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BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Wednesday announced the reconstitution of District Planning Committees (DPCs) across all 30 districts, appointing ministers and MLAs as chairpersons in a move aimed at strengthening decentralised planning and accelerating development at the grassroots level. As per an official notification, key political leaders have been entrusted with the responsibility of steering district-level planning processes and ensuring the effective execution of development programmes. Among the appointments, Ashok Mohanty will head the DPC in Angul, while Laxman Bag has been assigned Bolangir. Padmalochan Panda will oversee Balasore and Ashwini Kumar Sarangi has been given charge of Bargarh. Sitanshu Sekhar Mohapatra will lead Bhadrak, and Kanhai Charan Dang has been appointed for Boudh. In other districts, Chhabi Mallick will head the committee in Cuttack, while Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari has been assigned Deogarh. Simarani Nayak will oversee Dhenkanal, and Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan has been given responsibility for Gajapati. Further, Purna Chandra Sethi has been appointed for Ganjam, and Amarendra Das will head Jagatsinghpur. The government has also nominated chairpersons for the remaining districts, including Keonjhar, Khurda, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Puri, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Sundargarh. Officials said the reconstitution of DPCs is intended to strengthen decentralised governance by improving coordination between rural and urban local bodies in the preparation of district development plans. The committees are expected to play a crucial role in integrating local priorities with the state's broader development agenda.
Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange warning for Odisha's twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack till 5.38 pm on Wednesday. The cities are likely to experience moderate thunderstorms along with rain, lightning and gusty wind speed 30-40 kmph under the influence of a well-marked low pressure over westcentral Bay of Bengal. The weather agency has also warned of similar weather conditions at many places in the districts of Balangir, Bargarh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Khurda, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Oct 25 (PTI) The Odisha government on Saturday said it has activated its disaster readiness model in view of an impending severe cyclonic storm (SCS) likely to cross neighbouring Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, officials said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued the pre-cyclone watch for South Odisha coasts and said the state was likely to witness heavy rain for three days from October 27 as a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression. In its 5.30 PM bulletin, the IMD said the depression moved nearly westwards and lay centred aro ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: A low-pressure area over Bay of Bengal is expected to bring rain across Odisha today, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow warning for all districts. Heavy rainfall is predicted in six districts, including Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Kalahandi, Rayagada, and Nabarangpur. The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in these districts today, while Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, and Rayagada are expected to experience heavy rainfall tomorrow as well. The alert regarding rainfall in various districts is valid till September 18. Residents ...Read More >
Puri: At least three persons, including two women, were killed and around 50 others injured in a stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple during Odisha's Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra on Sunday morning, June 29, officials said. The incident took place around 4 am when hundreds of devotees gathered near the temple to witness Rath Yatra festivities, Puri District Collector Siddharth S Swain said. The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital, and the condition of six people is critical, he said. "Out of the 50 injured, six people are still unconscious and their condition is very serious," an off ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jul 13 (PTI) The Odisha government has started working on securing copyright for the rituals of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri to protect its traditional cultural expressions, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the titular king of the pilgrim town, said. The statement came amid resentments among the devotees of Lord Jagannath over the untimely celebration of Lord Jagannath's rituals by the ISKCON abroad and the West Bengal government's declaration of a temple in Digha as "Jagannath Dham". These are "gross violations" of sacred scriptures and ancient tradition, the Gajapati Mahara ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: The southwest monsoon, which has become vigorous over Odisha, along with back-to-back low-pressure areas may dump more rains in the state for 4 days. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the low-pressure area over north Odisha and adjoining areas of northwest Bay of Bengal & Gangetic West Bengal persisted over the same region at 8.30 am. It is likely to persist over the same region and become less marked during the next 12 hours. It further stated that the cyclonic circulation formed over coastal areas of central Myanmar and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal is ...Read More >
Gujarat Rain Alert: Gujarat braces for heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds in several districts, with Amreli, Gir Somnath, and Diu expecting intense downpours. Meanwhile, Odisha is on high alert as Cyclone Montha approaches, potentially bringing widespread rain and gusty winds, especially to coastal and southern regions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday warned of heavy rain, moderate thunderstorms, and strong winds at isolated places in several districts of Gujarat. Am ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Saturday reviewed the state's preparedness to tackle the possible impact of Cyclone 'Montha,' which is developing over the southeast Bay of Bengal. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and Special Relief Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh held a detailed meeting with District Magistrates to assess the readiness of all districts. Addressing media persons after the review meeting at Rajiv Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Minister Pujari said that the deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal has been moving west-northwestwards at a speed of a ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: A yellow warning for hot and humid conditions along with thunderstorms and gusty winds has been issued for several districts of Odisha, the India Meteorological Department said in its midday bulletin on Friday. According to the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, hot and humid weather is very likely to prevail at one or two places in coastal districts including Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur over the next 24 hours. The IMD has also warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds reaching 40-50 kmph in parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Kala ...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 >
Bhubaneswar, Jul 2 (PTI) With official work across Odisha paralysed for two days because of a 'cease work' by Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) and Odisha Revenue Service (ORS) officers, the state government on Wednesday appealed to the agitating officers to resume duty. State government officials launched the protest on Tuesday, a day after Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo was allegedly dragged out of his office and assaulted by a group of miscreants. According to police, five people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident. ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Heavy rainfall is likely to occur in several districts under the influence of a well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to turn into a depression on Tuesday, IMD said on Monday.A red warning for heavy to very heavy rain was issued for Koraput, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts with isolated places likely to get extremely heavy rainfall along with thunderstorm and lightning, accompanied by gusty surface wind speeds reaching 30-40kmph.An orange warning ...Read More >
BHUBANESWAR/JHARSUGUDA: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday directed officials to be fully prepared to deal with the situation arising out of continuous rains due to a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal, and take all precautionary measures. Reviewing the preparations at a high-level meeting at Jharsuguda, in which 17 district collectors took part through video conference, the chief minister said due to heavy rains many districts may face flood-like situation. He directed the collectors to ensure that the control rooms at the district and block levels function around the clock and thei ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was admitted to MS Ramaiah Hospital in Bengaluru after developing a fever late Tuesday night, sparking concern among party workers and political leaders across the country. Doctors at the hospital are closely monitoring his condition and have assured that there is no immediate cause for alarm. Kharge, 83, was reportedly brought to the renowned medical facility after he complained of persistent fever. A medical team quickly initiated a series of diagnostic tests to determine the cause. While his condition is said to be stable, doctors have kept ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: With cyclone Montha set to unleash heavy to very heavy rain in several parts of Odisha, the district administration of Khurda on Monday declared holiday for two days for all schools and Anganwadi centres. An official order issued by the administration said that all schools and Anganwadi centres will remain closed across the district on October 28 and 29 as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of children and staff. Earlier, it was decided that all Anganwadi centres in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur will remain closed ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Oct 28 (IANS) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red and orange alerts for several southern Odisha districts as Cyclone Montha intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal on Monday. Briefing the media, Bhubaneswar IMD Director Dr Manorama Mohanty said the cyclone currently lies about 510 km south-southwest of Gopalpur. "It is very likely to move north-northwestward and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, around Kakinada, during the evening or night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm," she ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 28 (ANI): Landfall process of the Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) 'Montha' commenced on Tuesday around 7:30 pm as the storm is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada tonight, the India Meteorological Department said. As per the update at 9:30 pm, IMD said, "SCS Montha is likely to move northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, to the south of Kakinada during the next 2 hours as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting ...Read More >
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow warning for Odisha, predicting rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in several districts until April 8. The advisory highlights possible gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph in some areas. According to the bulletin, districts under warning include Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, and Balangir. Residents in these regions have been asked to remain alert and take necessary precautions. Meteorologists noted that hot and humid conditions will preva ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: At least four workers from Odisha were killed and four others injured in the explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in Telangana, an officer said on Wednesday. So far, 36 persons have been killed and several others injured in the powerful blast at a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit in Telangana's Sangareddy district. The explosion occurred on Monday at Sigachi Industries' plant in Pashamylaram. "As per information received from the local district administration, four persons from Odisha were killed in the blast and another four persons, among whom one is serious, are under treatm ...Read More >
Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed the ongoing restoration work of the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, which was the power centre of the Dogra kings in Jammu, and stressed on enhancing its heritage appeal. The Mubarak Mandi Complex is one of Jammu's most significant architectural heritage sites and is envisioned as a comprehensive cultural centre, housing museums, conference venues and heritage hospitality services. Accompanied by Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MLA Yudhvir Sethi during the visit, the chief minister was briefed in detail on the multi-phas ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Severe cyclonic storm Montha on Tuesday made a landfall in Andhra Pradesh, triggering heavy to very heavy rain and disrupting normal life in several parts of Odisha. As the landfall process was nearing completion, several districts in southern and coastal Odisha were pounded by rainfall of varied intensity under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm. Normal life was severely affected in Odisha as the system dumped heavy rain in coastal and southern Odisha districts, causing landslides and damaging houses besides uprooting trees, officials said. As per the India Meteorologi ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], October 28 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Tuesday that 11,396 people have been evacuated and 30 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRF) and five teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed as part of measures for the Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) 'Montha'. After chairing a high-level meeting to assess the State's preparedness for Montha, CM Majhi said that the eight districts of South Odisha - Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur - are "likely to be the mos ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 28 (ANI): Landfall process of the Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) 'Montha' commenced on Tuesday around 7:30 pm as the storm is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada tonight, the India Meteorological Department said. As per the update at 9:30 pm, IMD said, "SCS Montha is likely to move northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, to the south of Kakinada during the next 2 hours as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: With official work across Odisha paralysed for two days because of a 'cease work' by Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) and Odisha Revenue Service (ORS) officers, the State government on Wednesday appealed to the agitating officers to resume duty. The State government officials launched the protest on Tuesday, a day after Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo was allegedly dragged out of his office and assaulted by a group of miscreants. According to police, five persons have been arrested so far in connection with the incident. To resolv ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of five Odia labourers who lost their lives in a devastating explosion at Sigachi Industries Limited's pharmaceutical factory in Telangana's Sangareddy district. The deceased labourers are Rajnala Jagan Mohan from Ganjam, Lagnajit Duari from Cuttack's Tigiria, Manoj Raut from Balasore, Dolagobinda Sahu from Jajpur, and Chaitu Bhatra from Nabarangpur. According to reports, three other Odia workers, Sameer Padhi from Ganjam, Chandan Kumar Naik from Bhadrak, and Neelambar Bhadra f ...Read More >
Tourism Minister R. Rajendran on Friday said that in Salem district, through the 1,747 ration shops, 11.12 lakh ration holders are benefitting. The Minister inaugurated four ration shops that were constructed at a cost of ₹51.70 lakh at Pachagoundanur, Marivalavu, Vennampatti, and Pachanampatti that come under the Omalur and Tharamangalam panchayat unions and a part-time ration at Mattukaranur. Inaugurating the ration shops, he distributed ration items to the cardholders. Speaking at the func ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a red warning for Odisha on October 2, coinciding with Dussehra festivities. Heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls along accompanied by thunderstorm/ lightning and gusty surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph is likely in the districts of Jagatsinghpur and Puri under the influence of the well-marked low pressure over westcentral Bay of Bengal expected to concentrate into a Depression during the next 12 hours and intensify further into a deep depression, crossing South Odisha- North Andhra Pra ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Bhubaneswar centre has forecast a period of unsettled weather for Odisha, triggered by a strengthening weather system over the Bay of Bengal. The state is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms over the next several days, with a Yellow Warning in effect for many districts. According to the midday bulletin issued today, a well-marked low-pressure area lies over the southwest Bay of Bengal. The system is expected to intensify into a depression within the next 12 hours and subsequently move across the coasts of n ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, June 29 (UNI) The Odisha government today suspended Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of Ganjam Block, Susil Kumar Panda, following his arrest by the Vigilance on charges of possessing disproportionate assets. Bhubaneswar, June 29 (UNI) With the tragic death of three devotees and at least fifty others injured in a stampede near Sri Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri during Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra during wee hours on Sunday sparking shock waves across the state and exposing the gaping holes in the efficiency of government machinery, Odisha Chief Minister has issued a statement te ...Read More >
JHARSUGUDA: Amid the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast of a fresh low pressure over the Bay of Bengal intensifying into a depression and impacting the coastal districts of Odisha including Ganjam, the state government has proposed to the Centre to change the venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting on September 27 from Berhampur to Jharsuguda. This was informed by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Sunday at Jharsuguda. He said Jharsuguda has bee ...Read More >