Latest Updates from Guest Column

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha has always prided itself on its art and culture. Temples scattered across the state bear testimony to its great architectural tradition. The sun temple at Konark, a marvel of architectural excellence, has been listed as a UNESCO heritage site. Apart from the Sri Jagannath temple in Puri and the shrine […]

In the collective memory of the nation, few times would come close to the shared despair, fear and gloom that is prevalent all across now. Certain parts of the country…

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Recently newspaper reported about CPI (Maoist), a banned outfit with a history of violence, expelling one of its divisional committee members in Odisha from the organisation for ‘anti-party’ activities. According to some reports, Navin, who was active in the “ swabhiman anchal ” ( earlier known as cut-off area) of Malkangiri, […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: As expected chief minister, Naveen Patnaik has written a letter to union tourism minister expressing his disappointment over the omission of Odisha from the list of 17 iconic tourism sites to be developed by the Centre with provision made for the same in the budget for 2019-20. In his missive to […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: In his fifth coming as the chief minister of Odisha, Naveen  Patnaik has donned the role of teacher for his ministers and MLAs. He has been imparting tips to make them better people’s representatives and administrators. In his first meeting with the newly elected Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators he advised […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Ruling Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) campaign for the recent Lok Sabha and state assembly elections revolved around the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme of its government. Hailed by economists and planning experts it was supposed to be the panacea for the all problems being faced by the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: It was heart-warming to read about Malkangiri collector, Manish Agrawal’s wife having a safe delivery at the district headquarters hospital. Agrawal’s decision to get his pregnant wife admitted to a hospital that had received a lot of negative publicity only three years ago following a string of Japanese Encephalitis deaths, the […]

Though I had read a few stories written by Manoj Das as part of the curriculum in high school, my lifelong affair with the legendary storyteller started in right earnest…

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Newspapers have quoted union minister of state for finance, Anurag Thakur as telling the Lok Sabha that Centre is not considering any proposal to grant special category state status to Odisha. There is also no move to increase Centre’s share of funds for centrally sponsored schemes in the state. Thakur’s statement […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Chief minister, Naveen Patnaik seems to have made the Patkura assembly poll a prestige issue. What else can explain the ruling Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) excessive focus on a constituency where the party already enjoys a strong base. Patkura, in any case, is part of Kendrapara district which enjoys the reputation […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha, which once ranked among the most peaceful and crime-free states of the country, seems to have become an unsafe place for women. Crimes against members of the fair sex have been taking place in the state with alarming frequency. Of late newspapers have reported a spate of rape cases, some […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s tourism sector suffered massive losses in the wake of cyclone Fani which left behind a trail of destruction in several coastal districts, the worst affected being Puri and Khurda. On a rough estimate the loss has been to the tune of Rs.732 crore. Puri being a major tourist hub of […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: There is growing concern in the state over cases of pregnancy of teenage girls in schools and hostels run by SC\ST development department. The issue not only raises moral questions it also puts a question mark over the management of these institutions. For the record as many as 17 cases of […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: A section of the media has reported that Chhattisgarh is planning more projects on Mahanadi, the river considered to be the lifeline of people in Odisha. One of the mightiest rivers of the country it caters to the water needs of people in around 15 districts of the state. It is […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Though there are only nine of them in the state assembly this time Congress MLAs have impressed everyone with their performance in the House. The ongoing budget session of the legislature has seen them raising public issues of significance and pursuing them aggressively. They have been playing the role of opposition […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: In the last one week Maoist rebels have gunned down two alleged police informers in Kalahandi district where they have begun making inroads recently. Both the victims were contractors and seen by the radicals to be collaborating with the men in khaki. The so-called police informers have been at risk for […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The latest incident of farmer suicide from a village in Balasore district has raised a question mark over state government’s claim that factors like loan burden or crop loss have nothing to do with such cases. If media reports are to be believed the family members of the deceased, Sumant Kumar […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The victory of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate in Patkura has re-affirmed the party’s political supremacy in the state. Though the margin of win should have been higher going by the claims BJD leaders had made during the course of campaigning it was satisfying nonetheless. While BJD’s tally in the state […]

By Sandeep Sahu After his loss to BJD candidate Sabitri Agrawala in Patkura, most political observers are busy writing the political obituary of Bijoy Mohapatra. On the face of it, such a view is unexceptionable. At 68, the erstwhile Janata Parivar stalwart is not exactly a spring chicken. “He would be 73 by the time […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has once again come to the rescue of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. Its support proved crucial to the passage of the controversial Right to Information (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Interestingly, two other regional parties–Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) […]