ROURKELA: In an audacious daylight burglary, unidentified miscreants sneaked into the official quarters of a police havildar located within the campus of Plant Site police station and decamped with gold and silver ornaments worth around Rs 12 lakh on Saturday. The incident came to light after Subrata Hota, a havildar with the Reserve Office (RO), lodged a complaint on Saturday night. The burglary, executed right at the backyard of the police station, is being seen as a mockery of the police at a

JEYPORE: Four persons, including three from Nabarangpur, were injured in a clash in New Street area under Jeypore town police limits on Friday night. According to sources, a group of people from Nabarangpur had come to Bamunigaon under Jeypore block to attend a family function. In the evening, they along with their relatives from Bamunigaon went to Jeypore to meet other kin. However, an argument broke out between the group from Nabarangpur and some residents of New Street over past issues, which

BHUBANESWAR : In what could come as a huge relief for aspiring home buyers amid skyrocketing real estate prices in the capital city, the state government is planning to construct and provide houses to people in an affordable range of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra on Saturday told mediapersons as part of the Greater Bhubaneswar and Better Bhubaneswar initiative, the government is planning to take up housing projects in the city i

BHUBANESWAR : As the southwest monsoon set over Kerala eight days ahead of schedule, the rain-bearing weather system is expected to arrive at an early date in Odisha too. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the southwest monsoon is likely to advance over remaining parts of south peninsular and northeast India and some parts of east and central regions between May 29 and June 4. Weather experts said, the already strong monsoon current may get a further boost while advancing towards the

ROURKELA: Keonjhar and Sundargarh - two of Odishas mining heartland districts recorded a staggering 2,416 road accident deaths between 2022 and 2024. On an average, the state records 5,000 road mishap fatalities in a year. According to police data, the Rourkela police district jurisdiction including the Koida Mining Circle (KMC) reported 602 fatalities from 1,361 fatal and non-fatal accidents between 2022 and 2024. Similarly, the Sundargarh police district covering the coal mining belt of Hemgir

BARGARH: In a dramatic turn of events, students from seven CBSE-affiliated schools in Padampur sub-division launched a hunger strike on Saturday morning over inordinate delay in publication of their Class 10 and 12 results. However, the protest was called off late in the evening after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan personally assured the agitating parents and students that the results would be published by May 27. Even as CBSE declared Class 10 and 12 results earlier this week, over

BHUBANESWAR : The state government has asked the Odisha Police and three other departments to issue suitable instructions to the subordinate offices under their administrative control against using beacons on their vehicles without approval. The direction came following allegations regarding use of single coloured red, amber light and multi-coloured flickering lights by field functionaries, who are not authorised to use them. Principal secretary of the Commerce and Transport department Usha Padh

BARIPADA: A 27-year-old woman was trampled to death by an elephant but her toddler son was left unhurt in Bisoi area in Mayurbhanj district on Saturday morning. The deceased was identified as Charmi Naik of Gargadi village under Jodia panchayat within Bisoi police limits. Sources said, Charmi had gone to a forest near their village to collect twigs from Sal tree with her one-year-old son in the morning. She left the child near a tree and was cutting a branch, when the woman suddenly encountered

JAJPUR: A 28-year-old ambulance attendant died and two others sustained serious injuries when their ambulance crashed into a stationary truck on NH-16 near Rathia Chhak under Dharmasala police limits in Jajpur district on Friday night. The deceased was identified as Achutananda Barik of Dasarathapur in the district, who was working as the attendant of the ambulance. The injured included the ambulance driver and a relative of the patient. According to the police, the ambulance was returning to Da

NUAPADA: The Nuapada district administration has started a campaign called Pakhhi Paain Dina Tiye (A day for the birds) to protect local bird populations from the harsh summer heat. Led by collector Madhusudan Das, the campaign was officially launched on May 13 in Amlapali village of Areada panchayat in Khariar block during a public awareness meeting on migrant labourer rehabilitation. As part of the campaign, earthen pots filled with water and eco-friendly nests were hung from trees to provide

BHUBANESWAR : Puri police have launched a pink help desk at Shree Jagannath temple to promptly address the grievances of female devotees. Puri Superintendent of Police Vinit Agrawal said lakhs of female devotees visit Srimandir everyday. The pink help desk has been set up to ensure safety and convenience of the women. It will be manned by six female constables, he said. The constables will assist the women with compassion and professionalism in case they face any difficulty both inside and outsi

SAMBALPUR: The previous government only made promises whereas the double engine government is delivering with accountability, said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday. He was addressing a programme on Empowerment of Kendu Leaf Workers, organised jointly by the Forest and Labour departments at Sambalpur University auditorium. Highlighting the vital contribution of kendu leaf workers to the rural economy, Pradhan said the government is committed to addressing their long-standin

BARGARH: Farmers from Satlama under Barpali block in Bargarh district are up in arms over what they allege serious malpractice in the ongoing procurement process as paddy was found to have been sold in the names of registered cultivators who have not yet harvested their crops. In a written complaint to the district administration, the farmers claimed hands of a rice millers agent in the flasification. The agitating farmers under the aegis of Jay Kisan Andolan claimed that around 1,486 quintal pa

BHUBANESWAR: CureBay, an Odisha-based hybrid healthcare platform, has raised USD 21 million to strengthen its in-house technology stack and expand its footprint to new states. The fresh raise of CureBay under its series B round funding from Bertelsmann India Investment is a significant milestone for the startup to build infrastructure for rural health by driving equity, access and innovations across under-served geographies in the country, officials said. They said the latest capital infusion wi

BHUBANESWAR: The process for removal of sand from the towering Jagamohan of the Sun temple at Konark was initiated in the presence of DG of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Yadubir Singh Rawat on Saturday. The DG ASI visited the World Heritage Site and reviewed the conservation works of the Sun temple including steps taken to facilitate removal of sand which had been ordered by the then Union Culture minister Prahlad Singh Patel in 2020. The ASI had set up a mechanical working platform for t

BHUBANESWAR : Asserting that Odisha will be the growth engine in the countrys trajectory towards becoming a global economic powerhouse by 2047, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday said people of the state aspire to see its economy soar to USD 1.5 trillion over the next 25 years. Addressing the 10th governing council meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi, Majhi said his government, which will complete one year on June 12, 2025, has laid the foundation for Samruddha Odisha, 2036 with a visi

BHUBANESWAR : The top 30 winners of the 18th edition of the Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) on Saturday embarked on an educational exposure visit to ISROs telemetry tracking and command network and UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru. The talent search is a flagship initiative by Tata Steel in collaboration with Pathani Samanta Planetarium, operating under the Science and Technology department. The journey was flagged off by the principal secretary of Science and Technology departm

BHUBANESWAR/DHENKANAL: In a shocking incident, a forest guard was gunned down by poachers during a late-night patrol in Dhenkanal forest division, close to Satkosia Tiger Reserve, highlighting the vulnerability of frontline forest staff and the audacity of armed criminals. Prahlad Pradhan (37) was the forest guard of Sinkol beat and also the in-charge of Hindol section in Dhenkanal forest division. He was leading the patrol team. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed condolences and announ

BHUBANESWAR: A two-day exhibition Master Crafters celebrating the states traditional crafts and their artisans was inaugurated by commissioner-cum-secretary of Handloom, Textiles & Handicrafts department Poonam Guha Tapas Kumar here on Saturday. Speaking on the occasion, the commissioner said the state government has planned a cluster development programme under Srujanika to foster the craft sector. Organised by the Crafts Council of Odisha (CCO), the exhibition features 20 master craftspersons,

CUTTACK: CHAULIAGANJ police on Saturday arrested two persons for allegedly recording and circulating a video supporting Pakistan in a bid to incite hatred and create communal disharmony among the people. The accused have been identified as 27-year-old Sourav Sahoo of Sagar within Kanpur police limits and Goutam Lenka (28) of Mahanadi Vihar in Cuttack. Police said the duo, along with their associates had recently recorded a video in which Sourav could be seen shouting slogans of Pakistan Zindabad

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Friday slammed the commissioner of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) Anam Charan Patra for flouting the stay order on the construction of vending zone adjacent to the boundary wall of the second campus of the Madhusudan Law University (MLU) coming up at Jobra here. Though the PIL was scheduled for next hearing on June 30, the vacation court took it up on the day after advocate Prasanna Kumar Nanda appearing on behalf of the petitioners - three MLU students Aro

BHUBANESWAR: A forest guard was gunned down by poachers while carrying out his duty in a protected area close to Satkosia Tiger Reserve, highlighting the perils of frontline forest staff and the prevalence of armed criminals in the state. Prahallad Pradhan was serving as the forest guard of Sinkol beat and also the in-charge of Hindol section in Dhenkanal forest division. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi who paid condolences to the bereaved family of Pradhan announced Rs 30 lakh ex gratia to th

JEYPORE: The Jeypore municipality authorities on Friday imposed penalty on three educational institutions for defacing government establishments by sticking banners and posters for commercial purpose. Sources said, the private educational institutions have been using the walls of government establishments, especially schools and colleges, for luring students to their campus which evoked resentment among the residents. The walls of Vikram Deb University were particularly defaced by the posters an

BHUBANESWAR: The land administration system in the state, particularly in the most sought after capital region, seems to have fallen into a vice like grip of the land mafia and real estate operators with tehsildars playing the role of obliging facilitators. The extent of corruption has been exposed by the additional commissioner of the Additional Revision Court, Bhubaneswar, Pradeep Kumar Nayak highlighting how tehsildars in Khurda district have illegally effected mutations and corrected record

BHUBANESWAR: Rituals at the Lingaraj Temple were disrupted for hours on Friday after a Romanian tourist was found inside the temple premises on Friday. The tourist was identified as Vasilache Andrei-Cristian. He entered the temple at around 12 pm. Some servitors suspecting his nationality informed police and temple supervisor and he was whisked away to the temple office. Verification of his credentials revealed that he is a Christian. Police questioned him for an hour before he was let go. Notab

CUTTACK: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has arrested a person for duping two engineers of Rs 1 crore and Rs 5 lakh on the promise of providing jobs, from Bhubaneswar. Crime Branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra said in 2018, the accused Bishnu Prasad Patnaik alias Biranchi Patnaik of Begunia in Khurda district had fled to Cambodia in 2022 and had been staying there since. He came to India this month and following a tip-off, was arrested, the DG said. Mishra said Patnaik had taken Rs 90 lakh from an aero

BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to make movement easy and obstacle-free for visually-impaired people, the state government has started distributing LiDAR-guided electronic assistive device NAVINAUT to them. The device can help them detect obstacles on the roads and alert them through vibrations. Director of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities department Niyati Patnaik on Friday provided these devices to 60 blind people at a camp in the city. Developed by Hyderabad-based startup Al

CUTTACK: As if the commuting challenges werent harsh enough, the absence of a bus stop at Jagatpur Golei square has added to the woes of passengers who have to wait under the open sky to board buses to their respective localities. Every single day, hundreds of people use the Golei square route to travel to their respective destinations. Since there is no shed or a bus stop, they brave it all - the harsh summers, heavy rains or dust pollution, on a daily basis while waiting for buses. More so, in

BHUBANESWAR: The house of Rama Nayak, the alleged mastermind in the brutal murder of police mitra and sanitation supervisor Sahadev Nayak in the capital, was demolished by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday on the ground of encroachment and illegal construction. BMC deputy commissioner (enforcement) Ajaya Mohanty said they had received reports of encroachment in six cases in Kedarpalli slum. However, after verification it was found that four houses had land rights certificates

BHUBANESWAR : Anticipating an above-normal rainfall in the ensuing monsoon season, the state government has worked out a comprehensive Urban Flood and Waterlogging Management action plan to tackle waterlogging in different cities and towns effectively. The Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department has asked all the urban local bodies (ULBs) follow it strictly for safeguarding public health, infrastructure and urban livelihoods through necessary preventive, preparatory and responsive measur

NUAPADA: Vigilance officials on Friday conducted simultaneous raids at eight locations linked to junior engineer in the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Division of Khariar Susanta Kumar Sethy over allegations of amassing disproportionate assets. In the morning, eight separate teams comprising seven deputy SPs, three inspectors, 10 assistant sub-inspectors and other supporting staff carried out the coordinated raids on basis of search warrants issued by the court of Special Judge, Vigilance in Bhubanes

MALKANGIRI: Amid stiff opposition from the Zilla Adivasi Samaj Mahasangha to the state governments decision to rename 220 villages inhabited by Bengali settlers in Malkangiri, Chitrakonda MLA Mangu Khilla and president of Dandakaranya liberation organisations state unit Lalit Narayan Madkami on Friday met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar and urged him to scrap the move. Khilla, who is also the general secretary of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, and Madkami also met Revenue Mi

SAMBALPUR: Irate locals including parents of students on Friday gheraoed the Padampur sub-collectors office protesting the delay in publication of results by seven CBSE-affiliated schools in Bargarh. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared results of Class X and XII examinations earlier this week. However, 1,185 students of the seven schools are still awaiting their results. With no clarity from school authorities or the district administration, the delay has triggered anxiety a

ROURKELA: Officials of the western range of Odisha Police discussed measures to control crime, tackle Maoist activities, curb road mishaps and strengthen policing at a meeting here on Friday. Held under the chairmanship of the DIG (western range) Brijesh Rai, the meeting was attended by Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani, Sundargarh SP Pratyush Diwakar, Keonjhar SP Kusalkar Nitin Dagdu, Rourkela superintendent of railway police (SRP) PC Badajena, special branch additional SP Sangram Tudu and other seni

KENDRAPARA: Panic gripped residents of Sansarafala village in Pattamundai after three cows of local milkmen reportedly died due to suspected rabies on Thursday evening. The cows were bitten by a rabid dog around 10 days back. Sources said owners of the cows had supplied milk to villagers till Wednesday. Owner of one of the cows Banamali Mallick said two weeks back, some mad dogs were spotted in the village. One of them bit three cows 10 days back. The cows began to show signs of aggressiveness a

TALCHER/DHENKANAL: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday unveiled a slew of projects including temporary campuses of two Kendriya Vidyalayas and laid foundation stones for their permanent buildings at Talcher and Kamakhyanagar. Addressing a public meeting at Talcher college ground, he said the new KV at Talcher would boost education in the industrial belt. Though Talcher is economically advanced due to industries and coal mining, it still lacks education infrastructure, compared

JAJPUR: In a bizarre incident, a hotel worker of Jajpur has accused her 33-year-old wife of selling their seven-year-old son for Rs 18,000. The incident came to the fore on Thursday after Prasant Parida, father of the minor boy, met the district authorities seeking help to get back his child. A probe was launched by the district child protection unit (DCPU) on Friday. Prasant had married Puja in 2017 and the couple later had their first child, a son by the name Sairam. The couple belongs to Bada

BHUBANESWAR: Development commissioner Anu Garg on Friday stressed the need to achieve 100 per cent annual credit plan (ACP) target to the tune of Rs 2.52 lakh crore for the financial year 2025-26. Addressing the 179th state level bankers committee meeting along with the special SLBC on financial inclusion and financial literacy of Odisha here, she said the role of adequate credit is critical as Odisha marches towards 2036 with an aspiration to become a developed state. She urged the bankers to s

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Friday directed Jajpur collector to ensure mining operations are stopped at the six black stone quarries leased out inside Balarampur Protected Reserve Forest (PRF) under Dharmasala tehsil in the district. The vacation bench of Justices SK Sahoo and MS Sahoo also directed the collector to file a detailed affidavit on the action taken to stop the extraction of black stone at the quarries which were leased out by an auction notice on September 17, 2021. The bench

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday ordered a Vigilance investigation into the large-scale illegal mining in Hemgir and Koida tehsils of Sundargarh district. A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed by the anti-corruption bureau to probe the case. On April 4, a team of Sundargarh administration had detected massive illegal coal inside Telendihi revenue forest. Subsequently, unauthorised coal mining was unearthed in Ratansara and Bhograkachhar forests. The administr

BHUBANESWAR : The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said a low pressure area is expected to form over west-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around May 27 and become more marked in the subsequent two days. Currently, there is a large divergence among models with respect to intensification and movement of the weather system. However, there is a consensus about development of a low pressure area. There is low to moderate probability of the system intensifying into a depress

BHUBANESWAR : The City University of New York (CUNY) has named a newly-established research institute after educationist Achyuta Samanta. The institute, Achyuta Samanta India Initiative CUNY Crest Institute (ASIICCI), was inaugurated on Tuesday in New York. It will support research by American students on Odishas art and heritage and also focus on Samantas work in education and tribal development. The president of Bronx Community College under CUNY Milton Santiago had proposed naming the institu

BHUBANESWAR: A day after a 75-year-old man tested positive for Covid-19, the Health and Family Welfare department on Thursday sent his sample for genome sequencing. This came amid a global uptick in the prevalence of a new sub-variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus. The elderly man, a city resident, had suffered from a cardiac arrest and then pneumonia, necessitating the test. He is undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The last Covid case was reported in the state in October last year. Official sour

BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Thursday constituted a 16-member committee headed by Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari to study the prevailing situation in the disputed Kotia region and submit a detailed report to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The committee was tasked with reviewing the current scenario in the area, where tensions persist due to governance and development interventions by Andhra Pradesh, despite a Supreme Court directive to maintain status quo. The

Cuttack: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has arrested a West Bengal native for his alleged involvement in duping a man of Rs 73.62 lakh by keeping him under digital arrest. The accused has been identified as Rohit Jaiswal of Howrah in West Bengal. Crime Branch officials said they had received a complaint from the victim, a resident of Paradip, last year that some cyber fraudsters, posing as CBI and Delhi Police officials, contacted him over WhatsApp, claiming that a parcel in his name had been

BHUBANESWAR: Alarmed by the Pahalgam terror attack which killed around 26 people, Odisha Police has tightened vigilance to thwart any similar incident during the upcoming Rath Yatra in Puri on June 27. Puri could be a target as at least half-a-million devotees, pilgrims and tourists throng the town during the nine-day festival. Director, Intelligence RP Koche has intimated the senior officers that Puris coastal boundary requires heightened vigilance during the chariot festival. This apart, secur

BHUBANESWAR : The state government on Wednesday rationalised the maternity leave rules by removing ambiguity regarding the circumstances under which female government employees can take 180 days leave for up to two surviving children. As per the proposal approved by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, a female government employee can take 180 days of maternity leave three months prior to the expected delivery date and up to six months after childbirth. This apart, if a government employee is not

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has set cleaning the premises of a bank in Cuttack on all working days for two months as condition while granting bail to a woman accused in a cheating case involving forged property documents. The unusual order was passed by Justice SK Panigrahi on the bail petition of Manogyan Patnaik who has been in custody since February 5, 2025. The petitioner shall approach the ICICI Bank, Link Road Branch, Cuttack and clean the bank premises during the morning hours between

CUTTACK: In a significant order, the Orissa High Court has directed the state government to make extensive enquiry on encroachments over government land by competent authorities and on confirmation, remove the infringements within three months. The court issued the direction by way of a guideline while disposing of a PIL recently. The division bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman said, The state shall make an extensive enquiry and/or investigation in relation to an encroachm

JAGATSINGHPUR: Kujang police on Wednesday arrested five persons for allegedly kidnapping a junior engineer (JE) of the Rural Development department. Police said Rajiv Das (23), Sankar Mohapatra (36), Satya Prakash Pradhan (26), Sritam Behera (23) and Suraj Sahoo (29) abducted JE Manas Sahoo on May 16. Manas, a resident of Narasinghpur in Cuttack, is posted at the Rural Development section in Pankapal and stays in government quarters. Satya had connected with Manas on Facebook and after seeing hi