By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: If newspaper reports are to be believed Odisha government had diverted more than 14,475 hectares of forest land for mining purposes in the last one decade. The mineral-rich Keonjhar and Sunergarh districts accounted for the bulk of this land. Though compensatory afforestation is taken up through Campa fund it can never […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: In its latest move to empower women state government plans to engage women from economically deficient background in services like running of Aahar kendras, managing community toilets and collecting water bills. These women will be part of the self-help groups (SHGs) formed by the state urban development agency (SUDA) under the […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The last minute glitch in India’s moon mission broke the hearts of ISRO scientists. It was also a heart breaking moment for the rest of the country with lakhs of people glued to their TV sets to hear the news of lander Vikram’s touchdown on the surface of the moon. But as […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Has Odisha changed for the better in the last 20 years? With chief minister, Naveen Patnaik setting a record of sorts by winning five back to back elections any discussion on the state is bound to revolve around this question. While ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders can be biased about […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha has reported 70 cases of acid attack between 2011 and 2019, according to an NGO engaged in helping acid attack survivors. Both government and the civil society need to take these statistics seriously because victims invariably are women, especially young women who are left with permanent scars on their bodies […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: It is not often that one sees an IAS officer in Odisha trekking through a hilly terrain and fording a river to reach out to people living life dangerously in virtually inaccessible areas. On Sunday the sub-collector of Ganjam, Shinde Dattatraya Bhausaheb undertook such a journey to interact with the residents […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Within a span of less than two months POCSO courts in different parts of the state have awarded death penalty to three persons in cases of rape and murder of minor girls. The punishment will hopefully serve as a deterrent and curb the worrisome trend of rise in such cases. The […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: A section of the media has reported that Keonjhar district administration has decided to use sal leaf plates and disposable paper cups in a bid to reduce the consumption of plastic. Sal leaf plates, popular known as “ khali”, have been part of socio-cultural life of Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts. They […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Chief minister, Naveen Patnaik seems keen to ensure that his 5T formula of governance is followed both by civil as well as the police administration. Ahead of the launch of his government’s Mo Sarkar initiative, which is one of the steps towards making 5T effective, he has urged police officials to […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: It is often said that the next world war would be fought over water which, considering its fast depletion, has become a resource more valuable than oil. Yet water conservation is yet to become a priority area for the government. While huge quantity of water is wasted daily in both rural […]
I am circumambulation around history but have not titled this with the same. Because history as a subject is not my problem, but it to be treated as a tool…
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Fake beneficiaries have pocketed more than Rs.170 crore disbursed under the KALIA ( Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation ) scheme, an initiative being widely hailed as the panacea for the problems afflicting the state’s farming community. This revelation has thickened the controversy surrounding this financial assistance programme that covers […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The famous Chilika lake continues to be in the grip of the prawn mafia. Cash rich prawn traders , who export the boneless fish to international destinations, pay the local culturists who build prawn dykes by encroaching parts of the lake which is choking. Commercialisation of Chilika began long ago with […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The difference hits you in the eye once you arrive in the city of London. In fact, it was visible to us soon after landing at the Gatwick airport. Cleanliness and discipline were remarkable. Everything was orderly with the staff ready to help newcomers at every point. The long queues at […]
By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Democracy notwithstanding extreme right wing racists are active in parts of Britain. Fringe groups like Britain First are patrolling the country’s beaches to hunt down desperate migrants. Branded ‘racist vigilantes’ members of the group, armed with binoculars, have been scanning the south coast looking for asylum-seekers crossing from France in little […]