Odisha CM announces 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers
Bhubaneswar: In a significant development, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers of his state. Speaking to mediapersons at Lokseva Bhawan before leaving for Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, CM Majhi said: All the soldiers of Indian armed forces are our pride. The Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Budget will push back devpt: BJD
Naveen asks Mamata to ensure potato supply to state
Govt planning to hire 16,519 junior teachers for schools
32% rise in budget outlay for heathcare
Tight security in rebel-hit dists
15 folk dance forms revived in 3 yrs: Min
Vigilance arrests engineer for possessing DA worth over 10cr
Man gets 20-yr prison term for sodomising teen
17 industrial projects in Gopalpur worth 51k-cr get govt nod
CMO: Social organisations, people lauded state budget
Odisha CM Mohan Majhi Announces 10% Reservation for Agniveers in Uniform Services
Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced reservation for the Agniveers in various uniform services in the state. Addressing media persons here in the evening, the CM announced 10 per cent reservation for the Agniveers. He also announced an age relaxation of five years for the Agniveers to apply for other services. Agniveer Yojana is a landmark scheme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This scheme has made the youth of the country competent, courageous and capable. This scheme plays an important role in building youths who can accept the challenges in all spheres of life, he said. That is why the state government has decided to take them into the uniformed services of Odisha. I am announcing here that 10 per cent reservation will be given to the Agniveers of Odisha for recruitment in all uniformed services of the state. The age limit for them will also be relaxed by 5 years, he added.
Rs70 crore allocated for Rayagada Railway Division in Odisha
Bhubaneswar: The railway ministry has allocated Rs70 crore for the Rayagada Railway Division in Odisha under the East Coast Railway Zone, officials said Friday. The establishment of the Rayagada Railway Division is poised to bring significant benefits to the region, enhancing connectivity and fostering economic growth, they said. The allocation to the state was informed []
Odisha announces 10 pc reservation for Agniveers in states uninformed services
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Friday announced a 10 per cent quota and five-year age relaxation for Agniveers in the states uninformed services. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi made the announcement before leaving for Delhi to attend the governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog Saturday. Our soldiers are our pride. Agniveers, who are trained by []
Vigilance arrests Odisha engineer with assets exceeding income by 257%
Bhubaneswar: Anti-corruption vigilance officers on Friday arrested the chief construction engineer of Lower Suktel project in Odishas Bolangir on charges of possessing assets 257 per cent more than his declared income. A case has been filed against Sunil Kumar Rout under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(b)/12 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, officials said. []
Two more ESI hospitals to come up in Odisha
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday approved a proposal to set up two new employees state insurance (ESI) hospitals in the state. The hospitals will come up in Keonjhar and Sonepur towns, and largely benefit workers and their family members, Majhi said in a statement. At present, four ESI hospitals and 41 dispensaries []
Visakhapatnam: Trains rescheduled
Train No. 12830 Bhubaneswar MGR Chennai Central Express will be rescheduled to leave Bhubaneswar at 1:10 pm on August 1 instead of its scheduled departure at 12:10 pm
Odisha Caps Potato Prices at Rs 32 Amid Price Surge
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Friday asked traders not to sell potatoes at more than Rs 32 per kilogram. The order came as the consumers grappled with the spiraling price of the kitchen essential vegetable. Potatoes at many places across the state sold at Rs 50 a kilogram on Friday, causing a serious discontentment among the consumers. In a bid to have a reality check, state food and supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra visited several potato godowns in Bhubaneswar on Friday morning. After taking stock of the situation, Patra said, , I along with my officers visited many godowns in Bhubaneswar. After inquiring, I found that they are buying potatoes at Rs 27 per kg. When asked at what price potato should be sold in the retail market, the godown owners replied that it should not be priced more than Rs 32 per kg. So I request all traders to sell the essential kitchen commodity at Rs 32 per kg or else necessary action will be taken against them, Patra added. The minister warned hoarders and black marketers to refrain from troubling the common people unnecessarily. Terming West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees decision to stop potato export to other states unfortunate, Patra said we are in talks with the Uttar Pradesh government. If the need arises, we will give the necessary permission to procure tuber from them. An important meeting was convened in the evening to chalk out plans to curb the price rise. The retail price of potatoes has reached Rs 45-50 per kg in Odisha. This is causing huge inconvenience to the common man. We urge the Odisha government to take appropriate steps to bring the price of the essential commodity under control and ensure its adequate supplies to the consumers, said Sonali Sahu, state Congress spokesperson. Reports from northern Odisha district Balasore said many trucks carrying potatoes from West Bengal were pulled back by the Mamata Banerjee government ostensibly to avoid scarcity of the commodity in that state.
Low pressure over Bay of Bengal may trigger heavy rainfall in Odisha over next four days: IMD
Bhubaneswar: A low-pressure area, the third in a month, over north Bay of Bengal and adjacent coastal areas of Bangladesh and Gangetic West Bengal is likely to trigger heavy rainfall in parts of Odisha over the next four days, weather officials said Friday. Under its impact, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in isolated []
Naveen Patnaik writes to Mamata, seeks intervention for supply of potatoes to Odisha
Bhubaneswar: Odishas Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday, seeking her intervention to ensure a smooth supply of potatoes to Odisha where prices have skyrocketed. In the letter, Patnaik said that due to rains, there has been a short supply of potatoes in Odisha, resulting in an artificial []
Odisha: Mangrove plantation drive in three coastal districts carried out
Bhubaneswar: On the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, people in three coastal districts of Odisha Friday planted mangroves to regenerate denuded coastal forest cover. The mangrove plantations in cyclone-vulnerable areas of Odisha are being stepped up and awareness especially for youth and school children, are being organised by Reliance Foundation and []
Odisha: Opposition targets BJP govt alleging mismanagement during Puri Rath Yatra
Bhubaneswar: Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress Friday criticised the BJP government in Odisha alleging severe mismanagement of the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath held in Puri this month. Initiating a debate on an adjournment motion in the Assembly, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam claimed that the BJP, which came to []
2 coaches of good train derail near Bhubaneswar railway station
Goods train derails near Bhubaneswar railway station
There was no report of any injury, the officials said, adding that railway teams have reached the site for restoration work
Biju dropped as Odisha govt rebrands schemes in budget
The newly elected Mohan Majhi government in Odisha has rebranded two key schemes from the previous administration. Biju Swasthya Kalyana Yojana (BSKY) is now Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY) and is integrated with Ayushman Bharat. The Kalia cash incentive programme for farmers will be replaced by CM KISAN. Additionally, Biju Patnaik's name was removed from the free laptop distribution scheme, now named after poet Godabarisha Mishra. These changes came shortly after Majhi reversed a decision to drop Biju Patnaik's name from the state's sports award.
Social security pensions hiked to 3,500/month
50 crore for initiative to improve primary teaching
State moves Centre for 11 new railway lines
Vigilance detains Lower Suktel projects chief engr over DA
Urban infra gets major push; 1kcr for city Metro project in 1st phase
Cyber fraudsters dupe Rourkela man of 30.41L
CM: De-addiction centres in dists; govt to allocate 20cr for project
Rural devpt body signs 13 pacts to give skill training
Govt intensifies crackdown on mining mafia
In a first, 10 dacoits booked for organised crime under BNS
Schools to introduce 75 traditional games
Budget has only changed names of existing schemes
Odisha government to open de-addiction centres in every district
Odisha govt presents Rs 2.65 lakh crore budget for FY25
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Thursday presented a Rs 2.65 lakh crore budget for the 2024-25 fiscal in the state assembly with a focus on agriculture and irrigation. The size of the budget for the current financial year was around 15 per cent more than the budgetary estimate of Rs 2.30 lakh crore for the 2023-24 []
No proposal to discontinue existing state-sponsored schemes: Odisha CM
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Thursday informed the Assembly that there are no plans to discontinue any state-sponsored schemes, as no proposals to that effect have been received by the Planning and Convergence Department. The Chief Minister said this in a written statement while replying to questions raised by senior legislators Ranendra Pratap []
After plaint, ragging probe at Khallikote univ
No storage infra, kendu leaves worth 34L rot
Tusker tramples woman to death in Dhenkanal
CM talks of identity with devpt in vote of thanks to guvs address
DigiYatra goes live at city airport, faces to serve as entry passport
No decision on Kalia yet as govt plans new initiative
Bamboo forests in Chandaka boosts jumbo population
Deities in Canberra wear Balakati brass work
Min: Work on 2 highway projects to begin soon
BU to hire 52 guest faculty members
Hindalco to invest over Rs25,000 crore in Odisha
Bhubaneswar: An investment of over Rs 25,000 crore is planned by the company in various upcoming projects as well as expansion of already existing industries in the state, said Hindalco Industries Limited Odisha president Ardhendu Mohapatra during a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo here, Wednesday. Mohapatra said, Hindalco is setting up a []
Odisha: 2 teachers suspended after 30 students fall ill following consumption of expired tablets
BHUBANESWAR: School authorities on Tuesday suspended two lady teachers in connection with consumption of expired iron tablets by some students. On Monday, 30 students of a government primary school at Lockpada in Paradip city had fallen sick after consuming expired iron tablets. The suspended teachers were identified as headmistress Manjulata Samal and assistant teacher Diptee Swain. The authorities also issued a show-cause notice to two other assistant teachers in connection with the incident. The state health department has seized more than thousand strips of expired medicines in the school. As per reports, after the mid-day meal, the teachers distributed the iron tablets among more than 100 students of the school. A few hours later, a few students complained of vomiting, abdominal pain and nausea. The affected students were rushed to the local Atharbanki hospital for treatment. Enraged over the incident, parents of the students and locals on Monday locked the school and detained its headmistress while blaming the administration for supplying expired iron tablets to the institution.
Odisha gets highest ever budgetary allocation of Rs 10,586 crore for railway sector
The Centre allocated a record Rs 10,586 crore for Odisha's railway sector, the highest in history. This budget will support 59 station upgrades and major projects, including the Khurda Road-Balangir line. Railway minister Vaishnaw highlighted significant increases in track laying and electrification since 2014.
India successfully tests BMD system as interceptor destroys incoming missile
BHUBANESWAR: India's efforts to develop a robust multi-layered Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) shield received a significant boost with the advanced area defence (AD) interceptor successfully destroying an incoming ballistic missile in the endo-atmospheric region over the Bay of Bengal. Defence sources stated that the low-altitude supersonic interceptor missile, fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, successfully intercepted the target missile launched from Abdul Kalam Island at an altitude of less than 15 km. This was part of the Phase-II BMD system indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The target was launched from launching complex-IV at 4.20 pm mimicking an adversary ballistic missile, which was detected by weapon system radars deployed on land and sea and activated the AD interceptor system, which was fired from LC-III at 4.24 pm. The interceptor destroyed the target as coordinated, said the sources. The test aimed to validate the newly developed systems and subsystems integrated into the interceptor missile. The mission met all trial objectives, validating a complete network-centric warfare weapon system consisting of long-range sensors, a low-latency communication system, and the interceptor missile. The test assumes significance as the country plans to deploy a two-tiered BMD system once the interceptors are inducted into the armed forces. India is the sixth nation to develop a robust BMD system, joining the ranks of the US, UK, Israel, Russia, and China. The Phase-II AD endo-atmospheric missile is an indigenously developed two-stage solid fuel-propelled ground-launched missile system designed to neutralise various enemy ballistic missile threats in the endo to low exo-atmospheric regions. A number of state-of-the-art indigenous technologies developed by various DRDO laboratories have been incorporated into the missile system. The test has demonstrated the nations indigenous capability to defend against the ballistic missiles of 5000 km class. The performance of the missile was monitored from the flight data captured by range tracking instruments like electro-optical systems, radar and telemetry stations deployed by ITR at various locations including on-board ship, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement. Today, 24th July 2024, the @DRDO_India successfully flight-tested Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence System. Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has congratulated DRDO for todays successful flight test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence System and stated that the test has pic.twitter.com/Szinqp5gIG / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) July 24, 2024 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and the industry associated with the successful flight trial of the Phase-II BMD system. He stated that the test has once again demonstrated India's ballistic missile defence capability. DRDO has developed both high and low-altitude anti-ballistic missiles to provide two-layered aerial protection to major cities and vital installations. While the PDV interceptor missile can destroy incoming enemy weapon systems in the exo-atmospheric region, the AD interceptor missile has the capability to neutralise incoming missiles in the endo to low exo-atmospheric regions. Prior to the mission , 10,581 people from 10 villages located within a 3.5 km radius of LC-III were temporarily shifted to cyclone shelters in nearby localities. They were well compensated by the MoD. Fishermen from Balasore and Bhadrak districts were alerted not to venture out to sea, while police in motorboats were deployed to patrol along the coast.
Amid Chaos, Economic Survey Tabled in Odisha Assembly
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday evening presented the Odisha Economic Survey for 2023-24 in the State Assembly ahead of the presentation of annual budget on Wednesday, even as the scheduled businesses of the House in the morning and afternoon hours were washed out due hullabaloo created by the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The survey said the state economy is estimated to grow at 8.5 per cent in 2023-24 as per advance estimate in comparison to 7.9 per cent growth in 2022-23. The growth, however, was concentrated in the industry sector and services sector. The Survey said the per capita income of Odisha stood at Rs 1,61,437 in 2023-24 (advanced estimate), which is 12.4 per cent less than Indias per capita income of Rs 1,84,205. While Odishas per-capita income since 2015-16 has grown at 12.1 per cent, still Odisha ranks 11th among 17 major states. The state is committed to expedite its growth and developmental effort to increase the per capita income and contribute to Viksit Bharat goal of the country. Quoting NITI Aayog report, the Economic Survey said multidimensional poverty headcount ratio in the state has declined from 29.3 per cent in 2015-16 to 15.7 per cent in 2019-21. More than 62 lakh people escaped multidimensional poverty in the state between 2015-16 and 2019-21. However, Odisha ranks 6th among the major 17 states with high incidence of poverty headcount, it said. The report said agriculture and allied sectors are estimated to grow by 3.5 percent in 2023-24 which contributed 20.4 percent to the Gross State Value Added (GSVA). The state needs to take measures towards crop diversification to enhance productivity and farmers income, the report said. On the industry sector, the report said it is expected to grow at 8.7 per cent in 2023-24 as per advance estimate contributing 43.2 per cent to the Gross State Value Added (GSVA). However, industrial activities in Odisha are concentrated mainly in basic metal and mineral based industries. It needs to put more concerted effort to diversify from mineral based industries to other value-added industries, the Survey suggested. Similarly, the report predicted the services sector to grow at 9.2 per cent in 2023-24 (AE) contributing around 36 per cent to state economy with an employment share of 26 per cent of total workforce. While some IT companies have opened their domestic and global operations in Bhubaneswar, the state needs to encourage more IT and ITeS companies to open its operation in Odisha thereby increasing IT/Software exports from Odisha, it said.. Odisha tourism, the Economy Survey observed, has immense potential. However, post pandemic the state is yet to recover in terms of tourist footfall. Therefore, the state needs to augment its investment in tourism infrastructure, making Odisha the top tourist destination state, the report said. The opposition BJD has been demanding action against governor Raghubar Dass son who allegedly manhandled an assistant section officer of Raj Bhawan on July 7 night.
Odisha estimated to grow at 8.5% in 2023-24: Economic Survey
Bhubaneswar: Odishas economy is estimated to grow at 8.5 per cent in 2023-24 as per advance estimates in comparison to 7.9 per cent growth in 2022-23, according to Economic Survey Report 2023-24. The report tabled in the state Assembly Wednesday said the growth, however, was concentrated in the industry sector and services sector. The Per []
High-level discussion underway: Odisha govt on fate of KALIA scheme
Bhubaneswar: The state-run financial assistance scheme for farmers KALIA was being discussed at a high level, Odishas Deputy CM KV Singh Deo said Wednesday, fuelling speculations on the fate of the programme launched by the previous BJD government. In the assembly, BJD MLA Gautam Buddha Das asked whether the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income []
Odisha gets Rs 10,586 crore for railway sector in 2024-25 budget
Bhubaneswar: The Union budget has allocated Rs 10,586 crore for the development railway sector in Odisha for the 2024-25 financial year, an official release said. Between 2009 and 2014, when the UPA was in power at the Centre, the state received Rs 838 crore on average each year for the sector, according to the Railways. []
Bhabani Shankar Bhoi elected deputy speaker in Odisha Assembly
Bhubaneswar: Two-time MLA Bhabani Shankar Bhoi was unanimously elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Odisha Assembly Wednesday. I declare that Bhabani Shankar Bhoi is duly chosen as the Deputy Speaker of the House, Speaker Surama Padhy Padhy said while congratulating Bhoi. Bhoi was elected to the assembly twice from Talsara constituency in 2019 and []
Odisha: 'Gang-raped' Woman Takes Multiple Loans To Pay Perpetrators
Bhubaneswar: This is the shocking story of a gang-raped woman who was continuously blackmailed by the perpetrators to cough up money. The accused allegedly extracted money from the victim by threatening that they would post objectionable photographs and videos on social media if she did not meet their demands. According to reports, the 36-year-old victim hailing from the Bidanasi area in Odishas Cuttack City availed multiple loans to give money to the accused. The victim has lodged a complaint with the Bidanasi police, on the basis of which an investigation was underway. Reports said the victim, who runs a stationery shop, came in contact with the two accused a few months ago through a woman in the locality. While one of them is the husband of the woman, the other hails from Puri town. In her complaint, the victim said the duo allegedly kidnapped the victim and raped her by confining her at various places in Puri and Nandankanan areas in Bhubaneswar. While raping her, the accused took objectionable photos and videos of the victim and later started demanding money from her by blackmailing her with those. In order to fulfill their demands, the victim took loans from various organisations and individuals and paid them Rs 1.5 lakh. However, the accused continued to demand money from her and also forced her to make video calls to them in a naked state. As the woman became unable to give them more money, the two accused made the photos and videos viral. They also sent those photographs and videos to the husband of the victim. The victim's husband, a car driver, encouraged her to file the case to bring the culprits to book. The police said it had lodged a first information report (FIR) and was investigating the case. Efforts are on to apprehend the accused who are at large, the cops added.
Over 10,000 people shifted ahead of missile test off Odisha coast
BHUBANESWAR: More than 10,000 people from villages close to the integrated test range (ITR) off the Odisha coast have been shifted temporarily ahead of a missile test on Wednesday. As part of safety measures, the defence authorities with the help of Balasore district administration shifted 10,581 people, including children, along with cattle from 10 villages within a 3.5 km radius of the launching complex III of the (ITR), to cyclone shelters at nearby localities. As many as 2127 people from Bardhanpur, 2725 from Jayadevkasaba and 477 from Sahajanagar have been shifted to Bardhanpur multipurpose cyclone shelter. 1823 people from Bhimpur, 479 from Chhachina and 41 from Domuhanpatana have been shifted to Bhimpur multipurpose cyclone shelter; 391 people from Kantarda, 803 from Khadupahi, 408 from Tundara and 1307 from Kusumuli have been shifted to Kalamatia multipurpose cyclone shelter. We have made elaborate arrangements for the comfortable stay of the people in the shelters. While three separate teams of police officials are guarding them, three medicals teams have been kept ready to provide the displaced persons medical facilities, if required. Besides, three veterinary teams and fire tender officials have also been deployed, said an official. As per the revised guideline, the temporarily displaced people will be paid Rs 300 each as compensation and an additional Rs 100 each for food. Additionally, Rs 100 per family will be given for food expenses of their cattle. Fishermen of Balasore and Bhadrak districts have also been alerted not to venture out into the sea while cops in motor boats have been deployed to patrol along the coast round the clock. The villagers will be shifted for at least 10 hours. As per the instructions by the defence authorities, the region has been made risk-free, said the official. Meanwhile, the stage is all set for the experimental test of a new missile system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). All preparations have been made for the crucial trial. If everything goes according to the plan and programme, the missile will be flight tested as scheduled.
Amid ruckus, BJD MLA breaks Speakers microphone
BHUBANESWAR: Pandemonium prevailed in the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday over government inaction in the alleged assault of an assistant section officer (ASO) by the son of Governor Raghubar Das with BJD MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo breaking the microphone on the Speakers podium. The incident took place during the afternoon session when BJD and Congress members were in the well of the House protesting the lack of any action against the Governors son for assaulting the ASO Baikuntha Pradhan at the Raj Bhavan in Puri on July 7. Amid the noisy scenes, Sahoo climbed up the Speakers podium and broke the microphone. Speaker Surama Padhy immediately adjourned the House for the day at 4.28 pm. The House had witnessed noisy scenes over the issue from the beginning of the question hour after which the Speaker adjourned it twice till 11.30 am and 4 pm. Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick told mediapersons that the ASO is yet to get justice even after 16 days of the incident. The BJP came to power on the plank of Odia Asmita, but the government has failed to protect Odia people, she said and demanded a statement from the chief minister on the matter.She also took on Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan for stating that collector Puri has been asked to investigate the matter and submit his report within 15 days. Which collector investigates a criminal case. Why is police not investigating it, she asked. Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati, meanwhile, alleged that BJD and BJP had entered a pact to create ruckus and adjourn the House so that important issues like unemployment could not be discussed. Dismissing BJDs allegation, BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy said the regional party had become intolerant after its humiliating poll defeat. He sought to know what action the then BJD government took against several ministers including Pratap Jena, Dibya Shankar Mishra and Arun Sahoo who were entangled in criminal cases. The party is also feeling insecure over the achievements of Mohan Majhi government within such a short period of time. The BJP government has successfully accomplished many important things which the BJD could not, he said.
Budget 2024: Rs 2.20L cr housing assistance brings hope for slum dwellers in Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: For an affordable home in urban area, a segment which has been struggling for years mostly due to land-related issues, the announcement of Rs 2.20 lakh crore central assistance for affordable housing of one crore units for urban poor has brought a ray of hope among around 20 lakh slum dwellers of the state. Even as it is not clear how much assistance Odisha will get out of the central outlay, the state government is likely to get an enhanced central assistance under the scheme to cover more beneficiaries who have been waiting for years to get a pucca house. The BJP in its manifesto has promised to construct 10 lakh houses in rural areas and five lakh housing units in urban areas under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in the next five years in the state. Sitharaman has made an allocation of Rs 10 lakh crore under the flagship scheme for both rural and urban areas. With over 20 lakh people residing in 2,919 slums of 115 urban local bodies in the state, the previous government is claimed to have provided land rights certificates to around 2.4 lakh families out of which 40,642 beneficiaries have received financial assistance amounting to Rs 812 crore. The Housing and Urban Development department has planned to provide financial assistance to another 30,000 beneficiaries in the current financial year to build their house under PMAY-U. A clear picture will emerge after the state budget is placed in the Assembly, an authoritative source said. Admitting that the scheme is running slow due land-related issues, they said flexibility of granting the land rights to the slum households in-situ over a land up to 323 sq ft has been made. However, the progress was slow because the state was not getting desired financial support from Centre as the BJD government was executing the project under its own scheme called Biju Adarsh Colony, the source added. Now in government, it is to be seen how the ruling BJP is going to resolve issues pertaining to grant of land rights to slum dwellers for availing housing assistance under PMAY-G, said an official of the department. Under PMAY-Rural, 22.24 lakh houses have been constructed leaving another five lakh beneficiaries.
Budget 2024: Mixed reactions to new I-T slabs
BHUBANESWAR: The Union Budget 2024-25 evoked mixed reactions from taxpayers and tax analysts in terms of personal and corporate taxation. The middle class that pays both income tax for earnings and GST for spending felt neglected in the budget like always. Amid expectations from the middle class for relief at the tax front, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the hike in standard deduction for salaried employees from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 and 5 per cent tax for those who are earning Rs 3 lakh to Rs 7 lakh. The 5 pc slab was applicable for Rs 3 lakh to Rs 6 lakh annual income group as per old tax regime. Chartered accountant Gourav Lal said the hike in standard deduction is a small but positive step for the salaried taxpayers. The changes in the new tax slab will save taxes of Rs 17,500, which will be helpful for the individuals in the lower income bracket, he said. An HR professional Sanjay Mohapatra said people, mostly from the middle class, are forced to contribute more in taxes than corporates. If the corporate will pay the highest 25 per cent tax, why would an individual pay 30 pc tax on annual income of more than Rs 15 lakh, he wondered and maintained that the standard deduction should have been Rs 1 lakh. However, Lal said, long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax of 12.5 per cent on all financial and non-financial assets and short-term capital gains (STCG) tax of 20 per cent on certain financial assets will affect the traders, as now they have to pay more taxes on it. Earlier, tax on LTCG and STCG was 10 pc and 15 pc, respectively. The removal of indexation benefits for property and other assets will increase tax outflows. This may potentially impact secondary sales of properties. As the benefit of indexation has also been withdrawn in the long-term assets, it will affect the flow of funds in such investments, he pointed out.
Budget 2024: Nirmala Sitharaman assures to support Odisha tourism
BHUBANESWAR: In a big boost to Odisha tourism, Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday assured overarching support to the growth and development of the sector in the state. Making special mention of the state while presenting the Union Budget, Sitharaman said, Odishas scenic beauty, temples, monuments, craftsmanship, wildlife sanctuaries, natural landscapes and pristine beaches make it an ultimate tourism destination. Our government will provide assistance for their development. The announcement has brought cheer to the travel and tourism industry here. However, many feel the Centre has to chart a specific plan to develop tourism in the state like it has done in the case of Bihar. Reacting to the budget, deputy chief minister and Tourism minister Pravati Parida said she had met the Finance minister after formation of the new government in the state. The Union minister had said there is a lot of scope for tourism development in Odisha and the Centre is keen to support all development intitiatives, Parida said. The announcement by her today is a welcome step. She has assured us that funds will not be a problem. Tourism can be one of the major contributors to Odishas growth. Our government aims to place Odisha as one of the top three destinations in the country, she said. Chairman of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) JK Mohanty said tourism potential of the state has not been explored enough. The Centre focusing on funding development projects in the sector will definitely push the industry to greater heights. This will also result in employment generation in both urban and rural areas. At present, the GDP contribution from tourism is 8 per cent. It can go higher now, said Mohanty. HRAO member Debashish Patnaik termed it as a positive budget for the states tourism industry. Since the Centre is yet to release a specific plan for states tourism, it should first focus on creating tourism infrastructure. For funds that the Centre allots for the purpose, the state should provide a matching grant. Only then will the sector grow and generate employment, said Patnaik. In the state budget last year, the tourism sector received an increased outlay of Rs 660 crore. In 2022-23, the budgetary allocation was Rs 590 crore. The Union Budget announcement comes after the BJP won the state Assembly elections by defeating the BJD. So far, the Ministry of Tourism has implemented two tourism schemes in Odisha which are Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme and Swadesh Darshan 2.0.
Naveen Patnaik Criticizes Union Budget, says Odisha neglected
BHUBANESWAR : Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday sought to censure the Union budget saying there is nothing for the state in it. The BJP had put special category status in their manifesto as a promise to the people of Odisha. However, this promise has not been considered for Odisha, whereas special packages, allocating crores of funds have been announced for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar in Budget2024. Along with this, the demand of Odisha for revision of coal royalty, which has been pending for years with the central government has been rejected, because of which the state will lose thousands of crores of revenue every year, Patnaik wrote in X handle. He added: Lots of big promises in different sectors were made to the people of Odisha during the election campaign especially on agriculture, MSME and industry. There is no mention of any promise being fulfilled in this Budget 2024. This is a complete neglect of Odisha and her people. We all know that Odisha faces a number of natural disasters every year, including floods. We had requested a special package for disaster management. While similar requests of other states have been considered and they have been granted Special packages for flood protection, the genuine demand of Odisha on disaster management has not been considered. So on both counts whether it is a special package or revision of coal royalty, Odisha continues to be neglected by the NDA. Stating that the most serious issue today was inflation/price rise, and unemployment, the former CM said the budget did not have any considerable intervention to address these two major issues. We have been fighting for Justice in the Polavaram issue. Allocating more and more funds for Polavaram without sorting out the genuine grievances of Odisha shows impartiality against Odisha. The NDA government has been at the Centre for more than 10 years now and every budget talks of focus on Eastern India, including Odisha. There has been nothing substantial for Odisha over the years, and this budget has also been a disappointment for us, however, we shall wait for the details. Im happy to see there is a focus on tourism for Odisha. I hope it is substantial, and we shall wait for the details to come out. I would say that, along with the people of Odisha, I feel disappointed at the continued neglect of Odisha while the state contributes so much to the country. Leaders of BJP had given many tall promises during the poll. But there is nothing for Odisha and for its people, read his posting on the X.
Earlier in 2024, on the first day of the test series against England, during the test match in Hyderabad, the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja crossed a significant joint milestone. They passed Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singhs record of 501 wickets in 54 test matches together, and they did this feat in 50 tests, four fewer than the legendary duo. While lauding this tremendous achievement of the pair, perhaps the time has come to ponder the concern that this feat also implies. When Kumble and Harbhajan were both around, usually only one of them played tests in SENA countries at a time, given the nature of the pitches. At home, when both played in the XI, they sometimes had a third spinner a Murali Karthik, for instance. And in that era, there were change bowlers who could also pose a threat to the best of batsmen Tendulkar, for one. Even Sehwag, Yuvraj and later, Suresh Raina, could roll their arm over for on occasion, pick up a wicket. Importantly, this was the time that India saw a surge in pace bowling stocks - the attack leader was Zaheer Khan, supported by Sreesanth, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel etc. Irfan Pathan was still in contention, as was Ashish Nehra. Somewhere on the horizon were promising names such as VRV Singh, Umesh Yadav and a very quick Varun Aaron. Spin, therefore, was important, but clearly the thrust was on pace. Post the Kumble era, off-spinning Harbhajan became the lead spinner. Pragyan Ojha gradually made his presence felt and secured a spot in the team, at least for home tests on slow, turning tracks. However, on the tour of England in 2011, it became apparent that Harbhajan was in decline. His returns on that tour were a paltry two wickets in two tests. The team was clearly in transition and young spinners were needed. It was in this scenario that Ashwin came into the team, in 2011, and made an immediate impact, taking nine wickets and the man of the match award in his debut test (versus West Indies, Delhi, 2011). His spin partner was Ojha, who took seven in the match. The writing was on the wall. Ashwin had arrived and he would, in effect, replace the ageing Harbhajan. The latter would hang on in test cricket for nearly four years more, taking just eleven wickets in five tests. Bhajji would bow out with a stunning 417 wickets in 103 tests, at age 35. But even before he was done, Ojhas test career ended prematurely the (under)stated reason was that his action was suspect. Interestingly, Ojha took a ten wicket haul (and the man of the match award) in his very last test, which happened to be Tendulkars farewell match too. Ojha would not be missed! A year prior, the selectors had blooded another young player in the team. Ravindrasinh Anirudhsinh Jadeja made his debut against England in Nagpur in late 2012. He came in as a left arm spinner with known batting capability, having made some daddy hundreds at the domestic level. From his second test series, at home against Australia in early 2013, he began making a significant impact as a left arm spinner. Over the next decade, the two Ravis Ashwin and Jadeja would make an immense contribution to the team. The Kumble-Harbhajan pattern was repeated in many ways, with usually only one of the two in the playing XI in tests abroad. In the Kohli era, pace remained the key especially abroad, with Bhubaneswar-Bumrah-Shami and others doing the damage, while a spinner did a holding job. At home, it was spin all the way, with pace bowlers making key breakthroughs. But now, more than halfway through 2024, Ashwin and Jadeja are exactly where Harbhajan was in 2011-12, on the decline. Ashwin hasnt been in the T20 squad for a while and Jadeja too has quit the shortest form. Their last ODI was in the World Cup in 2023, their last test match being the one against England in Dharamshala early this year. Ashwin is two months shy of his 38th birthday, Jadeja is close to 36 years of age. The end is nigh and it is only a matter of time, or of a single bad series that one or both these legends walk away into the sunset! Does India have a plan to replace them, like the selectors found Ashwin before Harbhajan was done? Not only will these two stalwarts be missed for their bowling, but for their prowess as all-rounders. With these two in the side, the team management got away with playing five specialist batsmen in tests within India, sometimes even abroad. In SENA countries, it allowed skippers like Kohli to play just five batsmen, as well as four seamers. The statistics of the two Ravis are stunning by themselves: R Ashwin: 100 tests 516 wickets with five wickets in an innings 36 times and 10 wickets in a match 8 times. 3309 test runs with 5 hundreds and 14 half centuries. R Jadeja: 72 tests 294 wickets with five wickets in an innings 13 times and 10 wickets in a match 2 times. 3036 test runs with 4 hundreds and 20 half centuries. The hole that they will leave in the test team will be gaping and the entire bowling attack on home pitches could collapse into that hole. Transitions are always difficult, be it batting or bowling. When Ashwin made his debut, the batting line up comprised Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Yuvraj and Dhoni. A year later, Jadejas debut test saw Pujara and Kohli replace Dravid and Laxman, respectively. Dhoni was playing at number 6 and Jadeja came in at 7 a transition had begun and it was massively facilitated by Jadejas batting capability. Into the trial and error of that transition period came a Pragyan Ojha, an Amit Mishra, a Piyush Chawla and a Jayant Yadav. Who does India have now? Kuldeep Yadav has played just 12 tests since making his debut way back in 2017, in which he has taken 53 wickets. The last time India played a test match, versus England in Dharamshala, Kuldeep was man of the match, in an attack that also had Ashwin and Jadeja. But who will partner Kuldeep, especially in home tests? At least two more spinners are required. One candidate will be Axar Patel, who has already played 14 tests, taking 55 wickets. However, while his first four tests fetched him 33 wickets, the last ten have yielded a very modest 22 only. He has never played a test outside the subcontinent how will he fare in SENA, when domestic returns in the last ten tests have been so mediocre? Will Washington Sundar get another opportunity at 24, he still has age on his side. Or will Ravi Bishnoi get a look in but his recent form hasnt been encouraging. Somewhere in the domestic framework, Shahbaaz Nadeem, Jayant Yadav and Jalaj Saxena are still plying their trade, but all three are between 34 and 37 years of age. For them too, the end is not far and a selection of any of them would be a step in the wrong digression. If the Ajit Agarkar led selection panel decided to dig deep into Ranji Trophy, one name that will come up for consideration will be that of Tamil Nadus R Sai Kishore. The 27 year old slow left arm bowler took 29 wickets in the 2022-23 Ranji season but came into his own in 2023-24 as the tournaments highest wicket taker with 53 scalps. Also Read: Akram hopes Indian Team Will Travel To Pakistan For Champions Trophy Indias text test schedule involves two tests against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand at home, followed by a full series against Australia, on their soil. Perhaps the five tests at home will be the perfect opportunity to test young spinners while Ashwin and Jadeja are still around. Of course, the first effort will be to replace them as bowlers. Their shoes as all-rounders are a shade too big to be filled in a hurry. It is critical that before the first of the Ravis walks into retirement, more spin options be found. Lest the departure of both Ravis create a huge sunset moment for Indias test bowling attack.
Odisha Minister demands Naveen Patnaiks arrest for indiscipline in House
Odisha Minister demands Naveen Patnaiks arrest for indiscipline in House Bhubaneswar: With the Odisha Assembly continuing to witness ruckus for the second day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Tuesday sought the arrest of BJD President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik for alleged indiscipline during Governor address Raghubar Das address in the House [] The post Odisha Minister demands Naveen Patnaiks arrest for indiscipline in House appeared first on Mangalorean.com .
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BHUBANESWAR, July 23: The Odisha Assembly was adjourned twice on Tuesday after witnessing ruckus for the second consecutive day over the demand of opposition BJD and Congress for action against Governor Raghubar Dass son for allegedly assaulting a government official earlier this month. As soon as the House assembled for Question Hour, Opposition Chief Whip []
Monsoon rains in Bhubaneswar Poor shape of roads in Cuttack Artistes from Rourkela Sampark perform Odia play JANMAMATI during drama festival organised by Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademiat Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar
