CUTTACK: PARAKRAM Diwas, commemorating the 128th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, will this year be celebrated from January 23 to 25 at the Satyabrata Stadium here. To be organised by the Ministry of Culture, the three-day event will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in presence of deputy chief minister Pravati Parida on January 23. Apart from photo, books, INA artefacts exhibitions and sand art with augmented reality (AR) and visual reality (VR) showcasing Neta

BHUBANESWAR : After a four-year delay, the much-awaited Hanspal flyover on the outskirts of the city was opened for commuters here on Tuesday. Inaugurating the 600-metre-long flyover, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi said though the project had commenced in June 2020, it got delayed by over four years due to various reasons. It has been opened for the public now, she added. In August 2024, Hanspal flyover was opened on National Highway-16 for commuters coming from Cuttack side. There was a huge

BHUBANESWAR : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday enhanced the special risk allowance for the SOG jawans from Rs 8,000 to Rs 25,000 following the killing of 16 Naxals in a joint operation by Odisha and Chhattisgarh police. Stating that the SOG jawans played an important role in this operation, the chief minister appreciated their achievement and wished them well. He also announced that the state government will intensify its campaign against the Maoists in the coming days.

BHUBANESWAR : Bagchi Karunashraya Palliative Care Centre is the best example of humanism and a great reflection of charity, kindness and compassion, said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday. Inaugurating the centre at Info Valley - II on the outskirts of the city, the chief minister praised its founders and said such selfless contribution in the field of social service is rarely seen these days. The palliative care centre is a collaborative effort of Bangalore Hospice Trust (BHT), Karun

BHUBANESWAR: The state government will create additional infrastructure to set up Sishu Vatikas or pre-schools under the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday. Speaking at the three-day national workshop on NEP-2020 here, Majhi said Sishu Vatikas will be opened for preschoolers and the emphasis will be on introducing them to foundational literacy and numeracy without putting any pressure. For this purpose, teachers would be appointed, textbooks p

BHUBANESWAR : Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said Odisha is on the path to become a knowledge-based society with language the biggest contributor to its progress. Releasing the Odia version of MBA study material of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) here, Pradhan said societal progress occurs through linguistic progress. This initiative by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will mark a new chapter in Odishas higher and professional education

BHUBANESWAR : Odisha polices precise intelligence inputs, quick dispatch as well as strategic positioning of three teams of the Special Operations Group (SOG) along with a high-resolution drone deployment provided crucial assistance to Chhattisgarh Police in the major anti-Naxal operation in which at least 14 red ultras were killed in last 24 hours . Sources said Odisha Police had received actionable intelligence on January 18 regarding the movement of a group of over 25 Maoists in neighbouring

SAMBALPUR: The six-day CEO Immersion Programme hosted by IIM Sambalpur for Executive MBA 2024-26 and MBA for Working Professionals 2023-25 batches concluded here on Monday. The programme aimed to equip the two batches with practical knowledge, industry trends and leadership skills through direct interaction with seasoned professionals. At least 100 executives from different industries participated in the programme that was addressed by over 15 to 25 chief experience officers of top companies. Di

BHUBANESWAR/NUAPADA : Two women Naxals were neutralised during a joint operation launched by Odisha and Chhattisgarh police along with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the neighbouring states Gariaband district, around 5 km away from Nuapada, on Monday. The two slain red rebels were reportedly members of Mainpur-Nuapada division of the outlawed CPI (Maoist). Sources said on receiving information about the presence of several Maoists in Kularighat reserve forest area of Chhattisgarh, securi

CUTTACK: Prompt action by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel helped save the life of a passenger who accidentally fell from a running train late on Sunday night. The injured, 26-year-old Sonu Das of West Bengal was travelling from Bangalore to Howrah in the Yashwantpur-Bhagalpur Express train along with his wife. He was standing near the open door of the train when he accidentally fell down somewhere between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack railway station. Soon after, his wife Pari Das reporte

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has rejected BJP MLA and deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deos interlocutory application (IA) seeking intervention against refusal of the collector of Balangir to provide him certain documents required to file a written statement in reply to the petition that has challenged his election from Patnagarh constituency. Saroj Kumar Meher, the sitting BJD MLA, who lost to Singh Deo filed the election petition seeking declaration of the election of the deputy CM

CUTTACK : The Cyber and Economic Offence police on Monday arrested a 42-year-old man for allegedly duping gullible people of lakhs of rupees by luring them to invest in different fake trading apps. The accused has been identified as Surendra Sahoo of Balasore district. His associate, Keshab Gauda of Ganjam, is reportedly absconding. Police said Sahoo stayed at his in-laws place in Rayagadas Muniguda and by using a different identity was indulged in creating fake trading apps along with Gauda. Sa

BHUBANESWAR : Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, former Union minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Monday said that the party lacked the moral authority to claim Babasaheb BR Ambedkars legacy due to the historical injustice meted out to him and the Constitutions core principles by the Nehru-Gandhi family. Addressing mediapersons before joining a seminar on Samvidhan Gaurav Abhiyan (Constitutional Pride Campaign) at the BJP state headquarters here, Thakur said Ambedkar resigned from Jawaharl

BHUBANESWAR: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a fog warning for many parts of Odisha from Tuesday to Thursday morning. As per the national weather forecaster, dense fog may occur at one or two places in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Kandhamal districts on Tuesday morning/night and early hours the next day. Shallow to moderate fog is likely to prevail at a few places in south coastal Odisha, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Kandha

BHUBANESWAR : The state government will launch a survey to identify beneficiaries for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Rural (PMAY-R) from January 24. Announcing the decision here on Monday, Panchayati Raj minister Rabi Narayan Naik said the survey is likely to be completed in six to eight weeks. The minister said about 20 to 22 lakh new beneficiaries are expected to be brought under the scheme. Stating that the survey will cover all left out families, the minister said no proper list of eligible

BHUBANESWAR : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday asked secretaries to achieve 100 per cent utilisation of funds in their respective departments within the next two months before the state government places its 2025-26 budget in the Assembly. Presiding over the meeting of his council of ministers which stretched for more than five hours, the chief minister called upon the secretaries to move out of their perfunctory routines and strive for something new and innovative in departments unde

BARGARH: Police on Monday arrested three persons for the alleged involvement in the assault of a 24-year-old woman who was found severely injured in a forest in Kurla last week. The accused are Sarjan Dansena (36) and Prahallad Dash (33) of Bijepur and Jaykrushna Dansana (40) of Jagdalpur. Assistant SP Indurekha Paschimakabat said the trio was accomplices of the prime accused who is absconding. They had given him shelter and later helped him destroy evidence and escape from Bargarh. During inves

BHUBANESWAR : Street vendors of the capital city on Monday staged a demonstration here protesting the eviction drive without offering them alternative spaces to set up their business. The vendors organised a protest march, on National Vendors Day, from Rajmahal square to Unit-I market and submitted a seven-point charter of demands before the government. While demanding that those displaced during events like Hockey World Cup and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conclave be prioritised for rehabilitation

KENDRAPARA: The Bhitarkanika National Park has recorded sighting of the Great Bittern for the first time. The bird was spotted during the annual avian census at Sasanapeta area, with official confirmation coming on Monday. Divisional forest officer Sudrashan Gopinath Yadav said the birds sighting reflects the robust ecological health of Bhitarkanikas wetlands. The parks diverse ecosystem comprising mangrove forests, mudflats, saltwater marshes and grasslands has long served as a haven for both r

BERHAMPUR: Even as the internal conflict in BJD paralyses service delivery in the silk city, a fight between two corporators of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) owing allegiance to the regional party reached the police on Sunday. Corporator of Ward no-27 Nilakantha Sahu filed a complaint in Gosaninuagaon police station alleging that Durga Panda, husband of corporator of Ward no-14, threatened him of dire consequences. Fearing danger to his life, he has appealed to the police for immediate

KENDRAPARA: Forest officials seized five quintals of roots and stems of a mangrove species during a raid in Bhitarkanika National Park on Monday, arresting five smugglers during the operation. The suspects, Sahadev Adi (32), Debashis Maity (29), Bijay Krushna Mandal (24), Subash Chandra Adi (30) and Balai Debanath (34) from Radhamalipur village were caught at Kalibhanjadia forest beat in Dangamal range while transporting the plants by boat. Assistant Conservator Forest (ACF) Manas Das said four

ROURKELA: Armed robbers raided the house of a businessman in Hemgir and decamped with cash and gold ornaments worth over Rs 80 lakh after overpowering his family members during the wee hours on Monday. Police said at around 1 am, four armed robbers entered the house of businessman Nikhil Agarwal at Barpali, around 145 km from Rourkela, from the backside using a rope. They threatened his family members with firearms and other weapons. All family members present in the house were tied and locked i

ROURKELA: Indias largest aluminium producer Vedanta Aluminium has launched an innovative operational dashboard at Jamkhani coal mine in Sundargarh, its first greenfield coal mine in the state. The Jamkhani coal mine caters to the coal requirements of Vedantas Jharsuguda plant, billed as the worlds largest aluminium smelter. The state-of-the-art digital platform integrates real-time data, optimises performance metrics and automates routine processes. Developed in-house by a dedicated team, the da

BHUBANESWAR : Union minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Monday called upon states to expedite operationalisation of major mineral and coal blocks which have been auctioned since 2015 but are yet to be made functional. Addressing the inaugural session of the third national mines ministers conference at Konark, Reddy stressed the need to operationalise auctioned mines to harness the untapped mineral resources for rapid economic growth of the country. More than 442 mineral blocks have auc

ROURKELA: In a shocking incident, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her step-father at Bartoli under Bondamunda police station here in Sundargarh district. The accused, Ramesh Chandra Jena (43), was arrested on Sunday. Report said the girl was sleeping in her home when Jena committed the crime on Saturday night and warned her not to disclose the incident. The victim mustered courage and shared her ordeal with her brother on Sunday who with help of local residents lodged a complaint at Bo

SAMBALPUR: The Hirakud wetland which saw a rise in migratory bird population has recorded 11 new species this year. The new species, including Western Yellow Wagtail, Pintail Snipe, Oriental Skylark, Red-necked Falcon, Crested Lark, Kentish Plover, Ruff, Pallid Harrier, Lanceolated Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler and Greenish Warbler, were spotted during the census. The reservoir recorded 3,77,732 birds this season, marking an increase of 35,387 from last year. Divisional forest officer Anshu Pr

BHUBANESWAR : Odisha government on Monday mandated that a child should be of at least six years of age to be admitted to Class I, from the new academic year. Aligning the existing education system with the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, the School and Mass Education department announced that from the new academic session of 2025-26, the age of a child for admission to Class I shall be six years as on September 1 of that academic year. The move is said to be aimed at improving academic out

BHUBANESWAR : Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL), a subsidiary of Tata Power, has signed an MoU with the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (OREDA), the states nodal agency for renewable energy, to accelerate rooftop solar power adoption among residential customers under PM Surya Ghar programme. Tata Power, which manages power distribution in Odisha through its four distribution companies (discoms) in partnership with the state government, will implement the scheme. The

BHUBANESWAR : The tiger supplementation committee formed for release of big cats in Similipal from the Central India landscape will now decide Zeenats release into the wild, said wildlife officials on Monday. PCCF (wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha said after she was brought back to Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), Zeenats behaviour in the enclosure has been normal. A steering committee had also visited the spot where the tigress has been kept to take stock of the ground situation. Based on the input of th

BHUBANESWAR: Call it administrative inefficiency or laxity, the Odisha government has failed to utilise more than Rs 2,100 crore allocated for disaster mitigation and response activities in the state as per the recommendation of 15th Finance Commission. Even as the period of the Commission will expire at the end of 2025-26 financial year, sources said, around Rs 1,420 crore under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) and Rs 689 crore under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) have remained un

CUTTACK: In a major scam, brokers have been selling government land at Dhabaleswar Gada slum in CDA locality to people on the pretext of eventually getting their names registered under Jaga Mission. The matter came to light recently when two slum inhabitants Prabhat Pani and Trinath Ojha lodged an FIR with CDA Phase II police against three persons - Nayana Nayak, Mamata Nayak and Dushasan Nayak - alleging the three demolished their asbestos houses after they failed to pay extra money to them for

JAJPUR: In a heart-wrenching incident, a 10-year-old Class IV student of Bagapatia Upper Primary School in Jajpur district, Odisha, tragically lost his life after falling off a concrete slide on the school premises during school hours. The deceased, identified as Soumyaranjan Sahu, son of Nabaghan Sahu from Bagapatia village, was playing with friends when the accident occurred. Sources stated that while enjoying the slide, Soumyaranjan fell to the ground, sustaining critical injuries. He was imm

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Government on Friday signed eight MoUs with Singapore-based companies spanning sectors of skill development, semiconductor, sustainable energy, green hydrogen and ammonia, industrial park development, sustainable insure-tech and city development planning. The agreements were signed in presence of Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Tharman, the first head of a nation to visit Odisha, arrived here in the morning with Majhi, Uni

BHUBANESWAR: The Energy Department of Odisha government has signed an MoU with Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, and IIT-Bhubaneswar for cutting-edge research and innovation in renewable energy technologies. The initiative aligns with Odishas vision of achieving sustainability and Indias national net-zero emissions target by 2070. The collaboration aims to position the state as a leader in renewable energy innovation. The partnership focuses on developing advanced solutions in s

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has partnered with the Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN), Singapore, to establish a global competency centre in Bhubaneswar aimed at fostering FinTech collaborations. The Electronics and Information Technology (E&IT) Department and GFTN signed an agreement on Friday to develop an inclusive and sustainable InsureTech ecosystem and related areas, aligned with the national vision of 'Insurance for All by 2047'. This vision seeks to ensure that every cit

BHUBANESWAR: Singapore-based energy and urban development company Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) on Friday signed two non-binding MoUs with the Odisha government to explore possibilities to set up a green hydrogen production facility and an industrial park in the state. Sembcorp Green Hydrogen India Private Limited (SGHIPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp signed an agreement with Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation Limited (Ipicol) to set up a production facility for green hyd

BHUBANESWAR: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has decided to launch a dedicated website for settling land issues related to properties belonging to Lord Jagannath. Chief administrator Arabinda Padhee on Friday said at present people have to submit manual applications to SJTA for the purpose under the Odisha governments Uniform Policy-2003. We are coming up with an online platform which will make the process easier, Padhee said. According to official records, 60,426.943 acre of la

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has initiated the process to roll out the second phase of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)-2.0 to provide skill development training to the rural youth and make them employable. Officials from Panchayati Raj department said an Action Plan 2025 will be prepared for the purpose. A two-day workshop was held in this regard on Thursday and Friday here. Organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development in collaboration with ORMAS, the wo

CUTTACK: Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Chakradhari Sharan Singh was given official farewell on his last working day on Friday. He retires on January 19 after serving as a judge for over 12 years. In his parting speech, the outgoing Chief Justice hailed Odisha as the land of culture and heritage and the people have constant protection of Lord Jagannath. Of everything in Odisha, the richness of Odia language and the art and culture of the state impressed me more. Odia literature with its prof

BHUBANESWAR: Introduction of dhadi (queue) darshan system at the Shree Jagannath temple at Puri to streamline devotees movement on the shrine premises has been deferred to February 1. Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan attributed the reason to shifting of the hundi inside the Natya Mandap. The minister on Friday told mediapersons here that while there was a plan to start dhadi darshan in the temple on January 20, it is likely to be delayed till February 1 as permissions for shifting the hundi

BHUBANESWAR: In a major stride towards enhancing the technology ecosystem, the Odisha government on Friday entered into a partnership with ITE Education Services (ITEES), a subsidiary of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) under Singapores Ministry of Education. The collaboration aims to expand the World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar and establish a world-class centre for IT and ITES in areas such as cyber security, cloud computing, blockchain, Internet of Things, and data science. An MoU w

ROURKELA: Even as search and rescue continued at the Rajgangpur-based cement plant of Dalmia Bharat for the second day with deployment of heavy machineries, at least three contract workers are feared trapped under the coal and iron debris. The mishap occurred around 5.30 pm on Thursday at production Line 2 of the plant in Sundargarh district when the coal bunker/hopper collapsed with coal stock trapping three workers below. Besides the Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd's teams, one platoon of ODRAF and f

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has dismissed the allegation of a petitioner that he was deprived of a MBBS seat in a government medical college due to a technical glitch in the web portal for counselling holding it to be a disputed question of fact. The division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh dismissed a candidate Aryan Swarup Paridas petition seeking compensation for the lapses because of which he missed to get a government college MBBS seat. According to the petition, in the U

ROURKELA: A worker is suspected to have been trapped under a coal heap after the overhead bunker collapsed at production line 2 of Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd (DCBL) at Rajgangpur in Sundargarh district on Thursday evening. The bunker was meant to store coal for supply to the boiler. Sources said the bunker accidentally collapsed trapping a worker standing below it under the coal heap. Deputy director of Factories and Boilers Bibhu Prasad confirmed the incident and said he was on way to the mishap

KENDRAPARA: A severe infestation of Kalimundi insects has damaged groundnut crops across seven blocks of Kendrapara district, affecting hundreds of farmers. The farmers who have invested approximately Rs 20,000 per acre in cultivation are staring at significant financial losses. Despite multiple appeals to authorities, affected farmers claim they are yet to receive adequate support or pesticide assistance, more than a week after the initial outbreak. Jiban Behera, a farmer from Rankamula in Gara

SAMBALPUR: Accusing the state government of failing to address the problems plaguing the region, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) staged a massive protest at Sambalpur on Thursday. The protest, led by former minister and district BJD president Rohit Pujari, began with a massive rally from Municipality chowk to the collectors office. The BJD workers also staged demonstration and alleged that the BJP government has failed to fulfil its poll promises. Later, the agitators submitted a memorandum, addressed

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has directed the department secretaries and district collectors to ensure the timely delivery of services identified under the Odisha Right to Public Service Act (ORTPSA). Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has written a letter to all secretaries, revenue divisional commissioners (RDCs) and district collectors instructing that all services covered under the Act should be made available to people in a time-bound manner. As of now, 428 public services of 32 departments h

BERHAMPUR: A person died and another is battling for life after their car fell into a pond at Baharpur village within Dharakote police limits in Ganjam district on Thursday. Police identified the deceased as Himanshu Ranjan Mohapatra. The injured, Sudhansu Sahu, has been admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital. Both of them are reportedly LIC officials. Sources said Himanshu and Sudhansu were on way to Dharakote from T Manikyapur village in the evening when their car skidded off the road a

BHUBANESWAR: Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Thursday advised the former MLA from Jharsuguda and BJD leader Dipali Das to make a request in writing to the state government for a CBI probe into the murder of her father and former minister Naba Kishore Das. Harichandans remarks came in response to Dipalis belated demand for a CBI probe expressing hurt over questioning by the BJP on the silence of her family in the killing of Naba Das. Simply expressing concerns to the media does not suffic

BERHAMPUR: Shockwaves spread in Ganjams Aska after a man brutally killed his 35-year-old sister by smashing her head with a grinding stone and slitting her throat over a family dispute in Raipali village during the wee hours on Thursday. Police identified the deceased as Laxmi Mohanty. The 45-year-old accused, Babaji Patra, is on the run after committing the crime. Sources said though Laxmi was married and had a four-year-old son, she was staying with her elderly parents to take care of them. He