Latest Odisha Breaking News Updates - Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Odisha begins Special Intensive Revision of voter lists after 24 years, sparking Congress protests over alleged bias, while BJP supports and BJD remains non-committal on the Election Commission's initiative. The initiative, set to begin coming month (September), follows similar efforts in Bihar and aims to clean up and update the electoral rolls through door-to-door verification. More

Puri Police launched raids against illegal travel agencies following complaints of cheating and harassment, aiming to regulate the sector and protect tourists. This is part of an effort to stop the exploitation of devotees and tourists coming to Puri, a concern that has grown with the unchecked mushrooming of such agencies in recent months. More

The Election Commission of India implemented 28 reforms over six months, focusing on stakeholder engagement, technology adoption, electoral roll purification, ease of voting, and capacity building to enhance transparency and efficiency. These reforms, structured around six strategic pillars, aim to enhance transparency, voter confidence, and institutional efficiency across the electoral process in the country. More

Bandana Mallick assaulted her husband Kishore at Pattamundai Court for attempting a second marriage, alleging harassment over not bearing a son; police intervened and she protested. More

Vigilance raids expose Superintending Engineer Surendra Behera's disproportionate assets, including houses, flats, plots, and cash in multiple locations, raising corruption concerns. As of now, Behera has not commented publicly on the DA accusations. The raids, carried out in Bhubaneswar, Sundargarh, Rourkela, and Ganjam, revealed that he owns two houses, two flats, four plots of land and many more. More

A stage collapsed after Odisha Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati and dignitaries left an event in Bhadrak due to heavy rain, averting injuries but prompting a safety review. More

A minor girl from Angul's Jamaradiha Kanyashram was allegedly raped by her stepfather Dasarathi Das after he took her home on August 15, leading to a police probe and his detention. The minor girl staying in the government hostel was allegedly raped by her stepfather after he took her home under the guise of a family emergency. The man took advantage of her loneliness at home and raped her. More

A Pattamundai college girl died from self-inflicted burns, with SP Siddharth Kataria confirming suicide and ruling out honour killing, citing harassment by Pramod Behera. CCTV footage shows the girl’s parents had left home just before the incident occurred. She was on a phone call till 8.00 o’clock on the intervening day of the tragedy. More

The body of Paresh Swain was found in Olansa village, Niali, with no known disputes; police are investigating murder or suicide angles amid community shock. More

A venomous cobra was found inside a mosquito net with a sleeping man in Pratappur village, Mayurbhanj. The snake was rescued by Krishna Chandra Gochhayat and released back into the wild. More

Dhamnagar police arrested Sheik Mustaq and Mir Arfan for stealing valuables from temples across Odisha, recovering worship items like utensils, cymbals, and bells. More

Biranchi Narayan Naik from Kunjam village was arrested for impersonating a police officer and duping people, including a job fraud case involving Rs 24,000. More

DRG jawan Dinesh Nag martyred in a Maoist-triggered landmine blast in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, was cremated with full state honours. Three other jawans injured in the IED blast are under treatment. More

An OSRTC Volvo bus with over 30 passengers, including women and children, broke down in Gajapati's jungle, leaving them stranded for 12 hours without food or water. More

A portion of the ceiling at Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation's BMC office collapsed, raising safety concerns. The incident occurred on the underground floor, with no casualties reported. Mayor Sulochana Das cited possible AC seepage as the cause. More

South Korean steel giant POSCO, in collaboration with JSW Steel, plans to establish a 6 MTPA integrated steel plant in Keonjhar, Odisha, as confirmed by Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain. The project, fast-tracked by the state government, marks a significant investment in Odisha's industrial growth. More

Three ganja smugglers arrested with 300 kg contraband in Odisha's Malkangiri after a chase by Padua police, following a tip-off about smuggling to Andhra Pradesh. More

Odisha Police's 'Operation Garuda' intensifies, cracking down on criminals with 1,806 excise cases, 3,030 kg ganja seized, and 406 gambling arrests in 16 days. More

Tapaswini Senapati, an MBA and former bank employee from Gop, Odisha, transforms discarded bottles into exquisite home decor items, showcasing creativity and self-reliance. More

Bharat Das died at Jajpur DHH after allegedly being administered a wrong injection, sparking allegations of medical negligence and an inquiry. More

IAS officer Dilip Routrai conducted a public grievance hearing in Bhadrak, Odisha, under mobile phone torchlight due to power cuts, ensuring public complaints were addressed. More

Salepur in Cuttack district observed a shutdown after being excluded from the state's NAC list, with BJD MLA Prashant Behera leading protests. BJP criticized the bandh as a political stunt. More

Residents of Srikrishnapur village in Balasore's Remuna block planted paddy saplings on a neglected muddy road to protest its poor condition and demand immediate construction. More

A crocodile sighting in Mahanadi river near Duradura village, Subarnapur, Odisha, prompted a safety advisory from the Forest Department, urging locals to avoid the river. More

The Odia version of IGNOU's DECE course materials was launched in Bhubaneswar, attended by Deputy CM Pravati Parida and others, marking a step towards inclusive education in mother tongue. More

JSW Steel and POSCO sign a non-binding HoA to explore setting up a 6 MTPA integrated steel plant in Odisha, leveraging the state's resources and port connectivity. More

IMD warns of intensified rainfall in Odisha, with seven districts under yellow alert. A depression forming over the Bay of Bengal may worsen conditions, affecting connectivity and causing waterlogging. More

The Sixth State Finance Commission submitted its interim report to the Odisha government, recommending grants for local bodies. Chaired by Arun Kumar Panda, the team briefed CM Mohan Charan Majhi and Governor Haribabu Kambhampati on the proposals aimed at improving financial health of Panchayati Raj Institutions and municipalities. More

District Collector V. Keerthi Vasan's surprise visit to Patrapur block schools revealed significant gaps in students' English reading skills, urging immediate remedial actions. More

Odisha emerges as a new hub for gold exploration with GSI confirming significant reserves across several districts, potentially holding 10-20 metric tonnes. Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena highlighted deposits in Deogarh, Sundargarh, and others, marking a strategic breakthrough for India's domestic gold output. More

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi announced the recruitment of 1,840 doctors and over 5,000 paramedical staff, focusing on tribal and remote areas, during a review of the Health Department. The review meeting also discussed the increase of PG seats, infrastructure development in medical colleges, recruitment of technical staff, and the setting up of Integrated Trauma Care Centres in accident-prone zones. More

Odisha's intelligence agencies uncover a mining company-Maoist nexus, with APEX Boost allegedly supplying explosives to insurgents, prompting a statewide probe. The disclosure surfaced after police in Ganjam district’s Chamakhandi locality seized 10 tons of illegal explosives from a cattle shed in Jagannathpur village yesterday. More

The UAE Odia Society urges CM Mohan Charan Majhi to intervene as the Bhubaneswar-Dubai IndiGo flight faces discontinuation, impacting over 30,000 Odias in the UAE and regional ties. The letter emphasised that cancelling this route would significantly impact the Odia diaspora, isolating them from their home state and affecting business and cultural ties. More

Bhubaneswar residents recount the horrors of the 1947 Partition amid NCERT's controversial 'Three Culprits of Partition' module, sparking debates and painful memories. More

Odisha to launch the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme in September after 24 years, aiming for a transparent electoral process with expanded polling booths and a clean voter list. The move is seen as a significant step toward ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections in Odisha, setting the stage for upcoming electoral activities in the State. More