Tag: Columnist Ashutosh Mishra

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The issue of formation of a legislative council in Odisha, which will make the state legislature bicameral, is back in focus with ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) likely to push for it during the winter session of the Parliament that commenced on Monday. Odisha Assembly had passed a resolution for the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s mangrove forests are facing a threat like most of its other natural resources. There are disturbing reports about mangroves in Bhitarkanika, one of their best known habitats, being cleared to facilitate illegal prawn culture and construction activities. Nurtured by brackish water, mangroves are a unique plant species found in the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Forest officials recently arrested 22 fishermen and seized three trawlers at Gahirmatha marine sanctuary for violating the ban on fishing. The 1360 sq km sanctuary, the only one of its kind in the state, is out of bounds for fishermen round the year. They cannot fish within 20 kms of the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: As mercury plunges and icy winds blow across this capital city scores of homeless people are sleeping rough on pavements and shop fronts with pretty little protection against the cold. Deaths are not uncommon. Homelessness is a growing problem here with roughly 9000 people forced to spend their nights in this […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Two hardcore Maoists, who gave up arms in the hope of leading normal lives, took the wedding vows in a temple in Angul district the other day. The ceremony marked their return to the social mainstream, something that many rebels secretly crave for but find hard to achieve because of their […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: The success of the first-ever day and night cricket test match in India played at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens had created a buzz. That India won this pink ball contest with ease has only made the fans more euphoric about test cricket, like the two shorter versions of the game, being played […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: As the polling day — December 12 — draws closer there are clear indications that it is going to be a close race between the Conservatives and the Labour Party. The gap between them, according to the latest Britain Elect poll, has narrowed to just seven points. Britain’s first December election […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Ruling Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) membership is reported to have crossed the 80 lakh mark which, if true, is quite an achievement. With urban body polls likely to be held sooner or later all parties are keen to enrol new members but the focus has been on BJD and its prime […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Polavaram dispute is going to put the renewed friendship between BJP and the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to a severe test. The multi-purpose project coming up in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh that threatens to submerge several tribal villages in Odisha’s Malkangiri district was granted a two-year work extension by the […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Nearly two decades ago when South Korean steel behemoth, POSCO signed an MoU with Odisha government for setting up a steel mill in Jagatsinghpur district the then government led by Naveen Patnaik touted it as its crowning glory. The agreement symbolized the arrival of Odisha on the country’s industrial scene and […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Odisha is among the top beneficiaries of Centre’s CAMPA fund meant for compensatory afforestation. It has received more than Rs.5000 crore on this account this year which is much more than the share of bigger states like Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The fund, as evident from its nomenclature, is aimed at restoring […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Forest and police officials face a big challenge with wildlife smuggling in Odisha going hi-tech. Officials who busted a pangolin smuggling racket recently discovered to their surprise that deals were being made online with criminals operating through WhatsApp groups. The same pattern is obviously being followed for the smuggling of other […]

By Ashutosh Mishra London: Struggling to recover from the trauma of last Friday’s killings by a convicted terrorist who had been released from prison this city will seek to build new defences to ward off such incidents in future. The lessons learnt from the bloody rampage that ended with its perpetrator, Usman Khan being shot […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Opposition parties have launched a series of protests against the spurt in crime against women. Considering the enormity of the problem the protests should be converted into and sustained as a people’s movement. The fact is that while the whole country is talking about the gang-rape of a veterinary doctor in […]

By Ashutosh Mishra Bhubaneswar: Trouble is brewing in Malkangiri’s “swabhiman anchal”, a benighted hinterland which got its new moniker following the inauguration of Gurupriya bridge by chief minister, Naveen Patnaik last year. The bridge that linked what was once officially known as the ‘cut-off’ area comprising 151 villages with the mainland after a gap of […]