Tag: Columnist Ashutosh Mishra

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: At a time when saving wildlife has become a challenge for the authorities it is heartening to note that blackbucks ( Antilope cervicapra ) have found a safe sanctuary in the Betnai-Balipadar area of Ganjam district with their population growing at a fast clip. During the last census in 2018 officials […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s temple architecture is the most important reminder of its glorious past. Temples with intricate carvings and great miniature works are scattered across the state. Old Bhubaneswar houses some of these architectural marvels located mostly in its narrow lanes and by-lanes. The sad part, however, is that we have utterly failed […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Union environment ministry’s decision to grant a two-year extension for the construction of Polavaram multi-purpose project in Andhra Pradesh comes as an embarrassment for the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government which has been opposing the dam that threatens to submerge several tribal villages in Malkangiri district. The discomfiture of […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The visuals of Dana Majhi, a tribal from Kalahandi, carrying his wife’s body on his shoulders after failing to get a hearse are still fresh in the minds of people. That was 2016 but three years down the line nothing much seems to have changed in the state as far as […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Congress president, Rahul Gandhi has finally made his resignation from the post official. The contents of his resignation letter are on the Twitter for anyone interested to peruse. There are some obvious conclusions to be drawn from the letter. First and foremost it puts a premium on accountability which is a […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The AICC-appointed Odisha Congress in-charge, Jitendra Singh recently dropped clear hints about a through revamp of the party structure in the state. Such an exercise seems to have become imperative following Congress’s crushing defeat in the recent Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state. While in the Lok Sabha the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Against a target of 120 plus set by BJP president, Amit Shah the party has managed to win to just 23 assembly seats in Odisha. But party leaders remain upbeat about BJP’s prospects in the state where they see tremendous potential for growth. In fact, a section of them think that […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: A new health policy for the state is on the anvil. The government is keen to stop the flight of doctors to hospitals in the private sector, especially outside the state. If the new policy, which is expected to offer fresh and more alluring incentives to doctors, can address the issue […]

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 […]

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: 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 […]

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: 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: 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: 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 […]