News from Odisha

There is an unassuming tea stall which crops up every day at 5 AM near Madhusudhan Park in Bhubaneswar. At first glance, this tea stall run by two girls seems quite ordinary. But a closer look reveals that the tea stall is more than just a makeshift business. It is an attempt by two divyang girls to become financially independent.

Odisha has now made helmet mandatory for two-wheeler pillion riders. Odisha State Transport Department (STA) informed about the decision through a tweet. The Odisha State Transport Department said that the driving license will be suspended if both the rider and the pillion rider are found without helmets.

This betel shop in Hatapada area under Mayurbhanj district is quite different from the rest. This betel shop is run by Nabaghana Behera. It is also popularly known as “Babu Bhai Betel shop” and looks quaint with a little garden of its own. This betel shop is a reflection of Babu Bhai’s deep love for nature.

Meet Sahid Imam, a 72 year-old stone sculptor, from the Saluapali village of Ganjam District. Despite being unable to walk properly due to old age, Imam manages to gather all his strength to carve a living from these stones. Unable to see clearly, Imam never misses a stroke while carving these stones to create daily household items. At an age where, most people retire and rest, Imam continues to work hard for living.

With unending violence rattling their everyday peace, villagers decide to fight back. These villagers belong to the Swabhiman Anchal under Malkangiri district. Living in the Maoist hotbed, these villagers have remained terror-stricken for long. Finally, these villagers, mainly from the Panasput and Jodamba villages have decided to take matters in their own hands. Armed with traditional weapons like bows & arrows, axes, daggers and sticks, hundreds of tribals have geared up to safeguard their villages from the threat of Maoists.

Roads blocked, traffic movement affected and normal life disrupted during the nation-wide Bandh today. Protesting against the new farm laws enacted by the Central Government, Farmer Unions supported by several political parties are staging a nation-wide Bandh from 11 AM to 3 PM today.  

The farmers all over the country are observing Bharat Bandh protesting the new farm laws. With the nation-wide protests affecting normal life, let us hear the voices of protestors from Odisha. The impact of the protests was also seen in Bhubaneswar, with protestors blocking key entry points of the city. The protestors are confident that the Bharat Bandh would highlight their issues and force the government to listen.

After Amazon, Pinterest has landed in trouble over a post regarding online sale of Lord Jagannath’s Mahaprasad. The Puri Temple servitors have filed a complaint against Pinterest after a post related to the sale of Lord Jagannath’s Mahaprasad surfaced on its platform. Pinterest, a popular social media site, is now under scanner after the complaint. Earlier, a similar complaint was filed against Amazon for selling Lord Jagannath’s Nirmalya or dry prasad online.

The Lokayukta has directed Vigilance Probe into the alleged irregularities in procurement of COVID19 PPE kits and masks. The Lokayukta has also asked the Vigilance Director, to submit report within two months of receiving the notice for the probe. The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for February 15, 2021. A hearing in connection with the alleged scam took place in the Lokayukta office.

A garden so beautiful it leaves everyone spellbound. With attractive colours splashed everywhere in the form of flowers, this garden is one of a kind. People who see the garden often don’t want to take their eyes off it. In addition to trees, this garden also has walls filled with paintings representing the folk art & culture of Western Odisha. It has everything from Dalkhai to Rasarkeli. The paintings also give messages on social themes like traffic rules and girl child protection. All this may seem like a well-maintained garden, but in reality, it is a police station.

Are aliens living among us? Are we subject of their experiments on earth? Do the humans know about this? In a shocking claim, a former head of Israel's military space program has said that aliens are living among us. The former head of Israel’s Defense Ministry space directorate, Haim Eshed, told Israel's Yediot Aharonot newspaper that "The Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) have asked not to publish that they are here, humanity is not ready yet."  

The centenarian maid of Rairahol royal family is no more. Shankari Bai, passed away after a life of neglect and loneliness in her twilight years. Shankari Bai, who was over 100 years old, was once living in the royal palace.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA)have already initiated the process to make the EkamraKshetraaround Lingaraj Temple beggar-free. As a part of the beautification and developmental program of the temple, beggars in the region will be rehabilitated. Apart from this, another Social Inclusion scheme of the state government, ‘Sahaya’, will provide means of livelihood to these beggars.

Without trees, we will all cease to exist. However, the never-ending greed of humans has often come at the expense of nature. But a group of women in Punasia village under Bangiriposi of Mayurbhanj district have been on a mission to protect Mother Nature. For nearly two decades, the women of a self-help group (SHG) have been waging a war against deforestation. For them, preserving their local forest is their sole aim. Many years ago, the entire stretch of the Punasia forest was ravaged by the timber mafia. The continuous abuse had left the land barren rendering animals homeless. The tract of around 80 hectares was reduced to a bald patch of land with the trees, animals and birds were gone.

Classes for standard X and XII students in Odisha are likely to resume in January 2021! School and Mass Education Minister, Sameer Ranjan Dash said that there is an increased likelihood of reopening of schools across Odisha in January 2021. The minister also hinted at a major change in the schedule as classes may be conducted on Saturdays and Sundays to complete the syllabus. Dash also said that priority will be given to standard X and XII classes due to the board examinations.