Amid this, placating the disgruntled and the would-be rebels has been a cause for concern for these parties.
Political analysts say, the BJD is jitterier than the BJP and the Congress on the matter of managing the rebels after the distribution of tickets.
As per reports, the three parties are weighing the pros and cons of the candidates of the three categories – youth, women and senior leaders and their winnability.
All three parties have multiple ticket hopefuls in almost all Assembly seats. Though the BJD has put up a brave font asserting that it is ready for the elections, more ticket aspirants have the top leaders on edge and added pressure on the latter, if sources are to be believed.
The ruling party is pondering how to manage the rebels while making all possible efforts to come to power for the sixth time.
The BJP is reportedly thrashing out strategies and doing course corrections for the LS and Assembly seats where it had given a tough fight last time. The morale of the saffron party is said to be high after leaders like Pradeep Panigrahi, Pemananda Nayak and Prashant Jagdev joined the party.
The party’s selection committee has recommended the names of the leaders who have organizational skills and winnability.
On the other hand, the Congress has though finalised its prospective candidates at the screening committee meeting, it has not yet announced their names. The party is reportedly keeping a close watch on the prospective rebels of the BJD and BJP who may be weaponised in the polls.
Former Union Minister and BJP veteran Pratap Sarangi said, ”The party is fully geared up for the fight. There is no problem! Names of shortlisted candidates will be sent to Delhi where their names will be announced.”
BJD legislator Nrusingha Sahu said, ”Since the 2019 elections, the BJD has been preparing for the elections. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will script history. The BJD has grown bigger over the years and naturally, there will be more ticket hopefuls.”
Congress stalwart Sura Routray in his signature style said, ”Our tickets have been ready. Until and unless the BJP and BJD announce their candidates, we will not announce ours. We will field such candidates that they would make their rivals from the BJP and BJD to bite the dust.”
Senior journalist Rabi Das said, “The BJP is choosing candidates for 147 Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats. The BJD too is minutely choosing nominees at Naveen Niwas for each Assembly seat. Congress has announced its manifesto, but hasn't yet fimalised its candidates.”
As per reports, the two girls aged under five were playing outside their house. Later, they moved away unnoticed and did not return home for several hours.
Worried, their family members searched for them and finally rescued them from a nearby pond. The two were rushed to Danagadi Community Health Centre (CHC) where doctors declared them dead on arrival.
The deceased were identified as Gurubari Nayak and Sukumari Munda.
Meanwhile, police visited the hospital as part of the investigation, sources said.
No reactions were received from the bereaved families and police.
The deceased has been identified as Anjan Kumar Behera. The accused Pinku alias Kanha Pradhan, who allegedly hacked Anjan to death, is on the run.
As per reports, the gruesome murder was the fallout of a suspected love triangle. The victim Anjan was friend of Goutam who was in a love relationship with a girl. After attending a party, Goutam along with his friend Anjan had gone to meet the girl on Friday night. Following the development, Pinku, who happens to be another lover of the girl, attacked Goutam with a sword while he was talking with his lover. However, in a bid to save Goutam, Anjan suffered critical injuries in his hand and other parts of body.
Anjan was immediately rushed to the Capital Hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries. A complaint in this regard has been lodged at Laxmisagar police station. An investigation into the incident has been launched. However, police is yet to nab the accused who is on the run.
As per police sources, some associates of Pinku including some girls are also involved in the murder case. They had hatched a conspiracy earlier to murder Goutam.
More information in this connection could be divulged following the arrest of the main accused, informed police.
The accused identified as Kanha Das was arrested by Puri Marine police. A bike was seized from Kanha’s possession.
As per reports, Kanha’s uncle had earlier repaired his bike at the shop. However, he had not given his payment to the garage owner. When Kanha came to the shop to repair his bike on Friday, the owner asked him to pay his uncle’s money. Kanha didn’t pay the amount and went away. Later in the night, he allegedly hurled two bombs at the shop.
The video of the incident has been captured by the CCTV camera installed nearby the place.
The injured persons were rushed to the nearby medical immediately. Their health condition is reportedly stable.
Upon being informed, Puri Marine police rushed to the spot and started an investigation into the incident. Accused Kanha has been arrested and further investigation into the incident is currently underway, informed police.
While Malkangiri recorded a maximum temperature of 38.8 degree Celsius, Jharsuguda witnessed a maximum temperature of 38.7 degree Celsius. Temperature was over 35 degree Celsius in as many as 39 places in the State on Friday.
Though mercury continues to rise in most parts of Odisha, rain, under the effect of Nor’wester, brought a little relief from the heatwave condition in some parts of the State.
As per the forecast by the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts may experience rain on Saturday.
The temperature will hover around 34 to 36 degree Celsius in most parts of coastal Odisha for the next two to three days. Similarly, the internal parts of Odisha will experience a maximum temperature of 37 to 39 degree Celsius.
There will be no large change in the maximum temperature in Odisha during the day time in the next two days. However, there may be a gradual fall in temperature by three to four degree Celsius in several districts of Odisha in the subsequent three days.
Sumanta Pradhan and his wife Urmila Pradhan from ward no 15 in Jaleswar Municipality area have alleged that a photograph of their family has been published claiming that they have expressed their gratitude to Odisha government for leg surgery of their daughter Smrutilekha at a cost of Rs 2 lakh by using BSKY card.
However, the dissemination of this information raised widespread reactions, including a sharp denial from Sumanta and Urmila. The family stated that they have neither received a health card under BSKY, nor they have treated their daughter by using the card.
“It’s a false propaganda. My daughter is not suffering from any kind of physical ailments. We have never treated her. We have never applied for BSKY and there is no question of getting any help from the government,” said Smrutilekha’s mother, Urmila Pradhan.
“Those who have got help under BSKY, the government should mention their name in its propaganda. Why are they blaming us unnecessarily?” Urmila questioned.
“My daughter is a nursing student and she doesn’t have any kind of ailments. We have never used BSKY card to treat her. We don’t understand why they are using our name for their propaganda falsely,” rued Smrutilekha’s father Sumanta Pradhan.
However, reacting to the allegations, Jaleswar Municipality authorities said that it was done by a third party and they have no hands in it.
“A third party agency has done it and we are not involved in the incident,” said Jaleswar Municipality Executive Officer, Ajay Kumar Mohapatra.
“The alliance prospects between the State and the Centre is only meant to hoodwink common people,” said a voter.
“People are utterly confused over the possibility of an alliance between the ruling BJD and Opposition BJP. They are not able to understand anything,” said another voter.
Decision pending at the top!
As per reports, the dates for the upcoming election will be announced after a few hours. However, there is still suspense over the possible alliance between the BJD and BJP. Moreover, Amit Shah's comments that the decision is still pending with the Prime Minister and the party president, have further added to the anxiety.
“Both parties should make it clear whether there will be an alliance or not. Making people fool over the matter is not acceptable,” said a voter.
“People are in utter confusion on how the ruling party and the opposition party will govern Odisha together. Won’t there be any problem in decision-making?” asked another voter.
Infighting grows in BJD
On the other hand, infighting between BJD leaders is getting bitter with each passing day. Birmaharajpur block vice-chairman and ticket aspirant, Narayan Luha’s supporters organised a huge bike rally against sitting MLA Padmanabha Behera.
“We need a leader who will stand by us in any situation. We will vote for such a leader who is eager to provide service voluntarily,” said Bibhaswati Panda, a supporter of Luha.
Meanwhile, BJD's Paradip MLA, Sambit Routray is also facing heavy protests in his constituency. Some workers of the party under the leadership of the former Chairman of Kujang block, Smruti Ranjan Behera recently conducted a huge meeting in Rahama and spewed venom against Sambit.
“We need a capable leader who will serve people willingly. These kinds of campaigns will continue in the future,” said Sisir Das, former Sarpanch of Sailo Gram Panchayat in Jagatsinghpur district.
Moreover, BJD ticket aspirant Biranchi Mahasupakar is flexing his muscles against the sitting MLA of Ekamra constituency in Bhubaneswar, Ashok Panda by organising meetings with his supporters on a regular basis. A couple of days back, Biranchi intensified his lobby for a party ticket by conducting a huge meeting of his supporters in Bhubaneswar.
“We need a change in Ekamra constituency. For that purpose, around 10,000 people participated in the meeting spontaneously,” said Mahasupakar.
However, no reactions from all the three sitting MLAs could be obtained in this regard.
Cybercrimes like phishing, malware, OTP frauds, fake UPI links have almost become the things of the past. As people have become gradually aware of these old tricks, cyber fraudsters are adopting newer tricks to rob people digitally.
Have you ever faced a situation when you insert your debit card in an ATM in an unguarded area and then your card gets stuck in the machine? If yes, you are under threat from the cyber fraudsters.
In a recent incident, Chinmay Kumar Sarangi from the Chandaka area of Bhubaneswar was targetted by cyber criminals. As per reports, Asad Ali and his gang had looted Sarangi by applying new tricks. On the basis of Sarangi’s complaint, Asad was arrested during the investigation into the incident. As many as 11 ATM cards and net cash amounting Rs 40,000 were seized from his possession. Police are trying to nab the other members of the gang.
As per police sources, the gang mainly targets ATMs located on the outskirts where there is less crowd. They fix a remote-controlled chip on the machine and put a fake customer care number near it. As a result, when the customer puts the ATM card in the machine, it gets locked. Taking advantage of the situation, the fraudsters come forward to help the customer. They ask the customer to call the fake customer care number. By keeping the customer engaged in the process, they remove the card by opening the machine lock with the remote. Subsequently, they replace the original chip in the card with a duplicate one and put it in the machine. When the customer goes away with the card having a duplicate chip, they put the original chip in another card and withdraw money from the account.
“The cyber fraudsters were using a remote control device and as a result, the ATM cards were getting locked in the machine. Then they were taking the original chip from the card and withdrawing money from the customer’s account,” said Bhubaneswar Zone-5 ACP, Goutam Kisan.
“Though people are being made aware of cyber fraudsters, the miscreants are adopting newer tricks. Hence, people need to be more careful,” said cyber expert, Lingaraj Sethi.
In another technique, cyber fraudsters are duping customers during online hotel bookings. Sameer Sarangi from Bhubaneswar fell victim to this new trick adopted by the fraudsters.
As per reports, Sameer found a number for booking a hotel after a Google search. However, the number belonged to a cyber fraudster. The fraudster convinced Sameer by posing as the manager of a hotel and took the OTP of his credit card. Subsequently, Rs 20,000 was allegedly withdrawn from his account.
“I got the number with the picture of a beautiful hotel while searching on Google. When I called the number, the person introduced him as the manager of the hotel. He told me to deposit a token money of Rs 500 to book a room. However, when I shared the OTP with him, Rs 20,000 was debited from my account,” rued Sameer.
Meanwhile, police are laying emphasis on spreading awareness among customers to keep them safe from cyber fraudsters.
“We are creating more and more awareness among people to keep them safe from fraudsters,” said Puri SP Pinak Mishra.
The accused has been identified as Babu Singh Kushwaha who is the Director and promoter of M/s Auroxa Deal Multitrade (OPC) Pvt. Ltd.
Similarly, up-line members Sarat Kumar Nayak and Pravat Ranjan Das were also held guilty and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for five years and slapped a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh on each.
As per the order of the court, on default of fine all the convicts will undergo further imprisonment of one year each. Further, the company represented through Khushwaha was found guilty and sentenced to pay fine of Rs 2 lakh.
As per reports, the case was registered pursuant to an enquiry conducted by EOW on a petition filed by Chandra Kanta Dash and others against the company and its Director on the allegation of duping as many as 500 gullible depositors of more than Rs 10 crore under false promise of high returns on their deposits and investment in different schemes launched by the company.
The company is registered with ROC, Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. The convict Kushwaha is its lone Director. The company under various lucrative schemes and packages promoted direct selling of various household goods and electronic goods with high returns having cash back offers. The collection of deposits by the company under the cover or mask of direct selling was nothing but running of Ponzi schemes. The business model of the company is pyramidal MLM in nature, working as a MLM in which the early entrants are profited, and as the number of investors and depositors increases, the scheme collapses at certain point. Thus, the new and down line members are made to suffer. Thus the fraud was camouflaged under the name of direct selling and marketing of different commodities.
The company had floated various lucrative schemes and packages under which products like LED TV, smart TV, trolley bag, mixture grinder, LED smart fan are being offered to the public under direct selling with high returns having cash back offers like 10% matching income and bonus for enrolling investors downline.
As per the offers, there was daily cash back for 250 days and booster income and bonus for every two direct sponsors. As per the brochures circulated by the company, there are eight number of schemes ranging from the investment amount of Rs 1500 to Rs 1,00,000- carrying daily cash back offer of Rs 11 to Rs 800 for a period of 250 days. Besides, the company also offered various reward incomes like star achiever to Emerald star achiever with reward income of Rs 5000, mobile phone, furniture depending upon the target achievement within 30 days to 150 days for enrolling down line depositors.
However, as found on investigation, the company through its Director Kushwaha and up-line members Sarat Nayak and Pravat Ranjan Das has collected Rs 10 crore from more than 500 investors. The Company had its activities mainly in Balasore and Bhadrak districts and their peripheral areas.
During investigation, Kushwaha was arrested from Gwalior whereas Nayak and Das were arrested from Balasore. Two charge sheets were filed in the case on June 8, 2022 and December 12, 2023.
After announcing a hike of nearly four times in the remuneration of Sarpanchs, the State government hiked the same for Mayors of municipal corporations from Rs 8,000 to Rs 50,000. Meanwhile, considering it to be an opportune moment, several unions in the State have been staging protests at the Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar demanding salary hikes and other benefits.
A day before, the government hiked the remuneration and other benefits of Panchayati Raj representatives in the State. As per the decision, Sarpanchs will now get Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 2,350, while Naib Sarpanchs will get Rs 4,000 instead of Rs 490. Similarly, the Zilla Parishad president will now get a monthly remuneration of Rs 30,000 against the existing Rs 9,380.
Moreover, the government on Wednesday announced an increase in the remuneration and allowances of Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairpersons, Vice-Presidents, Corporators, and Councillors of five Municipal Corporations, 48 Municipalities, and 68 Notified Area Councils (NAC) of the State.
After the announcement, Mayors of municipal corporations, who used to get Rs 8,000 as remuneration earlier, will now get Rs 50,000 per month. Similarly, the honorarium of deputy mayors has been increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per month. The remuneration of the municipal council chairman has been increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 15,000 per month while the deputy chairman’s remuneration has been increased from Rs 1,200 to Rs 10,000 per month.
The Odisha government also announced an increase in the monthly remuneration of the NAC chairperson from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000 and the monthly remuneration of the NAC deputy chairperson from Rs 800 to Rs 7,500.
Apart from this, the government has increased the salary and allowances of Anganwadi and ASHA workers, Swachh Sathis, Krushak Sathis, Law Officers, Construction workers, Mission Shakti Community Support Staff, and even contractual and outsourcing employees.
The State government has also announced to pay Rs 25,000 honorarium to persons who have received Padma awards from the Government of India. Moreover, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a financial package of Rs 50,000 for each ‘Bhagabata Tungis’ across Odisha.
As per political analysts, the State government is trying to appease one and all before the upcoming election, which is just around the corner. Taking advantage of the situation, several unions of different organisations are staging protests at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar to put forth their various demands.
Take the cases of yoga teachers, Gramya Sadhana Karmis and Jala Sathis who are staging protests demanding permanent appointment and a hike in salary.
“Our demand is that yoga teachers should get regular appointments in different colleges and universities,” said a yoga teacher Muktikant Panigrahi.
“We are playing a vital role in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). We should be regularised and we should be provided a salary of Rs 20,000 per month,” said Banaja Basini Biswal, a Gramya Sadhan Karmi.
“Our demand is to increase our remuneration from five per cent to 15 per cent. New connection charges should be hiked from Rs 100 to Rs 500. We should be provided Life Insurance and there should be some incentives,” said Sujata Mohanty, a Jala Sathi.
As per political analysts, after 24 years in power, the government is scared of the anti-incumbency factor. Hence, efforts are made to woo voters by appeasing people from every section of the society.
Meanwhile, many economists are of the opinion that rolling out free schemes and unprecedented hikes in salaries and remunerations without having any provision in the budget will severely affect the economy of the State in the long run.
“As per the announcement by the government, the free schemes and salary and remuneration hikes could only be provided up to three and four months. Then there will be a deficit in the budget. I would like to warn the government and the people of Odisha not to push the State economy and politics to such a dire situation,” said former Finance Minister, Panchanan Kanungo.
“Before announcing free schemes and hiking salary and remuneration, it should have been checked if these are sustainable or not. Thinking about sustainability before having any kind of expenditure is the characteristic of a good government,” said economic analyst, Rajiv Sahu.
The junior teachers who have worked for three years in contractual positions will be eligible to get the revised salary.
A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said the hike will be effective from January 1, 2023. The decision of the salary hike will benefit as many as 12,784 junior teachers in the State.
The hike will cost the State exchequer an additional Rs 95 crore per annum, the statement said.
A day before, the government hiked the remuneration and other benefits of Panchayati Raj representatives in the State. As per the decision, Sarpanchs will now get Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 2,350 while Naib Sarpanchs will get Rs 4,000 instead of Rs 490. The daily allowance and sitting fees of Sarpanchs, Naib Sarpanchs, and ward members have been hiked to Rs 480 from the existing Rs 240 per day. Similarly, the Zilla Parishad president will now get a monthly remuneration of Rs 30,000 against the existing Rs 9,380. Their daily allowance and sitting fees have also been hiked to Rs 600 from Rs 300.
As per reports, the accident took place near Jamdora. The girl students were going in the van to their exam centre in Umerkote to appear for the ICSE exam. On the way, the van turned turtle, leaving the students injured.
Local people swung into action and rescued the students. They were rushed to the Umerkote hospital.
After preliminary treatment, the students were discharged and taken to their exam centre, where they appeared for their exam.
After the exam, they were again taken to the Umerkote hospital for further treatment. One of the eight students has reportedly sustained serious injury on her hand.
Meanwhile, police started an investigation into the incident.
Some locals said the van was going at a high speed, which could be the reason behind the mishap.
However, no reaction from the school authorities and police was received.
The incident was investigated by DIG (prisons) Kulamani Behera along with Bolangir jail’s Superintendent. The DIG admitted that the inmates escaped due to the negligence of jail authorities and hinted at action against those responsible.
Sub-jailer Chaitanya Pradhan said the warden, who was in charge at that time, was suspended after DIG (prisons) Kulamani Behera visited the jail on Monday.
After the incident, the jail authorities filed a complaint with the police.
On the other hand, police are on the lookout for the two. Titlagarh sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ankita Kumbhar said, "Our investigation is under progress. Three special police teams have been formed and the teams are conducting raids in nearby districts."
The police are taking all steps to apprehend the escaped under-trial prisoners, she said.
(With PTI inputs)
The government has decided to set up the proposed centre near the mouth of the Rushikulya river as it is the second biggest mass nesting site of the Olive Ridley turtles, after Gahiramatha in Kendrapara district, he said.
It is also a convenient place for researchers.
A record number of over 6.37 lakh turtles laid eggs in the three-km long stretch from Podampeta to Bateshwar near the river mouth during the eight days of mass nesting from February 23 to March 3, 2023, the official said.
Around 3.5 acres of government land have been identified near Purunabandh to establish the proposed research centre.
The land acquisition process is under process, the official said.
"We have already submitted the concept note on the proposed research centre to the government. The architectural design is also under preparation," the divisional forest officer (DFO) in Berhampur, Sunny Khokhar, said.
He said that once established, the centre will be the first in turtle research in the county.
Even though several premier research institutes like the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) are researching sea turtles, especially Olive Ridley turtles, the country never had an exclusive centre to study the sea turtles.
The students and foreign delegates have shown their interest in the Olive Ridley turtles, which visit the Odisha coast in millions for mass nesting every year.
However, due to the non-availability of such an exclusive centre, they are unable to get detailed information about the turtles.
The proposed centre is likely to meet their curiosities, another senior forest officer said.
Though sporadic nesting has started along the coast off Ganjam, mass nesting is yet to begin at the Rushikulya River mouth this year.
"The mass nesting is likely to take place very soon, as the weather in the area is very conducive," the DFO said.
These rules will now enable minorities, who have settled in the country after fleeing from persecution on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, to acquire citizenship in the country.
Notably, the CAA enacted by the Parliament in December 2019 had earlier triggered protests across the country. It granted citizenship to the refugees who had come and settled before 2014.
However, Congress questioned why the refugees from Nepal and Sri Lanka have not been included in its purview.
But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have welcomed it as a historic decision.
As per reports, thousands of refugees who are now living in the Mahakalpara and Rajnagar areas of Kendrapara had intruded into the area in the 1950s to escape from the turmoil of the civil war in Pakistan. As many as 1237 of them settled in Kendrapara, and are now eking out their living from fishing and ferrying boats. But they have not been granted Indian citizenship.
Siuli Mandal, an illegal immigrant in Mahakalpara said, "We are happy that after the implementation of the CAA, we will have development. Our nation will develop and our children will face no problems. We will get land rights.”
On the other hand, the number of illegal settlers continues to rise in various parts of Kendrapara. Over the years, they have allegedly intruded into Bhitarakanika and then into other coastal parts through sea routes. About 90 percent of the illegal settlers living in Talachua, Dangamala, Gahirmatha, Jambu, Kharinasi, Batighar, and some other areas are from Bangladesh.
As per the information presented in the Assembly in 2005, there were 1649 refugees in Kendrapara, 1112 in Jagatsinghpur, 313 in Bhadrak, 665 in Malkangiri, and 106 in Nabarangpur. However, as per rough estimates, their numbers have increased almost threefold over the years. Now, all of them are going to be Indian citizens.
Bikash Majumdaar from Mahakalpara said, "After CAA implementation, our social, economic, and political issues will be sorted out gradually. Our children will get an education in schools. We thank the Central government for this.”
Deba Mandal from Paradip said, "When we go abroad we face problems because of a lack of credentials. Now, we will not be treated as refugees. We will have voting rights.”
However, Congress leader Sudarshan Das said, "Refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh were included in the CAA. But those who have taken asylum here from Nepal, Tibet, and Sri Lanka could have been treated as refugees. The CAA is meant to divide the nation and create an atmosphere of unrest.”
BJP leader Arabinda Dhali observed, “Those who have no citizenship have been facing a lot of problems. With CAA implementation, their issues will be resolved.”
BJD leader Ramesh Majhi supported the CAA saying, “The BJD has supported the bill which is good for the common people. All will benefit.”
(By OdishaTV Bureau)
As per reports, the 2.98 kilometer-long flyover has been built at a cost of Rs 250 crore which was provided from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund.
The construction work of the project was awarded to Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC). In 2020, the work commenced. The entire stretch of the flyover along with the approach roads with a span of 4 km and 487 metres starts from NH-520 to Sarankul Chhak. The road is as wide as 5.5 metres and can carry a maximum load of 400 tonnes.
On the inaugural ceremony, Champua legislator Minakshi Mahanta, Keonjhar Collector Vishal Singh and the chairpersons of the Joda and Barbil municipalities were present on the inaugural ceremony.
As for the flyover, Councillor Soudamini Nayak said, “Ours is a mineral-bearing area. Due to the transportation of minerals, roads used to see heavy traffic congestion. School kids used to get stuck in traffic for hours. Dust particles setting down on farmlands have been affecting farming. The flyover is expected to ease traffic congestions and mitigate dust pollution.”
Meet Radheyshyam Rana, from Bagabar village under Birmaharajpur block in the district, who can draw two portraits with his right leg at the same time. Rana is such a gifted artist that he can draw an accurate portrait of anybody on canvas with ease.
As per reports, Rana binds two pens in a piece of wood and fixes it on his foot. With the help of the wood, he can smoothly draw two portraits of different persons or objects simultaneously. With this special skill, he has drawn lively pictures of Gods and Goddesses, cine stars, the President of India and others accurately.
“It seems almost impossible to draw two pictures simultaneously with one’s leg. However, nothing is impossible in this world. With rigorous practice, I have mastered the skill. I can draw two different pictures accurately with the help of my leg," said Rana.
Rana’s immense talent as an artist was apparent from his childhood days. Though he belongs to a poor family, his family members helped him grow as an artist. Initially, he started drawing with his hands. Later, he practiced to draw portraits with his leg. Gradually, he improved and fine-tuned his special skills with rigorous practice and now he can draw two pictures simultaneously with his right leg.
Rana has recently appeared in the Plus 2 examination. Though he aspires to study in an art college, his acute poverty and severe financial constraints have emerged as a major impediment to fulfilling his ambition. His family members have requested that the government and private sectors extend their helping hands to fulfill the ambition of Rana to pursue higher study.
“My son is a talented artist and he is eager to study in an art college after his Plus 2. However, we are very poor and not in a position to afford his study. We request the government or private institutions to extend their helping hands so that he can fulfill his dream,” said Rana’s mother Pankajini.
“Rana needs further training to fine-tune the subtle nuances of art. The government should help him in his higher study,” urged Krushnachandra Sahu, a villager.
Pranab has won thrice from this seat by trouncing his opponents. However, if the talks in political circles are anything to go by, there is uncertainty over Pranab being repeated from this seat in the 2024 Assembly Election. In that case, the political equation may take an interesting turn in the upcoming polls with the BJP eagerly and enthusiastically setting its sight on the prestigious seat.
As per reports, Jajpur is a citadel of Pranab and has been occupied by the ruling BJD since 2000. Pranab has secured a hat-trick victory from the seat.
In 2019, Pranab wielding much political clout in the constituency defeated BJP’s Goutam Ray with a margin of more than 40,000 votes to script his third win in succession. It is said that as no other BJD leader can give a tough fight in the seat, the party may be thinking of fielding Pranab for the fourth time in a row.
However, speculation is rife that Pranab may prefer another seat to Jajpur in the upcoming election.
“If Pranab Prakash Das is given the ticket, he will win hands down. Other than Pranab, whoever is fielded by BJD will win convincingly from the seat,” District BJD President Saroj Mohapatra exuded confidence.
BJP has never managed to win the Jajpur seat, but has taken solace in the fact that it overcame Congress to finish second here in the 2019 polls. Party candidate and BJP's district unit president Goutam Roy polled more than 59,000 votes in the last election and the party's vote share was more encouraging than in 2014. Hence, Roy is confident of grabbing a BJP ticket again for the upcoming election.
However, BJP's Yuba Morcha vice-president Sangram Patra is also hopeful of a party ticket. “I am fully confident that with full support from the voters of Jajpur, BJP will win by a margin of more than one lakh votes,” said Roy.
“As a disciplined worker of the party, I will accept any decision to be taken by the party. If the party gives me a ticket, I am fully ready to fight the election,” added Patra.
On the other hand, following a hat-trick victory after 1951, Congress has never come back to power again in Jajpur. It was a humiliating situation for the party in the last election as its candidate Santosh Kumar Nanda managed to get only 4,745 votes. However, Congress has been committed to fighting from the seat with new vigour in the upcoming election. Congress District President Manoj Rout is among the aspirants to bag party ticket.
“People want a change. Under the circumstances, there will be a tough fight in the upcoming election. Eventually, Congress will come up with flying colours,” said Nanda.
“Many candidates have applied to contest election from Jajpur seat with congress ticket. After analyzing all the aspects carefully, the party will choose a suitable candidate at the right time,” said Rout.
Flood issues to dominate poll narrative
The residents of Jajpur have been grappling with flood issues for a long time. While Dasarathapur block is often flooded with Baitarani water, floods in Budha and Kharasrota rivers inundate many areas in Jajpur block. More than one lakh people of the constituency are affected due to floods in these three rivers during the rainy season. People residing in the low-lying areas of Dasarathapur block are affected the most. Though the people of the constituency are demanding for a dam in the river near Bichitrapur as a permanent solution to floods, their demands have so far fallen on deaf ears.
Moreover, around 70 percent of people in Jajpur depend upon agriculture to earn their living. However, the absence of cold storage facilities in the area has irked the farmers as they are forced to resort to distress sales for not being able to store their produces. They have expressed their resentment over the development.
But the speculations ebbed when three heavy-weight leaders of the BJP Manmohan Samal, Odisha in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar, and co-in-charge Lata Usendi denied any talks about the alliance and made it clear that the party will fight both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on its own strength in Odisha.
Meanwhile, amid the suspense on the alliance, Manmohan Samal, organizational secretary Manas Mohanty, Odisha in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar, and co-in-charge Lata Usendi left for New Delhi in the evening.
Talking to reporters at the airport, Samal said, ”We are leaving for Delhi to discuss about elections, strategies, campaigning and our preparedness for 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats in Odisha. We will talk to the top leaders.”
As for the possibility of a collation, Samal evaded, saying, ”It will not be wise on my part to say anything about it.”
All the three leaders earlier reiterated that there was no discussion about alliance with the BJD at the core committee meeting in New Delhi and the party is preparing to fight alone in all the seats.
Lata Usendi told media, “The party has been fully preparing for elections in all the seats in Odisha.”
However, the silence of the topmost leaders of the BJD on the issue has deepened the suspense amid conflicting signals from some ruling party leaders.
On Saturday, MLA Nrushigha Sahoo’s statements again gave rise to the alliance speculation. He said that the BJD was keen on an alliance in the larger interest of the state, even though three BJP leaders have asserted that the party core committee’s meeting has not discussed about the alliance and the party has been preparing to fight for all Lok Sabha and Assembly seats.
People and political observers are in doubt if talks on alliance are underway or being carried out clandestinely or the talks are getting stuck amid some bottlenecks like seat-sharing ratio.
All are waiting with bated breath when smokescreens over the alliance speculations will be removed as no BJD leaders are coming out with clear assertions that the party will go solo and not forge an alliance with BJP.
BJD leader Amar Patnaik said, ”Don’t you think we should get into more discussion about it? We leave it to the wisdom and sagacity of the Chief Minister. For his love for the people of the state, he would decide at appropriate time about whatever is in the interests of the state.”
CMC Mayor Subash Singh said,” It is an important message. The top leadership will decide on it.
As for collation talks, political analyst Akshaya Sahoo said.”Suspense on the alliance is still there. Some leaders of the two parties want to carry forward the talks on alliance. A clear picture is likely this evening or tomorrow morning.”
Though the exact reason behind their suicide is not yet clear, it is suspected that family feud may be its reason.
The deceased were identified as Nityananda Mohapatra(61) and wife Shantilata Mohapatra (54). This incident took place when no other family members were in the house.
As per reports, as the doors of their house did not open even after 8 am on Sunday, their neighbours peeped into the house and later, on opening the doors, they were shocked to find the couple lying on the floor.
Meanwhile, police started an investigation into the matter and registered two cases of unnatural death.
Speaking to the media, one of their relatives said,” I had gone to their house at 10 pm last night. Their younger son had gone out for an interview while their elder son and daughter-in-law stayed at another place. There was a minor difference of opinion in the family. I tried to iron out the difference of opinion between the couple and later came back home.”
He added that their neighbours found the couple lying dead on the floor inside the house after opening the doors in the morning.
However, no reaction from police has been received.
As per reports, the Water Resource Department provided Rs 2.14 crore for the development of canal facilities in the area. Following the completion of the project, Bhograi MLA Ananta Das had come to the village for its inauguration.
However, the villagers staged a massive protest against Das by stating different issues. They didn’t allow Das to inaugurate the project. They even inaugurated the project by themselves by breaking coconuts in front of the sitting MLA. As a result, Das had to return from the village without inaugurating the project amid embarrassment.
“Though we are from BJD, we were not allowed to work on the project. Workers of the Congress party were given the contract to complete the project. This is why we didn’t allow the MLA to inaugurate the project,” said a protestor.
However, no comments could be obtained from Das in this regard.
The raids were conducted under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at 12 locations in Bhubaneswar, Barbil, Rourkela, and Kolkata.
Sources said the raids were conducted on the Directors and Chartered accountants of these companies to trace and unearth the proceeds of crime relating to illegal iron ore mining scam in Joda.
It is pertinent to mention here that the ED initiated an investigation on the basis of FIR registered by the Vigilance Department, Odisha Police, and Chargesheets filed by the Vigilance Department under various sections of IPC, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against M/s. Deepak Steel and Power Ltd., M/s. Snehapusph Marketing Pvt. Ltd, Deepak Gupta, Hari Charan Gupta, and others.
ED investigation revealed that the Proceeds of Crime generated from the business of illegal mining were layered through multiple shell companies based in Kolkata and Barbil having dummy Directors.
During the search operation, Rs 30 Lakh, 2 Kg gold worth Rs 1.24 Crore, one Car along with property documents, digital devices, and incriminating documents were seized.
A freezing order was also issued to two banks, freezing a balance of Rs 1.23 Crore in six bank accounts related to the directors of accused companies, ED said in a release.
A PAO attaching movable and immovable properties to the tune of Rs 379 Crore was earlier issued in this case. A Prosecution Complaint was also filed in the PMLA Court and the Special Court (PMLA) has taken cognizance, the release added.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, the Khandapada MLA said, ”If the BJP and the BJD go in for an alliance and form the government, only one party will have a chance to grow.”
However, he did not clarify the party that will emerge as the sole opposition. Many wonder if he is referring to the Congress, of which he was once a member.
“This situation will arise because the BJP was asserting itself as the opposition and an alternative. In case of an alliance, the BJP will be not there as an opposition,” he added.
When asked if Odisha will see development because of a coalition government, the ex-BJD leader observed with oblique criticism, "Odisha has seen so much development that it does not require more development. It doesn’t matter if further development happens or not.”
On September 21, 2023, Chief Minister and BJD president, Naveen Patnaik expelled Soumya Ranjan Patnaik from the party on charges of anti-people activities.
Voicing the issue, a delegation of the BJP met the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha.
The party also alleged that Bhubaneswar is not the only example, several other officials have been working for years in other districts of the state, and as a result, elections are influenced by their long service in one place.
The party has demanded the immediate transfer of these officials ahead of the elections. The BJP said that it will prepare a list of such officials and submit it to the Chief Electoral Officer.
Speaking to the media, BJP leader Lekhashree Samantasinghar said, "There are many officers who have overstayed at their place of postings. Many of them have not been transferred for five, 10, and even 12 years since their postings. Their long service in one place is against the guidelines meant for free and fair elections.”
However, no reaction was received from the state government authorities.
As per IMD, there will be no major change in the maximum and minimum temperature for the next two days. However, there is a forecast of a gradual rise in the temperature from March 11, 2024. As per the forecast, the maximum temperature is likely to register a gradual rise by 4 to 6 degrees Celsius in different parts of the state.
IMD Forecast Issued On Friday
Day 2 (Valid from 0830 hrs IST of 09.03.2024 to 0830 hrs IST of 10.03.2024): Light to moderate rain/thundershowers very likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of South Coastal Odisha, Cuttack, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Bolangir, Boudh, Nabarangpur
Day 3 (Valid from 0830 hrs IST of 10.03.2024 to 0830 hrs IST of 11.03.2024): Light rain/thundershowers very likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Koraput, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur
As per reports, the youth’s body was found hanging from a girl’s house in the Damodarpur area in the district three days back. As per the allegation of the family members, the youth was in a love relationship with the girl. They claimed that the family members of the girl killed the youth and hung him to pass it off as suicide.
The family members further alleged that despite lodging a complaint, the police didn’t take any steps to investigate the incident.
As per reports, after the post-mortem, the family members walked to the police station carrying the body on their shoulders demanding an unbiased investigation into the incident.
“I don’t think that the police will give us justice. They are telling us to dismiss the case if nothing comes out in the medical report. We think that the police are under pressure to dismiss the case. We need justice and that is why we carried the body to the police station,” said a relative of the deceased.
The accused individual was identified as Tanmay Kumar Maharana, ex-Asset Officer, IDBI Bank's Dandamukundapur Branch, Pipili in Puri district.
He was last posted as the Assistant Manager before his suspension.
Following his arrest, Maharana was presented at a Raipur court and then brought to Odisha on transit remand.
He was later presented at a court in Cuttack on Thursday, EOW sources said.
He was arrested based on a complaint filed by Sandeep Patnaik, General Manager, IDBI Bank, Bhubaneswar.
Patnaik said in his complaint that Maharana in connivance with the then manager of IDBI's Dandamukundapur Branch, Sarojkanta Mohapatra, had illegally sanctioned 35 fictitious loans to the tune of Rs 3.70 crore, mostly in favour of their close relatives and acquaintances.
The fraudulent activities came to the fore in 2022.
A probe eventually revealed that Mohapatra and Maharana, the respective ex-Branch Manager and ex-Asset Officer of the particular branch, had fraudulently sanctioned 35 fictitious loans amounting Rs 10 lakh each in the name of their close relatives /acquaintances.
As soon as a man-animal conflict is reported from any part of a forest, special response teams will lose no time and arrive at the spot within half an hour or an hour in these special vehicles.
As per reports, such special vehicles that will be used for the rescue of wildlife have been designed for Odisha.
Secretary of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department Satyabrata Sahu, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Debidutta Biswal, and PCCF (Wildlife) Susanta Nanda launched a fleet of vehicles by flagging them off at Bharatpur jungle safari in Bhubaneswar.
All these vehicles will be pressed into service in 18 forest divisions and they will come in handy for rapid response to alerts about any incident of man-animal conflict.
Such rescue vehicles are equipped with hydraulic lift systems, four-tonne winch, generator sets, and emergency lights.
Meanwhile, members of rapid response teams have been imparted training to use these vehicles.
Satyabrata Sahu told the media, "Our main objective is to ensure the safety of all, be it wildlife or humans. Such a project has been implemented in Tamil Nadu. Their experts along with ours will jointly carry out the exercise. This is to ensure that forests, wildlife, and humans coexist and thrive.”
Pointing out man-animal conflicts in some forest pockets, PCCF (Wildlife) Susanta Nanda said, “The special vehicles have been designed for the safety of rapid response teams and to rescue the wildlife in conflict zones. In 18 forest divisions, rapid response teams have been trained to use the vehicles. The rapid response teams will reach the spot in half an hour to one hour time.”
Besides, Rs 1000 will be given to the employees for every completed five-year completed in service.
Moreover, the Odisha State Outsourcing Employees OMBUDSMAN has been formed to sort out conflicts and complaints between outsourcing staff and service provider agencies. To hear complaints of the outsourcing staff and the service provider agencies, each department will have a nodal officer.
Moreover, the complaint submission process will be simplified and the complainants can upload their grievances through a software application to be developed by the CMG of the GA&PG Department.
In another significant decision, women staff can avail of maternity leave of 120 days.
To streamline all management works, all departments will sign supplementary agreements with service-providing agencies.
(By OdishaTV Bureau)
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While the opening date for online registration of applications is April 1, 2024, the last date for completion of online registration is April 30, 2024. The last date for submission of online fees as applicable through debit/credit card/net banking is May 2, 2024.
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Visit the official website of OAVS at https://oav.edu.in/.
Check on the “RECRUITMENT” section on the homepage.
Look for the “Online Application for OAVs Recruitment 2024” link and click on it.
Read the instructions and guidelines carefully before proceeding to fill the application form.
Click on the “New Registration” button and fill in your basic details such as name, email address, mobile number, etc.
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As many as 5 ADCPs, 18 ACPs, 21 IICs, 84 SIs, and 93 ASIs will be deployed at various places in four shifts to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival, said Bhubaneswar DCP, Prateek Singh.
“Special parking arrangements have been made at various places in Bhubaneswar for smooth traffic management. CCTV cameras will be installed and cops in civil dresses will be deployed at different places to maintain law and order during the festival. Besides, ODRAF and Fire Services personnel will also be deployed to prevent any kind of untoward incidents,” said Singh.
Meanwhile, the temple administration has made elaborate arrangements and is leaving no stone unturned for the smooth conduct of the rituals during Maha Shivratri. It has been decided that all the rituals of Lord Lingaraj will be smoothly conducted in due time.
The ‘Mahadipa’ of Lord Lingaraj will be raised atop the temple at around 10 pm on Maha Shivratri. This was decided during a preparatory meeting for Maha Shivratri celebrations. The schedule of all other rituals has also been fixed in the meeting.
As per reports, the ‘Mangala Alati’ and ‘Abakasha' rituals of Lord Lingaraj will be conducted between 3 am to 3.30 am on Friday. Subsequently, ‘Sahanamela Darshan’ will be carried out from 3.30 am till 12 pm. Then ‘Mahasnana’ and ‘Besha’ rituals will be held till 12.45 pm. Thereafter, ‘Surya Puja’, ‘Dwarapala Puja’, and ‘Sakala Dhupa’ rituals will be performed between 12.45 pm till 2.30 pm. Similarly, ‘Bhoga Mandapa’, ‘Sandhya Alati’, ‘Majana’, Jatra Puja, ‘Bedha’ and ‘Sandhya Dhupa’ rituals will be performed at 2.45 pm, 7.10 pm, 7.30 pm, 8.10 pm, and 8.55 pm respectively.
Following the completion of all the rituals, the ‘Mahadipa’ of Lord Lingaraj will be raised atop the temple at around 10 pm.
The 21-year-old swimmer, representing Utkal University from Odisha, attributed the success to her preparations ahead of the competition.
Clocking her personal best, in 400m freestyle (4:48:22) to win the gold, Pratyasa credited her success to her coach Olympian Sandeep Sejwal.
“I have been preparing rigorously. With Sandeep Sir, we use an approach that relies on a combination of volume and intensity in our training. Furthermore, the High-Performance Centre enables us to incorporate various other facets of our training, including nutrition, rehabilitation, analytics etc.”
With six medals at the All-India University Games that sealed her berth at the Khelo India University Games 2023, Pratyasa Ray reiterated the value of consistent exposure to competition and the role of initiatives like Khelo India.
“Competition is very important for an athlete. I treat every competition as an opportunity to grow and improve my skill set. As a senior athlete it becomes harder to find platforms to compete. Even a tournament like the National Games is not predictable, but there is always a Khelo India event coming up, so the Khelo India initiative provides a lot of opportunity and is essential for us,” she said.
Speaking on her goals and ambitions for the future, Pratyasa said, “From childhood, my dream has always been to represent India at the Olympics and I am hoping to make that dream come true.”
Following a directive from the Odisha government, various infrastructure works for its development have started.
As per reports, the historic place is being given a major facelift in joint collaboration between the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA).
The CDA is carrying out infra development at a cost of Rs 50 crore on 6 acres of land.
A yoga centre, a children's park, a food centre, a light show, and an interpretation centre on the life journey and contribution of the great freedom fighter to the freedom struggle are being developed.
The CDA has set a target to complete the project in a month.
Siddhartha Shankar Swain, CMC Commissioner said "The work is being hastened. There are various components including his famous slogan ‘Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi dungaa." The slogan is being etched in various languages. An interpretation centre will be built up.”
He also said that a pond nearby is being restored and the project work will be completed in a month.
The iconic Dakota aircraft that has been installed at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar as a show piece reminds the legendary leader as a skilled pilot and his daredevilry in the skies.
Dakota Reminds Biju Patnaik’s Deep Relationship with Indonesia
The aircraft was lying in decrepit condition at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata. After years of public demand, the Dakota aircraft was finally brought to Odisha and kept for public display at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
Biju Patnaik, a towering figure wielding much clout in the national politics, was an ace pilot. Though he was enrolled with the Royal Indian Air Force, he clandestinely flew Indian freedom fighters from one location to another. It was stated that Patnaik had dropped leaflets on Indian soldiers of the British Indian Army to revolt.
Later, Biju Patnaik set up Kalinga Airlines and purchased a fleet of Dakotas which were merged with Indian Airlines later. Many believed that it was this Dakota aircraft that Biju Patnaik had flown to Java in Indonesia on July 21, 1947 and rescued the then prime minister Sutan Sjahrir and vice president Mohammad Hatta.
In 1947, after the Dutch attempted to recapture Indonesia, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru directed Biju Patnaik to fly to Java for the rescue of Sjahrir and Hatta. It is said that the Dutch warned him of shooting down his aircraft.
The Dutch had actually shot down a Dakota with a number of Indonesian leaders on board before that. Biju Patnaik had responded that if his aircraft was brought down, no Dutch flights would be able to fly across India safely.
Then, the Dutch was bound to allow him to land in Java and leave with Sjahrir and Hatta. Since then, Biju Patnaik became a legend in Indonesia and a personal friend of the country's first president Sukarno.
At that time, the Indonesian government wanted to gift him land and a palatial building, which he refused to accept. To honour such a great leader, the Indonesian government declared him 'Bhoomi Putra', according to a media report.
Biju Babu’s friendship with Sukarno was so deep that he named the Indonesian premier's daughter as Megawati Sukarnoputri.
The Dutch had actually shot down a Dakota with a number of Indonesian leaders on board before that. Biju Patnaik had responded that if his aircraft was brought down, no Dutch flights would be able to fly across India safely, according to a New Delhi-based official who told this to IANS.
(By OdishaTV Bureau)
During the inauguration, PM Modi remembered Biju Patnaik on his birth anniversary, and said, “Foundation stones for projects worth Rs 20,000 crore have been laid. Be it projects linked to petroleum, natural gas, or nuclear energy or linked to railway and road connectivity, they will help augment the industrial activities and create employment opportunities here.
“There is such a government in the centre that not only thinks about the present but also works for the future with the Viksit Bharat Sankalp. In the energy sector, we are increasing the capabilities of the eastern states. For the supply of natural gas, big projects are underway in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. The Paradip-Somnathpur and Haldia pipelines have been dedicated to the nation. Today, a natural gas processing unit has also been inaugurated at Paradip Refinery. A Mono Ethylene Glycol plant has also been inaugurated at the Refinery. With this, a new revolution will be witnessed in the polyester industry. The textile parks coming up at Bhadrak and Paradip will also get raw materials easily,” he said.
Modi also did not miss the opportunity to tear into the past governments. He said, “The earlier governments were not interested in completing the projects. But our government tries to complete the projects for which foundation stones are being laid. Discussions about the Paradip refinery started in 2002. But nothing was done in this regard till 2013-14. It is our government that has completed the project.”
“The rich mineral deposits in Odisha are being used for the development. Today, the foundation stone for a desalination plant was laid. With this, Odisha’s thousands of people will be benefited. With the help of this project, 50,00,000 litres of saline water will be converted into drinking water,” he said.
The central government is also laying emphasis on modern connectivity so that Odisha gets more industrial growth. In the last 10 years, we have laid down about 3,000 kilometers of national highways in the state. We have also increased the railway budget 12 times. For the development of Odisha, the central government will continue to work at this speed, he added.
On this occasion, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik heaped praise on the Prime Minister. Expressing gratitude for gifting several projects to Odisha; he said, “PM Modi has given a new growth trajectory to the Indian economy, which is going to be the second largest economy. I request PM's cooperation for Odisha's development."
Raising the issue about granting VRS to VK Pandian in just 24 hours, Khera targeted the BJP. He sarcastically questioned the benefit of Odisha in chit fund and mining scams.
“Modi is ruling the centre and his friend is governing Odisha. CBI cases are pending against many bigwigs. However, nothing is happening to them,” said Khera.
The Congress leader exuded confidence that their party will win 10 to 12 Lok Sabha seats and 90 Assembly seats in Odisha in the upcoming election. He also said that Congress will soon announce the list of their candidates in Odisha.
“Modi government has been ruling the country for the last 10 years while his friend in Odisha for the last 24 years. However, what has happened to the chit fund scam? VRS was requested and it was granted within 24 hours. A person from outside has become the king of Odisha and he is moving across the state in chopper. The whole country is now familiar with the name of Pandian,” said Khera.
“The upcoming election is very important for Odisha to give justice to the people of the State. We are quite sure that Congress will win 10-12 Lok Sabha seats and 90 Assembly seats in the State,” he added.
The victim has been identified as Narayan Sethi.
As per the allegation by Sethi, he got an offer through a phone call on February 16 that he will be provided Rs 20 lakh in cash of Rs 100 and Rs 50 denominations if he pays them Rs 5 lakh with currency notes of Rs 500 denominations.
The accused Bulu Pati and Priyaranjan Nayak reportedly convinced Sethi that the scheme has been launched due to the scarcity of Rs 500 notes in the market.
Lured by the fake offer, Sethi gave the concerned persons Rs 5 lakh of Rs 500 denominations in cash near Chandikhol-Paradip road toll gate. In return, the fraudsters gave him a box with cash of Rs 100 and Rs 50 denominations.
However, to his utter shock and dismay Sethi found only a few notes of Rs 100 and Rs 50 in the box when he checked the box at home with the rest of the box filled with sand.
Subsequently, he lodged an FIR in this connection at Bhadrak police station. Following a primary investigation into the incident, Bhadrak police arrested both the accused. Further investigation into the incident is currently underway.
“The accused lured me to provide Rs 20 lakh with Rs 100 and Rs 50 denominations if I give them Rs 5 lakh in Rs 500 denominations. They convinced me about the false offer by saying that the scheme is to cover the scarcity of currency notes of Rs 500 denominations in the market. However, I was duped by them with a sand-filled box,” rued Sethi.
Speaking about the case, Bhadrak SDPO Sourabh Ota said, “The accused used to make a list of gullible persons and lure them by giving them false promises through phone calls. Two of the accused have been arrested. Further investigation into the incident is currently underway.”
However, with the resurgence of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), many aspiring cricketers across India get the opportunity to play in a top-level platform and have a lucrative career option. Even many cricketers from a poor state like Bihar have cashed in the opportunity to play top-notch cricket in the marquee event.
Among the cricketers from Bihar, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, medium pacers like Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar have really impressed with their performances by playing for Team India and different franchises in IPL. Hard-hitting all-rounder Shivam Singh’s domestic exploit also earned him an IPL deal after being part of the Punjab Kings.
Even talented cricketers like Umran Malik, Abdul Samad and Parvez Rasool from lesser-known cricket boards like Jammu and Kashmir have played in the cash-rich league.
Odia cricketers in IPL
However, fans in Odisha are always intrigued by the question that why the milch cow of Indian cricket has not proved much rewarding for the State cricketers.
Only two Odia players have had the opportunity to play in the mega tournament so far. While Haladhar Das was the first cricketer from Odisha to make an IPL debut playing for Deccan Chargers in 2008, four years later, all-rounder Biplab Samantaray was bought by the same franchise. Odia cricketers Pragyan Ojha and Abhishek Rout have played in the mega event. However, they have represented Hyderabad and Maharashtra cricket associations respectively.
Fortunately, Odisha’s No.1 batsman Subhranshu Senapati was bought by Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023. However, the attacking right-handed batsman didn’t feature in a single game. Unfortunately, he was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2024 auction.
Odia cricketers in IPL 2024
As many as 16 cricketers from Odisha were registered for IPL 2024. They were Govind Poddar, Prayash Singh, Sunil Roul, Rakesh Pattanaik, Harshit Rathod, Swastik Samal, Debabrata Samal, Abhishek Yadav, Sobhagya Rout, Shantanu Mishra, Subhranshu Senapati, Rajesh Dhuper, Mushtaq Beg, Ashirwad Swain, Rajesh Mohanty and Sandeep Pattanaik. However, not a single cricketer was bought by any of the franchises in the last auction held in Dubai.
What ails Odisha cricket?
There is no dearth of talented cricketers in the State. They also don’t lack passion and commitment. Under the circumstances, the million dollar question is why not many Odia players are making it to the IPL teams?
As per a former Odia cricketer, who doesn’t want to be named, the reason behind IPL snub of the cricketers from the State could be lack of proper infrastructure, lack of finance, performance and clout.
“Lack of infrastructure has emerged as a major impediment for the aspiring cricketers in the State. There aren’t many stadiums here. Most of the cricket clubs are mainly concentrated in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The game in the State also suffers from lack of finances. The local clubs are not maintained properly due to lack of resources. Lack of ‘turf wicket’ deprives cricketers of getting a taste of real pitches. Odisha cricket is mainly dominated by ‘matting wickets’ which is not where the Ranji and international matches take place. Lack of turf wickets makes the transition a difficult task for those who have played the entire season on matting wickets,” he said.
According to a former coach and cricketer, performance of Odisha players in various domestic level tournaments is not consistent enough to attract the attention of Indian selectors and the talent scouts of any cricket franchise.
“Consistent and stellar performances in prestigious domestic tournaments like Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy really count. It can surely bring any cricketer into reckoning. However, the Odia cricketers have failed to impress due to their inconsistent performances. Some players have shown flashes of brilliance by hitting an odd century here and there, but they are mostly inconsistent,” he said under the condition of anonymity.
He is also of the opinion that Odisha has never won any major domestic titles. In his opinion, most of the players in the team suffer from lack of self belief. Their background and psychology prevent them from dreaming big.
“This lack of self-confidence and aspiration needs to change. Odisha cricketers should dream big and must not be complacent at any point of time,” he pointed out.
“There is a considerable clout exerted by other State boards in BCCI administration and in the selection process. However, Odisha belongs to the most neglected group. The State cricket is run by the whims and fancies of a few officials having feudal mindset. This kind of autocratic culture should be changed. The sooner it happens, the better it will be for the future of Odisha cricket,” he signed off.
They have been demanding the construction of two underpasses at the place for safe passage for a long time.
As nothing happened to their demand, scores of villagers resorted to ‘rail roko’ for four hours on Monday and squatted on the Koraput-Vishakhapatnam railway line.
The agitating people alleged that though they raised their demand for an underpass, the administration and the railway authorities have turned a deaf ear. They lamented that small mishaps continue to happen while crossing the line.
One of the agitating residents said, “The administration is not taking any step for communication, even though we had earlier met the Collector. The Collector had assured us to take steps for road connectivity, but little has been done.”
A woman protestor fumed, “Where is the road for us to commute safely. The administration is not doing anything to sort out our perennial problem."
Additional Tehsildar Kanhu Patnaik said, "A meeting chaired by the sub-collector was held on March 1. The local residents demanded two underpasses as they faced commuting woes. The administration has assured that a survey will be conducted for the underpasses in seven days and DPRs will be prepared and submitted to the railway authorities.”
Following an assurance from the administration, the agitating people relented.
As per the announcement, the Urdu teachers will get Rs 15,000 per month instead of Rs 7,400.
As per reports, over 10,000 students have taken Urdu as their first language in upper primary, Middle English, full-aided, and newly-aided high schools in the state. Hence, the government has engaged Urdu and Urdu resource teachers on a contractual basis to impart Urdu teaching.
The hike in the salaries will benefit 44 Urdu teachers working in upper primary, Middle English, and high schools and 40 Urdu teachers in fully aided and newly aided high schools.
Urdu teachers had earlier drawn the attention of the state government demanding a hike in their monthly salary.
As per reports, the BJP has given importance to young and women candidates in the first phase list of its candidates. Moreover, emphasis has also been given to all the categories including SC, ST and OBC. Names of 195 candidates have been announced by the saffron party in the first phase. As many as 47 candidates below 50 years of age have been included in the list. Similarly, 28 women have been given tickets for Lok Sabha seats. The list also includes 57 OBC, 27 SC and 18 ST candidates.
As per party sources, no candidates from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have been announced in the first phase as Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be conducted simultaneously there.
“After receiving the reports of all the observers, the state election committee meeting of the party will be held on March 6. Subsequently, the list of the candidates will be sent to the Centre following approval,” said Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal.
As per sources, a list of the candidates in Odisha has been prepared in the same manner as the first phase. The party may change as many as seven candidates for the 21 Lok Sabha seats. Moreover, emphasis will be given to young and women candidates.
“The first phase of the candidates' list has been announced after the parliamentary board meetings of 16 states and two union territories. The BJP in the center is following a process with proper discipline. We have to keep patience and wait till the completion of the process,” said BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi.
Meanwhile, Congress and BJD have also started doing permutations and combinations for the announcement of their party candidates for the upcoming election. The first screening committee meeting of Congress has already been held in Delhi recently. The party candidates for Lok Sabha seats have almost been finalised in the meeting. The second phase screening committee meeting will be held on March 9 in which candidates for the Assembly elections will be finalised. Though the party had earlier announced that it would announce the names of as many as 70 candidates in March first week, it is buying time.
“The name of our candidates will be announced after the second screening committee meeting to be held in Delhi on March 9,” said Congress senior leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
On the other hand, the ruling BJD is facing a dilemma in selecting its candidates. The party has already announced that around 50 percent of the MLAs will be provided tickets. However, the party is facing a tough situation to select the rest of the candidates. The number of ticket aspirants is increasing with each passing day. Several aspiring candidates along with their supporters are making beeline outside Naveen Niwas to lobby for them.
“BJD is always ready to face election at any moment. BJD is a regional party and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is the supremo of the party. We have nothing to do with the announcement of the list of the candidates in centre,” said BJD MLA Raj Kishore Das.
As per reports, Subhrajit Sahu, a resident of Kalpana area in Bhubaneswar, had been undergoing treatment in the hospital for the last three days after suffering from a brain seizure. As he showed no signs of recovery, the boy was declared brain dead by the doctors of the hospital following a series of tests on Saturday.
Despite the irreparable loss, the brave family members of the child came forward to donate his organs to save lives.
“Subhrajit had a brain seizure while sitting at the examination hall in his school on Wednesday. The school authorities rushed him to a medical and informed us immediately. Though he showed initial signs of improvement, his condition deteriorated gradually and the doctors declared him brain dead,” said Subhrajit’s father.
“We struggled a lot to save our son. When doctors informed us that he could not be saved, we somehow gathered the courage to donate his organs so that others could get a second chance in life. As responsible parents, we want to create awareness among people about organ donation,” he added.
“He was a very healthy child since his birth. He had a sudden brain seizure following which doctors declared him brain dead. Though it is very painful, we have decided to donate his organs. Let others live through the organs of our son. We want to inspire others about organ donation with our gesture,” said Subhrajit’s crest-fallen mother.