Bhubaneswar: The second column of BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab criticising party leaders Damodar Rout and Surya Narayan Patro and claiming cracks in party today invited sharp reaction from BJD circles. Even the party president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik expressed displeasure over party leaders making such views in media. Talking to reporters, the BJD supremo […]
Choudwar: Congress leader and top class contractor Bapi Sarkhel, who had remained behind bars for the last five months in connection with the murder of Seaways Shipping general manager Mahendra Swain in Paradip, today alleged that BJD vice-president and minister Damodar Rout is the main conspirator behind his arrest. “My prime political opponent Damodar Rout […]
Unwittingly or intentionally, Minister Damodar Rout often gets stuck up in the foot-in-mouth syndrome. If not always, the septuagenarian-veteran in the field, is frequently in news for speaking his mind, even if that makes him vulnerable to flaks. On Wednesday, reacting to Agriculture Minister’s statement on CM Naveen Patnaik considering waiving off farm loan, Rout […]
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said his senior minister Damodar Rout was “incorrect” on the farm loan waiver issue. “I do not think that (minister’s statement) is correct,” Patnaik said when the reporters sought his view on Rout’s reported statement in the media. The government, he said, was seriously considering the farm loan […]
Bhubaneswar: A day after claiming that farmers are utilising the crop loans to marry off their daughters and consume liquor, Excise and Cooperation minister Damodar Rout today hushed up the matter by taking a complete different stance on his previous remarks. Clarifying his earlier version on misutilisation of farm loan, the veteran BJD leader said […]
Bhubaneswar: In a statement which could spell more trouble for the ruling BJD, senior party leader and Excise minister Damodar Rout on Wednesday said, the farmers are using agriculture loans for the marriage of their daughters. He too went on to say the major pie of the loan amount is spent on consuming alcohol. Rout […]
Bhubaneswar: Amid the ongoing dispute over VAT dues between the Odisha government and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Union Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the oil company is ready to sign a new agreement in the current situation. “I have written to the Chief Minister of Odisha mentioning that the current government at Centre […]
Puri: In the wake of land grabbing allegations, even as the district administration has started vetting land records to ascertain the exact amount of land allotted to Swargadwar way back in 1899, Excise minister Damodar Rout on Friday spoke against relocation of the crematorium. The senior BJD leader stated religious sentiments of lakhs of people […]
Bhubaneswar: Anguished over not being able to operate defunct sugar mills and cold storages in the state, Odisha minister Damodar Rout today called himself as “most inefficient” and “helpless” person in the government. “Do not ashame me by referring that I am most able minister in the state. I am, in fact, the most inefficient […]
Bhubaneswar: BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab praising Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at a launch event of Urja Ganga Gas Pipeline Project in the Capital city yesterday has become a matter of concern for the ruling party in Odisha. While the BJD seriously opposes Pradhan, the speech of Mahtab has put the party […]
Bhubaneswar: Protesting against the renewal notice of liquor license, the Milita Odisha Nisha Nibarana Abhijan staged an indefinite dharna in front of the residence of Excise Minister Damodar Rout today demanding cancellation of the same. They alleged that the liquor license renewal notice for the year 2017-18 has been published in English language and only […]
Bhubaneswar: Festival of colours Holi was also celebrated with enthusiasm by politicians in the State with grand functions organised by activists in their respective party offices. Most excitement was seen in the BJP party office. Delighted upon the results of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the party celebrated Holi in a very pompous way. Senior leaders […]
Bhubaneswar: Veteran BJD leader and Excise Minister Damodar Rout, in view of the Uttar Pradesh election results, today said that people become discontented if a person or party rules for a long period of time and tend to change the government. However, the situation in Odisha is different, said Rout. He said that there is […]
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Excise Minister Damodar Rout on Wednesday said that there was no proposal for total prohibition in the state as it is not “a realistic step”. “The state government has no proposal to implement total prohibition. It is not a realistic step to declare the entire state as a total prohibition area,” Rout told […]
Bhubaneswar: Following the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convert Kisan Credit Card to RuPay cards, the Odisha government has set a target to provide RuPay card to 11.40 lakh farmers by March this year. Talking to media persons today, Cooperation minister Damodar Rout said the state government is bound to implement the RuPay […]
Bhubaneswar: Cooperative banks in the state have been mostly affected due to the demonetisation, said Excise Minister Damodar Rout in the State Assembly here today. Replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Chiranjib Biswal, he said, “Following the demonetisation, cooperative banks in the country were barred from accepting and exchanging the demonetized Rs 500 […]
Bhubaneswar: A day after BJD supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik sought an explanation from party MP from Cuttack Bhartruhari Mahtab for his recent statement on possible ties between BJD and Congress, vice president of the ruling party Damodar Rout on Saturday said if Patnaik asks any leader of the party to explain about his/her […]
Bhubaneswar: Excise minister Damodar Rout today said the State government has no plans to impose a blanket ban on liquor in the State. Talking to newsmen, Rout said, “We don’t have any proposal to put a complete ban on liquor. Keeping the lifestyle during the present day society in view, the blanket ban is not […]
Bhubaneswar: Employees of Odisha State Cooperative Agricultural & Rural Development (OSCARD) bank were detained by police at Raj Bhawan square here while they were marching forward to gherao Cooperation minister Damodar Rout’s residence over their 3-point charter of demands including immediate release of pending salaries. They alleged salary of the employees of 46 OSCARD banks […]
Bhubaneswar: Odisha government today said arrangements are being made to provide crop insurance to the farmers affected by last year’s drought within two weeks even as opposition Congress walked out of the House in protest. “There has been a delay in payment of insurance amount to the affected farmers. The delay was mostly due to […]
Bhubaneswar: The state government on Wednesday said the total prohibition of liquor demanded by several organisations in Odisha is “unrealistic” as consumption of liquor is a personal affair. “It is not a realistic step to declare the entire state as a total prohibition area. Since consumption of liquor is a personal affair, the blanket ban […]
A day after Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan compared the Odisha government’s ‘Teacher-On-Call’ plan to app-based taxi services like 'Ola' and 'Uber', BJD leaders have accused Pradhan of humiliating the teachers of the State
Bhubaneswar/Puri: Staying true to his penchant for swimming against the current, the irrepressible Damodar Rout, Minister for Excise and Cooperation, today described the payment of Rs 2 crore to Daitapatis by way of ‘compensation’ for the loss suffered by them on account of the ban on devotees climbing on to the chariots during the nine-day […]
The BJD government in the State was pushed to the back foot on Sunday when Excise minister Damodar Rout questioned the efficacy of the government machinery after the issue of the fraudulent gazette notification by Dr Motilal Gouda came to the fore
Bhubaneswar: Even as the debate over chit-fund- Ollywood link is mounting by the day, actor-politician Anubhav Mohanty today said the media is unnecessarily dragging the issue. “The allegation of Ollywood nexus with chit fund companies has no base. You are unnecessarily making it an issue which has no veracity. I request all media persons not […]
Bhubaneswar: Motormouth Excise minister Damodar Rout and three BJD MLAs from Cuttack district – Mahanga MLA and BJD spokesperson Pratap Jena, Cuttack Barabati MLA Debasis Samantray and Cuttack Sadar legislator Pravat Biswal – landed at the Chief Minister’s chamber in the secretariat one after another this morning, setting off speculation that the visit had to […]
Bhubaneswar: The intra-party wrangling in the ruling BJD turned murkier on Tuesday after party vice-president and Excise minister Damodar Rout addressed MLAs Debasis Samantary, Pratap Jena and, his arch-rival and Rajya Sabha MP Bishnu Charan Das as ‘ghosts’. The Jagatsinghpur legislator described the three senior leaders of the party as ghosts while narrating about a […]
Bhubaneswar: Even as the war of words among senior leaders of the BJD over the party’s dismal performance in CMC by-poll has exposed the intra-party squabble, Lok Sabha member Tathagat Satpathy today created a flutter in the party with his column in the Odia daily edited by him. “Aware urban voters are gradually turning away […]
The war of words between Paradip MLA and Excise minister Damodar Rout and Cuttack MLA Debashis Samantray intensified on Sunday with the former calling the latter a 'rat' and Samantray hitting back saying the minister is feeling 'insecure'
People of Odisha have ranked Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das as the No.1 minister in the state with huge thumbs-up. Das has left Excise Minister Damodar Rout and Housing and Urban Development Minister Puspendra Singh Deo, who were voted No 2 and 3 spots respectively, far behind
A day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reportedly warned his ministerial colleagues soon after a cabinet meeting at the State Secretariat here on Tuesday against giving media statements on issues affecting BJD’s interests, senior leaders of the ruling party were involved in a war of words on Wednesday
Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD leader Damodar Rout on Wednesday said the CBI, which is probing the multi-crore chit fund scam in Odisha, should not prolong its investigation indefinitely. The statement of Rout came in the wake of opposition political parties demanding a CBI probe into the link of senior BJD leader and Food Supply and Consumer […]
Cuttack: In a visible anguish over the meeting of four young ministers with chief minister Naveen Patnaik, senior BJD leader and minister Damodar Rout today commented on the young guns that they are considered as most seniors in the cabinet now-a-days. On the sidelines of a programme here in the city, the Excise minister said […]
Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD leader and Cooperation minister Damodar Rout (Dama) and Jagatsinghpur BJD president Bishnu Das have crossed swords over Tirtol MLA Rajashree Mallick. After Bishnu alleged that Rajashree had links with dreaded criminals Dhalasamant Brothers and with the Congress; Dama hit back saying Bishnu is agitated as he is unable to garner funds from […]
Bhuabaneswar: Just as the war of words between Congress’ Lulu Mohapatra and BJD’s Sanjay Dasburma was starting to fade away from public consciousness, another standoff has kicked-off – this one between Cooperation minister Damodar Rout and Congress’ Bapi Sarkhel. Sarkhel has alleged that Rout and his family had received favors from scam-tainted chit fund company […]
With the war of words between senior Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar (Lulu) Mahapatra and his arch-rival and BJD minister Sanjay Dasburma reaching a crescendo, veteran BJD leader and minister Damodar Rout today added fuel to the fire saying that these two leaders are not free from criminal activities
Bhubaneswar: The recent arrest of former Congress MLA Ramesh Jena in connection with a bomb explosion case took a dramatic turn on Tuesday after parliamentarian Ladu Kishore Swain of BJD alleged the State police had helped the former to expand his crime empire. To make things worse for the ruling party, Excise minister Damodar Rout, […]
Bhubaneswar: Even as the war of words between BJD vice president Damodar Rout and his party over Biju birth centenary celebration is yet to die down, the former today came up with a statement that is bound to further strain his already sour relationship with the ruling party. Rout today levelled an allegation that the […]
Bhubaneswar: Odisha is all set to pay tribute to the legendary statesman and former chief minister Biju Patnaik on his birth centenary tomorrow. The state government has made elaborate arrangements for the purpose. Huge billboards and hoardings with life-size images of Biju Patnaik dot the landscape of Bhubaneswar ahead of tomorrow’s centenary celebrations. A grand […]
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Cooperation minister Damodar Rout has once again drawn criticism from his own party members for his remarks on the birth centenary celebrations of former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik at Paradip on March 5. While Rout opined that members of other parties should also be allowed to participate in the centernary celebrations, the remark […]
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