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

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

Odisha: RO rejects BJP claims, says Saradas candidature valid

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

Two college students meet watery grave in Brahmani river

ROURKELA: Two college students drowned and as many narrowly survived while bathing in the Brahmani river near the barrage of the Tarkera pump house of the Rourkela Steel Plant within RN Pali police limits on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Raj Kumar Mahato and Zuraib Khan, both 20-years-old. Sources said the duo had gone to the Tarkera pump house site on a pleasure trip along with two of their friends Bhabesh Prasad and Rajib Prasad. The four had gone to the river for bathing at around 1 pm when the incident took place. While Bhabesh and Rajib managed to come out of the river, Mahato and Khan drowned. On getting information, police along with rescue personnel reached the spot and retrieved the bodies from the river. Police said the bodies have been preserved at the morgue of the Rourkela Government Hospital for autopsy on Sunday. Employment Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak also rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation and expressed grief and shock over the incident. Owing to the frequent drowning mishaps due to rise and fall of water at the barrage site, the RSP had years ago declared the area a restricted zone. However, there is no proper signage or enforcement in the site.

Two boys drown, another rescued at Takera dam

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

Forces on high alert as Maoist posters resurface

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bhupender Yadav predicts BJPs victory in Odisha

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

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

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

Travel tips: If you are going to visit Odisha, definitely explore these 8 offbeat destinations.

People who are fond of traveling like to visit a new destination every time. It is being seen that at this time people prefer to visit the religious place Jagannath Puri, which is located in Odisha. Whenever people plan to visit Jagannath, they also like to explore the famous places around there. On the other hand, if we talk about exploring offbeat places, then the excitement of traveling becomes double, because these offbeat destinations are quiet and beautiful, away from the hustle and bustle of cities. In such a situation, today we have brought for you information about some offbeat destinations of Odisha, where visiting will make your journey exciting. Let us know about these places... Jaipur If you like natural beauty then you should visit Jaipur. Here you get to see big rocks, beautiful waterfalls, and lush green valleys from far and wide and their memories remain in your mind for a long time. In Jaipur, you can visit Gupteshwar Caves, Sunabeda, Duduma Falls, Jagannath Sagar, Hatipathar, and Kolab Falls. Nearby is Devamali Peak, which is the highest peak of Odisha. Raghurajpur This small village of Odisha is an open museum of arts and handicrafts. Where every person in the village is associated with this artistic craft and handicraft. The artists here create magic on artisanal cloth, paper, and palm leaves with their skilled hands. Besides, the people here are also experts in various varieties of handicrafts like leaf carving, and stone carving. Every person in the village has inherited this art from his ancestors. Coming here you can see the murals painted on the outer walls of every house. Barbil Barbil is a small beautiful destination on the banks of Karo River in Kendujhar. Although not many people know about it, the dense forests here and the natural beauty away from the noise of the city fascinate you. Here you can visit Hawa Mahal, Gonasika, Thakurani Hills, Murga Mahadev Waterfalls, Uliburu Reserve Forest, Hanuman Temple Shiva Temple, etc. Rourkela Rourkela City is located in the Sundergarh district of Odisha. Rourkela city is famous all over India as the steel city. SAIL has its steel plant in this city, hence this city is called Steel City. A special thing about this city is that it is called Mini India because if seen in the whole of Odisha, Rourkela is a city where people from all over India live. Rourkela City is the second smart city in Odisha after Bhubaneswar. Rourkela City industrial area Despite this, the environment here is very good and it is a very beautiful place to visit. Savor local Oriya delicacies like Chungri Malai, Dahi Matka, and Bhindi Bhun during your visit to Rourkela. In these, you will get a combination of South-Indian and Bengali flavors. Paradeep Paradeep of Odisha is famous for its seaports. You can see big ships in Paradip, situated at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and the Mahanadi. Here you can visit places like Gahirmatha Sanctuary, Beach, Lighthouse, and Jhankar along with Paradip Port. Berhampur Brahmapur or Berhampur as it is called, is the largest city and gateway to southern Odisha. Brahmapur is a city located on the east coast of the eastern Indian state of Odisha. It is the third largest city in Odisha with a population of 350,000. It is a business center. Brahmapur is also known as Silk City because of its famous silk band sarees. The city is known for its love of theater and cinema. Truly Ganjam Arts Council and Prakasam Hall is one of the oldest theater halls in the country. Shri Sitaram Shishiyan Talkies is the oldest cinema hall in Odisha which was established in 1927. Sambalpur This area is also not very famous. Here you get to see natural beauty and many historical places and visiting them is a unique experience for you. Here you can enjoy visiting places like Hirakud Dam, Cattle Island, Pichalima, Huma, Samleshwari Temple, Vikramkhol, Hatibadi, and Ushakothi Wildlife Sanctuary. Gopalpur Gopalpur is a coastal town situated on the southern borderline of Orissa. This place is situated near the Bay of Bengal. Earlier Gopalpur was known as a small fishing village but after the British came to power the fortunes of this village changed. This port was used as an important trading center by the Easton India Company. The city is located close to Andhra Pradesh and that is why it offers many important benefits. Several religious places are also located here, including Mata Tara Tarini Hill Tirtha, Bala Kumari Temple, and Sri Sri Siddhi Vinayak Peeth. You can visit Sonpur Beach, Aryapali Beach, and Gopalpur Beach here. (PC: LIifeberrys)

BJDs Dilip Tirkey files paper from Sundargarh

ROURKELA/DEOGARH: BJDs Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) candidate and hockey legend Dilip Tirkey filed his nomination papers on Tuesday. Accompanied by the party candidate from Sundargarh Assembly seat Jogesh Singh, Tirkey came in a massive rally to Sundargarh town. While he submitted his papers to Sundargarh collector Parag Harshad Gavali, Singh filed his nomination before additional district magistrate (ADM) RN Sahoo. Citing the huge gathering of BJD supporters, both the leaders claimed that the ruling party would win the LS constituency and all the seven Assembly seats under it in Sundargarh district. The BJD would win maximum number of seats in Odisha to ensure the sixth consecutive term for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, they added. Congress candidate from Rourkela Assembly seat BN Patnaik also filed his nomination before Panposh sub-collector Bijay Nayak on the day. BJPs Sundargarh LS candidate Jual Oram along with the party nominees from Sundargarh, Talsara and Rajgangpur Assembly seats would file their papers on May 2. Administrative sources informed that so far, three candidates have filed their papers for the LS seat. Similarly, 12 candidates have submitted nominations for the seven Assembly seats till Tuesday. Besides Tirkey, SUCI candidate Justin Lugun and Independent nominee Jagabandhu Oram have filed nominations for the Sundargarh LS seat. Filing of nomination started on April 26 and will end on May 3 followed by scrutiny of papers on May 4 and withdrawal of candidature on May 6. Voting will take place on May 20 and counting on June 4. On the day, sitting MLA and BJPs candidate from Deogarh Assembly seat Subash Panigrahi filed his nomination. Accompanied by Union Minister and BJPs Sambalpur LS candidate Dharmendra Pradhan, Panigrahi went to the office of the sub-collector to file his papers in a huge rally of party workers and local residents. The rally passed through key areas of the town. Addressing a public meeting earlier in the day, Pradhan launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJD and said the state government was not implementing many Central schemes in fear of giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He further claimed, Work on National Highway-55 has come to a halt due to the indifference of the state government. Ninety per cent of the NH work has been completed. But the remaining work is pending due to non-cooperation of the Odisha government which is deliberately delaying land acquisition.

Rebellion in BJP and Congress puts BJD in pole position in Rourkela

ROURKELA: Amid the fast changing electoral dynamics in Rourkela Assembly constituency, the ruling BJD seems to be in prime position ahead of the elections. After being denied ticket, disgruntled BJP leader Nihar Ray is all set to contest as a rebel against his former mentor and the saffron partys candidate from Rourkela Dilip Ray. Similarly, general secretary of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) and ticket aspirant Biren Senapati, who resigned from the grand old party a few days back, will join the BJD along with his supporters. Political observers said both these developments will certainly benefit the ruling party which is expecting to face a tough fight in the Assembly seat. Former union minister Dilip recently returned to the BJP as its Rourkela candidate after a five-year hiatus from active politics. Sources said his return has created huge enthusiasm among his followers and simultaneously put the BJP in a position of strength against the strong BJD candidate Sarada Prasad Nayak. However, it has angered Nihar, who in 2019 had lost to Sarada by 10,460 votes. Revolting against Dilip, he had asserted claim on BJP nomination from the prestigious Rourkela seat. Efforts of Dilip and BJPs Sundargarh Lok Sabha candidate Jual Oram to persuade Nihar also failed to cut ice. Nihars supporters claimed he would file nomination as an Independent candidate on May 2. Contacted, Nihar neither confirmed nor denied the claim. He said everything would become clear on May 3. Poll pundits feel the possibility of Nihar contesting as a BJP rebel is music to the BJDs ears, especially when Dilip remains a formidable opponent. Similarly, Biren along with 12 functionaries of Rourkela district Congress committee (RDCC) and NSUI are in Bhubaneswar to join the BJD after quitting the grand old party on Monday. Kailash Chandra Sahoo, who resigned from the post of the national joint coordinator for the OBC wing of All India Congress Committee (AICC), confirmed that they are set to join BJD under the leadership of Biren. He blamed the OPCC and AICC for finalising Congress candidate BN Patnaik without the knowledge or consent of local leaders. BJD insiders said the latest developments will put BJD in the driving seat and help it win in Rourkela.

Nomination rush: Key candidates in Odisha file papers

ROURKELA/PURI/BARGARH : Former union minister Dilip Ray and BJPs Puri Lok Sabha nominee Sambit Patra were among the several prominent candidates who filed their nomination papers on Monday. Dilip, the BJP candidate from Rourkela Assembly seat, filed two sets of nomination papers before Panposh sub-collector and returning officer (RO) Bijay Nayak. His wife Pooja Ray was present. The saffron partys candidates from RN Pali and Birmitrapur Assembly seats Durga Tanti and Shankar Oram also filed their nominations. Dilip and the two candidates were accompanied by senior BJP leaders and thousands of BJP workers who marched in a huge rally from Bisra Square and reached Udit Nagar covering the Rourkela main road. During the rally, BJPs Sundargarh LS candidate Jual Oram and Dilip walked side by side to show the bonhomie between the two. Former India hockey captain Prabod Tirkey, who joined the BJP a few days back, also participated. Similarly in Puri, Sambit Patra came in a huge procession of BJP workers from Uttara chowk in Pipili and filed his papers before the returning officer. BJP nominee from Pipili Assembly seat Ashrit Pattanaik accompanied Sambit and also filed his nominations. Ashrit is the president of the saffron partys Puri district unit. BJDs heavy weight candidate Sanjay Das Burma also filed his nominations for Satyabadi Assembly seat. The ruling partys candidate from Puri Assembly seat Sunil Kumar Mohanty too filed his papers. He was accompanied by Rajya Sabha Member Subhasis Khuntia and BJDs Puri LS nominee Arup Kumar Pattnaik. On the day, BJP and BJD workers came face to face during the rallies of Sambit and Sanjay. A heated exchange of words broke out between supporters of the two leaders. But before the situation could turn ugly, Puri SP Pinak Mishra intervened and pacified both the groups. In Bargarh, BJDs sitting Padampur MLA Barsha Singh Bariha filed her nominations for the Assembly seat. Accompanied by BJDs Bargarh LS candidate Parineeta Mishra and thousands of party workers and supporters, she proceeded to the sub-collectors office in a huge rally and submitted her papers to the returning officer. Barsha had defeated senior BJP leader Pradeep Purohit by a margin of 42,679 votes in Padampur by-election held in 2022. The by-election was necessitated following the death of Barshas father and Padampur MLA Bijay Singh Bariha. Apart from Barsha, three BSP candidates filed their nominations for Bargarh, Bijepur and Padampur Assembly seats. Four Independent candidates also filed nominations for Bargarh, Bijepur, Padampur and Bhatli Assembly seats.

NIT Rourkela felicitates alumni who cracked UPSC-CSE

Rourkela: NIT Rourkela Monday felicitated five of its illustrious alumni who made it to the UPSC Civil Services Examination merit list in a packed Bhubaneswar Behera Auditorium on its campus in Odishas Rourkela. Five former students of the premier institute have succeeded in the UPSC CSE for 2023, the result of which was declared April []

Land outsees urged against poll boycott in Odisha

ROURKELA: Sundargarh administration has urged the persons displaced by mining projects of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) not to boycott the upcoming elections on May 20. As per sources, displaced persons of around 14 villages in Hemgir block of the district had announced boycotting the upcoming elections over inordinate delay in settlement of job, compensation and resettlement claims as a mark of protest. Sundargarh ADM RN Sahoo and ADM (revenue) Abhimanyu Majhi along with MCL authorities organised a tripartite meeting with representatives of the displaced persons recently appealing them not to refrain from the voting process. The officials pointed out that more clarification was required on the order of the Supreme Court (SC) towards settlement of employment claims from four affected villages of Tumulia, Jhupuranga, Kiripsira and Ratansara. Stress was also laid on seeking clarification from the SC at the earliest. The administration sought everyones cooperation for smooth conduct of the polls and settlement of pending R&R claims, he said.

Poll equation gets complex in Birmitrapur after JMM names Nihar as its candidate

ROURKELA: Seeking a comeback in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) finalised the candidature of its former legislator Nihar Surin from the bordering Assembly constituency of Birmitrapur on Sunday. Nihar had recently quit the BJD and returned to his parent party. The JMM would contest the polls in Birmitrapur with the support of the Congress. After rejoining the JMM on April 22, Nihar visited Ranchi in Jharkhand where JMM patriarch and Rajya Sabha Member Shibu Soren approved his candidature. Reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST), Birmitrapur shares major border with Jharkhands Simdega and West Singhbhum districts. The constituency has strong cultural affinity with Jharkhand and a sizable committed voters of JMM. Nihar said he is happy to return to the JMM and looks forward to regroup the party cadres. The Congress workers would support JMM and in return, JMM would work in Birmitrapur for Congress Sundargarh Lok Sabha candidate Janardan Dehury. Nihar was the vice-president of BJDs Rourkela organisational district. He quit BJD on April 8 opposing the entry of parachute candidate Rohit Joseph Tirkey, son of four-time MLA George Tirkey. Political observers said the JMM-Congress combine has made the electoral equation in Birmitrapur more complex as the BJD is up against serious infighting. Leading the campaign for his son Rohit, George claimed the BJD would win with above one lakh vote. BJDs local president Halu Mundari too predicted the ruling partys victory. The differences within the party have been sorted out, he added. In 2019 election, sitting BJP MLA of Birmitrapur Shankar Oram had polled 60,937 and defeated BJDs Maklu Ekka (44,586 votes). Rohit as Congress candidate finished third with 44,212 votes. JMM candidate Sebian Aind had bagged 14,374 votes. In 2014 polls, Aind had secured 27,849 votes. Political observers said despite the 2019 debacle, the JMM cannot simply be written off. Nihar has the potential to consolidate JMM votes, while Congress is still left with around 13,000 votes. On JMM nomination, George had won from Birmitrapur in 1995 and 2000. Nihar too had won the seat for JMM in 2004, but lost in 2009. Birmitrapur has around 2.43 lakh registered voters. Those in the know of facts said considering the 75 per cent voter turnout in 2019 election, it is expected that there would be polling of around 1.82 lakh votes this time. If it happens, there would be a close fight between BJP and BJD, while the JMM-Congress combine would play a decisive role.

Woman dies after losing son to snakebite in Odisha's Sundargarh

ROURKELA: Hours after losing her minor son to snakebite, a 36-year-old woman died after allegedly suffering from heart attack at Dengurpani village in Rajgangpur of Sundargarh district on Friday. Police identified the deceased as Sukanti Kujur and her son six-year-old Gyandeep. Sources said Gyandeep was playing near his house in the evening at around 5 pm when he got bitten by a poisonous snake. His father Amit initially tried to cure the boy with traditional medicines but to no avail. Meanwhile Sukanti, unable to process the incident, fell down unconscious. After the boys health deteriorated, his family took him to the Rajgangpur community health centre where he subsequently succumbed at around 8 pm. Eventually, Sukanti was also brought to the CHC but the doctors declared her received dead. Rajgangpur SDPO Abhishek Panigrahi said two separate unnatural death cases were registered. The woman is suspected to have died of heart attack out of grief of losing her son. The cause of her death can be confirmed after receiving autopsy reports, he said.

Faced with challenges, BSLC struggles to sustain profitability

ROURKELA: Though Bisra Stone Lime Company Ltd (BSLC) in Sundargarhs Birmitrapur has pulled itself out of the vicious cycle of continuous losses, the companys future looks fraught with several challenges to sustain momentum. Five years back, the BSLC, a subsidiary of the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) had with the intervention of the Ministry of Steel (MoS) achieved profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 6.91 crore in 2020-21, Rs 7.9 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 11 crore in 2022-23. In financial year 2023-24, the company made unaudited PAT of over Rs 13 crore. When things began looking up, BSLCs two main buyers, SAIL and RINL reportedly seemed hesitant in placing adequate orders. The company faced immense financial hardships from almost two decades and from 2010 to mid-2020, it struggled with losses leading to workers unrest and intermittent closures. Only after the MoS stepped in five years back and went an extra mile to ask SAIL and RINL to buy minerals from the BSLC for use in their steel plants that the situation improved. Sources said the company in 2023-24 had dispatched around 10.25 lakh tonne which included about 80 per cent of blast furnace (BF) grade dolomite to RSP, BSP, DSP and IISCO besides the RINLs plant. The remaining 20 pc was limestone which was supplied to RINL and JSW cement plant. Incidentally, the present dispatch is just one-fifth of the BSLCs potential. The company has Environment Clearance (EC) for enhancing production to 5.26 million tonne per annum (MTPA) of dolomite and limestone. It has reserves of around 287 million tonne of dolomite and 367 million tonne of limestone. Reliable sources said the company is worried with SAIL indicating to reduce purchase by 30 pc, while the BSLCs parent company RINL too is indicating to reduce procurement citing financial hardship and alternative option of relying on its own dolomite mines. Besides, the BSLC faces another major trouble of not getting adequate railway rakes to enhance dispatch. Officials said to maintain the present level of profitability, the company needs an average of 23 railway rakes per month. However to further enhance profit, the company needs around 40 rakes per month. With profits in small figures in the last four years, the company cleared gratuity dues of about Rs 6 crore pending since 2012 and also reduced pending salary dues to 16 months from 22 months. Birmitrapur MLA Shankar Oram said BSLC is the economic lifeline of tribal-dominated Birmitrapur and nearby areas. The company was once a bulk employment generator but now the employee strength has reduced to barely 381 including 12 executives, he said asserting, after elections are over, he would bring the BSLC issue to the notice of the new government at the Centre.

At least 3 dead as truck hits 2-wheeler

Rourkela: Three youths were killed on the spot when the two-wheeler they were riding on was hit from the rear by a coal-laden truck close to the NTPC Power Plant at Darlipali under Bhasma police station late Thursday night. The three deceased were identified as Raghuranjan Pradhan, Ashish Bhoi and Rupak Dharua. The driver of []

Hockey star Prabodh joins Odisha BJP, to be partys minority face

ROURKELA: After being unceremoniously dumped by the Congress, former Indian hockey captain Prabodh Tirkey (39) has landed in the BJP camp to boost the morale of the already upbeat rank and file of the saffron party in tribal-dominated Sundargarh district. On Thursday, Prabodh joined the BJP in presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the partys state president Manmohan Samal and a host of senior leaders at the meeting venue of Home Minister Amit Shah in Sonepur. Prabodhs induction ceremony took place just before Shahs arrival. In the run-up to the elections for Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) constituency and the seven Assembly seats under it on May 20, the former tribal star player in all likelihood would be the BJPs minority face, especially to woo the decisive Christian voters. A Catholic Christian, Prabodh returned to his native place Nuapada under Lulkidihi Mouza of Balishankara block in Talsara Assembly seat and joined Congress on September 4, 2023. After the Congress announced his candidature from Talsara on April 2, he even kicked off his election campaign. However, the Congress released another list of candidates on April 14 in which it replaced Prabodh with a lesser-known new entrant Debendra Bhitiria, leaving senior party leaders in shock and dismay. Sources said with the BJP looking to woo the minority voters, it carefully read the developments and inducted Prabodh at the right time. On April 21 and 22, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs John Barla toured the Assembly constituencies of Sundargarh having strategic presence of Christian voters and held several meetings with the church leaders. With the right representation, Prabodh could prove to be an asset for BJP in Sundargarh, they added. A newbie in politics, Prabodh said, I am happy and relaxed after joining the BJP. After being insulted by Congress, the BJP has given me respect. I left my job last year to join politics with a hope to serve the people and ensure development of Talsara Assembly constituency. The BJP is the right platform for me. Whatever responsibility is given to me, I will serve the party with dedication and sincerity. He further said with the BJPs vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Bikash, Sabka Biswas and Sabka Prayas, he would be able to woo the Christian and other minority voters in favour of the saffron party. Incidentally, the BJD too had the opportunity to get Prabodh in its side. But the ruling party ignored him as it was apparently in a dilemma over Prabodhs use in the party. The BJD already has hockey legend Dilip Tirkey who is the partys Sundargarh LS candidate. Dilip is also a Christian and hails from the same Balishankara block. BJPs Sundargarh LS candidate Jual Oram said Prabodhs entry in the saffron party negates the oppositions plan of portraying the BJP as a demon in the eyes of minority people. The presence of Prabodh in BJP also deflates the BJDs claim of getting all Christian votes in Sundargarh.

Odisha: Elephant succumbs to bait-bomb injury, starvation

ROURKELA: A tusker aged eight to 10 years, with fatal internal mouth injuries caused from bursting of a bait-bomb, died a slow and painful death in the K Balang section of the Banki range under Rourkela Forest Division (RFD) of Sundargarh district late on Tuesday night. The elephant which had migrated from elsewhere, was under the watch of the forest personnel when it died inside a low-height water body. Rourkela divisional forest officer (DFO) Jaswant Sethi informed, field forest personnel located the sick elephant in the K Balang section on Monday after it entered the RFD limits through Koida and Barsuan forests. On Tuesday veterinary doctors of Sundargarh and Angul districts started treatment of the elephant, but it could not be saved. The mandible and tongue were damaged and blackened. From investigation it appeared the injuries were caused from explosion of bait-bomb as a result of which the pachyderm was not able to eat anything for at least a month, the DFO stated. The autopsy report also confirmed injuries due to bait-bomb explosion and its intestines were completely empty, the officer said adding, Bait-bomb is usually used to hunt small animals like wild boars and the modus operandi is more noticeable in the Pallhara, Angul and Dhenkanal belts. Sethi also said after several elephants died of electrocution and the Forest Department initiated strict enforcement against use of electric fences to prevent animals from damaging crops, villagers in some pockets have switched to the use of bait-bomb. A bait-bomb is packed in a ball of wet flour or other food to attract animals and the tusker might have damaged its mouth while chewing it. Though it is not yet clear from where the elephant came to the RFD limits and when it suffered the injuries, from its appearance and autopsy report, it can be concluded the giant jumbo was sick for at least a month, Sethi further stated.

RGHs unused laparoscopy machine under probe

Rourkela: An unused laparoscopy machine lying at the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) here has prompted medical superintendent Dr Ganesh Das to look into the matter. He has ordered a probe as to why it has been lying unused for close to a year now despite the presence of trained technicians in the hospital. Since the []

Odisha: Dilip Ray, Sarada Nayak set for 2014 poll rematch in Rourkela

ROURKELA: The 2024 election in Rourkela Assembly segment, the only general seat under Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) constituency, is shaping up to be as exciting and contentious as the 2014 polls with BJP heavyweight Dilip Ray and sitting BJD MLA and minister Sarada Prasad Nayak all set for a rematch. The upcoming election on May 20 is likely to be a rerun of 2014 when Dilip as a BJP candidate had defeated Sarada by a margin of 10,929 votes in a two-pronged contest. Political observers feel the victory margin this time would be just a few thousand votes as the two arch rivals are equally effective organisers, enjoy strong support base in Rourkela and have mastery in political manoeuvring. Besides, Dilip and Sarada have each won from Rourkela thrice and both have firm grip on the grassroots organisation. It is going to be Dilips fifth poll fight from Rourkela. His strategy in 2024 has been the same of 2014, to exponentially increase his vote share by poaching supporters of other parties. At a Mishran Parba on Sunday, hundreds of disgruntled supporters of BJD and apolitical persons joined the BJP in presence of Dilip. Notably, since the beginning of his political career in the early 1980s, Dilip continues to enjoy a sort of cult-like following. After his shock loss to Pravat Mohapatra of Congress by a margin of 6,374 votes in 1995 Dilip, had moved to national politics. When he returned to Rourkela politics as a BJP nominee in 2014 after a gap of 19 years, there was a mad rush of support from his dormant followers and those from other parties. Same scenes are playing out as Dilip has returned as a BJP candidate in 2024 after staying away from active politics since 2018. Local BJP leader Latika Patnaik said Dilips return has charged up the partys rank and file and they are certain of his victory. Dilip said he is overwhelmed with the response of the people. Describing Rourkelas development as cosmetic, he said his focus would be on all-round development of the city. Sarada said he is the MLA of the weak, poor and voiceless people and their love for him besides the unprecedented development of Rourkela and the good works and charisma of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would help BJD emerge victorious. Meanwhile, all eyes are on the next move of disgruntled BJP leader Nihar Ray who has opposed Dilips candidature. In 2019 election, Nihar had unsuccessfully contested from Rourkela seat on a BJP ticket and bagged 50,417 votes. He might contest as the BJP rebel this time.

Villagers demand cancellation of lease of Dumangdiri quarry

Rourkela: Demands to stop excavation at the Dumangdiri stone quarry under Kuanrmunda tehsil in Sundargarh district is growing by the day and the issue is turning into a major controversy just before the elections. Villagers living in the vicinity of the quarry are determined to stop excavation as it is harming the natural environment and []

Former Birmitrapur MLA Nihar Surin rejoins JMM

ROURKELA: Former MLA of Birmitrapur Nihar Surin, who recently quit the BJD, on Monday returned to his parent party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) at the residence of JMM patriarch Shibu Soren. Surins re-entry into the JMM was formalised by the Odisha unit of JMM president and Sorens daughter Anjali Soren and other senior leaders. For rejoining, Surin had reached Ranchi with his close supporters. He is tipped to be the JMM candidate from the Birmitapur Assembly constituency (AC) in Sundargarh district. According to JMM sources, under a pact, the Congress would not field its candidate from Birmitrapur and support the JMM which may make the going tough for the faction-ridden BJD. Surin had quit BJD earlier this month after the BJD announced candidature of Rohit Joseph Tirkey, son for former Birmitrapur MLA George Tirkey, from Birmitrapur. Surin had won from Birmitrapur in 2004 on JMM ticket and lost in 2009. Subsequently, he switched over to the BJD, but with indirect entry of his nemesis George into the BJD he quit the party. Confirming his re-entry into the JMM, Surin said he is happy returning to his parent party. Asked about his candidacy from Birmitrapur, Surin said he is ready for any responsibility given by the JMM.

Odisha: Biren Senapati joins Congress exit queue

ROURKELA: The fault lines within the Congress in Rourkela Assembly seat seem to be deepening as general secretary of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Biren Senapati snapped his ties with the party after a long association of 37 years. In a letter to OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak on Sunday, Biren said due to continuous apathy of the top leadership and sidelining of party workers, the Congress has lost its relevance in Rourkela. Issues hurting the Congress prospects were brought to the notice of the party higher-ups, but to no avail. After working for Congress for 37 years as a committed worker since my days in student politics, there is no point of further wasting time in the party, he said. Biren resigned from the post of permanent invitee of the Rourkela district Congress committee (RDCC) and primary membership of the party. He said for the last over two decades, the party organisation has gone from bad to worse and now heading towards no point of redemption. The central or state leaders have never made sincere efforts to revive the party or arrest its continuous deterioration. The Congress cannot be cured from indiscipline, factionalism, lack of trust and absence of participation in decision making. About the Congress candidate from Rourkela BN Patnaik, Biren said the OPCC neither sought his opinion nor the candidate, after being nominated by the party, talked to him. Congress insiders said in just two years, the RDCC has seen four presidents. Tribal leader and former Birmitrapur MLA George Tirkey quit the RDCC post and the party in March 2022. To fill up the vacuum, Debabrata Bihari was made the interim RDCC president for around a year. In November 2023, Rashmi Ranjan Padhi was appointed the RDCC president. But three months later, he was unceremoniously replaced with the incumbent president Rabi Ray for the lacklustre show of Congress during Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on February 7. RDCC president Rabi said he would try to bring Biren back to the party fold. He also assured of taking corrective actions at his level and said the Congress candidate would be asked to work in a team.

BJP plans Christian outreach as John Barla meets church leaders at Odisha's Rourkela

ROURKELA: In a bid to push Christian voters towards the BJP, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs John Barla held closed-door meeting with leaders of different churches at Rourkela on Sunday evening. Barlas meeting assumes significance as the sizable Christian voters in the tribal-dominated district of Sundargarh traditionally side with the Congress and BJD. On a two-day visit to Sundargarh Lok Sabha (LS) constituency, Barla reached Rourkela and paid a courtesy visit to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese here. He held meeting with leaders of different churches at the Mayfair World Cup Village, but the details of the discussion were not revealed. On Monday, the union minister is scheduled to pay a visit to the Bishop of GEL church at Rajgangpur and also hold closed-door meetings with church leaders in Rajgangpur and Sundargarh Assembly constituencies. BJP insiders said the meeting was inspired by the saffron partys agenda of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikash, Sabka Biswas, Sabka Prayas which essentially aims at drawing the minority community members close to it. Among other things, the church leaders were apprised of the welfare programmes and development initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. With such meetings, misgivings about the BJP government and false propaganda of opposition parties to paint the party as anti-minority could be defeated. Bishop of the Catholic Diocese Father Kishore Kujur said the minister paid him a courtesy visit and during the brief discussion, he appreciated the activities of the Church. There was no political discussion. Sources said the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district has a sizable Christian population which owes allegiance to churches of Roman Catholic, Baptist, Protestant and others. Majority of them are Catholic Christians. The Christian community as a whole plays a decisive role in the election outcome in the district. Previously, the Congress was pocketing most of Christian votes. But later, the BJD made deep inroads into the Christian vote bank. In fact, the third-ranked Congress always pins hopes on the votes of Christian community and Bhuiya tribe. If BJDs Sundargarh LS candidate Dilip Tirkey manages to get the bulk of Christian votes, his victory chances would be brightened. Similarly, any number of Christian votes going to the incumbent Sundargarh MP and BJP candidate Jual Oram would be a bonus for the saffron party. As per the 2011 census, the district has around 18 per cent Christian population. With around 15.67 lakh registered voters, Sundargarh is believed to have 2.85 lakh to 3.15 lakh Christian voters. Rajgangpur, Birmitrapur, Talsara and Sundargarh Assembly seats have strong concentrations of Christian voters. The size of Christian vote bank in Rourkela, RN Pali and Bonai is relatively smaller.

Intense heat wave continues to sweep Odisha

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

Penalty of Rs 3.48 crore imposed on Vedanta for tax evasion

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

BJP sacks three zonal chiefs in Rourkela, RN Pali ACs

ROURKELA : In a pre-emptive step, the BJP on Saturday removed two mandal (zone) presidents of Rourkela Assembly constituency (AC) and one of the RN Pali AC to avoid potential sabotage during the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls on May 20. They are seen as hardcore loyalists of BJP leaders, Nihar Ray of Rourkela AC and Jagabandhu Behera of RN Pali AC. The three zones together cover above 150 polling booths. Reliable sources informed BJPs Panposh organisational district president Latika Patnaik on Saturday axed Rourkela Mid-Town mandal president Binder Singh and replaced him with Kedar Mohanty. The Mid-Town mandal covers the Rourkela main road localities from Uditnagar to Bisra Square. Similarly, Basanti Colony mandal president Mrigang Goswami was dropped and replaced with Samarpriya Tanti. The Basanti Colony mandal covers areas between Basanti Colony and Doorsanchar Bhawan. Separately, BJP East Mandal president Basant Samal in RN Pali AC was sacked and replaced with Santosh Birat. The moves come after Nihar, the defeated candidate of BJP in 2019, on Wednesday evening gathered his supporters outside his residence in a show of strength and openly opposed the candidature of former union minister Dilip Ray from Rourkela. Nihar insisted he should have been the BJP candidate as he worked very hard for the party and indicated he may revolt. BJP insiders said Sundargarh Lok Sabha candidate Jual Oram accompanied by Dilip met the disgruntled Nihar on Friday to soothe frayed nerves but it failed to cut ice with him. Incidentally, Nihar is a former protg of Dilip. Jagabandhu after being denied BJP nomination from RN Pali AC had reportedly tried to get BJD ticket. After BJD turned him down he resumed BJPs activities as if nothing happened. The BJP president Latika Patnaik refused to comment over the abrupt removal of the mandal presidents.

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

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

Bhawanipatna Touches 35C By 8.30 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former Goldman Sachs executive tops 2023 civil services exam

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

Rourkela set for big fight after Dilip Ray named as BJP candidate

Odisha's Rourkela assembly is going to witness a contest between two heavyweight candidates - former union minister Dilip Ray of the BJP and state Labour Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak of the BJD. Ray is a former central and state minister and three-time MLA from Rourkela, while Nayak is seeking his fourth term in the constituency.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BJP Announces Candidates For 21 Assembly Constituencies In Odisha

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

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

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

Heatwave Grips Odisha! Several Places Record Above 37C Max Temp by 11.30 AM

Bhubaneswar: Severe heatwave conditions prevailed across the state with the maximum temperature (day temp) shooting up to 37C or above at seven places by 11.30 am on Monday. the maximum temperature at Balasore was recorded at 39.6C, followed by Bhubaneswar at 39.2C, Chandbali (38.7C), Jharsuguda (38.4C), Keonjhar (38C), Hirakud (37.5C), and Rourkela (37C). Four other [] The post Heatwave Grips Odisha! Several Places Record Above 37C Max Temp by 11.30 AM appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Dilip Ray to Contest from Rourkela: Jual Oram

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

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

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

Odisha: BJD releases list of nominees for 9 assembly seats

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

Odisha govt appoints new DMs of Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur

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

Naveen Announces BJD Candidates For 9 Assembly Seats In Odisha

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

India ready for Australia challenge ahead of Paris Olympics

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

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

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

ECI Approves Appointments Of New Rourkela SP, Cuttack DCP, Angul SP

Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has approved the appointments of new Rourkela SP, Cuttack DCP, and Angul SP. As per a letter sent by the ECI to Odisha Chief Secretary, Brijesh Kumar Rai will be appointed as Rourkela SP, Prakash R as Cuttack DCP, and Dr. Umashankar Dash as Angul SP. Rourkela [] The post ECI Approves Appointments Of New Rourkela SP, Cuttack DCP, Angul SP appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

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

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

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

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

Cyber frauds: Collaborating closely with Cambodia to rescue citizens

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

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

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

Diarrhea Spreads In Hirakud Area, 49 Hospitalized

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

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

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

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

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

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

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