BJD drops 30 per cent sitting MLAs, half of its MPs

BHUBANESWAR: The BJD has dropped at least 30 per cent of its sitting MLAs and 50 per cent of sitting MPs this simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Although it was speculated that the regional party, which aims to return to the power for the sixth consecutive term, would drop more than 50 per cent of its sitting MLAs on the basis of their performance, the failed talks on alliance with BJP forced it to retain some of the sitting lawmakers. Party sources said 33 sitting MLAs of the 112 elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2019 and six MPs of the 12 who won in the last elections have been denied tickets. Among the incumbent MPs, while Dhenkanal MP Mahesh Sahoo and Nabarangpur MP Ramesh Majhi have been fielded from Hindol and Jharigam Assembly constituencies respectively, Bhartruhari Mahtab resigned from the party and got nomination from BJP in Cuttack. Political observers believe BJD has attempted to revitalise its image and appeal to a broader spectrum of voters by replacing the incumbent lawmakers. The party has been successful in poaching two disgruntled former BJP leaders, who have been fielded from two prestigious constituencies - Berhampur and Balasore. It has also reposed faith on former Congress leaders in Kendrapara, Balangir and Keonjhar constituencies. However, nine family members of the dropped MLAs have managed to bag tickets. They are Archanarekha Behera (wife of Subrat Tarai) from Raghunathpali, Preetinanda Kanungo (wife of Rajkishore Das) from Morada, Sanjukta Singh (wife of Rajanikant Singh) from Angul, Ankit Pratap Jena (son of Pratap Jena) from Mahanga, Chinmayananda Srirup Deb (son of Usha Devi) from Chikiti, Gitanjali Routray (wife of Sambit Routray) from Paradip, Ramesh Majhi (brother of Prakash Majhi), Sanghamitra Swain (wife of Purna Chandra Swain) from Surada and Kausalya Pradhani (wife of Sadasiva Pradhani) from Nabarangpur. Besides, the party has fielded sitting Bangiriposi MLA Sudam Marndi as Lok Sabha candidate from Mayurbhanj and his wife Ranjita Marndi as the nominee from Bangiriposi Assembly segment. Similarly, Korei MLA Pranab Prakash Das has been fielded as the Lok Sabha candidate from Sambalpur and his mother Sandhyarani Das from Korei seat. The regional party has taken the lead by nominating 33 per cent (seven) women candidates for Lok Sabha and 23 per cent (35) in Assembly polls. However, the decision to drop sitting MLAs and MPs could have far-reaching implications for the BJDs future political fortunes. A senior BJD leader said by replacing candidates with stronger contenders, the party aims at maximising its chances of winning more seats. Public sentiments and winnability also factored into the decision, he said.

Commissionerate Police sets up eight check posts in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: Amid heightened surveillance by Commissionerate Police ahead of the elections, around eight border check posts have been set up in the state capital to prevent unlawful activities and illegal transportation of cash. Police have set up the check posts in areas bordering Khurda, Cuttack and Puri. Three flying squads each have been deployed in four Assembly constituencies, while five have been engaged in Bhubaneswar North Assembly constituency as it is cash sensitive, said a senior police officer. Sources said there have been instances in the past of money being used in Bhubaneswar North constituency to influence voters due to which a strict vigil is being kept in the constituency by the police. Besides, three static surveillance teams have been engaged in each constituency to check unlawful activities and illegal movement of cash. Police on Saturday seized Rs 3.5 lakh in cash from the car of a contractor in Pokhariput area at around 9.30 pm. Police said the contractor claimed he was carrying the cash in his car for some construction work. Meanwhile, Odisha Police has seized over Rs 60 crore in cash from various parts of the state since January 1. The state police have implemented preventive measures and bound down 44,500 people under various sections and executed 10,000 non-bailable warrants. Around 120 inter-state check posts have been set up and 515 flying squads and 390 static surveillance teams engaged to check illegal activities.

STF seizes 49 kg marijuana, nabs 5

Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) has seized 49 kg of marijuana by intercepting two vehicles on National Highway-16 near Tangi area of Cuttack and claimed to have arrested five peddlers, including one from Bihar. Two four-wheelers and several incriminating materials have been seized from the possession of the accused, said a senior STF officer. []

Odisha's Kakhadi reverberates with chirp of Indian Skimmers

CUTTACK (KAKHADI): At least 165 Indian Skimmers have arrived at the sand bed of Mahanadi river at Kakhadi in Athagarh this year for nesting and laying eggs, the Forest department informed. Khuntuni forest range officer Nilamadhab Sahu said the Indian Skimmers have so far laid around 82 eggs of which 35 have hatched as of now. Steps have been taken to protect both eggs and the hatchlings and awareness drive undertaken in the locality involving educational institutions, residents and fishermen, he said. The endangered birds have reportedly been migrating from Southern Asia since the last four years for mass nesting as the site is considered a safe breeding ground. According to experts, the skimmers come to the place for nesting and laying eggs from February and stay till hatching in May after which they return back. With the water level of the Mahanadi river remaining low at the site during this period, the sand bed at Kakhadi provides a favourable environment for the purpose. The Indian Skimmers scrape the ground to make a shallow depression for laying their eggs. The rim of a scrape nest is just deep enough to keep the eggs from rolling away. The eggs usually take 25 to 30 days to hatch. Earlier, the birds used to congregate at the banks of the Mahanadi river near Mundali barrage under Chandaka Wildlife Division here. However, the site slowly got threatened by habitat loss and degradation, pollution and disturbance by humans.

IMD predicts relief from heatwave in Odisha this week

BHUBANESWAR: The severe heatwave which has thrown normal life out of gear across the state is set to abate this week. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said maximum day temperature will fall by 4 degree to 6 degree C at many places within three to four days under the influence of rainfall and thundershower activity. Rainfall and thundershower activity is likely to continue till Saturday. The flow of moisture carrying winds from Bay of Bengal will enhance this week and interact with the warm atmosphere which will trigger rainfall activity in various parts of Odisha, said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre scientist, Umasankar Das. The impact of thundershower activity will possibly be felt the most on Tuesday and Wednesday. As strong gusty surface winds are expected to prevail, the regional Met office has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea in the region between May 6 and 8. Due to anticipated strong gusty surface wind speed reaching 40 km/h to 50 km/h along and off north Odisha coast, fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from May 6 to 8, said the Met office. Odisha witnessed sweltering weather on Sunday as 26 places recorded 40 degree C or more. Of them, 12 places recorded 43 degree C or above. Titlagarh was the hottest at 45 degree C, Boudh 44.6 degree C, Nuapada 44.4 degree C, Balangir 44.3 degree C and Bhawanipatna and Jharsuguda 44 degree C each. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded less than 40 degree C for the second consecutive day on Sunday. The capital city recorded 39.9 degree C and neighbouring Cuttack 38.5 degree C.

India a Vishwa Bandhu, its global impact vital: EAM S Jaishankar

CUTTACK: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday spoke on Indias role as a Vishwa Bandhu (worlds friend) emphasising its diplomatic influence and global partnerships. Addressing a conference on Vishwa Bandhu Bharat here, he highlighted record Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows and strategic connectivity projects with countries like UAE, Iran, and Russia while outlining Indias effort to enhance global cooperation. Indias foreign policy and its identity have reached a new high across the world. When you press a button in a polling booth, its impact will not only be felt on an Assembly, Parliament and India but also across the world, said Jaishankar. Vishwa Bandhu is a term used to refer to a relevant country whose contribution is acknowledged by the world. The entire world believes such country will extend a helping hand and has maximum friends with minimum problems, he said. If we look at todays India and analyse the reasons why we are liked and respected, we will find that a lot of countries are keen to invest here, share technology and include it in the global supply chain. Today Indias FDI inflow has increased and companies like Apple and others are coming here, said Jaishankar. 'Quad is here to stay, grow and contribute': Dr S Jaishankar He said three high-profile projects are in the offing including connectivity from India to Europe via UAE which is known as India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. The second is the International North-South Corridor via Iran and Russia. Similarly, another route will help reach Vietnam and the Indo-Pacific via Odisha coastline and North East region. There is a lot of scope to make the world a workplace because of the dearth of human resources and extend benefits to citizens. Though a lot of countries are keen to team up with India, connectivity issues persisting since partition remains a challenge before us as we fall short of creating new ones post-Independence, said the minister. For connectivity, countries need to come together and contribute. But the main factor is trust. This is where Vishwa Bandhu comes into play. Now, countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Singapore, Vietnam and others want to work and partner with India. In the last 10 years, the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid a strong foundation for the country on the basis of which the goal of Viksit Bharat can be achieved in the next 25 years of the nations journey, he said. Among others, BJPs Cuttack MP candidate Bhartruhari Mahtab, MLA candidates for Barabati-Cuttack Dr Purna Chandra Mohapatra, Choudwar-Cuttack Nayan Kishore Mohanty and Sadar Prakash Sethi, BJP city unit president Lalatendu Badu were present in the conference.

PoJK is very much a part of IndiaWe were made to forget about it: Jaishankar

Cuttack (Odisha), May 5: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is part of India and added that there is a resolution of the Indian Parliament which states that PoJK is part of the country. He noted that people were made to forget about PoJK, however, it is now back in [] The post PoJK is very much a part of IndiaWe were made to forget about it: Jaishankar appeared first on Northlines .

EAM S Jaishankar Emphasises Indias Role as Vishwabandhu

Cuttack: Prime Minister Modis vision of India becoming a Vishwaguru (world leader) is gradually transforming into reality as the nation now stands as a Vishwabandhu (friend of the world), leading global problem-solving initiatives. Therefore, increase in connectivity with other foreign countries is the need of time for this Vishwabandhu. This was the key message delivered [] The post EAM S Jaishankar Emphasises Indias Role as Vishwabandhu appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Odisha: Todays Pics

Students take part in painting competition organised by Cuttack Artists Association at Sriram Chandra Bhawan to raise awareness on Hepatitis-B

Many nations now seeking friendship with India: Jaishankar

Cuttack: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday said amidst conflict and uncertainty in some nations, many countries are seeking friendship with India. Speaking at a gathering focused on Viswa Bandhu Bharat during the second day of his Odisha visit, Jaishankar highlighted Indias potential for partnerships across the globe. He outlined Indias ability to engage Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

`Indians Made To Forget PoK...`: S Jaishankar Blames Past Neglect For Worsening Situation

In Cuttack, Jaishankar was asked about Indias vision for PoK, to which he replied,people were made to forget about PoK; however, its back in consciousness.

PoJK Is Very Much A Part Of IndiaWe Were Made To Forget About It: EAM Jaishankar

Cuttack (Odisha), May 5 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is part of India and added that there is a resolution of the Indian Parliament which states that PoJK is part of the country. He noted that people were made to forget about PoJK, however, it is now back in the consciousness of the people of India. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Asked about Indias plans for PoJK during an interactive session [] The post PoJK Is Very Much A Part Of IndiaWe Were Made To Forget About It: EAM Jaishankar appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

PM Modi, BJP Chief Nadda Embark on Two-Day Odisha Sojourn from Sunday

PM Modi, BJP Chief Nadda Embark on Two-Day Odisha Sojourn from Sunday Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president J P Nadda will arrive in Bhubaneswar on Sunday on their two-day visit to Odisha. PM Modi is scheduled to arrive in the Odisha capital around 9.30 pm and will make a night halt at Raj Bhavan. He will address election rallies at Berhampur and Nabarangpur on Monday, a BJP leader said. PM Modi will again come to the state on May 10, when he will lead a road show in Bhubaneswar. On the following day, he would address an election rally in Bolangir, he said. Odisha Police have tightened security arrangements for the PM's visit on Sunday. Tight security will be ensured from Biju Patnaik International Airport to Raj Bhavan on Sunday evening, a police officer said. Nadda, on the other hand, is slated to reach Bhubaneswar this afternoon. He is scheduled to release the election manifesto of the state unit of the BJP in Bhubaneswar around 3 pm. The BJP president will also hold meetings with party leaders and workers in Bhubaneswar and neighbouring Cuttack to discuss the party's strategies for the ensuing Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state. The state will go to polls from May 13 to June 1.

Rayagada: Creating voter awareness the tribal way

BERHAMPUR: The Rayagada administration, in a bid to ensure 100 per cent voting in the elections, has come up with two unique initiatives to encourage people to exercise their right to vote. As per the direction of collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan, officials of the district administration have been moving door-to-door to distribute handmade bamboo fans in the remote areas sensitising people about their voting rights. Painted with details of the polling booths in Idital, a form of Saura painting, these fans have messages like, Mu nischaya vote debi (I will definitely vote) and ama vote ama bala (my vote my responsibility), asking voters to cooperate for a free, fair and impartial election. In the second initiative, the administration is distributing invitation cards with slogans imprinted in local dialects like, Muin misha vote debi-apana misha vote debe. The three Assembly constituencies of the district - Rayagada, Bissamcuttack and Gunupur will go to polls on May 13. Sources said Rayagada has around 32,189 new voters. It had registered 75 pc polling in the 2019 elections. Officials of the district administration said the use of bamboo fans has also augmented the business of the artisans making bamboo fans. Sub-collector Kalyani Sanghamitra Devi said using bamboo fans to create voter awareness is a cost-effective and environment-friendly option.

Odisha HC seeks details on two convicts to assess death penalty

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the senior superintendent, Circle Jail, Cuttack at Choudwar to submit reports on the past life, psychological conditions, post-conviction conduct and such other matters on two convicts who were awarded death sentence for rape and murder of a six-year-old girl. The direction assumes significance as it is for the first time that the Orissa High Court has passed such an order while considering a death reference. The high court expected the jail official to obtain the reports by taking service and necessary assistance from the probation officer and such other officers including a psychologist or jail doctor or any medical officer attending the prison. The convicts have been also given an opportunity to furnish such data in the shape of affidavits. The minor girl was kidnapped while she was on her way back home after buying chocolates from a shop. She was gagged and gang raped in an abandoned house near the village and killed to destroy evidence. The incident occurred at a village under Tirtol police station on August 21, 2014. After trial in the case, the court of Additional District & Sessions Judge (Fast Track Court-POCSO), Jagatsinghpur convicted Sk Asif Ali (36) and Sk Akil Ali (35) on November 21, 2022 and imposed death penalty on them as it felt it came under the rarest of rare category of crimes. While the death sentence was sent by the state government to the high court for confirmation, the two convicts also filed criminal appeals against the trial court verdict. The high court issued the direction on Thursday after taking note of the state government counsel Bibhu Prasad Tripathys submission that the trial court awarded the death sentence on the same day it convicted the two appellants. The division bench of Justice SK Sahoo and Justice RK Patnaik said, Such an exercise is considered to be absolutely expedient in order to advance the cause of justice, the intent and purpose being to provide a fair amount of opportunity for the appellants to bring on record all such mitigating circumstances to be weighed against the aggravating circumstances since a balance is to be struck while taking a final decision on sentence in juxtaposition to the sentences imposed by the trial court. The bench felt there has been no proper and meaningful hearing as such which is necessary in order to do complete justice. In fact, there appears to be no opportunity afforded to the appellants to submit any such material in support of the mitigating circumstances during and in course of hearing on the question of sentence, the bench observed. While citing Supreme Court orders, the bench said, Law is well-settled that hearing on the question of sentence has to be real and effective and not a mere formality; if a meaningful hearing is not taken up by a court while considering the sentence to be imposed and inflicted upon the convict, it is likely to cause severe prejudice to him.

SCBs first liver transplant patient and donor discharged, doing fine

CUTTACK: Manas Barik (45), the first patient to have undergone liver transplant surgery at SCB Medical College and Hospital was discharged on Saturday. Manas wife Rashmita, who donated a portion of her liver, was also discharged along with her husband. The liver transplant has given a new lease of life to my husband, she said. Addressing mediapersons, SCB superintendent Prof Sudhanshu Sekhar Mishra said Manas, a driver, was afflicted with decompensated liver disease accompanied by jaundice and ascites. He was undergoing treatment at the Hepatology OPD. Following assessment by the liver transplant team of SCB, Manas was admitted to the Hepatology department on February 10 where symptomatic and supportive care was administered for seven weeks to prepare him for surgery as this was the only way to save his life. A collaborative assessment by the liver transplant teams of AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad and along with the Hepatology department revealed advanced stage of liver damage and liver transplant surgery was deemed imperative as a life-saving measure for him. The entire infrastructure and equipment of the transplant unit were renovated, new instruments procured and the MoU with AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad renewed. Vice-president of AIG Hospitals, Santosh Kumar Sahoo played a pivotal role in facilitating liver transplantation and overseeing the transplant programme. His dedicated endeavours, frequent visits to SCB with director and chief Dr P Balachandran Menon and the AIG team, expedited the commencement of the liver transplant programme, said Prof Mishra adding Manas was selected as the most suitable candidate for the first liver transplant from among three cases shortlisted for surgery. The surgery was conducted early in the morning on April 3. Both the donor and recipient completed one month of successful surgery and were discharged today. They are now fit and fine, said Prof Mishra. Considering the patients socio-economic status, the hospital had arranged required post-operative medication, dietary supplements and supportive services for them. This is the first successful liver transplant not only in history of SCB but also in a government medical college in eastern India.

No heatwave in Odisha from next week

BHUBANESWAR: The unbearable heatwave across Odisha will likely subside Monday onwards providing much-needed relief to people. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said maximum day temperature is likely to fall by 3 degrees Celsius to 5 degrees Celsius by next week. Thunderstorm and lightning accompanied with gusty surface wind speed reaching 40 km/h to 50 km/h are likely to prevail at one or two places in Khurda, Cuttack, Puri and 16 other districts on Monday. Light to moderate rainfall/thundershower activity may occur at a few places in coastal and interior districts during the period. The Met office said light to moderate rainfall and thundershower activity is expected to continue in parts of Odisha till May 10. On the day, sweltering condition prevailed in the state as 25 places recorded 40 degrees Celsius or more. Boudh and Nuapada were hottest at 44 degrees Celsius each. Twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 39.7 degrees Celsius and 39 degrees Celsius. The Met office said heatwave condition is likely to prevail in Angul, Boudh, Balangir and Nuapada districts on Sunday. There is a possibility of the capital city recording less than 40 degrees Celsius for the second consecutive day on Sunday.

Updated: Revised News Schedule

Updated: Revised News Schedule National news schedule for Sunday, May 5 NATIONAL **** Lok Sabha elections related stories and other political developments NCR *** Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai to address 'Delhi Tamil Samagam' at Talkatora Stadium BJP press conference Stories related to Lok Sabha elections *** NORTH **** PM to address poll rallies in Etawah, Sitapur and hold roadshow in Ayodhya Rajnath Singh to campaign in Lucknow Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to hold roadshow in Kharar Campaigning ends for third-phase seats in UP **** SOUTH ****Election related developments Andhra Pradesh Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh to address poll rallies Telangana: Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah to address election rallies EAST **** PM Modi to reach Odisha on a 2-day tour. BJP president JP Nadda to release party manifesto for twin polls External Affairs minister S Jaishankar to attend meetings in Cuttack and Sambalpur. Bengal: Mamata Banerjee to address rallies in Bardhaman Durgapur, Birbhum, Bolpur Abhishek Banerjee to address two rallies at Krishnanagar and Malda North Third phase campaign end stories from Bengal, Bihar and Assam Poll-related stories from states *** WEST ****BJP president J P Nadda to address poll rally at Surajpur in Surguja Lok Sabha constituency of Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai to address press conference in Raipur Chhattisgarh Congress president Deepak Baij's press conference Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate to address press conference in Ahmedabad Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav to campaign in Vidisha, Guna and Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituencies. Sharad Pawar to address last campaign rally in Baramati in support of his daughter Supriya Sule Congress leader Girish Chodankar to address press conference in Panaji ***

BJDs Santrupt richest with property worth over Rs 482 crore

CUTTACK: Santrupt Misra (58), former HR head of Aditya Birla Group, who is contesting as BJD candidate from Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency is the richest to have filed nomination so far in Odisha. Misra in his affidavit submitted during filing of his nomination papers before returning officer-cum-collector, Cuttack Arindam Dakua on Saturday has declared that he and his wife Alka A Misra possess movable and immovable property worth Rs 482,21,02,942. As per the affidavit, while Santrupt has movable property including savings, investment, 100 gram gold jewellery, a MG ZS EV, a BMW sports car, a Mercedes car, a Mahindra SUV etc worth Rs 408,74,27,161, his wifes movable property include savings, investments, a Honda City car, 250 gram gold jewellery, etc worth Rs 11,72,15,787. Similarly, Santrupt has immovable property including land in Maharashtra, residential buildings including flats in Hyderabad and Mumbai worth Rs 53,06,10,000, his wife possesses a flat in Maharashtra, plot and flat in Mumbai worth Rs 8,68,50,000. Besides, Santrupt has declared that Alka has taken unsecured loan amounting to Rs 6,53,72,750 from him.

After willing house to rickshaw puller, Cuttack woman to fight polls for poor

CUTTACK: With enthusiasm writ large on her face, Cuttacks Minati Patnaik is all set to begin a new chapter in her life. This time, as a politician. The 64-year-old resident of Sutahat, who had come to limelight in 2021 for donating her house and jewellery - worth over Rs 1 crore - to a rickshaw puller, on Friday filed her nomination for contesting as Samruddha Odisha candidate for Cuttack Parliamentary constituency. She is gearing up to start her campaign across all the Assembly segments on Sunday. Loneliness, she said, prompted her to contribute to society and think of politics as a medium to do so. In 2020, she lost her husband to kidney failure and a few months later in 2021, her only daughter succumbed to cardiac arrest. With no other family member by her side, it was Budha Samal - who had been taking her around Cuttack in his rickshaw since 1994 - and his wife and three children who took care of the elderly woman. Budha and his family are the reason I am living happily today. They were my support system when I lost everything. I legally donated my house and jewellery as a little gift for their service towards my family, she said. After her noble initiative made headlines, many more people from poor socioeconomic backgrounds from across Cuttack district approached Minati for help in cash and kind. And, the latter obliged every time. This kept her engaged. But to reach out to a bigger audience, she needed political representation and this is when she decided to approach BJP ahead of the twin elections. However, as she could not connect to anyone in the saffron party to seek a ticket, Minati decided to enter the poll fray as an Independent contender. Recently, though, members of Samruddha Odisha approached her with a ticket from Cuttack and she agreed. The party was floated by Jatish Chandra Mohanty, a 1979-batch Odia IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, who quit bureaucracy to enter politics. Minati now wants to contribute to fulfil Mohantys dream, at least in Cuttack district. Pitted against heavyweights like BJPs Bhartruhari Mahtab and BJDs Santrupt Misra, she wants to give this political opportunity her best. Her campaign strategy, she said, includes reaching out to every family at the grassroots in all the seven Assembly segments and collecting peoples grievances. Her main poll planks are migration, employment and livelihood issues. I will use all my might and my remaining resources to meet every family under the constituency before the elections. If I win, I will ensure all their grievances pertaining to land and employment are resolved on priority basis, she said. Although a political greenhorn, Minati claimed she is not unaware of Odisha politics. I have wanted to be a part of state politics since my college days to help people who were never mapped to any of the governments schemes. But that dream could never take off because of my marriage and family responsibilities, said Minati, happy with finally receiving the opportunity in her 60s. Budha and his sons, on the other hand, have decided to stand by her during the campaign.

Odisha needs a leader risen from grassroots: EAM

BHUBANESWAR: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said Odisha needs a government that will have energy and commitment to propel the economic growth by utilising its skilled manpower and abundant natural resources. Addressing a media conference here, Jaishankar said, The need of the hour is to have a government that will be a good partner of the Narendra Modi government and have energy and commitment. Making a strong pitch for a BJP government in the state, Jaishankar said, You need a less bureaucratic government and a corruption free atmosphere for ease of doing business. But here is a government that has failed to utilise the natural resources which many other developed states do not have. The manufacturing sector has not done well despite the state being rich in natural resources. He said the country has high expectations from Odisha because of its rich culture, talented manpower and bountiful natural resources. Given the talent and resources in the state, it requires a government that can stir international interest which is sadly missing. I had the good fortune during my young days to associate with many talents from the state. I admire the talent of the people from Odisha who are now working at international level. But I feel sorry for the current state of affairs of a state like Odisha which has great cultural heritage, he said. He cited the priority of the Modi government to promote Odisha in topmost international forums saying the prime minister had many choices but he preferred to showcase the Konark wheel in the G-20 meet last year. This just shows his great admiration for the rich art and culture of the state, the EAM said. Highlight the tremendous support the state government received during the last 10 years from the Centre, Jaishankar said some central schemes are not being implemented for political reasons while the state has not taken the desired benefits out of some other schemes like PM-Kisan. He urged people of the state to make the hands of Modi stronger by sending maximum MPs from the state to achieve the target of 400 plus seats. We want a BJP government in Odisha so that it gets an opportunity to work closely and effectively with Modi government in Delhi, he added. The EAM addressed a meeting of intellectuals before leaving for Cuttack for his election-related assignments. He will visit Samabalpur where he is scheduled meet party workers on Sunday.

EAM S Jaishankar in Odisha on two-day visit

Bhubaneswar: In the run-up to the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, Union External Affairs Minister and BJP leader S Jaishankar Saturday landed in Bhubaneswar on a two-day visit to the state. Jaishankar will address an intellectual meeting in Bhubaneswar in the evening and attend a party meeting in Cuttack Sunday. The Union Minister []

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar Reaches Bhubaneswar For His 2-Day Visit To Odisha

Bhubaneswar: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar reaches Bhubaneswar for his 2-day visit to Odisha. Jaishankar will address a press conference in the evening. He will attend a party workers meeting in Cuttack the next day. He is scheduled to attend various programmes in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Sambalpur. Jaishankar met intellectuals and editors of [] The post External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar Reaches Bhubaneswar For His 2-Day Visit To Odisha appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

EAM S Jaishankar Arrives In Bhubaneswar For 2-Day Odisha Visit

Bhubaneswar: The External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived at Bhubaneswar airport for 2 day Odisha visit. Jaishankar will address a press conference in the evening. He will attend a party workers meeting in Cuttack the next day. He is scheduled to attend various programmes in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Sambalpur. The post EAM S Jaishankar Arrives In Bhubaneswar For 2-Day Odisha Visit appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

PM Modi to Hold Massive Election Rallies in Odisha on May 6

PM Modi to Hold Massive Election Rallies in Odisha on May 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president J P Nadda are scheduled to visit Odisha over the next few days to campaign for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Modi is slated to address two political rallies in Berhampur and Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituencies on Monday, a party leader said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is also scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to the state from Saturday, during which he will meet intellectuals and journalists. Nadda, who had addressed a rally in Berhampur on April 28, will again visit Odisha on Sunday to chalk out election strategies, BJP state unit vice-president Golak Mohapatra told reporters here. ''The BJP chief will attend party programmes in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The EAM will be on a two-day visit to Odisha during which he will attend several events in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Sambalpur,'' Mohapatra said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had launched the BJP's election campaign in Odisha on April 25 from Sonepur. Simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections will be held in Odisha in four phases from May 13.

EAM Jaishankar to visit Odisha on May 4

BHUBANESWAR: With only 10 days left for Odishas first phase election to Lok Sabha and Assembly, the BJP has lined up its star campaigners to undertake an aggressive campaign in the state. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is coming on a two-day visit to the state beginning Saturday. He is scheduled to meet editors of various media houses and later intellectuals on May 4 in Bhubaneswar. The next day he will interact with party workers in Cuttack, said state BJP vice-president Golak Mohapatra. This will be the first visit of Jaishankar to Odisha. National president of BJP JP Nadda is also coming on May 5. He is scheduled to meet party leaders in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. This will be the second visit of Nadda within a week.

Severe heatwave may spare first phase voting in Odisha, says IMD

BHUBANESWAR: Voters in the state may be spared the heat torture as the blistering conditions are expected to abate during the next couple of weeks. Odisha will vote in the last four legs of the general elections and it starts on May 13. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) which issued the extended range outlook for two weeks - May 3-9 and May 10-16 said isolated thunderstorm activity is expected in the state between May 10 and 16. This will likely push maximum day temperature below normal to near normal at many places during the period. Elections to four Lok Sabha seats - Nabarangpur, Berhampur, Koraput and Kalahandi and 28 Assembly constituencies will be held on May 13. Odisha is likely to get respite from heatwave from May 9 to 16 under the influence of rainfall and thundershower activity, said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre scientist, Umasankar Das. Meanwhile, day temperature started dipping slightly and heatwave condition is expected to subside from next week onwards. The mercury is likely to dip gradually by 3 degree Celsius to 4 degree C at many places May 6 onwards due to rainfall and thundershower activity, said the Met office. Weather experts said moisture incursion from Bay of Bengal has strengthened and may trigger thundershowers next week. The thundershower activity will remain strong till May 11 but will take time for the mercury level to rise again. However, scorching heat will continue in parts of the state for two more days. Maximum day temperature is likely to remain above normal by 3 degree C to 4 degree C and heatwave expected to prevail in some places till Sunday. On the day, 26 places recorded 40 degree C or more and Boudh was the hottest at 44.6 degree C. After some respite for 24 hours, mercury level again witnessed a rise in Bhubaneswar as the city recorded 41.6 degree C. The day temperature in the capital was above normal by 3.9 degree C. Neighbouring Cuttack recorded 40.5 degree C and it was warmer by 3.2 degree C. The day temperature in the capital city is likely to remain around 40 degree C on Saturday.

Orissa HC rejects bail pleas of three RTI activists for spreading fake news

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of the three Right to Information (RTI) activists accused of spreading fake news related to the deployment of police personnel for the protection of VK Pandian, the chairman of 5T and close aide of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The three RTI activists - Pradip Pradhan, Prakash Dash and Srikant Pakal had filed anticipatory bail applications after cases were registered against them for allegedly committing forgery by using forged documents to spread fake news at the Saheed Nagar police station in Bhubaneswar on April 2. The number of police personnel deployed around Pandian was unusually as high as 74, the trio had informed at a press conference in Bhubaneswar on March 30. The information was obtained by exercise of RTI Act, it was claimed. But the state police administration had immediately dismissed the claim stating that no such reply was supplied to any RTI applicant. While rejecting the anticipatory bail applications, the single judge bench of Justice Chittaranjan Dash acknowledged the weight of the allegations against the petitioners, which prima facie establishes the accusations of forgery and misrepresentation of information obtained through the RTI Act. In the above premises, grant of anticipatory bail to the petitioners would not serve the interests of justice, as there exists substantial material suggesting their involvement in grave misconduct under the alleged offences, Justice Dash observed. Justice Dash also said that the actions alleged not only violate the sanctity of the RTI Act but also erode public trust and reliance on the work conducted by RTI activists for promoting transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in governance.

Poll fever grips Cuttack as bigwigs file nominations

CUTTACK: Several rallies were taken out in the city on Friday several heavyweight candidates including BJPs Bhartruhari Mahtab, BJDs Santrupt Misra and Samrudha Odishas Minati Patnaik, known for giving away her property worth Rs 1 crore to a rickshaw puller, filing their nominations for Cuttack Parliamentary constituency. Mahtab, rode pillion on a bike and arrived at the returning officer and district collector Arindam Dakuas office along with a handful of supporters. This election will certainly be a fight for Odia Asmita. The BJP has already announced and promised financial assistance to women through welfare schemes and pensions. Along with development, there is Prime Minister Narendra Modis guarantee. The problems of Cuttack district like lack of industries, cold storages and defunct sugar mills, will be addressed. The fight is for a double-engine government and to protect Odia Asmita, Mahtab told mediapersons after filing his nomination. Santrupt, however, arrived at the office in a huge workers rally from Biju Patnaik Park and filed his nomination in the presence of Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, Rajya Sabha MP Debasish Samantaray, CMC Mayor Subhas Singh, Barabati-Cuttack MLA candidate Prakash Behera. Development and transformation work undertaken by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his popularity are reflected in each household of Cuttack. It will help me winning the election with a huge margin, said Misra to mediapersons after filing his nomination. Minati of Sutahat locality, who moved by love and affection shown by a rickshaw puller and his family had adopted him and gifted him all her jewellery, land and residential building worth Rs 1 crore in 2021, has also filed her nomination for contesting as a candidate of Samruddha Odisha. BJPs Bhartruhari Mahtab filing nomination on Friday | Express I have been serving the poor and distressed after the death of my daughter and husband. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who has been governing Odisha for the last 25 years does not like Odia people. I dont know why Pandian, a non-Odia stands by his side. Similarly six-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab keeps harping about receiving the best parliamentarian award. What did the people of Cuttack get from his award. I have also received several awards after media highlighted my story of donating my property to a rickshaw puller. Samruddha Odisha political party has given me ticket and I am going to contest the election. I assure to serve people and develop villages. If people express discontentment, then I shall resign within a year, said Minati. Apart from nomination of three MP candidates, Congress nominee for Barabati-Cuttack Assembly segment Sofia Firdous accompanied by her father Mohammad Moquim and a few of her supporters filed her nomination paper before returning officer-cum-sub-collector Jyoti Sankar Roy. In view of scorching heat, I did not want to trouble my workers. Hence instead of a rally, I came with my father and a few supporters to file my nomination, said Sofia. Similarly BJDs nominee for Choudwar-Cuttack Assembly segment Souvic Biswal, BJPs Nayan Kishore Mohanty and Congress candidate Meera Mallik arrived in rallies to file their nominations on Thursday. BJDs candidate for Cuttack Sadar seat Chandra Sarathi Behera and BJP candidate Prakash Chandra Sethi filed their nomination before ADM (Election) Siba Toppo on the day.

Rs 461 crore assets, ex-Birla exec is richest Odisha candidate

Santrupt Misra, ex-HR head of Aditya Birla, contests Lok Sabha from Cuttack with Rs 461 crore assets. Joined BJD post-retirement. ITRs: Rs 76.23 crore income, Bank deposits: Rs 4 crore. Movable assets: Rs 408 crore. Owns luxury cars.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to visit Odisha on May 4; BJP national president JP Nadda on May 5

Bhubaneswar: BJP National President JP Nadda is scheduled to visit Odisha on May 5, 2024. He is scheduled to meet party leaders in Bhubaneswar, informed State BJP vice-president Golak Mohapatra on Friday. Nadda is also scheduled to visit Cuttack and share key instructions with party workers and leaders regarding the strategy of the party [] The post External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to visit Odisha on May 4; BJP national president JP Nadda on May 5 appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Odisha: Five arrested, CISF constable axed for negligence of duty

PARADIP: Police on Wednesday busted a racket that was illegally lifting coal from within a prohibited area of Paradip Port and arrested five persons in this connection besides suspending a CISF constable for negligence of duty. On April 29, three trucks had entered the prohibited zone within the port to unload iron ore. Though the trucks were to leave without any cargo, sources said, around 30 to 35 metric tonne of coal was loaded on each of them. The vehicles then left through the port gate without proper checking or transit passes. Later acting on an intel, police patrolling the port town chased the vehicles. While two vehicles managed to escape, one was detained at Atharbanki and its driver Kamal Seikh arrested. During interrogation, Seikh confessed to transporting the stolen coal to Manguli in Cuttack besides revealing the names of his accomplices. Seikh was from Mirzapur in Jharkhand while his aides were identified as Galib Hasim and Rakesh Panda of Jajpur, Barada Behera of Kendrapara, and Subhransu Sekhar Mohanty from Cuttack. The suspended CISF constable is Amit Lakra. President of Jagannath Truck Owners Association Rakesh Jena said the trucks had loaded coal without obtaining proper loading slip from local truck associations. The truck did not have a waybill or other necessary documents for transporting cargo from the port. Local unscrupulous transport agencies are using outside trucks for illegal transport of coal and other cargo because they offer lower rates, he added. Paradip SP Rashmi Ranjan Sahu filed an FIR at Paradip Model police station and a case under sections 379, 411, and 34 of the IPC was registered. Assistant superintendent of police, Paradip Santosh Kumar Jena said `1.98 lakh in cash, two cars and eight mobile phones were seized from the accused. More people are likely to be arrested in this connection. Commandant CISF Akshit Patel said constable Lakra was suspended for negligence of duty. Inquiry is underway against other personnel on duty during that time and action will be taken against them if found guilty, he informed. Sources said some transport and stevedoring agencies, instead of hiring local trucks for transporting cargo in the port, reportedly engaged outside trucks because they charged lower rates and facilitated illegal transport of coal and other cargo from the prohibited areas within the port.

Odisha: Furnace explosion in KJS Ahluwalia plant leaves 10 injured

KEONJHAR/BARBIL: At least 10 workers sustained grievous burn injuries following an explosion in one of the furnaces of KJS Ahluwalia Steel Plant on Thursday evening. Four of the injured were critical and shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Sources said an explosion took place in induction furnace number -1 of the plant and molten iron spilled on the workers who were present under it. The plant is situated in Barapada area within Rugudi police limits. The injured workers were immediately rushed to Keonjhar district headquarters hospital and four of them were later shifted to SCB. Dr Pradeep Kumar Naik, a senior specialist in Department of Surgery, confirmed that four persons were critically injured in the accident which took place at about 4.45 pm. Police sources said the injured workers are natives of different states like Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and Assam. Deputy director and assistant director of Directorate of Factories and Boilers visited the spot to investigate the matter. The reason behind the explosion is yet to be ascertained. Initial investigation revealed about eight workers sustained injuries due to the explosion. Further probe into the matter is continuing, said DIG, Niti Shekhar. Odisha Fire and Emergency Service personnel rushed to the spot but things did not get worse as the incident did not trigger any fire accident. The incident has raised concerns about safety of the workers in the plant. In January this year, an explosion had occurred in induction furnace-2 of the same plant.

No compensation for railway trespassing deaths: Orissa High Court

CUTTACK: Dismissing a batch of petitions, the Orissa High Court has held that though the Railways implement safety measures and regulations to prevent accidents, individuals who trespass on railway tracks are ultimately responsible for their own safety. The batch of 19 petitions involved cases relating to deaths that occurred between 2012 and 2023 while crossing the railway track. The petitioners sought direction to the railway authorities to pay compensation against the unnatural death of their kin in a railway accident. The single judge bench of Justice SK Panigrahi on Tuesday said, the railway tracks are designed for the safe passage of trains and not intended for pedestrian use. The evidence presented indicated that the deceased individuals perished as a result of being struck by a train while traversing the railway tracks. While the petitioners did not contest this fact, their counsels failed to substantiate any claims regarding the negligence of the railway authorities. Instead, they relied solely on appeals for the courts sympathy, Justice Panigrahi observed. While this court extends its deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased, it is imperative to note that mere sympathy cannot serve as a basis for compensating the family in the absence of a compelling legal argument. Railways often emphasise the importance of safety around railway tracks, but it is true that trespassing on tracks is a significant safety concern, he stated. He further added that a majority of the deaths every year on the railway tracks occurs due to crossing the tracks, which is an illegal act. Trespassing on tracks poses serious risks, including the danger of being struck by trains or encountering other hazards associated with the railway environment. Therefore, individuals who choose to cross railway tracks unlawfully assume the risk of potential accidents and cannot blame the Railways for the consequences of their actions, he stated. Expressing concern over trespassing on railway tracks, Justice Panigrahi said in 2021, a total of 1,752 rail deaths took place of which 1,114 were due to line crossing, 277 due to falling off trains and 258 due to natural causes.

Odisha agriculture minister Raja Swain has no farmland, poorer than wife

CUTTACK: Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, who claims to be closely associated with the farming community by labelling himself chasi pua, does not own any agriculture land. This was revealed in the affidavit filed by Swain at the time of filing of nomination for BJDs candidate from Athagarh Assembly seat. The 70-year-old minister has stated in his affidavit that he has neither any agricultural land nor any non-agricultural land in his name. The seven-time legislator, who rode his 40-year-old scooter for filing his papers recently, is a crorepati but trails behind his wife, Manjulata Das. While movable assets including cash, bank balance, investment, motor vehicles etc worth Rs 85,85,790 are in Swains name, Manjulata has double the amount of movable assets. Manjulata possesses investments in share market, fixed deposits, car, gold and silver jewellery along with movable assets worth Rs 1,82,58,072. While Swain has only Rs 49,600 cash in hand, his wife has Rs 41,720. Similarly, Swain possesses gold ornaments worth Rs 8.50 lakh and silver ornaments worth Rs 65,000, Manjulata owns gold ornaments worth Rs 18.5 lakh and silver ornaments worth Rs 35,000. Swain also possesses a jeep, two motorcycles and a scooter. The scooter which he had rode for filing nomination is stated to have been purchased in 1982 and is valued at Rs 1,000. Two plots at Chandrasekharpur in Bhubaneswar and Bidanasi in Cuttack valued at Rs 1.48 crore are in the name of his wife. Swain has stated he has an ancestral property (a residential building) at Chandni Chowk locality in Cuttack which is valued at Rs 64 lakh. He owns one-fourth of the property, the cost of which is around Rs 16 lakh.

Dr PC Mahapatra is BJPs pick for Cuttack-Barabati assembly seat

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Thursday announced six candidates for Assembly seats in Odisha fielding its state unit vice president Dr Purna Chandra Mahapatra in Barabati-Cuttack segment, Shambhunath Rout in Ghasipura, Ashish Patra in Bhograi, Sudhanshu Nayak in Bhandaripokhari, Umesh Chandra Jena in Bari and Prakash Chandra Ranabijuli in Begunia. A renowned gynaecologist, Dr Mahapatra was in contention for Cuttack Lok Sabha seat. He was nominated from Barabati-Cuttack segment after the party fielded six-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who defected from BJD. The former head of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the states premier SCB Medical College and Hospital left many surprised when he was chosen to one of the top posts of the party last year despite not being a primary member then. Kendrapara MP and actor-turned-politician Anubhav Mohanty, who had resigned from BJD, was also in the race for the seat. BJPs Ghasipura candidate Shambhunath is a surprise pick as speculation was rife about Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, who has been expelled from BJD, contesting from the seat after he hinted on similar lines during his visit to Maa Tarini temple at Ghatagaon on Tuesday. Known for his association with VHP and RSS, Shambhunath, had retired from state government job a few years back. The party has nominated Patra, the former block president of Congress, as the candidate from Bhograi. The three-time sarpanch and a director of Balasore-Bhadrak Central Cooperative Bank, he had resigned from Congress a week back and joined BJP on Wednesday. BJP sprang a surprise in Bhandaripokhari by nominating former BJD leader Sudhanshu, the husband of two-time chairperson of Bonth block. He had switched to saffron camp last year. However, Prakash, a close aide of sitting Bhubaneswar MP and BJP candidate Aparajita Sarangi has been named as the BJP candidate from the Begunia Assembly segment. It was being speculated that Begunia could be offered to veteran Prasanna Patasani if he switches to BJP from BJD. Similarly, Umesh, who had contested from Bari on Congress ticket in 2019, has been chosen over former minister Debasis Nayak, who had quit BJD and joined BJP in February. The party was also reportedly waiting for sitting MLA Sunanda Das to switch allegiance after she was denied a ticket by BJD this time.

Odisha polls: A renowned doctor is BJPs prescription for success in Cuttack-Barabati seat

Though he has friends and admirers across political parties, Dr. Mohapatra has chosen the BJP in order to align with a national party

9 hurt in steel plant blast

Keonjhar: Nine workers of a steel plant suffered critical burn injuries following a blast at the induction furnace at Barpada under Rugudi police limits in Keonjhar district, Thursday. Among the injured, condition of three of the workers is stated to be very critical. All the injured were shifted to a private hospital in Cuttack after []

BJP Releases Candidates for Six Additional Assembly Seats in Odisha

BJP Releases Candidates for Six Additional Assembly Seats in Odisha The BJP on Thursday announced candidates for six more assembly seats in Odisha, including its state unit vice president Dr Purnachandra Mohapatra. Mohapatra, a doctor by profession, has been nominated from the Barabati-Cuttack assembly segment where Kendrapara MP and actor-turned-politician Anubhav Mohanty, who defected from BJD, was also in the race for the BJP ticket, party sources said. Mohapatra's name was also in the discussion for BJP nominee for the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat. With the sixth list of candidates, the party announced its nominees for 146 seats for elections to the 147-member assembly in the state. The party is yet to announce its nominee for Nilagiri in Balasore district. Prakash Ranabijuli has been named as the BJP candidate from the Begunia assembly segment and Umesh C Jena from the Bari assembly seat. Former BJD MLA and ex-minister Debasish Nayak, who was once close to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and joined the BJP after being denied a ticket in two previous elections, was in the race for a saffron camp ticket in Bari, the sources said. The BJP fielded Sudhanshu Nayak from the Bhandaripokhari seat, while Ashish Patra and Dr Sambhunath Rout will contest from Bhogarai and Ghasipura assembly segments respectively, an official release issued by the party said.

BJP Names Candidates for Six More Assembly Seats in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Thursday named the candidates for six more Assembly elections in Odisha for the upcoming elections. Here is the list of six BJP MLA candidates: Ghasipura: Shambhunath Rout Bhograi: Ashish Patra Bhandaripokhari: Sudhanshu Nayak Bari: Umesh Chandra Jena Barabati-Cuttack: Purnachandra Mohapatra Begunia: Prakash Chandra Ranabijuli The BJP party has so far announced [] The post BJP Names Candidates for Six More Assembly Seats in Odisha appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

BJP releases list of candidates for six Assembly seats in Odisha, Nilgiri seat remains to be announced

Bhubaneswar: The BJP Thursday declared a fresh list of candidates consisting of six names for the upcoming Assembly elections in Odisha. The party allotted tickets to Purnachandra Mohapatra for Barabati-Cuttack Assembly seat and Sudhanshu Nayak for Bhandaripokhari seat. With this announcement, the saffron party has released as many as 146 candidates out of 147 Assembly []

Woman Killed As Truck Hits Scooter In Cuttack, Driver Detained

Cuttack: A woman was killed as a truck hit the scooter she was travelling near the Durga Mandap at Chauliaganj in Cuttack district on Thursday. As per reports, the mishap occurred while the woman along with her husband was going to Cuttack in a scooter. The couple hails from the Gatiroutpatna area. A truck hit [] The post Woman Killed As Truck Hits Scooter In Cuttack, Driver Detained appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Rain-soaked Odisha gets respite from scorching heat as thunderstorm hits

Rain-soaked Odisha gets respite from scorching heat as thunderstorm hits Thunderstorms along with rain brought respite from the prevailing heatwave conditions in some coastal districts of Odisha on Wednesday, even as 15 towns in the state recorded temperatures of 43 Celsius or above. Thunderstorms along with rain, lightning and hailstorms occurred in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Banki, Athagarh, and some other places in the state this afternoon, an IMD official said. Lightning along with rainfall would occur in the south coastal, north coastal, and neighbouring coastal districts of Odisha in the next 24 hours, the official said. The districts of Rayagada, Gajapati, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Nayagarh and south interior pockets would witness rainfall, said Manorama Mohanty, director, Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre. The temperatures may fall by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius due to rainfall activities. However, severe heatwave conditions would continue in the state for the next few days, she said. ''We have issued a red alert for heatwave in some districts in the next two days while an orange warning is issued for another two days and then yellow warning. It shows that the temperature would gradually come down in many parts of the state,'' Mohanty said. She said that the day temperature would fall by 4 to 5 degrees Celsius in the state after May 5. On Wednesday, 15 towns in Odisha recorded a maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius or above. The coal town of Talcher was the hottest place in the state at 45 degrees Celsius, followed by Boudh and Titlagarh with 44.5 degrees each. Nuapada town in western Odisha recorded a temperature of 44.4 degrees Celsius while it was 44.3 degrees at Angul and Jharsuguda, 44 degrees at Bolangir and 43.8 degrees at Baripada.

Norwester Rain Brings Slight Relief From Sizzling Heat

Bhubaneswar: After experiencing rainfall due to Norwester, Odisha has now received some relief from the scorching heat. Rain shower was experienced in Twin cities of Cuttack And Bhubaneswar along with several other parts of Odisha. The sizzling temperatures have come down in most parts. Twin cities and many parts of the state experienced rains [] The post Norwester Rain Brings Slight Relief From Sizzling Heat appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Severe heat wave forecast in W Bengal Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand; isolated rains predicted over Kerala, TN

Severe heat wave forecast in W Bengal Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand; isolated rains predicted over Kerala, TN The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday has issued a red alert for Severe heatwave conditions in Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand for Wednesday and Thursday. On Tuesday Kalaikunda, located in Gangetic West Bengal, recorded the highest temperature in the country at a sweltering 47.2 degrees Celsius. As per a warning issued at 9.30 am today the Met Department has said that Heat wave to Severe Heat Wave condition very likely to prevail in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Angul, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack and Boudh.Heat wave condition very likely to prevail in the districts of Deogarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Nuapada, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Malkangiri, , Nawarangpur, Gajapati, Rayagada. It further said that hot and humid weather condition very likely to prevail in the districts of Koraput, Puri, Ganjam. According to the technical definition, it is considered to be a heat wave if maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degree Celsius or more for the plains and at least 30 degree or more for hilly regions. According to the IMD strong surface winds (25-35 kmph) very likely to prevail over Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi for today and tomorrow. Also a trough/wind discontinuity runs from southeast Madhya Pradesh to South Interior Karnataka in lower tropospheric levels and under its influence, isolated to scattered, light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning very likely over Kerala and Mahe and Tamil Nadu during next 7 days and Lakshadweep today. Yesterday, the lowest minimum temperature of 13.2 degree Celsius was reported at Amritsar. According to the weather department, heat wave to severe heat wave conditions have prevailed in most areas of Gangetic West Bengal. Additionally, several parts of Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha are experiencing similar weather patterns, with isolated heat wave pockets reported in the Konkan region. Meanwhile, the state of Odisha is reeling under intense heat as 30 cities reported more than 41 degrees and 29 cities recorded 42 degrees Celsius and above. Baripada, a town in the Mayurbhanj district, has recorded a scorching 46.4 degrees Celsius, while the coastal district of Balasore reached 46 degrees Celsius marking its all-time highest temperature in the last 10 years. The Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bhubaneswar, Manorama Mohanty said, In Odisha, 30 cities reported 41 degrees Celsius and above and 29 cities recorded 42 degrees Celsius and above. Baripada in Mayurbanj district reported 46.4 degrees Celsius. Balasore reported 46 degrees Celsius which is the highest temperature recorded in the last 10 years. As Balasore is a coastal district and due to disturbances in nature, these types of problems are arising, she added informing about the cause of such a high temperature in the coastal district of Balasore. She also said that a red alert has been issued for the district of interior Odisha for the next three days starting from Tuesday. These unprecedented temperatures are largely due to the prevailing north-westerly/westerly dry air combined with high solar insolation. This weather pattern is causing temperatures across Odisha to rise, said Mohanty. IMD Director further said that day temperature is very likely to rise slightly by 3 degrees Celsius to 6 degrees Celsius over some districts of Odisha during the next 4 to 5 days. Mohanty advised people to take precautions, especially during peak hours from 11am to 4 pm. Yesterday, maximum temperatures were in the range of 43-46 degree Celsius over many parts of Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha; in some parts of Jharkhand, Telangana and Rayalaseema and in isolated pockets of Madhya Maharashtra The temperature was in the range of 40 degree Celsius to 43 degree Celsius over many parts of Bihar, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh; in some parts of East Uttar Pradesh, Marathawada, Gujarat, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and in isolated pockets of West Madhya Pradesh and North Interior Karnataka. These were above normal by 4-8 degree Celsius in many parts of Gangetic West Bengal and Bihar; in some parts of Odisha and in isolated pockets of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Konkan, Telangana and Kerala. (ANI)

NGT warns collector for not acting against illegal mining on poll code plea

CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday said the Orissa Space Applications Centre (ORSAC) cannot take the plea of model code of conduct and express inability to conduct survey of and provide report on mining activities at Nihalprasad road metal stone quarry in Gondia tehsil of Dhenkanal district. NGTs East Zone bench in Kolkata said this when the collector of Dhenkanal filed an interlocutory application seeking four months time for filing the affidavit along with ORSACs survey report with satellite data that was necessary to assess the quantity of mining for calculating the illegal excess mining at the quarry. The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by Santanu Bhukta, a resident of the area seeking intervention against illegal operations involving excess mining beyond the prescribed limit and violation of environmental clearance (EC) conditions at Road Metal Stone Quarry. Advocate Sankar Prasad Pani represented the petitioner. The state counsel SK Nayak also submitted a letter received from ORSAC on April 22, 2024. The letter said satellite data on the stone quarry would be available only after MCC is over. So, permission from Election Commission is required for conducting the ORSAC survey with regard to allegations of illegal mining at the stone quarry. Taking the letter on record, the bench of Justice B Amit Sthalekar (judicial member) and Dr Arun Kumar Verma (expert member) said, We fail to understand as to why sanction of the Election Commission is required for a survey into an investigation of an alleged criminal activity. The notices in this case were issued on 22.10.2023 and at that time there was no model code of conduct and there were no elections. We fail to understand as to why ORSAC cannot conduct the survey without the sanction of the Election Commission and provide report to the collector & district magistrate, Dhenkanal, the bench observed. We, therefore, direct the collector & district magistrate, Dhenkanal, to ensure that the affidavit along with ORSAC report is filed within four weeks failing which provisions of section 26 of the NGT, 2010 would be invoked, the bench said.

BJD leader Debi Mishra challenged by new faces in Odisha's Baramba

CUTTACK: Political atmosphere has begun picking up pace in Baramba Assembly constituency with senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra along with the partys Cuttack MP Santrupt Misra filing his nomination in the office of the Athagarh sub-collector on Tuesday. The interesting part, though, is the 66-year-old senior BJD leader has this time locked horns with two new faces, Sambit Kumar Tripathy of BJP and Sanjay Kumar Sahoo of Congress. A six-time winner from the Assembly segment, Mishra has been representing the seat consecutively for the last six terms since 1995, the first being as a Janata Dal nominee and the remaining five terms since 2000 as a BJD candidate. The Baramba Assemby segment comprises 75 gram panchayats including 38 GPs in Baramba and 37 GPs in Narasinghpur. Forty-eight-year-old Tripathy, a native of Krushanchandrapur in Baramba block, had earlier worked as a private secretary to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. After taking voluntary retirement from his job as an IRS officer in 2020, Tripathy joined BJP a year back. Apart from actively engaging in several voluntary works in his native constituency for the last one year, Tripathy has also helped farmers gain profit by adopting modern methods of farming. The saffron party has denied ticket to Bijay Dalabehera who had contested unsuccessfully in the 2019 Assembly polls bagging 72,545 votes as against the senior BJD leader who polled 90,564 votes. Under Dalabeheras leadership, BJP had won seven of the eight zilla parishad seats in the three-tier panchayat election. Dalabehera said he would contest as an Independent if the party failed to reconsider his candidature. Meanwhile, Congress candidate Sanjay Kumar Sahoo of Champeswar said he has dedicated his life for the party serving people of the Baramba constituency. After getting ticket, I have tried to unite all Congress workers to regain victory the party had witnessed in 1980 and 1985 and fighting the polls assuring voters for the re-establishment of Baramba Sugar Mill, Sahoo said.

East Coast Railway GM inspects twin city railway station works in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: East Coast Railway (ECoR) general manager (in-charge) Mohes Kumar Behera on Tuesday inspected the redevelopment work of both Cuttack and Bhubaneswar railway stations. Behera inspected both side entry points and circulating areas of the two stations and advised railway officials to take necessary precautions to ensure safety while on work. Reviewing the pending works, he emphasised on timely completion of infrastructure projects and passenger amenities indicating a commitment to meeting scheduled targets. Once completed, both the stations will be the centres of attraction with world-class passenger facilities and enhance the travel experience. The entry points will have facilities like parking for two, three and four wheelers, pickup and drop point, parking for ambulance and VIP vehicles besides wider approach roads, air concourse for passengers waiting and foot over bridge. There will also be an integrated passenger announcement system and fire alarm protection system, food stalls, provisions for specially-abled passengers, baggage scanners, retiring rooms, passenger flow management system and integrated CCTV surveillance. Senior officials of ECoR headquarters led by chief administrative officer (construction) AG Srinivas were present during the inspections.

Severe heatwave alert issued for Cuttack and Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The IMD on Tuesday issued a red warning for the twin cities of Cuttack And Bhubaneswar for severe heatwave. The mercury touched the 44-degree mark before noon in Odisha with Balasore recording 44.1 degree C by 11:30 am on Tuesday. Bhubaneswar recorded a maximum temperature of 43.6 degree C while Jharsuguda recorded 42.5 [] The post Severe heatwave alert issued for Cuttack and Bhubaneswar appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Odisha: Three held for looting people posing as cops

CUTTACK : Badambadi police on Monday arrested three persons who used to pose as Crime Branch personnel and rob people of money, ornaments and valuables. The accused are Raza Ali (24) of Deojhiri Colony, Jafar Hussain (42) and Hasan Ali (28) Irani Gali in Maharashtra. Additional DCP Anil Mishra said, the three were arrested on the basis of an FIR filed by Sibu Biswas of Bangaon in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Sibu alleged he was en route to an imitation shop at Moon Light Lane in Pithapur to buy an anklet on April 19 at around 11.50 am when the accused intercepted him posing as personnel of Crime Branch. When Sibu asked them to prove their identity, one of the accused snatched his bag comprising Rs 30,000 in cash. The modus operandi of the accused involved employing tactics to deceive and manipulate their victims into handing over their gold ornaments or other valuables. The tactics included false accusations, intimidation or coercion against the victims. Many individuals have fallen victim to the accused, resulting in the loss of their hard-earned savings and valuables, said Mishra. The accused are involved in 14 cases of loot registered at different police stations in the city. Police seized Rs 14,950 in cash, five imitation jewellery, paper currency of Bhutan, two motorcycles, a plastic wrist watch, some personal documents and two rings from them.

30 of marriage party injured in accident

JAGATSINGNPUR : Nearly 30 people of a marriage party sustained injuries when a passenger bus in which they were travelling overturned on the Tihudi-Naharana Road, under Balikuda police station late on Sunday night. Ten of them are in critical condition. According to sources, around 40 people from Dhanurbellari, under Bandar marine police station, were returning from a marriage ceremony in Balikuda Bazaar when the mishap took place near Shova Village. The critically-injured were shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for treatment. Eyewitnesses alleged that the bus driver was under the influence of alcohol and lost control of the vehicle. Following the accident, the driver fled the scene. One of the victims, Manas Kandi, attributed the incident to the drivers reckless driving, which led to the overturning of the bus. The Balikuda police have confiscated the bus and initiated an investigation to ascertain the cause of the accident.

Nomination filing for third phase poll starts

BHUBANESWAR : After first and second phase, nomination filing process for six more Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 Assembly seats under them, that will go to polls in the third phase, began on Monday. The Lok Sabha constituencies - Sambalpur, Puri, Bhubaneswaar, Cutttack, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal along with their 42 Assembly segments will go to polls in phase - III on May 25. As per the notification of the Election Commission of India, nomination filing process for the third phase will continue till May 6. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on May 7, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is May 9. ECI representatives said a total of 94,41,797 voters, including 48,26,375 males and 46,14,134 females will exercise their franchise in more than 10,500 booths in the third phase, considered to be most crucial in terms of the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats as well as the number of heavyweights in the electoral battle. A triangular fight is expected in Sambalpur, where Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is fighting on a BJP ticket against BJD general secretary Pranab Prakash Das.Congress too has added a twist by replacing its candidate Dulal Chandra Pradhan with Nagendra Pradhan, former BJD minister and ex-MP from Sambalpur at the last moment. Apart from Sambalpur, tough fight is also expected in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack Lok Sabha seats and in some of their Assembly segments in the phase.

Red Warning issued for severe heat wave conditions in 9 Odisha districts

Bhubaneswar: Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, has issued Red Warning for severe heat wave conditions in nine districts of the State. These districts are- Khordha, Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Angul and Cuttack. IMD has issued Orange Warning for heat wave conditions to districts like Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati, [] The post Red Warning issued for severe heat wave conditions in 9 Odisha districts appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Vigilance court acquits Odisha Administrative Service officer in DA case

CUTTACK : A court of Special Vigilance Judge recently acquitted an Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer after finding him innocent in connection with a disproportionate assets (DA) case filed against him 17 years ago. Rajesh Kumar Agarwal is presently working as deputy secretary Labour & ESI. The residential and official premises of Agarwal, a 1999 batch OAS officer was raided by state Vigilance on April 26, 2007 after he was suspected of amassing wealth beyond his lawful source of income. Agarwal was then the tehsildar of Bargarh. The state Vigilance had registered a DA case against him on August 22, 2007. While the chargesheet in the case was filed after six years on August 30, 2013 for allegedly possessing disproportionate income during the check period 2003-2007, the charges were framed against him nearly 10 years later on June 26, 2023. Subsequently, Agarwal faced trial on the allegation of possessing disproportionate assets worth Rs 23.55 lakh. Advocate Susanta Kumar Dash fought the case on his behalf. After completing the trial proceedings, the court of Special Vigilance Judge (Sundargarh) reserved judgment on April 8, 2024 and delivered the judgment on April 20, 2024. The special judge Rajalaxmi Pattnayak acquitted Agarwal on finding that he, in fact, had more income than assets and expenditures contrary to the state Vigilance wings chargesheet. The trial court on scrutiny of evidences found that Agarwal had total income of Rs 37.72 lakh, which was around Rs 10.71 lakh more than his expenditure (Rs 9.30 lakh) and value of assets (Rs 17.69 lakh) during the check period. The Special Judge (Vigilance) said, It is clear that the accused has acquired no assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during the check period.

No cakewalk for Prasanta in Salipur

CUTTACK : The Salipur Assembly segment is set to witness a triangular fight between BJDs sitting legislator Prasanta Behera and newcomers from BJP and Congress. While Congress has nominated Aquib Uzzaman Khan from the seat, BJP has fielded Ollywood actor Arindam Roy. Both the newcomers are pitted against Behera who had won the seat in 2019 by polling 1,04,218 votes. While BJPs Prakash Behera had polled 70,014 votes, Congress Rabindra Kar had to lose his security deposit as he managed just 5,565 votes. However, it will not be a cakewalk for Behera who is facing locals ire over his failure to fulfil several assurances given by him in 2019 including setting up a bus stand, solving traffic and drainage problems and construction of a flyover on railway line in Tangi. This apart, Behera also has the task of resolving differences among party workers. The Vigilance raid on Salipur block and local rural development office came as a jolt to Behera. On the other hand, BJP workers are in a dilemma after Prakash joined BJD and the party preferred Arindam Roy, an outsider, over local leaders like Rashmi Ranjan Parija, Kunja Mohan Sethi, Dibakar Pradhan and Satyabadi Chaini. While bringing all the disgruntled leaders and cadre along will be an ardous task for Arindam, it will also be difficult for him to cover all the 48 gram panchayats in the segment with just a month remaining for the polls. After Congress miserable performance in 2019, Khan (32), an engineer by profession and hailing from Raisunguda locality undertook organisational activities in the segment. Khans hardwork paid off to some extent as Congress improved its performance in the Zilla Parishad elections by garnering 21,000 votes. The meeting of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the constituency on Sunday has also fuelled new enthusiasm among the party workers. The Assembly constituency has around 43,000 voters from the minority community and 80 per cent of their votes are expected to go to Congress. At least 300 to 400 Muslim voters had joined the party during a Mishran Parba (inclusion ceremony) organised by Khan in different gram panchayats, sources said.

Sunstroke claims 2 lives as Odisha grapples with heatwave

BHUBANESWAR : The blistering heatwave that has ravaged the state for the last over a fortnight has claimed two lives. The special relief commissioners (SRC) office on Monday confirmed that a 50-year-old man died of sunstroke in Dhenkanal district. On April 19, the government had confirmed the first sunstroke death in the state from Balasore district. SRC officials said they have received eight reports of suspected sunstroke deaths from different parts of the state and they are being examined. Three cases have been reported from Balangir district and one each from Cuttack, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapara. Health department officials said around 257 people were hospitalised due to sunstroke or heat-related illness in different parts of Odisha. Sundargarh reported 60 cases, the highest in the state, followed by Mayurbhanj (40) and Khurda (36). Of the total 36 cases reported in Khurda district, 18 are undergoing treatment at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. Meanwhile, 32 places recorded 40 degree C or more. Baripada sizzled at 44.8 degree C and its day temperature was above normal by 7.3 degree C. Sunstroke claims 2 lives as state grapples with heatwave Angul recorded 44.3 degree C, Boudh 44.1 degree C and Talcher 44 degree C. Bhubaneswar recorded 41.3 degree C (+3.5 degree C) and Cuttack 42.5 degree C (+5.4 degree C). The harsh weather has thrown normal life out of gear with no respite in sight as India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the searing conditions will continue through the week. Maximum day temperature is likely to remain above normal by 3 degree C to 6 degree C in some districts of Odisha during next four to five days because of prevailing northwesterly/westerly dry air and high solar insolation, said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre scientist, Umasankar Das. Heatwave to severe heatwave condition is likely to prevail in some parts of the state on Tuesday and Wednesday, he said.

Rahul Gandhi, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to Rally in Odisha's Rayagada District

Bhubaneswar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will hold an election rally in Odishas Rayagada district on May 3, , Friday, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) said on Monday. Bordering Andhra Pradesh, Rayagada which comes under Koraput Lok Sabha constituency, has socio-cultural affinities with the undivided Andhra Pradesh as it has got a sizable number of Telugu-speaking population. Apart from the party's Koraput, Behrampur and Nabarangpur Lok Sabha candidates, thousands of Congress workers and leaders from Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Gajapati districts will join the rally, sources informed. Congress which ruled Odisha for more than four decades, is now the third major force in Odisha politics after the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party. Its vote share in the state dipped to 16 per cent in 2019. Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state, it could win only one seat Koraput in 2019. In South Odisha, the party could win only two assembly seats Jeypore in Koraput district and Mohana in Gajapati district. Though the grand old party won only nine of the 147 assembly seats in the state with a vote share of only 16 per cent, its vote share in South Odisha stood at 25 per cent. We will win at least 40 seats in south and western Odisha districts this time. People of Odisha are now frustrated with the BJD government which is very much hand-in-glove with the BJP. Both the parties are systematically exploiting the people of Odisha, said OPCC campaign committee chairperson Bhakta Charan Das. Das informed that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also carry out a massive election campaign in South Odisha. Priyanka Gandhi will address an election rally in Nabarangpur on May 10. The OPCC is in the process of finalizing Mallikarjun Kharges campaign, said the OPCC campaign committee chairperson. Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a poll rally at Salipur in Cuttack district, had targeted the ruling BJD saying it had looted the states mineral resources, pushed the state into poverty and left the youths in a state hopelessness sans suitable job opportunities for them.

Three Held For Posing As Cops In Cuttack

Cuttack: The Commissionerate Police arrested three persons for impersonating policemen and looting people in Badambadi, Cuttack. Two of the arrested persons hail from Maharashtra and one from Madhya Pradesh. (This is a developing story. Check again for more details.) The post Three Held For Posing As Cops In Cuttack appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Two Bike Riders Killed In Road Mishap In Jajpur

Jajpur: Two bike riders were killed after being hit by an unknown vehicle at Badachana overbridge in Jajpur district on Monday. As per reports, the accident occurred while the two persons were on their way to Chandikhol from Cuttack. At the Badachana overbridge, the vehicle hit them and they fell from their bike. After this, [] The post Two Bike Riders Killed In Road Mishap In Jajpur appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Red Alert for severe heat wave issued for several parts of Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The regional center of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) here has issued an red alert for the heatwave in eight districts. A red alert has been issued in eight districts including Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Boudh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack and Khurda. Similarly, an orange heatwave alert has been issued for 13 places including Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, [] The post Red Alert for severe heat wave issued for several parts of Odisha appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

ECI Publishes Notification For Third Phase Of Polls In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) published the notification for the third phase of elections in Odisha on Monday. In this phase, elections will be held in Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 Assembly seats under them on May 25. The nomination process for the third phase [] The post ECI Publishes Notification For Third Phase Of Polls In Odisha appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

There is no anti-incumbency against BJD: Santrupt Misra

Former CEO of Birla Carbon and HR head of Aditya Birla Group Santrupt Misra has joined BJD after spending 28 years in the corporate world. He has been fielded by BJD from the prestigious Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency by replacing six-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab. Hemant Kumar Rout speaks to him about his and the partys prospects, and his aspirations for the constituency and its people. From the corporate world to political pitch, the transition must have been difficult for you. Did you approach BJD or the party approached you? It is not about someone approaching the other. It is a courtship that grew over a period of time. I had interacted with some people in the government on many occasions and shared many ideas. The government had offered me an opportunity in 2018 which I could not take up due to some personal reasons. And then when I decided to come to public life, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during an interaction encouraged me to join the party. The more I saw him the more I liked the man. The common ground was that he was about Odisha and I was about Odisha. However, my tryst with BJD grew after I joined the party. I chose BJD mostly for three reasons - personality of the chief minister, holistic development taken place in the state during his tenure and my intention to return to Odisha to work for my people with the experience I have acquired over the years. You belong to Puri. You could have opted for the Puri constituency. Why did you choose Cuttack? People there are saying you are an outsider. Believe me, nobody asked me the constituency I want to contest from. I did not even know that I would fight the Lok Sabha election. Thats why I think it is destiny. The party asked me to contest and I accepted it. Simply because it is an old and prestigious seat. I studied at Cuttack and I feel I am a true Katakia. Puri would have the benefit of saying my village and Cuttack is a benefit of saying where I grew up. Those who did not know my background were tagging me as an outsider. But now nobody says it. I am well accepted across the constituency. What are the major issues you have identified in Cuttack? How would you solve those issues? Skill development, employment, infrastructure, expansion of economy and tourism promotion are some of the issues that need to be addressed properly. There are a lot of young people who are in search of employment. For that, we must focus on acquiring skills. We have to make our young generation employable with the right skills. Another major issue is how to expand the economy with alternative demand creation. For example: tourism. We are going to Banaras, Haridwar and Allahabad. Can we not have people from other states at Kantilo, Dhabaleswar and other such pilgrim centres? There are places in Baramba-Narasinghpur which were visited by Buddhist monk Hiuen Tsang. Guru Nanak Dev had visited the Gurudwara near Jobra. These areas can be packaged and propagated. If our tourism gets expanded, we can also generate employment. We can have a filigree jewellery market like the cluster of shops in Dubai. We can globalise our heritage. Cuttack was always a centre of learning. We have plans for building some educational institutes of global standards so that people from other countries would love to come and study. An international institute of designing or an institute in space craft can be thought of. In Odisha, we only know about big industries. Growth of MSMEs is also one of my priority areas for Cuttack. Why would people of Cuttack vote for Santrupt Misra? For that, I am preparing a manifesto for Cuttack. This is being prepared after my meetings with people from different parts and different segments. I am trying to address most of the issues and concerns to ensure that Cuttack becomes a model constituency in the country. Is there anti-incumbency in Odisha? I have visited many places and have realised that there is no anti-incumbency against BJD. But obviously whenever you have people long representing a position, it affects. You may have done nine things for people and if you failed to do one thing, they will forget the nine things done and hold you responsible for the one thing you could not do. One thing I must say, the legitimacy of BJD has not eroded in any manner.

Heat torment on, Angul hottest at 44.3 degree Celsius

BHUBANESWAR: The intense heatwave continued its vicious run across Odisha on Sunday. While Angul was the hottest at 44.3 degree Celsius, its maximum day temperature was above normal by 4.1 degree C. Boudh recorded 44.1 degree C and Baripada 44 degree C (+6.5 degree C). Nayagarh and Cuttack sizzled at 43.7 degree C each. The day temperature was above normal by 6.6 degree C in Cuttack. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said severe heatwave prevailed in Mayurbhanj, Cuttack and Dhenkanal districts, while heatwave condition occurred in Khurda, Ganjam, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Malkangiri and Boudh districts. Most parts of the state experienced sweltering heat and 27 places recorded 40 degree C or more on the day. Of them, 12 places recorded 43 degree C or above. Bhubaneswar witnessed a marginal drop in temperature by recording 43.2 degree C but it did not provide any respite to citizens as the day temperature was above normal by 5.4 degree C. Some parts in Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jajpur districts experienced norwester rains on the day which provided a much-needed reprieve to people. Meanwhile, the regional Met office has forecast heatwave to severe heatwave in Cuttack, Khurda and 13 other districts on Monday. Odisha experienced heatwave condition for the 14th consecutive day on Sunday. Heatwave to severe heatwave condition is likely to prevail in some districts at least till Wednesday, said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre scientist, Umasankar Das. The harsh weather condition is expected to continue as the Met office has forecast maximum temperature to remain above normal by 4 degree C to 6 degree C in some parts of the state during the next three to four days. The temperature is expected to hover around 43 degree C in the capital city on Monday.

Cong releases list of 2 candidates for LS polls, 8 for assembly polls in Odisha

The party has fielded Nagendra Pradhan and Suresh Mohapatra to contest from Sambalpur and Cuttack LS seats respectively

Congress fields Nagendra Pradhan from Sambalpur

BHUBANESWAR: Congress on Sunday announced former MP Nagendra Pradhan as its candidate for Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat. The party nominated senior leader Suresh Mohapatra from the prestigious Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency. Besides, the party also nominated Sofia Firdous, daughter of senior Congress leader Mohammed Moquim as its candidate for Barabati-Cuttack Assembly seat. General secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) KC Venugopal in a release announced candidates for two Lok Sabha and eight Assembly seats. This includes replacement of candidate in Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat and two Assembly constituencies, Baripada-ST and Khandapada. Pradhan, a former minister in the Naveen Patnaik government, had won the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat in 2014 on a BJD ticket. He had resigned from BJD on Thursday and joined Congress. The grand old party had earlier announced Dulal Chandra Pradhan as its candidate from the seat but replaced him with Pradhan on the day. Mohapatra is a senior leader and at present the president of the Cuttack city Congress committee. He had earlier unsuccessfully contested Assembly elections twice from Cuttack-Choudwar and a by-election from Athagarh. Congress sources maintained he has been fielded from the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat as he is a known personality who has the potential of attracting votes. Mohapatra replaced Panchanan Kanungo, a former minister who had contested as a Congress candidate from the seat in 2019. Besides, the AICC approved the name of Sofia for Barabati-Cuttack Assembly constituency. OPCC had recommended her name on Saturday as her father and sitting MLA Mohammed Moquim cannot contest the election due to a Supreme Court order on ORHDC financial irregularities. The party also announced Pramod Kumar Hembram as its candidate from Baripada-ST Assembly seat in place of Badal Hembram. Both are district-level leaders of the party. Besides, Debiprasanna Chand, a former MLA from Jaleswar has been fielded from the seat. While Pratima Mallick, Congress candidate for Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat in 2019 has been nominated for the Assembly seat, the party has fielded Ajay Samal from Barchana. Samal had contested from Barchana on a Congress ticket in 2019. Other candidates are Fakir Samal from Pallahara and Baijayantimala Mohanty from Khandapada. Mohanty replaced Manoj Kumar Pradhan who was earlier announced as the partys candidate from the seat.

IMD issues red alert for today

Bhubaneswar: Forecasting severe heatwave conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Sunday issued a red alert for 15 out of 30 districts of the state for April 29. The districts are Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Dhenkanal, Nuapada, Bolangir, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Khurda, and Jajpur. Meanwhile, the state continued to reel under severe heatwave []

Odisha 5T chairman Pandian visits Madhu Babus birthplace

BHUBANESWAR: Chairman of 5T and BJD leader VK Pandian on Sunday visited Satyabhamapur in Cuttack district, the birthplace of Madhu Babu, and paid homage to the architect of modern Odisha. Pandian garlanded the statue and visited the Madhu Babu Museum at Satyabhamapur. Later, he met villagers and discussed about the contributions of Madhu Babu with them. The villagers thanked Pandian for the development work at Satyabhamapur which has now turned into a place of inspiration for youths. The 5T chairman had visited Satyabhamapur last year. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sanctioned a project worth `23 crore for the development of the place and renovation of the museum. The heritage place has now turned into a place of pride for the people of Odisha.

Odisha: Under-construction portico caves in, four workers injured

PURI: At least four persons suffered grievous injuries after the under-construction portico of a building collapsed on them at Puri railway station on Sunday. The mishap took place at around 9.45 am. Sources said six workers were engaged in roof slab casting of the portico as part of the ongoing Puri railway station redevelopment plan. All of a sudden, the structure collapsed trapping four of the workers under the debris. Hearing the loud sound, other workers present nearby rushed to the spot and rescued the trapped persons. The injured workers were taken to the district headquarters hospital, Puri. One of them was later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after his condition worsened. On being informed, the Government Railway Police (GRP), fire services personnel and authorities of East Coast Railway (ECoR) reached the spot. Sub-divisional magistrate Gopinath Kuanr and the city DSP of Puri also arrived at the mishap site. Suspecting that more workers could be trapped under the debris, JCB machines were engaged to remove the collapsed iron structure installed for laying the roof. Locals claimed no engineer was present at the construction site to ensure the safety of workers. The mishap took place due to the negligence of the railway authorities, they alleged. Meanwhile, ECoR has ordered a probe into the incident. Official sources said the chief administrative officer (construction) has been asked to ascertain the reasons behind the collapse and a submit a report. Action would be taken as per rules if anyone is found guilty. The local construction agency entrusted with the job will also be brought to the task if any negligence is found on its part, the sources added. The Puri railway station is being redeveloped at a cost of around `364 crore. BC Bhuyan Construction Pvt Ltd is executing the modernisation works.

Odisha: Madhu Babu museum lies in neglect

CUTTACK: Two years after it was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the museum and interpretation centre constructed at the birthplace of Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das at Satyabhamapur in Salipur block is languishing in abject neglect. Constructed at a cost of `1.62 crore by the Tourism department, the centre was inaugurated by the chief minister virtually on April 28, 2022 on the 174th birth anniversary of Madhu Babu. However, the centre is locked since then much to the consternation of tourists and locals. Sources said, except a few photographs which were reportedly brought from Madhu Babus ancestral house, the centre does not have any rare artefact pertaining to his life of or daily use articles. The apathy of the government towards the centre is such that it is yet to appoint a caretaker or curator for the centre. The centre was handed over to secretary of Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, which runs from Madhu Babus ancestral house at Satyabhamapur for operation and maintenance. Several rare objects relating to the life of Madhu Babu and his daily use articles are preserved in the state museum and also at several other places. If the same are collected and showcased in the museum, it will not only attract tourists but also inspire people especially the young generation. The proposed light and sound show on the life of Madhu Babu and his achievements is also yet to materialise, said some locals. The state government had initiated steps for renovating Rasa Pokhari, a pond located in front of Madhu Babus ancestral house around two-and-a-half years back. But due to lack of maintenance, its condition is fast deteriorating. The state government had assured to develop Satyabhamapur village into a model village. Though it has declared the birthplace of Madhu Babu as a tourist place, nothing substantial has so far been done to attract tourists, alleged locals. Efforts to elicit response on the matter from the district administration proved futile.

Deprived of road, villagers of Cuttacks Srikrishnapur threaten to boycott Lok Sabha polls

CUTTACK: The call for No road no vote given by residents of ward nos 1, 2 and 5 of Srikrishnapur gram panchayat in Mahanga block is gaining momentum with villagers vowing to boycott the polls and women standing guard holding sticks to restrict entry of candidates into the locality. Fed up with the apathy of the administration which is yet to construct a concrete road to the villages in the panchayat, the locals said, politicians make promises before every election and forget them once the polls are over. Though the three wards of Srikrishnapur panchayat are located just 300 metre from Mahanga block headquarters, the administration is yet to construct concrete road to the area. Absence of a motorable road in the area continues to cause hardships for residents by posing a hindrance to movement of ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Mahanga BDO Bishwa Ranjan Biswas said he would apprise the matter to district election officer. Necessary steps will be taken for redressal of the villagers grievance, he said. Similarly, deprived of basic facilities like safe drinking water, anganwadi centre and record of rights (ROR), more than 30 tribal families of underdeveloped Kendugadia village in Karanji gram panchayat under Tangi-Choudwar block too have threatened to boycott the elections. Though we have a concrete road which was constructed under Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana, there is no anganwadi centre in our village due to which our children are deprived of pre-schooling education and nutrition. Though the state government has provided RORs, the land are in possession of influential land mafia who threaten us whenever we try to reclaim them. The water from the two tubewells dug up by the administration is not fit for drinking as a result of which we fetch water from a bathing pond, said Maheswar Darai, Dambaru Sinku, Jema Sinku, Rabi Sinku and Tulasi Sinku while threatening to boycott the elections in the locality which comes under Salipur-Tangi Assembly segment. Karanji Maheswar Mahant said the tribal dominated Kedugadia village has remained neglected since long. While a concrete road has been constructed to improve communication, a survey has already been conducted to provide safe drinking water to the area.

Odisha's Heritage, Language Under Threat, Warns PM Modi

Odisha's Heritage, Language Under Threat, Warns PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed that Odishas identity and its language are under threat and people of the state will not tolerate this any longer. Modi made this assertion in an interview with a news channel, a part of which was shared by the BJP on X. The BJP should get a chance to serve the people of Odisha, the prime minister said. Odishas identity, its language and literature are in crisis today. The BJD government has worsened the situation in the state. The people will not tolerate this for much longer. This time there will be a change in Odisha, Modi said in the interview with CNBC TV18. The Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be held simultaneously in the state. The clipping of Modis interview was shared by the BJP on Sunday when the state observed Swabhiman (self-esteem) Divas on the occasion of the 176th birth anniversary of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, an icon of the state. Das was the founder of Utkal Sammilani, the architect of Odia movement, and a pioneer in the field of industrial development. He was also instrumental in the formation of a separate Odisha state in 1936. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, BJD leader and former bureaucrat VK Pandian and several others went to Satyabhamapur village near Salepur in Cuttack district to pay their tribute at the statue of Madhusudan Das during the day. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also paid floral tribute at the statue of Das. I pay my respects to Madhusudan Das on his birth anniversary. His invaluable contribution towards the creation of a separate Odisha state, promotion of industry, education, literature and the protection of the Odia community is memorable, Patnaik said in a post on X.

Odisha Lok Sabha, Assembly polls: Congress announces fresh candidate list

Bhubaneswar: In a fresh list, Congress Sunday announced names of two candidates for Lok Sabha polls and eight candidates for Assembly polls in Odisha. In place of Dulal Chandra Pradhan, Congress has fielded Nagendra Pradhan in the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency. For the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat, the party nominated Suresh Mohapatra. Among the list []

Rahul Gandhi kicks off election campaign in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, April 28 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched the election campaign for the Congress party in Odisha by making a scathing attack on both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha at an election meeting at Salepur. Addressing the gathering that arrived from Jajpur, Kendrapara Cuttack, and... The post Rahul Gandhi kicks off election campaign in Odisha first appeared on Central India's Premier English Daily .

Online Job Fraud Racket Busted In Odisha, 3 Cyber Frauds Held I Check Advisory

Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police claimed to have busted an online job fraud racket by arresting three cyber frauds from Bhubaneswar on Sunday. The arrested persons have been identified as Balgopal Barik (28) of Bargarh rural, Debendra Kumar Sethi (28) of Puri Gop area and Sandip Kumar Rout (23) of Cuttack Kalarabanka area. According to the [] The post Online Job Fraud Racket Busted In Odisha, 3 Cyber Frauds Held I Check Advisory appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Woman Sanitation Worker Dies After Hit by Truck in Sambalpur

Rairakhol: In a tragic incident, a woman sanitation worker of Rairakhol NAC died in a truck accident near Bhim Bhoi Chowk of Rairakhol town on Cuttack National Highway No. 55 on Sunday in early morning. The deceased woman has been identified as Kishori Behera (50) of Ambedkar Nagar, Rairakhol town. According to the reports, Kishori [] The post Woman Sanitation Worker Dies After Hit by Truck in Sambalpur appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Woman Sanitation Worker Dies in a Truck Accident in Rairakhol

Rairakhol: In a tragic incident, a woman sanitation worker of Rairakhol NAC died in a truck accident near Bhim Bhoi Chowk of Rairakhol town on Cuttack National Highway No. 55 on Sunday in early morning. The deceased woman has been identified as Kishori Behera (50) of Ambedkar Nagar, Rairakhol town. According to the reports, Kishori [] The post Woman Sanitation Worker Dies in a Truck Accident in Rairakhol appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

PM Modi runs govt for billionaires, CM Patnaik for few: Rahul Gandhi in Odisha poll rally

SALIPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that while PM Narendra Modi runs a government for billionaires from Delhi, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik leads a dispensation that works for select people in Odisha. Addressing an election rally in Cuttack's Salepur, Gandhi claimed that though the BJD and BJP were fighting the electoral battle against each other but in reality they were working together. Call it a partnership or marriage, both BJD and BJP are together, he claimed. Taking a dig at Patnaik, Gandhi said that though he was the chief minister, the BJD government in the state was being run by his aide VK Pandian. In an apparent reference to the PM, Gandhi said, Uncle-ji and Naveen-babu have given Odisha PAANN, meaning Pandian, Amit Shah, Narendra Modi, Naveen Patnaik. They have looted your wealth. Rs 9 lakh crore was looted through the mining scam. Rs 20,000 crore was looted through land grabs. The plantation scam was of 15,000 crore. As soon as the Congress government is formed here and in Delhi, we will start giving you back your money, he added. Gandhi claimed that similarly, the BRS in Telangana used to work with the BJP, and his party ousted it from power. While Naveen-babu has given you Pandian, I will tell you what Congress will give you. If we come to power at the Centre, we will do five revolutionary works. We will make a list of all the poor families, and one woman from a family will be selected and we will transfer Rs 1 lakh annually to her bank account. It is Rs 8,500 per month, he said. We will bring a scheme -- 'pehli naukri pakki'. All the unemployed youths with degrees and diplomas will get apprenticeships, we will give you the guarantee of your first job for a year. It will be in the public sector, private sector, government hospitals and offices, he added. Gandhi said that if Congress formed the government in Odisha, it would provide Rs 2,000 per month to women, Rs 3,000 per month to unemployed youths, 200 units of free electricity and LPG at Rs 500 per cylinder. While uncle-ji has worked for 22 billionaires, we are going to create crores of lakhpatis, he said. He alleged that BJP refers to tribals as 'banabasi' or forest-dwellers instead of 'adibasi' or indigenous people. The tribals are not 'banabasi', they are the 'adibasi', meaning they have the first right to the land, forest and water. Modi has taken away tribal rights and given them to industries. Congress will give tribals their rights back, Gandhi said. He said that if Congress returns to power, it will waive off farm loans. Whenever there is a need, Congress will waive off crop loans, he said, adding that a legal framework for MSP for all crops will also be ensured. The salary of Anganwadi and ASHA workers will be doubled, while MGNREGA wage will be hiked to Rs 400 per day, he said. Odisha will vote in the Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls simultaneously in four phases, starting on May 13. There are 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state and a 147-member assembly.

Red Alert Issued For Heatwave In Several Odisha Districts

Bhubaneswar: As predicted by the IMD, several parts of Odisha experienced intense heatwave conditions since early morning. Red alert for heatwave issued to eight districts. These districts are Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur and Boudh. Weather forecast and warning for districts of Odisha Day 1 (Valid up to 0830 hrs IST of [] The post Red Alert Issued For Heatwave In Several Odisha Districts appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Rahul Gandhi takes dig at BJD and BJP while addressing a public meeting at Salepur

Cuttack: Addressing an election rally in Cuttacks Salepur, on April 28, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that though the BJD and BJP were fighting the electoral battle against each other, in reality, they were working in tandem. The Congress Leader said, Call it a partnership or marriage, both BJD and BJP are together. Gandhi alleged [] The post Rahul Gandhi takes dig at BJD and BJP while addressing a public meeting at Salepur appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Modi runs govt for billionaires, Patnaik for select few: Rahul Gandhi

Cuttack: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that while PM Narendra Modi runs a government for billionaires from Delhi, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik leads a dispensation that works for select people in Odisha. Addressing an election rally in Cuttacks Salepur, Gandhi claimed that though the BJD and BJP were fighting the electoral battle against Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Odisha: Bissamcuttacks tryst with namesakes and party angles

RAYAGADA: For Jagannath Saraka, retaining the Bissamcuttack Assembly segment from which he has been elected twice on the trot, is not going to be a cakewalk. In the BJDs scheme of things at least in the recent past the ST and SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare minister has gained prominence, thanks to his name and the region he represents in the context of the ruling partys focus on tribal areas. However, this time he faces his namesake. Jagannath Nundruka who quit BJD and got a nomination from BJP for Bissamcuttack segment has emerged as a strong contender. Nundruka was the first Special Development Council chairman of Rayagada district and worked for BJD for more than two decades during which he adorned different post. But he felt sidelined and severed ties with the ruling party before joining the saffron outfit. Political analysts say Muniguda block is Nundrukas stronghold which adds to his confidence. Bissamcuttack constituency comprises Bissamcuttack, Muniguda, Kolnara and Kalyansinghpur blocks of Rayagada district. But the seat has too many political angles which makes it an interesting fight. The Assembly segment used to be a Congress bastion for long. Party veteran Damabrudhar Ulaka represented the seat a record seven times. It was Saraka who broke that run in the last two terms. Congress has more pocket votes than other party in Bissamcuttack. Last time, Congress candidate Nilamadhab Hikaka secured 52,818 votes, losing to Saraka who polled 66,150 votes for his victory. This also means Congress candidate Hikaka will have a head start. However, his contender will be a formidable namesake in Nilamadhab Ulaka, son of Dambarudhar Ulaka. Ulaka junior was an aspirant for Congress ticket but the grand old party did not show any interest and now he is contesting as an Independent which may split the Congress votes. He is likely to capitalise on his fathers strong base to garner a sizeable Congress votes in his favour. Additionally, the seat has seen Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contestants bagging impressive numbers in 2014 and 2019 polls. In the last election, BJP had got 23,665 votes and BSP polled 21,553 votes. The namesakes may add to confusion of the voters but it is the fissures in the two major parties which will make it an interesting watch. Thats why Nilamadhaba Ulakas performance will be crucial to the winners chances.

Staff reinstated on acquittal is not entitled to back wages, says Orissa HC

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has quashed an order issued by the Central Administrative Tribunal (Cuttack Bench) for payment of back wages to an employee for the period from the date he was dismissed from service on conviction till his reinstatement on acquittal in a criminal case not connected with his service. The Tribunal had issued the direction in the case of Sudhir Kumar Narendra, a branch post master on June 3, 2020, who was dismissed from service from July 15, 1997 after the court of Additional Sessions Judge, Puri convicted him in the criminal case. But he was reinstated in service on May 21,2008 after the high court set aside the trial court judgment on January 15, 2008. Narendra was working at the Garh Balabhadrapur branch post office in Puri district. While the petition was pending before CAT he died, and was substituted by his legal heirs. Subsequently, the Central government challenged the tribunal order in the high court in a writ appeal. Advocate Debasis Tripathy argued the case on the Central governments behalf. The judgment on it was released on April 24. The two-judge bench of Justice BR Sarangi and Justice Gourishankar Satapathy quashed the CAT order saying for the period from July 15, 1997 to January 15, 2008, which has been treated as put off-duty, the deceased employee is not entitled to get any payment as he had not rendered any service for the department. Thereby, the Tribunal has committed a gross error apparent on the face of the record by allowing the benefit of back wages for the period which is not permissible to the deceased employee, the bench ruled. The bench further ruled, The reason, for which the deceased employee was under put off duty, is on account of his involvement in a criminal proceeding and conviction in the same. Therefore, the authorities are well within their right to deny back wages to the deceased employee for the period he was not in service. The bench, however, said the put off-duty period should be counted for the purpose of eligibility for sanction of ex-gratia gratuity and severance allowance.

Heat and traffic jam agony for commuters on NH-16

BHUBANESWAR: Stuck in traffic jam, commuters had a harrowing time on the seasons hottest day on NH-16 between Satsang Vihar and Hanspal in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. For many, it was one of the worst traffic congestions of their lives as vehicles were stuck on the stretch for over an hour during peak heat time - 2.30 pm onwards. Interestingly, the traffic disruption was caused after a truck carrying raw material for construction of the flyover near Hanspal developed a mechanical snag near Naharkanta, said sources. This severely affected flow of traffic from Puri by-pass road and Bhubaneswar. Initially, people going towards Cuttack from Bhubaneswar and Puri by-pass road were stuck in the traffic snarl. As there was traffic congestion near Puri by-pass road, commuters were then not able to move towards the capital city either, said a police officer. Police sources said the 18-wheeler truck was leaning on one side of the road after breaking down. The road where the incident took place has two lanes. Our first priority was to ensure the safety of the commuters for which immediately two cranes were called to the spot and engaged to remove the heavy vehicle, said a police officer. Within minutes, the traffic congestion spread till Rasulgarh Square and affected movement of vehicles coming from Vani Vihar Square and Cuttack-Puri road. Citizens requested police to ensure smooth traffic flow amid the prevailing heatwave so that commuters do not face any inconvenience or health issues.

Bhubaneswar records its hottest day this season

BHUBANESWAR: As the dangerously hot weather tightened its grip over Odisha heaping unbearable suffering on people, Bhubaneswar recorded this seasons highest temperature of 44.6 degree Celsius on Saturday. The state capital was scorched by the severe heatwave as the maximum temperature went 6.8 degree C above normal. Denizens woke up to extremely uncomfortable weather as the mercury read 33.4 degree C at 8.30 am with 74 pc humidity. The temperature continued to rise as it recorded 41.2 degree C at 11.30 am and reached the peak by 2.30 pm. Blistering heat took a toll on normal life in most parts of Odisha as 33 places recorded 40 degree C or more. Of them, mercury level hovered around 43 degree C or above in 14 places. Mayurbhanj, Jajpur and Dhenkanal suffered from severe heatwave, while intense conditions prevailed in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Angul, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, Nuapada, Nayagarh and Deogarh districts. As per the regional Met office, Angul was hottest in the state at 44.7 degree C (+4.5 degree C) and Baripada 44.2 degree C (+6.7 degree C). Cuttack witnessed severe heatwave like condition as the mercury level soared to 43.4 degree C, which was above normal by 6.3 degree C. With weather office predicting continuance of the harsh conditions till at least May 9, weather experts said this seasons extreme weather could possibly turn out to be the worst since 1998. Odisha had recorded about 27 heatwave days between mid-April and May in 1998. This month, the state has already recorded 15 heatwave days in two spells. What remains a cause of concern is that Odisha normally experiences about 11 heatwave days between April and June. Meanwhile, the regional Met office has forecast heatwave to severe heatwave condition in parts of the state till May 1. Maximum day temperature is likely to be above normal by 4 degree C to 6 degree C over some districts during next four to five days. People are advised to take precautionary measures while going outside between 11 am and 3 pm, said the met office. Long spell of northwesterly, westerly dry air and high solar insolation along with absence of significant rainfall activity has pushed the number of heatwave days to 15 so far this month. After 2010, this is the longest spell when Bhubaneswar has recorded 40 degree C or more consecutively for 11 to 12 days, said Umasankar Das, scientist of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre.

BJP names Jagadev from Khurda, Arindam from Salipur Assembly seats

BHUBANESWAR: The suspense over BJPs candidate for Khurda Assembly seat finally ended with the party fielding Chilika MLA Prasanta Kumar Jagadev over Kalucharan Khandeitaray, a strong contender. Jagadevs name figured in the fourth list of eight candidates released by the central election committee of BJP on Saturday. A resident of Tangi block in Khurda district, Jagadev was first elected to the Assembly on a BJD ticket from Begunia in 2014 and then from Chilika in 2019. He was expelled from BJD in 2022 and had joined the BJP in March this year. Expressing his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, a visibly elated Jagdev asserted the fight in Khurda will be one-sided with BJP winning the seat. Simarani Nayak, a two-time BJD MLA from Hindol who joined BJP recently after denial of a renomination from the seat by the regional party has been named from the constituency by the saffron party. The BJD preferred its Lok Sabha MP from Dhenkanal Mahesh Sahu over Nayak. Two other BJD turncoats have also been rehabilitated. Actor-turned-politician Arindam Roy has been fielded from Salipur. Roy quit BJD after learning that his chances of getting a party ticket were weak. The BJP was in search of a candidate for the Assembly seat after Cuttack district unit president of the party Prakash Chandra Behera jumped over to BJD and got nominated from Cuttack-Barabati seat. A former Congress MLA, Behera was BJP nominee from Salipur in 2019. The party has nominated Rabindra Andia, a former BJD leader from Baliapal from Basta. Andia who started his political career from Congress had joined BJD before the 2014 elections hoping for a party ticket from Basta. He quit the regional party after nomination of Subasini Jena, wife for former Balasore MP Rabindra Jena. The BJP had a surprise pick in Banikalyan Mohanty for Basudevpur Assembly constituency. A student leader from Ravenshaw College, Mohanty is a political greenhorn.Basudevpur is a pocket burrow of Bishnubrata Routray, son of former minister late Bijayshree Routray and grandson of former chief minister Nilamani Routray. As expected the BJP has again reposed confidence on Murali Manohar Shama for Champua. The party named Fakir Mohan Naik for Telkoi (ST) and Geetanjali Sethi for Kendrapara (SC).

OPCC Recommends Sofia Firdous for Cuttack-Barabati Assembly Seat

Cuttack: Sofia Firdous, daughter of the incumbent Cuttack-Barbati MLA Md. Moquim, is set to join politics. The Pradesh Congress Committee has recommended her name as a candidate for the MLA position. The proposal has been sent to the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Ajoy Kumar, Congress Odisha In-charge, stated that the AICC will make a [] The post OPCC Recommends Sofia Firdous for Cuttack-Barabati Assembly Seat appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Odisha Scorches Under Heatwave, Bhubaneswar Records 44.6 Degrees Celsius

Odisha Scorches Under Heatwave, Bhubaneswar Records 44.6 Degrees Celsius The scorching heatwave gripping Odisha has severely disrupted daily life, with temperatures soaring to alarming levels. The industrial town of Angul recorded a blistering 44.7 degrees Celsius, while Bhubaneswar, the state capital, sweltered at 44.6 degrees Celsius, marking the highest temperature this summer, weather officials said. According to the evening bulletin by the Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, a staggering 14 places in the state witnessed temperatures soaring above 43 degrees Celsius on Saturday. Severe heatwave prevailed over in districts like Khurda, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, and Dhenkanal, while the districts of Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Angul, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, Nuapada, Nayagah and Deogarh faced heatwaves, IMD said. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red warning (be alert) in 10 out of the state's 30 districts. Bhubaneswar was followed by Baripada with 44.2 degree Celsius , while Boudh, Dhenkanal and Bhawanipatna recorded 43.7 degree Celsius. Similarly, Nuapada and Jharsuguda registered a maximum temperature of 43.6 degrees, while Jajpur, Talcher and Nayagarh sizzled at 43.5 degree Celsius. IMD's weather scientist Umashankar Dash said Bhubaneswar crossed the 44-degree mark for the first time this season. He advised people to stay indoors between 11 am and 3 pm due to the prevailing hot and humid conditions. The unbearable heat wave compelled residents to stay indoors, leading to deserted roads in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack between 10 am and 4 pm. In its mid-day bulletin, the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar forecast further temperature rise in the next 24 hours due to dry air and high solar insolation. The weather office issued a red warning for the districts of Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Khurda and Cuttack and forecast that heatwave to severe heatwave condition. It also issued orange warning and said heatwave condition is likely to prevail in the districts of Deogarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Rayagada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Malkangiri, Ganjam and Gajapati.

Odisha braces for Super Sunday clash between JP Nadda and Rahul Gandhi

Bhubaneswar : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will on Sunday hit the campaign trail in Odisha, to add further impetus to their respective party workers and cadres. According to state BJP spokesperson Golak Nayak, Nadda will arrive in the state in the evening and address a public rally at Ambapua near Berhampur town in Ganjam district. Besides, he will have an exhaustive interaction with the partys workers hailing from three Lok Sabha constituencies Berhampur, Koraput and Nabarangpur, all South Odisha. The BJP is fast catching up with the voters in Odisha by spreading the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build a Vikshit Bharat by 2047. And, there is tremendous enthusiasm among the voters to be a part of our partys mission to bring our own government in Odisha. JP Nadda ji will guide us on how to accomplish our goal, said Nayak. The BJP has fielded Pradip Panigrahi for Berhampur Lok Sabha seat. For the Koraput and Nabarangpur seats, it has landed Kaliram Majhi and Balabhadra Majhi respectively. Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, will kick-start his campaign in Odisha from Salipur in coastal Cuttack district. Before addressing the public rally, the Congress leader will visit the birthplace of Madhusudan Das, a legal luminary who played a crucial role in the formation of Odisha as a separate state, and pay homage to him. We are eagerly waiting for our leader Rahul Gandhis arrival. He knows Odisha quite well. All of us know that he has special affinity with the tribals of our state. His speech at the Salipur public rally will surely instill spirits and enthusiasm in our workers and leaders, as well, senior Congress leader Biswa Mohan Mohanty said. The Congress, which ruled the state for over four decades, is seriously struggling to put up a good show in electoral exercises. It has got only nine members in the 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly. Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state, it won only one in 2019. Sriram Dash, a senior political analyst, said, Odisha will witness a Super Sunday clash tomorrow. While the BJP has made its stand clear to take on the BJD, it will be interesting how Rahul Gandhi articulates his partys mission, especially with regard to Odisha.

Heatwave Grips Odisha: Bhubaneswar Hits Season's High at 44.6C

Odisha reels as temperatures soar, IMD issues red alert for Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, warns of continued heatwave

Orissa High Court expresses concern over misuse of POCSO Act

Cuttack: Orissa High Court has expressed concerns over the misuse of the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), especially by way of prosecution of young males in cases of mutual adolescent romantic relationships. The Single Bench of Justice Sibo Sankar Mishra allowed a batch of petitions praying [] The post Orissa High Court expresses concern over misuse of POCSO Act appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .