convened a meeting with officials from MEA, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity), Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (14C) besides other security experts. The experts mulled over ways to chart out a rescue strategy for Indians who are victims of Human Trafficking in Cambodia. Victims are allegedly forced to conduct cyber frauds targeting Indians impersonating as law enforcement officers to extort money. Some people from Bengaluru have been freed and brought back to India. This issue came to light after the Rourkela Police in Odisha unearthed a cyber crime scam in December last year, which led to the arrests of some agents involved in trafficking Indians to Cambodia.

Sucheta Dasgupta | Of Delhi, Kolkata and a sense of belonging

In any narrative, place or positionality is an important element. A news report, too, has a place line next to its date. At some point or other in their writing life, every writer is, thereby, bound to become aware of, and open to, the possibilities of place. You get a strange feeling when youre about to leave a place... like youll not only miss the people you love but youll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because youll never be this way ever again, writes Azar Nafisi, the 68-year-old Iranian-American writer of Reading Lolita in Tehran . And though I was never one for strange feelings, I must admit, having been quite ambitious while at the same time a bit hard-headed, when I first came to Delhi in 2004 and then moved in 2008 for the long term, I was determined to form a relationship with my new city, so that in exploring it I could find out what I did not know about its culture, politics and my own past. My interest was not specific to this place even. A writers motivation is very often to understand themselves by making sense of their immediate environment, their world. And while my conscious purpose of coming here was to learn the ropes of my trade through my offices proximity to the corridors of power, I did not want to close myself off to non-work-related experiences, observe their connections to the news, hopefully find a few headlines myself, and even write those stories should the time arrive. Where are you from, though, remained a hairy question from work colleagues and neighbours. And even if I did not eat fish, young people usually dont because it requires a certain maturity of the palate, books, medicine and fish was never an acceptable answer. But who cares for conversations where the answer is predictable? Do you? It was ironical because my interrogators, too, did not care to notice my absence of inferiority complex when I answered. It did spotlight the statehood question. Did Delhi and the National Capital Region not belong equally to every Indian citizen? Who are the original inhabitants of Delhi, the Muslims of the old city, or the Rajasthanis before them? Or are they Gujjars who are still rare in the citys corporate offices? Hypothetically speaking, beyond a (welcome) political advantage to any Opposition party if it is in power in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (because in democracy a healthy Opposition is an important requirement), is there a point to statehood? Then I had an eye-opening conversation with another authentic Delhiwallah. He was born and brought up in Delhi and is, unlike me, not just a five-time voter and a recently old property owner. During a ride home from work, the two of us were discussing if it was lonely to watch films unaccompanied in movie theatres and I found myself remembering to him my impression of Kolkatas Purna Cinema. My friends having migrated to different cities, most of the films I have watched in Kolkata are on my own. Some of those halls have closed down now for many years. Purna Cinema was one theatre my father had told me about from during his Calcutta Medical College days. I was brought up in Durgapur and born in Rourkela, Odisha. During my seven years in Kolkata, I made sure to go to Purna at least once and watch a film. 1947 Earth was its name, and aside from it, my memory of the hall is a faint but distinct odour of urine coming from the aisles and straight-backed, bedbug-bearing wooden chairs. But it is a tangible memory, much more so than any Red Fort or Qutab Minar. When I finished my story, I asked my colleague if he, too, like me had had a place of personal pilgrimage in this city of seven cities, starting with Indraprastha, and he answered, indeed, he didnt, and specified that it was a point of difference between the two cities, Kolkata and Delhi, and that that was why the Purana Qila has never been a tentpole in [his] life. Delhi is too large, too wide, and has existed at least for a millennium. When one goes to an old monument here, there is no sense of identification, hence no point of take-off; so that experience is not exactly transcendental. Despite its amazing history, all you get in Delhi is the here and now. So many people have come and gone from that spot that there is no imprint of footfall. Kolkata, on the other hand, is young, and small, extant for a little more than 330 years. It has folklore. The next significant difference between Delhi and Kolkata pertains to its inhabitants. The ones who populate its offices and neighborhoods are there to build their career and family. They lead often humdrum and largely isolated lives. In Kolkata, if someone makes a joke or a smart spin-off, it travels around university circles and down generations until it eventually makes its way to every Bengali drawing room. Even young people ensconced deep inside the mufussil suburbs are not left out, much like it is the case with todays WhatsApp forwards. Our social circles are not just concentric, they overlap. That generates more folklore. A third difference? In Kolkata it is poor who are generous and friendly, the rich are upwardly mobile. In Delhi, the struggle is harder for the poor. Here it is vice-versa. It is the rich who are sometimes gracious. A fourth. In Kolkata, public life on buses and in the markets is urban. Delhi has rural pockets besides being surrounded by villages. Where the dress is different. So are lifestyles. The fifth difference is that in Delhi, the bureaucracy works so much better. Yesterday, I rescued a migratory bird from under the ITO railway overbridge. It had broken its leg and lay on an unlit stretch and was sure to have been run over by a cyclist in a hurry or a biker. A young woman and I spotted it and we picked it up and reached it to the Bird Hospital at Chandni Chowk on an e-rickshaw. We did not make friends but exchanged numbers. It is a microcosm of my relationship with the capital. If home is where the heart is, statehood for Delhi is correct, but we are not all homesteaders. Like the woman in black burqa I had spied sleeping on the brown soil in front of her modest hut behind Jama Masjid, amongst tall, white geese walking her courtyard.

Diarrhea Spreads In Hirakud Area, 49 Hospitalized

Hirakud: A spread of water-borne infection , diarrhea has been reported from Hirakud area of Sambalpur district in Odisha. Reports say that, diarrhea has spread in Hirkud area in scary proportions and as many as 49 people have been hospitalized. Further it is worth mentioning that, after Rourkela and Kantbanji, now diarrhea has [] The post Diarrhea Spreads In Hirakud Area, 49 Hospitalized appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

People of Odisha will create new record in India's political history in a few months: CM Naveen Patnaik

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday asserted that the people of Odisha will create a new record in the political history of this country in a few months, adding that the next 10 years will be decisive for the states future. In the last cabinet meeting of his fifth tenure, Naveen said, We will herald an empowered Odisha, which is modern, dynamic and responsive, primarily for our youth, women and children, entrepreneurs, farmers and tribals. We will usher in an Odisha with secure roots and powerful wings. The chief minister said that the future of Odisha is bright. He further mentioned that the state is going to celebrate the 100th year of its formation in 2036 and by then all efforts are on to make it the number one in the country in every field. The coming decade will be the decade of the youth. The entire focus will be towards providing the best of educational and employment opportunities to aspiring youths and empowering them to achieve their dreams. The youth of the state will build New Odisha - a state which will set benchmarks in every sector and bring prosperity to its people, he said. Naveen, who is seeking his sixth consecutive term in office, listed out the achievements of his government. He said when he took office as Odisha's CM, the state was devastated by the Super Cyclone and looked down upon as a poor underdeveloped state. There were humongous challenges in bringing the state back on the track of development. But I was guided by the vision of Biju Babu to make a difference in the lives of my 4.5 crore family members. Today, Odisha is recognised as one of the most progressive states in the country and is cited as a model in various fields, he claimed. The last five years have been based on the principles of 5T (Team work, Technology, Transparency and Time leading to Transformation.). History will remember this period as a milestone, which put Odisha on a firm path of transformation and prosperity for its people. Transformation is visible across the state and across every segment of the population. Team work through transparent governance and intense use of technology has been creating remarkable change within a short period of time, he maintained. The CM recalled that even before he started this term in 2019, the state faced a rare summer cyclone, first in 43 years, cyclone Fani, which was an extremely severe cyclonic storm of category-5 with wind speeds of 280 kmph. This caused extensive damage to the nerve center of the state's economy including Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. CM Naveen Patnaik to meet BJD leaders on March 14 as alliance talks drag Thanks to the dedicated and diligent community-based disaster management systems, the state faced the cyclone courageously and the relief measures started immediately after the cyclone storm passed. Several global media even praised Odisha as a model in disaster management as the resilient people bounced back and within a few months there were no signs of the cyclones devastation, he said. Describing the challenges during Covid-19 pandemic, Naveen said, unfortunately, in early 2020, the World was hit by the Covid pandemic and till 2022, the virus, in its multiple variants, had caused immense damage to economies across the globe. In spite of the unknown fear of the pandemic, Odisha was comparatively well prepared and emerged as a model in Covid management, as per a study by John Hopkins University. We not only ensured one of the lowest mortality rates in the country, but also saved millions of lives across India by supplying oxygen. We were the only state which provided free quality health care from testing to treatment for every citizen, in partnership with the private hospitals, he said. As soon as the pandemic was brought under control, the chief minister said, the state government restarted its projects and schemes with extra pace. One of the main focus areas in this term has been education. Now, in every panchayat of the state, one can find a transformed High School with smart classrooms, e-libraries, science labs, computer centre and sports facilities. Probably, nowhere in the world such a large number of schools have been transformed in such a short time. As a next step, we have started the transformation of the colleges across the state. To inspire the youth to dream big and empower them to achieve, the Nua-O programme and scholarships have been launched. This is a revolutionary step which has never been attempted in the world at this scale. We are committed to make the innovative Nabin Odisha magic card as a passport to prosperity for our youth, he stressed. To further empower the youth, the CM said, modern and latest skill initiatives from across the world are now incubated in Odisha. Skilled in Odisha is now a recognised brand. Swayam is a youth empowerment scheme to provide Rs 1 lakh loan at zero interest rate to the unemployed youth to start their entrepreneurship journey, he said. Modern sports facilities are being set up across the state. The World's largest seated hockey stadium, created in 15 months, in Rourkela is a case study in project management. Odisha has become the sports capital of India. In womens empowerment, Naveen said, Mission Shakti members have set a unique example in the country. Fuelled by zero interest loans upto 10 lakh, SHGs are fast converting to SMEs in every sector. Around Rs 40,000 crore bank linkage has been provided to SHGs in the last five years with Rs 15,000 crore in this financial year alone. Mission Shakti Women are strong partners in the transformation story of Odisha, he said. The chief minister further said, the state government has made significant strides in providing health care services in the state. The near universal coverage under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) has provided complete assurance for the poor and middle class to access quality medical services in top private hospitals in a dignified manner across the country. The health infrastructure has also undergone a massive transformation with modern hospitals and medical colleges. Odisha has now become a doctor surplus state which has improved the health services even in the remote areas, he said. Odisha is the only state with an initiative called LABHA, which assures minimum support price for minor forest produce collected by tribals. This assures sustainable incomes in a dignified manner without harassment, he said. To further protect tribal languages an initiative to have Multi lingual teaching in 21 tribal languages of Odisha was created and teacher posts filled up. Connectivity has been the top priority of the government in the last five years. Laccmi buses have transformed rural connectivity especially for students and women and farmers. The state has direct flights to Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore now. Top class bus stations with citizen amenities have come up in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and other major towns. Biju Expressway has become a reality across the districts of Western Odisha. Once a remote district, Malkangiri has an airport now, the CM said. Odisha is among the few states with the sharpest drop in multidimensional poverty in the last five years. The state is one of the fastest developing economies in the country. In spite of the large number of people oriented schemes, Odisha has been rated as the best in fiscal management, due to its prudent fiscal practices and major revenue generation efforts through transparent mineral auction process and increasing industrial growth. To ensure last mile connectivity, the AMA bank scheme has been initiated. As many as 4373 unbanked GPs of the state will be covered with AMA Banks to ensure financial inclusion to the last point. So far, 2750 AMA banks have been set up across the state, he said. In industrial development and employment front, Naveen said, several major investments from companies like AMNS, Tata Steel, JSW are set to generate lakhs of employment. We are diversifying into other sectors and even emerging as a major IT destination with the recent opening of offices by IBM, Cognizant, Accenture etc. Odisha will be the economic powerhouse of eastern India, as it has risen to No 2 position in attracting manufacturing investment in the country, he said. The chief minister said transformation of heritage and religious places was another area of focus during last five years. While the Shree Mandir Parikrama project has been completed inspite of great challenges, thousands of Jagannath temples have been taken up across the state for preservation and creation of amenities for the devotees. Maa Samalei project has been a landmark project in Sambalpur. For promotion of Odia language , the Biswa Odia Bhasa Sammelini was held for the first time. Decisions that will help promote our language will be implemented. For preservation and promotion of our culture, all our important heritage centres have been taken up. Our identity is our strength and we shall continue to work for its preservation and promotion. With strengthening our roots, new Odisha will also firm up her wings to scale the horizon, he added.

SC rejects SAIL plea against 31 crore arbitral award to L&T

The dispute arose out of a contract wherein L&T was to set up a sinter plant under crude steel expansion at Rourkela Steel Plant. The contract between SAIL and L&T was to be executed between 2008 and 2011, but the contractor had completed 98% of the work during this period.

Two Jharkhand natives held by Rourkela police, 10 kg of opium seized

BHUBANESWAR: Special Task Force (STF) of Crime Branch and Rourkela Police arrested two Jharkhand natives and seized 10.508 kg opium worth about `50 lakh from them. Acting on a tip-off, the police conducted a raid at Panposh in Sundargarh on Thursday and arrested Bitu Singh Munda and Rohit Munda, both natives of Jharkhand's Khunti district. During searches, the contraband was seized from the accused. Investigation revealed Bitu, Rohit and their associates were procuring opium from Rajasthan and then selling the contraband to drug peddlers in Odisha and Jharkhand. A case has been registered and a probe has been launched into the matter. Efforts are on to identify the other members of the racket, said STF IG, Jai Narayan Pankaj. India is one of the few countries where legal cultivation of opium is allowed for medicinal purposes. The cultivation is carried out in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. STF officers suspect the seized opium was illegally diverted from the legal cultivation farms in Madhya Pradesh. Sources said the agency will contact Madhya Pradesh Police and Central Bureau of Narcotics in Gwalior (licensing and regulating authority for legal cultivation of opium) to ascertain the source of procurement of the contraband. As per section 18(b) of the NDPS Act, drug dealer or peddler found in possession of more than 2.5 kg opium can face imprisonment up to 20 years. The agency has launched a special drive against the sale of narcotic drugs in Odisha since 2020. So far, STF has seized more than 75 kg brown sugar/heroin, 202 gm cocaine, 123 quintal ganja/marijuana and 14 kg opium. More than 193 drug dealers/peddlers have also been arrested.