Police arrested a youth identified as Abhilash Mishra of Sunaripada in Khetarajpur. Police said the bombing was a fallout of a past enmity.
According to police, a youth had attacked Abhilash’s father earlier, and he was seething with anger to take revenge. He hurled a bomb at the youth as an act of revenge, police said.
Abhilash is an ITI student and reportedly made the bomb on his own which he hurled from a flyover.
Northern range IG, Himanshu Lal said, "There is only one accused in this case. Police arrested him and he has been identified as Abhilash Mishra. He had prepared the bomb. His only purpose was to take revenge on a person named Sushil. This has happened due to criminal intention. The incident has no communal angle.”
Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo said, "We have seized some material from his house and he had technical knowledge about bomb-making. He used a bicycle in the crime. We have seized his bicycle and cell phone. The phone will be sent to the forensic lab for data recovery. The incident was the outcome of personal rivalry.”
As per reports, two miscreants hurled a bomb from a flyover in the area. However, the reason behind the bombing was not ascertained immediately.
Following the incident, tension prevailed in the area and a large crowd gathered near the spot.
Police rushed to the spot to control the situation and disperse the crowd from the area. Police asked people to avoid gatherings in the area. A riot control vehicle was also stationed at the place.
Police along with a scientific team started an investigation into the incident. The scientific team collected samples from the site.
The Sambalpur SP and IG (Northern Range) reached the spot to take stock of the situation.
Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo said, "We received information that an explosion took place near a bike. The injured persons are out of danger. An investigation is underway. The situation is under control. Those involved in the incident will be tracked. We are checking the CCTV footage in the area. We have deployed three platoons of CRPF."
Collector Akshay Sunil Agrawal said,”An investigation into the matter is underway and I appeal to the people to maintain peace and not to be scared of."
As per reports, police have seized 16,000 bottles of cough syrup which were being transported in a truck and an SUV in Sambalpur. Police rounded up 26 people who were smuggling the stuff. Besides, 12 cell phones and some cash have been seized from them.
According to sources, the cough syrup was smuggled into the town from West Bengal for sale during Holi and elections.
SDPO Tofan Bag said, "Following an instruction from the SP, raids are being carried out to check smuggling of the contraband ahead of the elections and Holi. A person was arrested yesterday. After interrogating him, we got information about the smuggling of the cough syrup into the town. He had ordered the cough syrup by making an online payment. We had carried out a block-and-checking drive across the town. A syndicate is operating.”
He added that many of the accused were arrested earlier. More arrests are likely, he said.
To counter the two BJP stalwarts, the BJD is reportedly planning to field its organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das in Sambalpur and hockey legend Dillip Tirkey in Sundargarh.
As per reports, the ruling party has thrashed out strategies for the gambit at Naveen Niwas where Pranab Prakash Das along with party’s Sambalpur observer, legislators from Rairakhole, Deogarh and Chhendipada and some other frontline leaders discussed electoral issues and bottlenecks.
In 2019, the BJP won the Sambalpur LS seat along with three Assembly segments - Rairakhole, Rengali and Deogarh. This time, the BJD is reportedly looking at a strong leader in this LS seat who can get the electoral breakthrough. Hence, the name of Das is on the forefront among possible candidates.
On the other hand, the BJD is thinking of fielding Nalini Mohanty (who had unsuccessfully contested from Sambalpur LS seat in 2019) in Athamallik Assembly seat while veteran leader Prasanna Acharya is likely to field in Rairakhole Assembly seat. Incumbent MLA Rohit Pujari many not be repeated there.
However, BJD leader Rohit Pujari said that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will decide who will contest in Sambalpur. “We had discussions about poll preparedness. We are very careful about winning the LS seat and all the seven Assembly segments. We have confidence that we will all the seats,” he added.
Veteran BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra said, "Our position is very good in seven Assembly constituencies under Sambalpur. We won the Sambalpur seat by over 36,000 votes.”
Mishra asserted that the BJP would win the Sambalpur LS seat by a margin of 1 lakh votes.
As for the Sundargarh LS seat, the BJD reportedly held discussions with senior party leaders like Mangala Kisan, Sarada Nayak and Dillip Tirkey.
In 2019, the BJP won the Sundargarh LS seat along with Sundargarh Sadar, Talsara and Biramitrapur Assembly seats. Out of the seven Assembly seats under the Sundargarh LS segment, the BJD could win only Rourkela and Raghunathpalli Assembly seats.
As the BJP is likely to repeat Jual Oram, the BJD is looking for a good match for him. Last time, the BJD had fielded Sunita Biswal against Oram. She lost by a margin of nearly 2 lakh votes. This time, Dillip Tirkey may be considered against Oram.
Raghunathpalli MLA Subrat Tarai said, "We had a review meeting on the district. We were instructed to go to the people and start the groundwork. We have done good work this time. The party will break its records this time.”
Senior Journalist Sandeep Sahu said, "BJP’s position is very strong in Sambalpur. If Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is fielded in Sambalpur, the party will leave no stone unturned to win the poll. If BJD fields Pranab Prakash Das against Pradhan, the party will try its best. Now, we can guess that BJP can repeat Jual Oram in Sundargarh.”
As per reports, the incident had taken place in the Rengali area on March 7. But the matter came to the fore on Wednesday. The deceased has been identified as Mohammed Firoz.
Some youths had called Firoz over the phone to Katarbaga forest on the pretext of selling some scrap material. As soon as the scrap collector reached the place, two youths allegedly started beating him with sticks. While Firoz was trying to run away, he fell into a ditch.
As per reports, the accused hit Firoz on his head with a stone and ran away with his cell phone.
A relative of the deceased said, “During the investigation, police checked the call details of Firoz’s cell phone. The deceased had no enmity with anyone. The culprits called him to this place to sell iron scraps, but snatched away the phone before killing him.”
The police started an investigation into the matter and examined the call details record of the deceased. Police recovered the body for post-mortem while a case has been registered against the two accused.
Speaking to the media, Sambalpur SDPO Tofan Bag said, “The two took Firoz inside the forest to sell their iron scraps. They snatched his mobile and dumped its SIM card. His bike was hidden later. We have disinterred the body in the presence of the magistrate.”
They demanded action against the Dean alleging her of turning a deaf ear to their demands.
“There are so many problems here in our college. Despite being the oldest college in Western Odisha, it is still lagging behind many others. There is no MRI scanner in hospital. The lone CT scanner breaks down regularly. The superspeciality building, OT and ICU complex are yet to start despite their completion months back. It forces us to refer patients to other hospitals,” alleged a protesting doctor.
“Despite being a research institute, there are no facilities for medical research. The college is also not paying us monthly stipend on time. It either gets late or does not come at all. PG students have not received their stipend for the last six months. The authorities are not student friendly at all. They are not at all listening to our demands. They do not listen to any matter related to scholarship or study loan of students,” alleged another protesting student.
The medical students have threatened to go on a cease-work strike from tomorrow, March 14.
Notably, the junior doctors at the institute had warned on March 8 to go on a cease-work strike over pending stipend and other irregularities.
As per reports, the doctors gheraoed the institute Dean, Professor Jayashree Dora on March 7 to press for their demands. But despite a long discussion, the deadlock continued. They wore black badges on their hands and blamed the Dean for their plight.
As per reports, one Sashank Sekhar Majhi dined at the restaurant a few days back. But while paying the bill, he saw the mineral water bottle provided at the restaurant was charged at Rs 35 while the MRP mentioned on the bottle label showed Rs 20.
Not only that, the food bill also included the water bottle and charged GST over it.
Majhi filed a complaint at the district consumer court following which the court ordered the restaurant to pay Rs 30,000 as compensation to the complainant for the ‘overcharge’ and also ordered to pay him Rs 10,000 towards court charges.
Petitioner’s lawyer Anil Mishra said, “The MRP for the water bottle was Rs 20. And as per the law, the MRP is inclusive of the GST. A seller cannot charge GST on the MRP. The restaurant not only charged Rs 35 for the water bottle, it also charged GST on it by including the water bottle in the total bill of the food. So in effect, the restaurant claimed GST on the water bottle twice.”
“The District Consumer Forum heard our case on March 11 and ordered a compensation of Rs 30,000 for the victim,” Mishra said.
The court imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh to the contractor. Moreover, the contractor has also been directed to deposit Rs 1 lakh in the consumer welfare fund of the district.
The court also asked the parking contractor to refund Rs 12 at an interest of 12 per cent per annum and also pay Rs 10,000 towards the litigation cost to the complainant who was charged Rs 24 instead of the usual rate of Rs 12 for parking his scooter.
As per the complaint, Dash had parked his two-wheeler near the parking place at Sambalpur railway station on November 1, 2023. He got a parking ticket where he was asked to pay Rs 30. If the parking was for more than 12 hours, then the parking fee was fixed Rs 12. However, the commuter returned before 12 hours. As per the fixed rule, he should have been returned Rs 18. However, the employee at the parking stand returned only Rs 6 to the commuter. When he asked about the excess amount of charge, the parking employee refused to return the rest of the amount.
Following the incident, Das moved to the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking justice in the matter. After the perusal of the pleadings and submission of the parties, the Commission made the hearing.
“It is directed to refund Rs 12 with 12 per cent interest for deficiency in service, unfair trade practice and monopolistic practice. A compensation of 2 lakh is to be paid along with litigation expenses of Rs 10,000. In case of non-payment of entire amount will carry 14 per cent interest till realization,” the order of the Commission read.
The Commission has also directed to ensure that the contractor will not exploit any consumer in the future and the parking should be fully covered so that it will be dust free.
“Display of rate chart be made immediately. Cleanliness of the parking area with drinking water facilities and lavatories are provided,” the order further read.
As per reports, these accidents took place in the evening. A student of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) and another youth died after their bike and a scooter had a collision in front of the university. Two others were critically injured in the accident.
The deceased were identified as Ashirbad Tripathy, a PhD student of VSSUT and Arakhita Sethi, a local youth. The injured were admitted to Veer Surendra Sai Institute Of Medical Science And Research (VIMSAR), Burla.
In another accident, three persons were killed and two others critically injured after a bike and a scooter had a collision on Chaurpur bridge across the Mahanadi.
The deceased were identified as Mohammed Sayeed, Krishna Agrawal and Sourya Agrawal. The condition of the two injured was stated to be critical, said IIC of Burla Town police station, Bulu Swain.
The bikes have been seized.
As per reports, the Rairakhole police received intelligence inputs about ganja smuggling in an SUV. A team of police officials started chasing the SUV coming from the Kadaligad side. After a long chase, the two ganja traders managed to drive the vehicle into Bhima Bhoi Adikand Market complex and abandoned the vehicle before fleeing the scene.
After a hot pursuit, police arrested one of the accused at Rairakhola College Chhak. Moments later, another was caught near Maheswari Hospital. The accused were identified as Arman Khan of Jharkhand and Altaf Raj of Rourkela.
Police also seized the SUV along with 57 kg of ganja.
Meanwhile, police produced the accused in court on Monday.
Naktideul police started an investigation into the incident by detaining the lecturer following a written complaint by the victim.
As per reports, the girl student was reading in the junior college by staying in the hostel. As per the allegation by the student, the lecturer of the Physics Department misbehaved with her inside the laboratory on December 24. However, she could not tell about the incident to anybody at that time out of fear. When she went home during vacation, she told about the incident to her family members.
Subsequently, the victim reportedly submitted a written complaint to the principal in this regard on February 2. However, the college authorities took the complaint lightly and no action was taken against the lecturer. Hence, she was forced to lodge a police complaint against the lecturer along with his family members on Monday evening.
Naktideul police have registered a case in this connection and started an investigation into the incident. As per sources, the accused is likely to be forwarded to the court today.
Meanwhile, local residents have expressed their resentment over the inaction of the college authorities after receiving the complaint from the victim.
The BJP stalwart said this to reporters after having darshan of Maa Samalei during his visit to Sambalpur on Sunday.
“I came here to have a darshan of Maa Samalei to seek Her blessings. It is our tradition. My maternal grandfather’s ancestral house is in Sambalpur. Whenever I come here, I definitely have a darshan of Maa Samalei and I am happy. I can’t forget the affection I receive here,” he observed.
“India has made remarkable progress in the last ten years. Odisha was earlier getting frustrated while asking for Rs 500 crore allocation for the railways sector. But now lakhs of crores of rupees are being allocated by the Central government. Remember a time when Odisha was asking the Central government for funds, the latter was denying it with a curt remark like ‘money does not grow on trees’. Now, the Modi government is allocating lakhs of crores of rupees.”
He further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Odisha will have no dearth of funds for its development in the days to come.
On the Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, the BJP leader observed, “The grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya is the outcome of the 500 years of struggle and dedication of people. Crores of people in the country celebrated the homecoming of Ram Lalla with deep devotion that day. People have welcomed it. The temple is the identity of the new Bharat. All Indians who regard India as motherland should welcome the temple."
Sources said, the Prime Minister will leave New New Delhi in the afternoon and arrive at Jharsuguda airport, and from there he will board a special Indian Air Force aircraft to Sambalpur.
Director of IIM Mahadeo Jaiswal addressing a press meet on Thursday said that the Prime Minister will arrive at Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Sambalpur at 2.15 pm to attend a programme.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive at IIM on a special Indian Air Force aircraft from Jharsuguda airport,” he informed.
Later he would address a public meeting at Remed Ground.
He will also inaugurate the upgraded Sambalpur Railway station and dedicate the 168-km long Sambalpur-Talcher railway line among other projects. This was stated by Sambalpur DRM Tushar Kant Pandey.
Besides, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stones of some projects and inaugurate some others worth Rs 5816 crore.
Pujari’s hint came amid speculations that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan may fight the Lok Sabha election from the Sambalpur Parliamentary seat.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the BJD legislator said, “We will be happy if an efficient organiser of the party like Pranab Prakash Das comes to Sambalpur to fight the election. It will be a welcome step. Chief Minister has assigned him as party’s organisational secretary given his organizational skills.”
He also added that a decision to this effect cannot be taken by the party leaders, but such a step will always be welcomed.
“If the party organization secretary contests from Sambalpur, the party will not only win in seven Assembly segments but also will win the Assembly seats in the neighbourhood,” the legislator asserted.
Reacting to Pujari’s statement, Rengali legislator of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), Nauri Naik observed that such statements by the BJD legislator are aimed at garnering the limelight and being at the centre of political discussion. “People of Sambalpur and the entire western Odisha have faith in the BJP. We will win the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat as well as all the seven Assembly segments,” the BJP leader asserted.
The exams for third semester undergraduates and postgraduates, which were scheduled for January 13, were rescheduled to January 24 following a letter from Zilla Parishad.
As per reports, a ‘Nua O’ programme by the Odisha government has been scheduled to be organised at Mandalia ground on Saturday. Therefore, the Zilla Parishad asked the University authorities to postpone the exam to a later date. BJD leader VK Pandian is scheduled to attend tomorrow's programme.
“Due to the organization of Nua-O Fest on 13.01.2024 at Mandalia Ground, Sambalpur as per the letter of Zilla Parishad, Sambalpur, the Third Semester (Regular/Back/Imp) Examinations, 2023 of Under Graduate (Arts, Science, Commerce, B.Sc. 1ST, BBA, B.A. B.Ed. & B.Sc. B.Ed.) / Seventh Semester (Regular/Back/Imp) Examinations, 2023 of B.A. B.Ed. & B.Sc. B.Ed. / Third Semester (Regular/Back/Imp) Examinations, 2023 of Post Graduate (Arts, Science, Commerce) / Third Semester (Regular/Back/imp) Examinations, 2023 of MCA, MBA & MBA(FM) scheduled on 13.01.2024 (1st Sitting & 2nd Sitting) is shifted to 24.01.2024,” the varsity said in a notice.
“The above-mentioned examinations will be conducted from 09:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. in 1st Sitting & 1:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. in 2nd Sitting on the dates specified,” the University added.
The students on the other hand expressed their resentment over the postponement of their exams. Speaking to OTV, a student said, “This is exams season and almost every University and college is holding exams. Postponement of the same will put adverse effect on us.”
“We will be disturbed by the ‘Nua O’ programme during our exams. The government rescheduled our exams to make us take part in their political programme. It is very bad for our education system,” she said.
Another student said, “The government is rescheduling our exams only to make VK Pandian’s visit to Sambalpur a success. The district administration and even the University Professors are trying to send students to Pandian’s programme to make it a success. That is why they have postponed the exams.”
"Pandian sir himself became an IAS officer by studying. Now, when its our turn to study, he is playing with our future for his vested and political interests." the student added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Congress party opposed organising the "Nabin Odisha programme beside Rajendra University campus in Bolangir during the exams yesterday.
They alleged that when Rajendra University is grappling with lecturer shortage, the government is holding political programmes with public money.
The members of the Congress party set out in a rally from Rajendra College Square with placards and banners in their hands.
“While the Central government has been providing rice free of cost to the people, the state government is taking the credit for it,” he observed while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra at Mahulapali in Sambalpur on Monday.
Asserting that nearly 3.25 crore people in Odisha are supplied rice free of cost on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he alleged, "The Odisha government is taking credit for it by hanging posters with state government logo and some photographs of the leaders. Such posters are found at retail outlets. This is sheer cheating. Such deceit should not be done in a democratic system.”
Pradhan, however, claimed that the people have understood such cheating and will increasingly repose their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Report by Debendra Behera
Pointing out the mess in the public healthcare in the region, the Union Minister said that there are no doctors at the hospitals in Kesaibahal, Bamra, Mahulpali and Kuchinda. “As the healthcare is in a shambles, the state government is solely responsible for the mess,” he stated.
On being asked if he will contest from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, Pradhan tactically evaded the question, saying, “It is not a personal choice. The party will decide who will fight elections from where.”
It was earlier speculated that he may contest from Dhenkanal Lok Sabha seat, given his frequent visits to the district.
Replying to another question, the Union Minister told the media that a Kendriya Vidyalaya would be set up in Kuchinda.
No comments have been received from the State government.
BJD’s Organisational Secretary Pranab Prakash Das expelled Rath for his alleged anti-party activities.
Interestingly, Rath himself had called a press conference to declare his resignation and disassociation from the conch party. However, he was expelled even before he could resign.
Pramod has been known for targeting the State government over the issue of the permanent bench of Orissa High Court in Sambalpur.
Addressing the reporters, Rath said, “The state government has failed to send a report to the Centre despite the latter’s repeated requests. The state government did not even meet the Chief Justice of Orissa to discuss the matter. It clearly shows the government’s intention. They do not want to establish a permanent bench of Orissa High Court in Western Odisha.”
“I have been sidelined in the party since 2019. I believe in truth. And if telling the truth in a democratic setup is a crime, then I will commit such crime thousands of times,” Rath said.
It is pertinent to mention here that a meeting was held at Sambalpur yesterday with some senior BJD leaders to discuss organisational strength in the district.
No comments have been received from the BJD on the expulsion of Rath.
Earlier on Wednesday night, a tourist bus knocked down the minor boy, identified as Dishan Nayak, near Laxmi Talkies while he was on his way to a medicine shop on his scooter. Dishan died on the spot after being hit by the bus.
Angry over the mishap, people ran amok and tried to vandalise the bus. They staged protests over the entry of a bus into the crowded area. To disperse the crowd, police had to resort to lathi-charge and detain a dozen of protestors.
Again on Thursday, local people staged a road blockade demanding compensation to the bereaved family. The agitating people laid the body on the road and staged a demonstration demanding Rs 50 lakh compensation to the next of kin. Protestors also demanded that the operation of the heavy vehicles should be prohibited inside the city after 6 pm.
The agitators also demanded the immediate release of the detained persons.
Meanwhile, keeping in view the tense situation, police forces were redeployed while some senior police officials are keeping a close watch on the situation.
Speaking to the media, one of the agitators said, "We demand the release of detained persons and Rs 50 lakh compensation for the victim's family. Moreover, heavy vehicles and buses should not be allowed into the city after 6 pm.”
Additional SP, Harish Chandra Pandey said, “We are negotiating with the people on the issue. Police have detained 12 persons. Two platoons of police were deployed at the site. In fact, buses were not operating on the route. Under what circumstances the tourist bus came on that route is under investigation. The SP ordered an investigation into how the tourist bus was on that route. We will look into it once we are free.”
ADM Ajambar Mohanty said, “Nearly 40 people who were in the bus were safely rescued and kept at the CRPG camp near the Jail Chhak after the accident. At around 2 pm a bus was arranged for them after completion of their medical check-up.”
Later in the day, the protestors withdrew the roadblock after getting assurance from the district administration, sources said.
As per reports, the victim, a student of class-IX was going on a scooter to a medicine shop to bring medicines for his mother when the bus knocked him down. The boy died on the spot. The deceased has been identified as Dishan Nayak of Ambedkar Nagar.
Immediately after the accident, hundreds of local people swarmed to the site, clamouring for action against the driver. The locals shouted slogans and opposed the movement of buses on the crowded route in the evening. They staged a roadblock demanding action.
Police rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the agitators. However, the situation turned tense as police tried to vacate the spot. This led to a confrontation between agitators and police, forcing the police to resort to a lathi-charge.
Meanwhile, the bus was seized while its driver was detained.
As per the new guideline, strict enforcement will be carried out on the use of loud speaker in Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) and periphery areas and no loud speaker will be allowed to play between 10 pm and 6 am.
‘Police Mitra’ has been formed to keep a watch on anti-social activities in flagged dark zone areas. Besides, a WhatsApp number (8018250001) has been launched by the police for the people to report any suspicious activity in their locality.
Strict traffic enforcement will be done from Kacheri square to Adarsh Marg as it has been marked as ‘Zero Tolerance Zone’. Hefty fine will be slapped if anybody found driving in the zero tolerance zones with loud speakers.
To check the riding of vehicles by minors, the Sambalpur police has decided to take strict action against minors and school children if they are caught driving vehicles. Besides, action will also be taken against their parents.
The official guideline also mentioned that the market areas inside town shall be closed by 10.30 pm except medical, railway cinema hall and other emergency services.
The police will take stringent action against drunk drivers and triple riders.
The police have also informed to do numbering of autos from 01.01.2024 and the numbering of autos shall be completed by the end of 31.01.2024. No auto shall be allowed to play without Police number from 01.02.2024.
The police will carry out frequent raids against selling of illicit liquor, corex and other contraband articles.
The police have also requested the merchant associations of Sambalpur Town to put one or two CCTV cameras facing towards the main road so that they can take assistance with the same as and when required.
As per reports, the two-day-old baby was found dumped in the borewell at Laripalli under Rengali block on December 12. The district administration with the help of the Fire Department personnel and ODRAF managed to rescue the girl after an 8-hour-long exercise.
As the newborn survived such a disaster, she was named Bijayini. She was admitted to the SNCU at VIMSAR. Initially, her condition was critical because of internal bleeding. A team of doctors was routinely looking after her treatment.
Doctors then said that the baby had serious health complications arising out of her low weight and premature birth. The bleeding in her intestine was a cause of concern for the authorities at VIMSAR.
The Sambalpur district administration was keeping track of her health condition and provided all possible help.
The results of the OJS examinations conducted by the Odisha Public Service Commission were published on Wednesday.
She gave the credit of her success to the support of many people and the blessings of God, apart from doing hard work.
Since her success, Jigyansa has been receiving greetings and accolades from kith and kin, friends and various quarters across the country.
After completing her LLM degree from the National Law University in Gandhi Nagar, she had been investing 8 to 10 hours a day for preparing the OJS.
It was her second attempt for the OJS in which she cleared the exam successfully. Her father is a retired teacher while her mother, also a teacher, is yet to retire.
Speaking to OTV, Jigyansa said, “I was studying for eight to 10 hours per day well before the OJS. During the exam time, I was preparing for more than 10 hours.”
She also said that dedication is the key, and to crack the exam, one must be focused.
She also added, “I was doing such a level of preparation with an eye on a good rank. It was because of the blessings of God and the support of all that I got such success.”
Jigyansa said that she was extremely happy to get the success at the OJS.
Addressing a presser in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, BJD leader Goutam Buddha Das said, “The NH-55 that connects Cuttack with Sambalpur is said to be one of the lifelines of Odisha. Now, the NH-55 has turned out to be the most dangerous road in the country.”
He added that over the last seven to eight years, the highway has transformed into a deathtrap.
The NHAI has been claiming that the expansion and extension of the NH-55 has been going on for the last eight years, but its completion is nowhere in sight, the BJD leader observed. If accidents are taken into consideration on this road, at least 2 lives are lost and 10 to 15 people are injured on a daily basis, he claimed.
The BJD leader said that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan belongs to a district through which the NH-55 is passing, but he seems to be in deep slumber.
“The people will give a befitting reply to the Central government in the days to come,” he stated.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) retaliated, pointing out the reason for the delay in NH-55 expansion. BJP leader Jatin Mohanty said, “At several places, land has not been acquired. The state government is responsible for the land acquisition. But this has not happened over the years. Inordinate delay in the project is unnecessarily being attributed to the NHAI and the Central government.”
“As long as the state government will be failing to acquire the required land, the expansion of the NH-55 will not be possible. Besides, there is the issue of law and order and Naxal menace at some places. Several times in the past, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Nitin Gadkari pointed out the bottlenecks and asked the state government to sort out the issues, but no steps have been taken,” he added.
Sources said, her intestine is bleeding and the health authorities of the VIMSAR are mulling to airlift her to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (Sishubhawan) in Cuttack, if the need arises.
According to doctors at VIMSAR, the baby has multiple injuries all over her body and what makes them more concerned is the bleeding inside her intestine, though efforts are on to check it. “It will take at least three to four days to check the bleeding. The baby is premature and underweight. Her condition is critical as it was born within 34 weeks and weighs only 1.6 kg,” said the Medical Superintendent of VIMSAR, Lal Mohan Nayak.
The next three days are crucial for the infant even as VIMSAR authorities are in touch with the authorities of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (Sishu Bhawan) in Cuttack.
On the other hand, the Sambalpur district administration is keeping a close watch on the condition of the infant. Additional Collector Ajambar Mohanty is in regular touch with the VIMSAR authorities. The district child protection officer has sent an official to the VIMSAR to keep track of her health condition.
Additional Collector Ajambar Mohanty said, "If doctors want to refer the baby for better treatment outside, the administration is prepared to provide all possible help.”
Mandakini Kar, chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) said, "We have sought a report from the chief district medical officer (CDMO) about the health condition of the infant. We will intimate the child welfare committee for her rehabilitation after recuperation.”
Meanwhile, police have intensified the investigation to ascertain the identity of the baby and to trace the person/s who dumped her into the abandoned borewell. Police are visiting villages and hamlets looking for clues.
He also added that it was the iron pipe that worked as a protection shield for the baby. "Her sporadic cries used to make us worried. If anyone can be called a big victor, it is none other than this baby," he observed
Meanwhile, police have started an investigation into the matter and are trying to find who actually dumped the baby into the borewell. Sambalpur Additional SP, Haresh Chandra Pandey said that a case was registered at the Rengali Police Station and police officials visited the spot as part of their investigation.
On the other hand, the baby girl after being safely rescued from the abandoned borewell in an 8-hour-long rescue operation on Tuesday night is undergoing treatment at the SNCU in VIMSAR, Burla. Her condition is stated to be stable.
Speaking to the media, the superintendent of VIMSAR, Prof. Lalmohan Nayak said that the condition of the infant is better today than it was yesterday after the rescue.
“We received the baby at around 11.30 pm yesterday and kept her at the SNCU. At that time, her condition was not good. She was suffering from hypothermia which has subsided after administration of medicines. She has some injuries after falling into the borewell. We hope her condition will improve further,” Prof Nayak informed.
The infant is a 34-week-old premature one weighing 1.6 kg and there are some injuries on her body after falling 15-20 feet deep into the borewell, he said adding, “We are keenly observing her condition. We will assess the injuries which are not visible."
Earlier on Tuesday, locals of Laripali heard the cries of an infant coming from inside an abandoned borewell in a desolate and forested place. A team of fire personnel immediately started the rescue operation along with an ODRAF team. The infant was stuck at around 15 to 20 ft depth inside the borewell. After 8 hours, the baby was removed from the borewell.
Apart from the undaunting spirit of the rescue workers particularly the fire fighting personnel, an electrical equipment which helped a lot in rescuing the newborn child, was Victim Location Camera.
The camera was airlifted from Bhubaneswar and reached the spot at Laripali in the Rengali area of Sambalpur just at the nick of time enabling the rescue workers to locate the baby accurately.
“It is also called search camera. It helps us locate the victim inside a hole like borewell or under some debris. We can even know whether the victim is alive or dead inside the hole directing our rescue operation accordingly,” said a Striking Team member Dilip Jena.
“We left Bhubaneswar with the camera by a special flight at around 6:40pm. After arriving at Jharsuguda airport, a piloting vehicle took us to the spot at Rengali where the camera was used,” Jena added.
“The rescue operation was challenging for us. After reaching the spot we heard the cries of the baby. It made us conduct the rescue operation on war footing. Fire Services DG sent the camera from Bhubaneswar which helped us a lot to rescue the baby,” said another fire fighter.
DG of Odisha Fire Services, Sudhansu Sarangi, who was providing updates on the progress of the rescue operation at regular intervals, said that extreme care was taken for the safety of the infant.
“As the iron pipe of the abandoned borewell was old and rusted, it was cut with an electric cutter. Earlier, a victim location camera had been sent to the site to ascertain the condition of the stuck child,” said Sarangi.
As per reports, after hearing the cries of the infant, locals came to know about the incident in the noon. A team of fire personnel initially rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation. Later, an ODRAF team joined the exercise. The infant was stuck at around 15 to 20 ft depth inside the borewell.
Three excavators were deployed to dig a pit alongside the borewell. A team of health officials were also at the spot. Keeping in mind the likelihood of suffocation, the rescuers pumped oxygen through a pipe into the borewell. Amid cold conditions, a filament bulb was sent inside to ensure warmth for the infant. Finally, after the victim location camera was brought from Bhubaneswar, the baby was safely rescued from the borewell following eight hours of gruelling operation.
The device enables a telescopic probe which mounts, at its head, a sensitive articulable video camera, supported by appropriate illumination to insert below the debris. The images can be viewed by the operator and other rescue personnel on remote display monitors.
The system also integrates a two-way audio system which can pick up life sounds from the victim and also permits the passage of spoken instructions or assurances to him from the rescue team.
Since a rigid telescopic probe has limitations on how far it can be inserted, the camera, light and sound system can also be mounted on one end of a cable which can be used to reach greater depths.
SP Mukesh Bhamu said that all facilities were arranged beforehand. “There was no injury on the rescued infant. It was important for us to rescue to child first. We will later investigate who actually had thrown the infant into the borewell,” he added.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said every life is precious and extended his thanks to the ODRAF, Fire Services & other rescue team members, and the district administration for the successful rescue.
A senior official of the administration said that after cutting the pipe, a plate was pushed two feet below where the infant was stuck, following which the victim was rescued. The iron pipe of the borewell was cut open with an electric cutter instead of a gas cutter to ensure the safety of the infant. DG of Odisha Fire Services, Sudhansu Sarangi, who was providing updates on the progress of the rescue operation at regular intervals, said that extreme care was being taken for the safety of the infant. “As the iron pipe of the abandoned borewell was old and rusted, it was cut with an electric cutter. Earlier, a victim location camera had been sent to the site to ascertain the condition of the stuck child,” he added.
As per reports, after hearing the cries of the infant, locals came to know about the incident in the noon. A team of fire personnel initially rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation. Later, an ODRAF team joined the exercise. The infant was stuck at around 15 to 20 ft depth inside the borewell and its cries were being heard sporadically from the well, triggering hope for the rescuers.
Three excavators were deployed to dig a pit alongside the borewell. A team of health officials also reached the spot. Rengali BDO visited the spot to monitor the rescue operation. Keeping in mind the likelihood of suffocation, the rescuers pumped oxygen through a pipe into the borewell. As rescuers inched closer to the infant stuck in the borewell, they were elated to hear its cries. Amid cold conditions, a filament bulb was sent inside to ensure warmth for the infant. A victim location camera was sent from Bhubaneswar to the spot to get proper visuals of the condition of the infant.
Following the rescue, the infant was taken in an ambulance which was kept ready at the spot to facilitate prompt medical intervention. Senior administration officials along with Police, Fire Services, and medical personnel were present at the spot throughout the rescue operation.
As per sources, the circumstantial evidence hinted that the infant was most likely thrown inside the borewell. An official present at the site said that the place where the borewell was present is a private land known as Sriram Field. The borewell has been lying open for about 15 years and was left unused after digging, informed sources.
On being informed, a team of fire personnel rushed to the spot and efforts are on to rescue the infant.
As per reports, the infant is stuck in around 15 to 20 ft depth inside the borewell. Its cries are being heard from the well, informed sources.
However, it is not clear how the infant got into the well, which is far from human habitation. Local residents suspect that the infant might have been dumped by someone.
A pit is being dug near the borewell to reach to the stuck child. Fire personnel are trying their best to save the infant, sources said.
However, no one has come forward to claim the child. Meanwhile, the administration is giving priority to saving the child.
Meanwhile, because of possible suffocation, oxygen supply is being provided into the abandoned borewell in the forested area. Three excavators were deployed to dig the pit alongside the borewell. A team of health officials also reached the spot.
Rengali BDO visited the spot to monitor the rescue operation.
As per sources, the circumstantial evidence hinted that the infant was most likely thrown inside the borewell.
Locals said that the borewell has been dug up to 15 ft. An official present at the site said that the place is a private land known as Sriram Field and has been lying abandoned for about 15 years. The borewell was left unused post digging.
As rescuers were inching closer to the infant stuck in the borewell, they were elated to hear its cries. Amid cold conditions, a filament bulb was sent inside to ensure warmth to the infant.
“The iron pipe of the borewell will be cut open with a hand-cutter instead of a gas cutter to ensure the safety of the infant,” said DG, Odisha Fire Services, Sudhansu Sarangi. It was reported that pipe cutting was started.
An ambulance was kept ready at the spot to facilitate prompt medical intervention. Senior administration officials along with Police, Fire Services, and medical personnel were present at the spot.
The interrogation of the two managers is underway to extract more information from them, sources said.
Despite being a Sunday, a team of officials continued with the counting of the seized money inside Bolangir State Bank of India (SBI) Main Branch. If reports are to be believed, more counting machines and manpower will be engaged in the counting of the seized money.
On the other hand, the counting of seized money has been completed in Titlagarh and Sambalpur. Around Rs 11 crore was seized from Titlagarh while another Rs 37.50 crore was seized from Sambalpur.
Meanwhile, several workers working in the wine shops of the Sahu family have been absconding since the I-T raid. This has led to a rise in the price of liquor in several parts of Odisha, it was learnt.
On the other hand, there are several other wine outlets of the Sahu family that are yet to be raided. Speculations are rife that crores of rupees have been hidden in interior and rural villages to avoid I-T glare. Moreover, there are also reports of crores of rupees being burnt by the workers of the wine outlets.
The exact amount of seized money will be revealed by the Income Tax Dept DG through a press meet only after the counting process is over.
Speaking to the media, Senior Branch Manager of Union Bank of India, Dharmendra Sahu said, “We have finished counting 50% of the seized money while there is another 50% to count. At least 60-70 personnel have been engaged in the counting of the money. All guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are being followed."
In the latest update, SBI Regional Manager informed that the authorities and bank staffs have finished the counting of money in 140 bags out of the total 176 seized bags. The remaining 36 bags of money will also be counted today.
"At least 40 counting machines are currently being used for the counting with several more machines there for backup in case of any malfunction," he added.
Meanwhile, both, Bunty and Rajesh Sahu refrained from commenting on the issue.
Another startling clue came to the fore during the ongoing crackdown. A polygene packet containing Rs 5 lakh was found and the name ‘Inspector Tiwari’ was mentioned on the packet. People are curious about the real identity of the person, wondering if the person is a pecuniary beneficiary from the liquor makers. Why this packet was specially kept for the mystery person and what the person was doing with the liquor makers?
Another question that doing the rounds now is if the mystery person is linked to the police or excise department while the IT official is reportedly trying to ascertain the identity of the person.
As per reports, such a huge haul of cash from the Boudh Distillery Private Limited (BDPL) which is a subsidiary of Baldeo Sahu Infra Private Limited, is said to be the biggest ever seizure even by the IT in the country. The seizure has brought the focus of the national media to Bolangir, which is famous for the migration of labourers.
The I-T department officials had earlier recovered 20 packets of cash from Bunty’s house, the manager of the Sudapada country liquor manufacturing unit. Notably, 156 packets of cash had been seized from the brewery earlier.
Besides, the cash seized from Titilagarh Brewery owned by Ritesh Sahu was counted as Rs 11 crore. Ajay Behera, a bank employee of Titilagarh, said that five to six cash-counting machines were used for cash, but he did not specify the amount of the cash counted.
Meanwhile, the counting of cash at the Sambalpur SBI was completed in the evening, sources said, adding that Rs 37.50 crore cash was counted. Deputy general manager of the SBI, Sambalpur, Manmohan Swain earlier in the day said that around 15 more note-counting machines brought from Bhubaneswar were engaged for cash counting.
The cash seized from Dhanupali-based brewery of Baldev Sahu and Sons is being counted while cash of Rs 30 crore was counted till Friday.
Speaking to media, Bhagat Behera, regional manager of SBI, Bolangir, said “Cash from 102 out of 156 bags was counted. Counting of cash from 74 bags is on.”
The counting of the cash is going on at the SBI in Bolangir. Till today, about cash worth Rs 100 crore was counted, sources said. The IT officials have engaged 50 bank employees and 25 cash counting machines. The cash seizure can run to Rs 500 crore, as several packets of cash are yet to be counted.
Meanwhile, a special 20-member IT analysis team from Hyderabad joined the investigation to get to the roots. IT sleuths have put three liquor makers under scanner while important documents have been seized.
However, an I-T official refused to divulge details of the investigation.
Meanwhile, bank staff in Bolangir have counted cash worth Rs 140 crore packed in 106 bags on Saturday while the cash in the remaining 70 bags is yet to be counted, sources said, adding that more raids will be carried out at some other places in Bolangir.
As per reports, the wildlife exchange programme between the Sambalpur Zoo and Bhubaneswar Nandankanan Zoo started on Tuesday. As part of this programme, as many as eight blackbucks from the Nadanakanan Zoo were sent to the Sambalpur Zoo at Motijharan in the first phase.
In return for the blackbucks, seven Baisingas will be sent to the Nandankanan Zoo. Visitors will see these animals at Nandanakan after a month, it was learned.
Speaking to the media persons, Anshu Pragyan Das, the DFO of Hirakud Wildlife Division said, "Blackbucks are usually found in Ganjam district. We have brought eight blackbucks, four males and as many females, from the Nandankanan Zoo. The animals will be isolated for quarantine for a month. After one month, we will release them inside the zoo for display.”
The DFO also added that earlier the zoo had 15 species of animals and with the addition of blackbucks, the number of species went up to 16 now. “We wanted to nurture blackbucks in the zoo. We got the animals from the Nadankanan Zoo after obtaining approvals from the wildlife headquarters and the state government,” she added.
The DFO exuded hope that after the addition of a new species, the number of visitors will increase.
The deceased has been identified as Namita Patel, the owner of the house and the labourer as Lalit Dehuri.
According to sources, this morning, Patel called Lalit to break an old wall in her house.
While Lalit was breaking the wall, Namita was standing on the opposite side. As the wall was weak it suddenly collapsed on him and Patel.
As a result, the duo sustained critical injuries.
Soon, the family member of Namita rushed them to Kuchinda Sub-Divisional Hospital. However, they were declared dead by the doctors.
“My daughter was standing at the side of the wall and the labourer was breaking it. As the wall was weak, it suddenly collapsed on the duo, as they were standing on the opposite side. They died on the spot,” said Namita’s father.
Governor Raghubar Das, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu and MLA Nauri Naik were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said, “Education has always played an important and transformative role in building society. Moral and human values like service, equality and sympathy are the foundation of our culture.”
She also stated that youth should be inspired by these great ideals and values and take care of their elderly parents and people from the deprived sections of society so that a better society can be formed.
Emphasizing that positive attitude towards these values should be created in the minds of children through education, the President observed that moral education helps in building human life and brings positive changes in the society.
“Moral education makes us aware of the life values of compassion, kindness, friendship, and fraternity. Positive changes can occur in an individual having these qualities. Positive changes in an individual can help create a better society,” she added.
Expressing her happiness that Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya is making the path to happiness, peace and joy, accessible through character-building, self-realization and divine experience, the President recited a Sanskrit Sloka: Sarbe bhabantu sukhinah, sarbe santu niramaya, sarbe bhadrani pasyantu, maa kaschit dukhaa bhaag bhabet…”
Speaking to the media, Rajajogini Parbati, said that value-based education will bring about a change in society and help build 'Swarnim Bharat'.
As per reports received from Railway sources, a buffalo entered the track suddenly while the train was travelling on the Sarla-Sambalpur section. The train hit the animal, leading to the derailment of four wheels of a coach of 08169 Jharsuguda -Sambalpur MEMU Passenger Special. The accident took place at 06.25 pm, said sources.
However, till the time of filing of this report, no injuries or casualties were reported. According to the PRO of the Sambalpur Railway division, there is no report of injury or casualty after the train derailment.
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The Railways has started restoration work which will take two hours. The Divisional Railway Manager of Sambalpur along with a team reached the spot. They started restoration work soon after an accident relief train carrying relief materials for track restoration reached the spot along with medical equipment.
The derailed coach of the MEMU train was lifted out from the track. After nearly two hours of restoration work, the train resumed its journey, Railways sources said.
One of them died and 14 others sustained injuries after the auto-rickshaw they were travelling in rammed into a tree near Dhama on the Sambalpur-Sonepur road on Tuesday.
The injured were initially admitted to the Sambalpur district headquarters hospital and later 13 of them were shifted to the VIMSAR, Burla.
As per reports, the deceased and the injured belong to Bisipalli area in Bargarh district. They hired an auto rickshaw to have the darshan of the deity at Huma temple. However, the driver lost control of the vehicle, following which it rammed into a roadside tree. One of the occupants died on the spot while 14 others were injured.
An elderly person, who was injured in the accident, said,” I was sitting in the rear of the vehicle. The driver rammed the vehicle into a tree.”
Umakant Majhi, a staff of the district headquarters hospital said, “As many as 15 people of Bisipalli were in the vehicle. All of them were going to Huma temple in the hired auto rickshaw and later the vehicle hit a roadside tree. One of them died on the spot while another was admitted to the surgery ward of the hospital and the other injured were referred to VIMSAR, Burla.”
Immediately after the accident, locals rescued the injured and sent them to the district headquarters hospital. Meanwhile, police have started an investigation into the matter.
No comments have been received from the police.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reportedly started its groundwork to broaden its base for the upcoming elections across the state, the latest development has hung the political future of the incumbent MP Nitesh Ganga Deb in balance.
Notably, BJP stalwart and Leader of Opposition Jaynarayan Mishra and party legislator Nauri Nayak had earlier pointed to the Sambalpur LS seat as the safest one for the Union Minister, thus undermining discussions that Pradhan would explore electoral possibilities in the Dhenakanal LS seat.
The latest one to strongly advocate Sambalpur seat for the Union Minister is Deogarh MLA, Subash Panigrahi, who has stiffly opposed the candidature of present MP Nitesh Ganga Deb. Panigrahi also alleged that the MP’s popularity has declined as the latter has not worked for the people. The people in Sambalpur are disenchanted with the MP, the MLA claimed.
Panigrahi also asserted that whoever will contest against Dharmendra Pradhan in Sambalpur will certainly bite the dust while his party will perform well in western Odisha.
While the BJP is reportedly laying focus on western Odisha, Panigrahi has claimed that if Dharmendra contests the election from Sambalpur, the party will gain electorally in the western region.
On the other hand, keeping this development in view, the Biju Janata Dal(BJD) has gone on an overdrive, initiating its counter strategy. BJD's organizational secretary, Pranab Prakash Das on Thursday visited Sambalpur where he held a closed-door meeting with party cadres to strengthen the party organisation.
Acharya made the statement at the annual function of Bindhabasini Auto Association at Rairakhol in Sambalpur district.
In his address, Acharya launched a veiled attack on Pujari while putting a question mark on the development work in Rairakhol constituency.
“Rairakhol has not developed much due to our weakness and inability. There has not been much development work in the constituency. Many more works are to be undertaken in the constituency,” said Acharya.
“Development is never a full stop and there are only commas put in between. Development is a continuous process. Many things are done without purpose. As I am associated with Rairakhol people for more than four decades, I talked about development,” he added.
As per some political analysts, as Acharya is in a race for a BJD ticket from this constituency, he targeted local MLA Pujari indirectly.
However, Acharya brushed aside any kind of such possibility by saying that he is beyond any kind of speculation.
“I am a disciplined worker of BJD and beyond any kind of speculation,” said Acharya.
Meanwhile, responding to Acharya’s allegations, Pujari said that Acharya has not been the MLA of Rairakhol for the last 10 years and how could he know about the development activities undertaken in the constituency?
“I am not aware of Acharya’s speech. How could he know about the developmental activities undertaken in the constituency when he has not been the MLA of Rairakhol for the last 10 years? All kinds of developmental activities are going on under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. As per my information, the kind of developmental work undertaken in Rairakhol has not been done elsewhere in the State,” said Pujari.
As per the order, for failing to pay the fine, the amount will carry with 9% interest per annum till realisation to the complainant.
“The OP is directed to refund Rs. 3/- towards excess money received from the Complainant to-wards Xerox charges and Rs. 25,000/- as compensation towards mental agony and harassment to the Complainant within 30 days from the date of order, failing which the amount will carry with 9% interest per annum till realization to the complainant,” the order of the Commission read.
As per the reports, Prafulla Kurar Dash, a journalist from Budharaja area in Sambalpur district had gone to the shop to get photocopy of document on 28 April, 2023. Dash had given five rupees and told the shopkeeper to return three rupees as the genuine rate of photocopy is Rs 2/- per copy. However, the shopkeeper refused to return the amount and abused the complainant.
After repeated requests, the person sitting in the owner chair returned Rs 5/- and insulted the complainant by saying ‘he donated the money to the beggar’. Further, the shopkeeper had not given any receipt or bill which is an unfair trade practice and thereby causing considerable mental agony, harassment, and inconvenience apart from financial loss.
As per the order, the shopkeeper is liable to compensate the complainant for these reasons.
“The opposition party had not given any receipt or bill which is an unfair trade practice adopted by the OP. Further, the OP is collecting excess money per photocopy as compared to market rate. Hence, the OP is deficient in service. It is an exploitation to a consumer,” the order further read.
“It’s not my individual case. It’s a matter of concern for the rights of all the consumers. I was so much insulted after the incident that I lodged a complaint at the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and got justice thanks to the intervention by the Court,” said Prafulla Kurar Dash, the complainant.
With the recent decision to halt admissions into UG and PG courses for the current academic session, the future of hundreds of students in the only open university in the State has been pushed into oblivion.
Even after eight years of opening, the varsity is wallowing in neglect. The educational institution has failed to fulfill even a single criterion under the NAAC ranking. Taking it from the Vice Chancellor to the students, all are apprehensive about the university losing its approval.
The university doesn’t have basic facilities like good infrastructure, own textbooks and syllabus, lecturers and staff, research and hostel facilities.
“As per the Open University Act, the governing body has the power to appoint teachers. Either the government should appoint teachers within two to three months or give the governing body the power to appoint teachers,” said Aditya Prasad Padhy, former Vice-Chancellor of Berhampur University.
“The State government has done nothing for the infrastructural development and appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff in the university which is quite unfortunate,” said Manas Ranjan Buxi, a former student of the State Open University.
The university was set up in 2015. Hundreds of students have taken admissions into the university under 14 PG and 11 UG courses. However, even after eight years of functioning, the university doesn’t have its own building and it is functioning from the campus of Gangadhar Meher University. Forget about professors, even associate professors have not been appointed in the university so far, it was alleged.
Though the university authorities have informed the State Higher Education Department about their problems several times, nothing has been materialized yet.
Under the banner of ‘OSOU Banchaa Abhiyan,’ (OSOUBA), a group of citizens have announced their campaign to save the university. They have given a memorandum in this regard to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through the north region Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC).
“There is a possibility of the closure of OSOU. If it happens, there will be a huge protest. The State government should step up immediately to build new infrastructure for the university and appoint new staff,” said Sudhir Bahidar, the convener of OSOUBA.
“When we are filling up NAAC forms, we are mentioning the number of sanctioned posts as zero which is a great problem for us. We have written letters to the State government in this regard many times. However, we are still waiting for a proper response,” said Arka Kesari Das Mohapatra, Vice-Chancellor of OSOU.
In such an incident, a family in Rairakhol area of Sambalpur district kept the body of a man at their home for more than 20 hours with the hopes that he would be alive again.
As per reports, Biren Kanara was undergoing treatment at Rairakh Hospital for some days. Though the doctors declared him dead on Thursday, his family members refused to admit it. They kept the body at their home for more than 20 hours with the hopes that the deceased will be alive again.
“The family members of Biren had an altercation with their neighbour some days back. The neighbour had threatened to kill Biren by resorting to sorcery. Subsequently, Biren fell ill and he was admitted to Rairakhol Hospital. But the doctors could not get any report about his illness after conducting several tests. Eventually, they declared him dead,” said Raghuath Kunara, a relative of the deceased’s family members.
“The family members had kept the body at home with the hope that a sorcerer may help him become alive again. There are also some signs indicating that Biren is not dead yet,” said Raghuath.
“Biren’s body has not yet become cold and stiff indicating that still there is life in it. Some of his nerves are also working. The family members are still hopeful that he will be alive again,” said Baidyanath Behera, a relative of the deceased’s family.
Moreover, the family members and some of the relatives are also performing certain rituals in a bid to make the deceased alive again.
On the other hand, some villagers have lodged a complaint against the family at Rairakhol police station for not cremating the body and keeping it at home for more than 20 hours.
Later, he was rescued by the fire services personnel.
The man has been identified as Surendra Mohan Mishra.
Mishra, a retired government servant, claimed that he didn’t have any problem at home. His legs slipped and he fell into the river while taking selfie on the railing of the bridge.
“I fell into the river as my legs slipped while taking a selfie. My mobile phone also fell into the river. It happened as I have neurological problems. While being swept away by the current of the river, I didn’t have any hope of survival. However, I managed to hold a weed bush. Later, I was rescued by the fire services personnel,” said Mishra.
As per reports, many local people were having morning work at the time when the incident happened. Following the development, they informed the local police and fire services personnel who rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation immediately.
In an official order signed by the Registrar, it has been said that "On receipt of a written complaint from a lady faculty against Dr. Rajat Kujur, Assistant Professor PG Department of Political Science and Public Administration and pending framing of charges, Dr. Rajat Kujur, is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect."
During the suspension period, Kujur will get subsistence allowance at the rate equal to leave salary which he would have drawn had he gone on leave on half average pay or half pay and DA based on such leave salary.
"However, no payment shall be made unless he furnishes a certificate that he is not engaged in any other employment, business, profession or vocation," the official varsity order read.
Earlier, the female assistant professor had alleged that she had been mentally harassed by Kujur for no reason since 2016. She also accused him of coming to the department in an inebriated condition during office hours.
Meanwhile, the Committee, which has been constituted to probe the allegations, is likely to hold the meeting tomorrow, sources said.
The deceased have been identified as Jyotsnarani Das and her son Sudhir Panda.
According to sources, Jyotsnarani used to live with her son, daughter-in-law and two-year-old granddaughter. For some days, Jyotsnarani and her son were living in the house as her daughter-in-law and granddaughter were away in her parents’ house.
According to relatives and local residents, the family was living happily as they didn’t have any financial problems.
However, it is said that Jyotsnarani had been under depression for some days over the mysterious death of her younger son.
Today morning, the neighbours could detect a foul smell emanating from the house. They immediately informed the police. A team from Ainthapali police station along with a scientific team reached the spot. They broke open the door only to find two bodies hanging.
The police brought down the bodies and sent them for post-mortem.
From their primary investigation, police suspected it to be a case of suicide.
A detailed investigation is underway, police said.
According to sources, the accused, Swadhin Pradhan, of the village had married one Mira. However, his wife eloped with her lover a couple of years ago and was staying with him.
On Tuesday, Mira and her lover, identified as Pankaj Dehuri, came to the village for some work. Seeing his wife with her lover, Pradhan lost his cool and shot three to four rounds at Dehuri using a country-made gun, sources informed.
Dehuri sustained critical injuries on his hands and abdomen in the attack, sources informed, adding that a profusely bleeding Dehuri was first rushed Burla and later he was shifted to Cuttack after his condition deteriorated. Till the last report came in, Dehuri’s condition was stated to be critical.
Meanwhile, police have started an investigation into the matter and launched a manhunt to nab Pradhan who is at large after committing the crime.
The police detained three suspects as per written complaint filed by the victim at Govindpur police station.
“A 21-year girl had alleged that three youths have gang-raped her on Wednesday night. We have detained three accused in this case, which is being investigated by a DSP rank officer,” said Amitabh Panda, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Kuchinda.
A four-wheeler, which was used by the accused, was also seized and further investigation is on, he said.
According to the police, the victim had gone to Tangaramunda SBI branch on
Wednesday.
When she was waiting to return home from the bank, two youths offered a lift to her in their bike and allegedly gang-raped her in different locations. Later, another youth allegedly raped her in the car.
The man has been identified as Samiran Pradhan of Patulidhipa village under Naktideul block in the district.
According to sources, Pradhan was working with a private company and living with his wife and two children at a rented house in Sambalpur.
On Thursday morning, his scooter, slippers and mobile phone were recovered from the bridge, sources informed.
On being informed about the incident, fire services personnel rushed to the spot and launched a search operation.
The mishap occurred on Tuesday night. The deceased driver has been identified as Ramji of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
The helper of the mini truck sustained severe injuries in the accident. He has been admitted to Sambalpur Hospital in critical condition.
As per reports, the coal-laden truck was going from Deogarh to Sambalpur while the mini truck carrying pan masala was coming from the opposite direction. Both the vehicles were going at great speed and collided head-on at Bada Kundesara.
The intensity of the accident was so much that both the vehicles caught fire in the process and the driver of the mini truck was burnt alive. The coal-laden truck was also almost reduced to ashes following the accident.
On being informed, police and fire Services personnel reached the spot and doused the fire.
The driver of the coal-laden truck is on the run after the mishap.
Jamankira Police has registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter.
As per reports, the gates will be opened at 9am on July 23 amid a rise in reservoir water level following recent rains in upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi River in Chhattisgarh.
While the dam has the capacity to hold water up to the danger mark of 630 feet, the water level in the reservoir is currently at 611.52 feet. At the same time, the inflow to the dam has been measured at 1.4 lakh cusecs while the current outflow has been registered as 40,000 cusecs.
However, due to the continuous inflow of water into the reservoir, the water level is on the rise forcing to dam authorities to open the gates in three days of time.
Once the gates of Hirakud open, not only the Mahanadi but the water level of other distributaries of Mahanadi will rise too.
The dam authorities have warned the people downstream about the scheduled opening of the gates.