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Intense cold continues to sweep parts of Odisha with temperatures plummeting below 10 degrees Celsius in several areas. Phulbani was the coldest place in Odisha in the past 24 hours recording a minimum of 5 degrees Celsius. The other coldest places were Keonjhar with 9 degrees, Jharsuguda and Bhawanipatna with 9.2 degrees, Bolangir at 9.4 degrees and Sundargarh with a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius.

The Odisha Government will abide by the Centre’s new vehicle scrapping policy after the Union Finance Minister announced the much-awaited voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and polluting vehicles on Monday (February 1). The Centre has directed the State Commerce and Transport Department to submit a detailed report on the old and unfit vehicles within 15 days.

With the investigation underway into the death of Rama Devi student Jharaphula, Kuakhia Police brought the arrested accused, Rakesh Swain to Bhubaneswar for crime scene recreation on Wednesday (February 3).

There are a lot of hidden gems in the state of Odisha that are yet to come to limelight. Ample beauty and abundant greenery are what attract most tourists. One such unexplored spot is Pakadajhar waterfall in Kandhamal district. This waterfall has recently gained a lot of popularity as a picnic spot, owing to its picturesque location, lush greenery and clear water. With COVID-19 restrictions slowly easing, tourists have found a perfect excuse to visit this waterfall.

In the Rail Budget 2021, Odisha has been allocated Rs 5,528 crore for different railway projects. Last Financial Year, Odisha was allocated Rs 4373 crore.

In a tragic incident, two elephants were killed after being hit by a goods train in Odisha’s Sundergarh district on Wednesday (February 3). The goods train reportedly hit the elephants near Mahipani in Bisra area of Sundergarh district late at night. It is suspected that the elephant heard was crossing the railway tracks when the goods train hit them.

In an important development in the death case of Rama Devi University student Jharaphulla, the scooter used to dump the body has been traced. Jajpur Police has traced the scoter that was used to dump the body, which was recovered from Kuakhia area of Jajpur.

The ongoing Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border dispute has escalated to new heights. The Andhra Pradesh government has reportedly changed names of 3 villages in Kotia Panchayat of Koraput district in Odisha. Moreover, after changing the names of these villages, the neighboring state has reportedly started preparations for the three-tier gram panchayat elections in the region.

In a shocking incident, the headless body of an unidentified woman was found near Dasapur area on Bharatpur-Chandaka road in the Capital City today. It is being suspected that the body of the woman may have been beheaded before her torso was dumped in the area. The police and scientific team soon reached the spot and have launched an investigation into the matter.

Odisha continues to bear the brunt of intense chill with temperatures dropping steadily across the state. As per the Met Office, hill stations across the state shivered with G. Udayagiri recording the lowest temperature of 3 degrees Celsius. Daringbadi and Koraput were also among the coldest places with 8 and 8.5 degrees Celsius, respectively.

A Twitter frenzy broke out when American pop singer Rihanna on Tuesday (February 3) night posted a news link on India’s farmers’ protest and tweeted this. It triggered widespread outrage from Indians questioning Rihanna’s credentials and knowledge about India’s internal matters.

In a case of alleged negligence, almost eight children were taken ill after consuming poisonous fruits at an Anganwadi centre. The incident was reported from Manneguda village in Malkangiri on Wednesday (February 3).

After the announcement of the Rail Budget allocation for Odisha, the ruling-BJD and Congress came down heavily on the centre citing that the demands of the state have been ignored. Reacting to the criticism, the state BJP said that the Centre has allocated more-than-expected funds to Odisha.

A Gram Rojgar Sevak (GRS) of Guagadhia Panchayat under Basudevpur Block of Bhadrak district attempted self-immolation inside the office of the Block Development Officer. The Gram Rojgar Sevak attempted self-immolation over alleged non-payment of his dues for the last several months.

Odisha has been allocated Rs 6995.58 Cr in the Rail Budget of 2021-22. Highest Rs 1000.50 crore has been allocated for Khurdha-Bolangir rail line.