News from Bhubaneswar

The Regional Meteorological Centre predicts rainfall in southern and interior Odisha until August 24 due to a low-pressure system, with yellow warnings for heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning issued for multiple districts.

IndiGo may withdraw the only direct Bhubaneswar-Dubai flight from October 24, per AeroRoutes schedule, forcing passengers to use connecting flights like Bhubaneswar-Abu Dhabi, impacting Odia diaspora and trade.

Ayushman Pati, a first-year commerce student at BJB Autonomous College, accuses Rajan Panda of ragging on August 1, with no action from college authorities or police despite complaints.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The bail hearing for all accused in the OTET paper leak case was postponed to August 22 as the Crime Branch sought more time to submit case documents. Businessman Ramji Prasad Gupta and teachers' association president Sanatan Bisoi will be interrogated on a one-day remand. The OTET paper leak has raised serious concerns about the integrity of recruitment exams in the State.

Odisha government will start distributing houses under PMAY-G from November, targeting vulnerable groups. Additional pucca houses will be given in September under Antyodaya Yojana. This move is part of the Odisha government’s broader commitment to providing dignified housing to all eligible rural families and improving their living conditions through Central and State collaboration.