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BHUBANESWAR: Focused push for development of rural infrastructure notwithstanding, only 6 per cent of the allocation made for the ambitious 'Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha' scheme has been spent in the last fiscal. Several projects are still awaiting government approval, although nearly half of the current financial year has already passed. The scheme, announced as a replacement of the previous BJD government's 'Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha' initiative, was launched with an outlay of Rs 5,000 crore to address the critical gaps in rural development through sustainable projects and promote inclusive growth, besides contributing to the broader objective of a developed Odisha. Data obtained from the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department revealed that, of the Rs 1,000 crore allocated under the programme in 2024-25, an expenditure of only Rs 60.78 crore has been made so far. The government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 2,000 crore this fiscal. Almost half of the 30 districts, including Bhadrak, Jharsuguda, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Boudh, Cuttack, Nabarangpur, Sonepur, Deogarh, Balangir, Khurda, Kendrapara, Jajpur and Kandhamal have spent less than Rs 1 crore each. Sources said the highest Rs 90.74 crore was allocated to Mayurbhanj, followed by Rs 67.03 crore to Ganjam, Rs 54.17 crore to Keonjhar, Rs 52.85 crore to Sundargarh, Rs 52.09 crore to Balasore and Rs 45.84 crore to Cuttack.
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
Mumbai: The birth of three penguin chicks at Mumbai's Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo has sparked an unexpected row not over their care, but their names. BJP functionary Nitin Bankar from the Byculla Assembly constituency has objected to the chicks being given English names, insisting they be named in Marathi instead. The BMC is expected to respond by June 10, after which Bankar will decide his next move. Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Bankar said, "When penguins were brought from abroad, we accepted that their names would be in English. But these chicks were born on the soil of M ...Read More >
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 16 (ANI): The Indian government expressed regret on Tuesday over the reported demolition of the ancestral property of celebrated filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh and expressed its willingness to extend cooperation in its restoration. "We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished," the Ministry of External Affairs said. Also Read | India Urges Bangladesh ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: It was a proud moment for Odisha as its urban areas received Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024-25 from President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday in recognition of the commitment to urban cleanliness. The state continued to shine in Swachh Shehar 2024-25 national cleanliness rankings as the Notified Area Council (NAC) of Aska in Ganjam district was awarded for winning second rank in the 20,000 to 50,000 population category. Similarly, the NAC of Chikiti, also in Ganjam, received the award for bagging second rank in the less than 20,000 population category. Bhubaneswar was recognised as t ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Fintech firm BimaPay Finsure on Thursday said it has entered into corporate insurance financing and aims for Rs 20 crore in premiums in 2025-26. Launching the pilot phase with insurance partners, BimaPay said the initiative will allow businesses to pay premiums in easy equated monthly instalments (EMIs) instead of bearing the burden of full upfront costs. Also Read | Who Is Pinaki Misra? From Age to Family Background and Net Worth, Here's All About BJD Leader With Whom Mahua Moitra Reportedly Married. The company aims to finance over Rs 20 crore worth of premiums by t ...Read More >
Hyderabad: In a significant boost for 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbharta' in the aerospace and defence sector, and Hyderabad's growing stature as a global aerospace hub, the complete fuselage of the Rafale fighter jet will now be made in India at Hyderabad. This move marks the first time that these Rafale components will be manufactured outside France for the Indian as well as global markets.French aerospace major Dassault Aviation has signed four production transfer agreements with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) for manufacturing key sections of the Rafale fighter jet, including the lateral ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
BHUBANESWAR: Revenue minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday said Odisha would not be allowed to follow the lawless path in sand operations like it is in Bihar and West Bengal, while responding to the recent assault of an additional tehsildar in Kaptipada block, Mayurbhanj district, by the sand mafia. He promised stringent action against the sand mafia regardless of their connections, while speaking to mediapersons here on Saturday. "The Kaptipada incident represents a serious escalation in conflict between law enforcement and the sand mafia. The attack on officers performing their enforcement dut ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
Shimla: Heavy rains lashed Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, triggering landslides and flash floods and blocking more than 100 roads, even as the weather department issued a red alert.A landslide at Chakki Mod near Parwanoo blocked the Chandigarh-Shimla highway for hours, resulting in a massive traffic jam Sunday morning. The local administration had to divert traffic through the Jangeshu link road until the landslide debris was cleared at Chakki Mod.The traffic was first restored one-way and later two-way, but the traffic jam continued on both sides of the highway throughout the day due to slow veh ...Read More >
Kolkata, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The West Bengal unit of BJP, under the leadership of its new State party President Samik Bhattacharya is making all efforts to ensure a political rally in the state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing it, before Trinamool Congress's annual Martyrs' day rally in Kolkata on July 21. An insider from the state committee of BJP said that the week before July 21, the Prime Minister is scheduled to go for an election campaign in Bihar where the Assembly polls are scheduled later this year. "We are trying hard so that the Prime Minister can spare some time ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 11 (ANI): Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Friday accused Election Commission of India of hatching a conspiracy for chunav chori (election theft) in Bihar, referring to poll-body decision to revise electoral rolls in the state ahead of assembly election there. Addressing Samvidhan Bachao Samavesh in Bhubaneswar, Rahul Gandhi said that ECI is working as a BJP wing and alleged that similar attempts to steal election are being made in Bihar just like they were made in Maharashtra. BJP is attacking the constitution. Yesterday I was in Bihar. Just like chunav chori was ...Read More >
SRINAGAR: A defiant Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday scaled the gates of the Naqshband Sahib graveyard to pay tributes to the 22 people killed by the Dogra army on July 13, 1931. The dramatic scene unfolded a day after Abdullah and several leaders of the National Conference and opposition parties were put under house arrest to prevent them from going to the graveyard to mark Martyrs' Day. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah took an autorickshaw from the Khanyar crossing to the martyrs memorial while Minister for Education Sakina Ittoo surprised everyone by r ...Read More >
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 16 (ANI): Following the tragic road accident in the Muwani area of Pithoragarh district on Tuesday that claimed eight lives, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the state government would provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. This would be in addition to the ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which would be given to the next of kin of the deceased. Also Read | Weather Forecast Today, July 16: Check ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: BJD parliamentary party convened at Naveen Niwas on Tuesday, with Party supremo and leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik chairing a crucial pre-budget session meeting. The meeting, attended by all seven BJD Rajya Sabha members, started on a celebratory note as members congratulated Patnaik for steering Odisha to the top position in fiscal management nationwide, as per a recent survey. According to the NITI Aayog Fiscal Health Index Report-2025, Odisha achieved the highest overall fiscal health score of 67.8% in 2022-23, marking a remarkable turnaround from the state's financial b ...Read More >
Kolkata/Bhubaneswar: Trinamool Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra tied the knot with former BJD MP Pinaki Misra on May 30 in a quiet ceremony in Berlin. The couple is expected to return to India by the end of June. After photographs of Moitra's wedding went viral on social media, the MP on Thursday evening posted on her X handle, "Thank you everyone for the love and good wishes!! So grateful."News of the wedding, kept under wraps for nearly a week, broke on social media with multiple photographs of the Berlin wedding. According to party sources, Moitra had informed the party leadership about her wed ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
Berhampur/Bhubaneswar: A state-of-the-art medical college and hospital was inaugurated by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Kandhamal district on Saturday, fulfilling a long-standing demand of locals. The 100-seat medical college and 650-bed hospital, built at a cost of over Rs 600 crore, is located at Tilakpada near Phulbani.Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, CM Majhi emphasised that the facility would provide quality healthcare services to residents of Kandhamal and neighbouring districts like Boudh, Nayagarh and Kalahandi.A govt officer said the medical college hopes to start admissi ...Read More >
Digha: A day after Rath Yatra, the festive fervour continues in Digha as the seaside town is now gearing up to host Ulta Rath or the return journey of the deities from the 'Masir Bari' or the old Jagannath temple. On July 5 -- the Ulta Rath day -- hotels are hoping for fresh tourist influx. Though the deities are currently in Masir Bari, a large queue of devotees visited the newly-constructed Jagannath temple on Saturday. They offered prayers to the stone idol permanently installed there. It is the wooden idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra that have taken the chairot rides. Bipradash Cha ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) Billionaire Anil Agarwal's mining conglomerate Vedanta Ltd nearly quadrupled its donations to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), contributing Rs 97 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2025, according to its latest annual report. Under "Miscellaneous Expenses', Vedanta detailed the political donations as well as the management and brand fee expenses it paid to its parent, London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc. Also Read | Kota Srinivasa Rao Dies at 83: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu Condoles Demise of Veteran Actor, Says 'He Will Forever Stay Etched in Heart ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Dec 3 (PTI) A delegation of the Opposition BJD on Tuesday met Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Patil and apprised him of the potential submergence of large areas in Odisha's Malkangiri district, due to construction of a multi-purpose project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The delegation, led by senior leader Debi Prasad Mishra, also submitted a memorandum with the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The regional party in its memorandum mentioned that the Polavaram project is likely to impact the lives and livelihoods of thousands of tribal people, especially those from vulnerable and prim ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Ravada A Chandrasekhar took charge as the new State Police Chief on Tuesday. He succeeds Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who retired on June 30. His tenure will run until July 1, 2027. A 1991-batch IPS officer currently serving as Special Director with the Intelligence Bureau, Chandrasekhar is on central deputation. He was selected over Nitin Agarwal, who topped the official list of probables. The appointment order, issued by Kerala Chief Secretary Dr A Jayathilak on behalf of the Governor, was released soon after a cabinet meeting held on Monday. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Godav ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: BJD chief Naveen Patnaik Saturday sought the personal intervention of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for the early and safe release of an Odisha resident allegedly abducted by militants in the West African country of Mali. Patnaik sought Jaishankar's intervention after the mother of 28-year-old P Venkatraman lodged a complaint at a local police station in Hinjili, Ganjam district. Venkatraman is a resident of Patnaik's Assembly constituency from which he has been elected for six consecutive terms since 2000. Taking to X, Patnaik said: "Concerned to know that P ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, July 11 (UNI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today launched a scathing attack on the BJP government in Odisha, accusing it of handing over the state's land, water, forests, and other resources to a handful of billionaires, including Adani and Ambani. Addressing a 'Sambidhan Bachao' rally at the Baramunda Ground here, Gandhi alleged that the current government does not belong to the people, but to industrialists like Adani and a few other billionaires who, he claimed, are now running the state government. "This government has handed over land, mines, forests, and water to just four ...Read More >
Pune: Hospitals in Pune have started reporting an increase in dengue cases among children following recent heavy rainfall and intermittent showers. Conditions are now ripe for mosquito breeding, experts said, as they warned citizens to ensure there's no waterlogging or stagnant pools near homes and offices. "Dengue is typically seen first in children as they often play outside," said Dr Sagar Lad, a senior neonatologist and pediatric intensivist at Jehangir Hospital and Sahyadri Hospital, Shastrinagar. Dr Lad said he's seen at least three children admitted for dengue this week, with all of the ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Friday accused Election Commission of India of "hatching a conspiracy" for "chunav chori (election theft)" in Bihar, referring to poll-body's decision to revise electoral rolls in the state ahead of assembly election there. Addressing Samvidhan Bachao Samavesh in Bhubaneswar, Rahul Gandhi said that ECI is "working as a BJP wing" and alleged that similar attempts to "steal election" are being made in Bihar just like they were made in Maharashtra. "BJP is attacking the constitution. Yesterday I was in Bihar. Just like 'chunav chori' was done in Maharashtra ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Dec 3 (PTI) A delegation of the Opposition BJD on Tuesday met Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Patil and apprised him of the potential submergence of large areas in Odisha's Malkangiri district, due to construction of a multi-purpose project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The delegation, led by senior leader Debi Prasad Mishra, also submitted a memorandum with the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Also Read | Pune Shocker: Bike Rider Dragged for 2 Kilometres on Bonnet of Car in Pimpri Chinchwad; 3 Booked. The regional party in its memorandum mentioned that the Polavaram project is like ...Read More >
Berhampur: Environmental activist Medha Patkar Saturday appealled to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation against the constructio ...Read More >