Odisha Government

Odisha govt's new excise policy to allow beach shacks to serve liquor

In the face of criticism from some quarters, Odisha government has allowed opening of beach shacks which can serve food and liquor in the state to promote tourism. This is part of the Odisha government's new Excise Policy for the year 2023-24 which will be implemented from April 1, 2023. The policy also increase excise duty for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) marginally besides increasing a few other costs for bars, which may increase retail alcohol costs. The new policy provides of opening of beach shacks in the state to promote tourism. However, the license for these shacks will only be granted to the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) and not to any private operator. The shacks can be opened near different water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and dams, apart from sea beaches, the new policy said adding that the beach shack license will be considered a special category of restaurant ON' license, and the OTDC will have to decide on selecting operators for beach shacks

Odisha govt to provide aid to 50,952 children who lost parents to pandemic

The children who lost their parents or main earning person of the family on April 1, 2020 or thereafter to Covid-19 have been covered under the scheme

Patnaik condemns Centre's policies of LPG price rise, rice quota cut

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday slammed the BJP-led central government for raising the price of LPG and slashing the quota of five kg of free rice to beneficiaries. These decisions are anti-women, claimed Patnaik, who had been supporting the schemes and policies of the Narendra Modi government for a long time. Hike of the LPG price and deduction of 5 kg rice by the Centre are clearly anti-women policies. I strongly condemn such policies, Patnaik said while addressing a BJD function marking the observance of International Women's Day. Earlier, the ruling party had staged a demonstration opposing the stoppage of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) under which the poor people covered under the PDS were provided with 5 kg of free rice to counter the adverse impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The BJD government was demanding continuance of the PMGKAY as the impact of the pandemic still hits the poor people who lost jobs and employment. The

Urban areas in Odisha to get 5G, 1,814 villages to get 4G by December

5G connectivity was launched on January 5 in Odisha with services in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar through 510 BTSs (base terminal stations)

BJP questions appointment of retd HC judge to monitor minister murder probe

As Orissa High Court retired judge Justice JP Das reached Jharsuguda to monitor the Crime Branch investigation into the murder of former Health minister Naba Kishore Das, opposition BJP alleged that there is no legal sanction behind his appointment. The state government had written a letter to the Registrar of the High court to name either a sitting judge or a retired judge to monitor the investigation as the opposition parties demanded a CBI or court monitored SIT probe into the sensational murder case. The high court had suggested the name of J P Das to supervise the probe. However, the BJP which has been demanding a CBI probe into the minister's murder, alleged that there is no such provision under the CrPC for external intervention into the investigation process, by a retired high court judge. "I am afraid if CrPC grants power to a retired judge to monitor a criminal investigation? It is a clear breach of the statute due to executive remissness. Things are not being done in the

Odisha govt urges HC to monitor health minister's murder case probe

With the opposition BJP and Congress demanding an impartial probe into the killing of Health minister Naba Kishore Das, the state government has requested the Orissa High Court to monitor the investigation being carried out by the Crime Branch of Police. The state government's move in this regard on Monday night came after the opposition BJP demanded a CBI probe and Congress sought a judicial probe into the incident as the lone accused in the minister's killing case was a policeman. "How can the state police probe a case where one of its members is the lone accused," asked Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja. The BJP also raised a similar question and demanded a CBI probe as the state police may not deliver justice for its member being the prime and lone accused. The Home department headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a letter to the High Court Registrar said that the minister's murder case may be monitored by a sitting or retired judge of the High Court or by a district ...

Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, CM Patnaik pay last respect to Naba Das

Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and many other dignitaries from different walks of life on Monday paid their tributes to deceased minister Naba Kishore Das, who was gunned down allegedly by a policeman at Brajrajnagar town in Jharsuguda district. The chief minister, who had on Sunday visited the hospital twice during hospitalization and after Das's death, on Monday morning again visited the minister's official residence where his mortal remains were kept. Both the governor and CM also met the family members of Das and expressed their condolences. Many ministers, MPs, MLAs, former lawmakers, BJP state president Samir Mohanty and Congress leaders also visited Das's official residence. The state government also accorded Guard of Honour to the departed minister. Later, the minister's body was taken to the BJD party office where hundreds of people made a beeline to pay their last respect to Das. His body would be flown to his native place in Jharsuguda where t

Petroleum Minister Pradhan says will contest elections from Odisha in 2024

Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Dharmendra Pradhan, has expressed desire of contesting elections from Odisha in 2024. Assembly elections are due in the coastal state next year, along with the Lok Sabha polls. I have already requested the party (BJP) I will contest this time, Pradhan said at an event organised by The New Indian Express here. However, he did not make it clear whether he will contest assembly or Lok Sabha polls. I am a strong believer of democracy, I believe in political homework and political hard work, not just management. To continue my connect with the common masses, I think the best way is to contest polls, Pradhan told PTI on Tuesday. Pradhan was elected to the Odisha Assembly in 2000 and to the Lok Sabha from Deogarh Parliamentary seat in 2004, when the BJP was in alliance with Biju Janata Dal. However, Pradhan lost the Assembly elections in 2009 after the BJP-BJD alliance broke. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 and for a second term in 2018. To

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Free canteen for farmers visiting state-run Mandis in Odisha's Gajapati

For the first time free canteens for farmers have been opened in Odisha near paddy procurement centers to provide lunch to those who bring their produce from distant villages. The canteens have been set up in Gajapati district and at least four such canteens have been opened at Paralakhemundi, Kashinagar, Upalada and Garabandh, a district administration official said on Monday. Vegetable meals prepared by the women self help groups (WSHGs) of the areas are being served to the farmers at the free canteens being run by the Paralakhemundi regulated market committee (RMC), Gajapati collector Lingraj Panda said. "We have launched the canteen system to provide free lunch to farmers who come to the procurement centers with their produce and cannot return home for their meal," Panda said. Besides food, the farmers are also being provided free soft drinks and pure water at the procurement centers by the RMC. "The objective of the programme is that farmers should not face problems when the

Odisha prepared to handle Covid-19 resurgence, says health minister

The Odisha government is prepared to tackle any situation if there is a resurgence of coronavirus in the state, state Health minister Naba Kishore Das said on Wednesday. Talking to reporters about the preparedness of Odisha in view of Omicron sub-variant BF.7 creating havoc in certain countries, Das said he held a review meeting during the day on surveillance and testing. If there is sudden resurgence of Covid, it is not about having Plan A or Plan B. We are already prepared under the able leadership of Naveen Patnaik Our government was earlier praised for its handling of the pandemic and for supplying Oxygen to different states. We have instructed all Medical Colleges, including MKCG, VIMSAR and SCB Medical College, regarding readiness of 15 oxygen beds and 5 ICU beds, the minister said. Mock drills were done in all district hospitals on Tuesday. Many hospitals across the country held mock drills on Tuesday to check the readiness of health facilities in view of proper COVID-19 ..

Odisha yet to submit proposal for establishing high court benches: Rijiju

Odisha government has not yet submitted a detailed proposal for establishment of benches of Orissa High Court including its location in consultation with the HC

Odisha govt approves 7 policies to attract investment and boost economy

Ahead of the Make In Odisha Conclave, the Naveen Patnaik government has approved at least seven different policies to attract investment in the state and boost the economy. The decision regarding the State Cabinet approving seven policies and other decisions was announced by Revenue and Disaster management minister Pramila Mallick in the Assembly on Wednesday. The Cabinet at its 52nd meeting on Tuesday approved 17 proposals including seven policies. The policies which have been approved were: Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility Policy-2022, Industrial Policy Resolution (IPR) 2022, Odisha Logistics Policy 2022, Odisha Apparel and Technical Textiles Policy-2022, Export Promotion Policy 2022, Odisha Civil Aviation Policy 2022 and Odisha Tourism Policy 2022. The new Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility Policy-2022 is expected to play a major role in reducing vehicular air pollution and boost manufacture in the automobile sector. As per the provision, all old vehicles that have ...

Odisha govt rakes up 'shelved' Bargarh-Nuapada railway project issue

Ahead of the December 5 bypoll to Padampur assembly seat, the BJD government in Odisha on Sunday raked up a 'shelved' railway project connecting Bargarh to Nuapada, accusing the Centre of neglecting the people's demand for improving the connectivity there. The 142-kilometre new broad-gauge line between Bargarh Road to Nuapada Road stations via Padampur was sanctioned in 2018, but later was "shelved by the Centre", state Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu said. The woman leader of the BJD, in a letter to Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw, urged him to sanction the Bargarh-Nuapada new railway line as it would boost economic activities in the region. Accusing the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of neglecting people in the region, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty pointed out that "Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had, on December 15 in 2018 in a public meeting, announced that a new railway line from Bargarh station to Nuapada via Padampur was sanctioned by the ...

NABARD sanctions Rs 220 cr to Odisha govt for flood protection projects

NABARD has sanctioned the fund for construction of 57 flood protection projects and one bridge at a rural area

Acting on Morbi tragedy, Odisha govt shuts down Mahanadi suspension bridge

Odisha government has closed down the suspension bridge, connecting the Dhabaleswar Shiva shrine on an island in Mahanadi River to Athagarh of Cuttack district

Odisha to prepare disaster management warriors to face calamities: Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said the state is all set to introduce disaster and pandemic management curricula in schools and colleges to prepare Disaster Management Yodhas (warriors) in every village and household. Patnaik said this while addressing a meeting marking the observance of the Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day and National Day for Disaster Reduction. The day is observed to remember the 1999 super cyclone which killed about 10,000 people in the state. "Disaster and Pandemic Management is being introduced in the educational curricula of students from standard 4 to graduation level with a view to preparing Disaster Management Yodhas in every village and household," the chief minister said. Noting that the state government has done everything possible to make Odisha a safer place during natural calamities, Patnaik said during 23 years since the Super Cyclone the state has developed the most robust infrastructure for disaster management. The world has now

Odisha government starts prepping for upcoming 'cyclone season'

The Odisha government has asked its officials to prepare for possible cyclones over the next two months despite no such forecast by the weather office. Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra directed officials concerned to take all precautionary measures at the state-level cyclone preparedness meeting on Monday. Odisha faces severe cyclonic storms in October and November, sometimes even till December 15. This two-and-a-half month is considered the "cyclone season" in the state, he said. "Odisha usually witnesses the wrath of cyclones during the withdrawal of monsoon in October and November. Odisha's geographical situation and climate change have also caused cyclones during the summers since 2019," he added. Regional Meteorological Centre director HR Biswas, who attended the meeting, said the IMD has not forecast any such cyclone for the next 15 days even as there are favorable conditions for a cyclonic storm. The chief secretary asked all the departments to remain prepared to deal with any

Odisha approves Rs 1,923 cr investment in 10 projects in different sectors

The Odisha government on Friday accorded in-principle approval for setting up of 10 different industrial projects with an investment of Rs 1,923.60 crore in different sectors. The approval was given at the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) meeting held here under the chairpersonship of Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra. The committee approved 10 projects worth Rs 1,923.60 crore that would generate employment opportunities for over 5,170 people in the state, said Industry secretary Hemant Sharma. He said the projects approved in the meeting come under diverse sectors like power and renewable energy, chemicals, IT & ESDM, food processing, oil & gas, metal downstream, technical textiles, tourism and infrastructure. The approved projects will be set up across Odisha with four projects being set up in Khurda district, and one each in Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Balasore, Keonjhar and Angul districts. A proposal of Luminous Power Technologies Private Limited to .

NGT stalls Odisha govt's Bali Jatra riverfront project in Cuttack

The National Green Tribunal has imposed restrictions on the Odisha government's ambitious Bali Jatra project, for which the Cuttack district administration had reclaimed an area of around 426 acres of the Mahanadi riverbed, environmentalists said on Saturday. As part of the Bali Jatra riverfront or the Barfi project, the district administration had reclaimed the floodplain zone of the river near Jobra barrage in Cuttack city by filling sand and garbage, they claimed. According to them, the move allegedly "reduced the water retaining capacity of the barrage and posed a threat of inundation to at least 38 nearby villages". A five-member special bench, headed by chairperson Justice A K Goel, said it was difficult to accept the state government's plan for construction on the reclaimed land, which has been clearly established to be part of the floodplain zone. "There's the clear anticipated danger of flooding. We're guided by precautionary principle under Section 20 of the NGT Act," the