This came after Nandlal's wife who was undergoing treatment at Rourkela for the last three months died on March 20, 2024. Sources said Nandlal's wife sustained critical burn injuries while she was sitting beside a bonfire in January this year.
Following the incident, she was admitted to Rourkela Hospital and was undergoing treatment. However, she died on March 20 leaving behind a four-month-old baby. After hearing the news of his wife's death, Nandlal was reportedly tensed. It is suspected that he ended his life out of shock and fear of being unable to raise the child alone.
"We had initially admitted her to Rourkela. Later, she was shifted to another hospital. They loved each other a lot. After my daughter's death, my son-in-law was crying a lot near her body," informed deceased Nandlal's father-in-law.
As per reports, Biranchi Narayan Nayak, who reportedly holds a B-Tech degree, is a native of Angul town and is working at a private company in Bhubaneswar. While browsing a matrimonial site, he came across the profile of a woman from the Chhend area in Rourkela City. They started chatting and subsequently fell in love. They were so much in love that they decided to marry. The woman’s family also gave its consent. The date for the wedding was also fixed and they were to exchange garlands on March 3.
The woman’s family had reportedly given the youth around Rs 1 lakh to make necessary arrangements for the marriage.
On the wedding day, the woman’s family members, with all preparations, were waiting for Biranchi’s arrival but he didn’t turn up. When contacted, he reportedly concocted a story and told them that his mother passed away.
Also Read: Impersonating as woman on matrimonial site, fraudster dupes lakhs from user in Odisha
Suspecting something wrong, the woman lodged a complaint at the Chhend Police Station. Taking the case seriously, the police launched an investigation and came to know that he is already married. After arresting him, they produced him in court today.
“The accused met the complainant on a matrimonial site. They fell in love and decided to marry. The woman’s family agreed too. They had the ring ceremony as well. The wedding was fixed on March 3. But the accused didn’t come on the wedding day. He informed the woman’s family that his mother had passed away. During the investigation, we came to know that the accused is married and has a child too. He promised to marry the woman with an intention to cheat her,” said the IIC of Chhend Police Station, Ranjan Nayak.
The aide has been identified as Amir Ali. He was arrested from the Sector-3 area of Rourkela, informed Rourkela SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra. The SP said that a Central team arrested Amir Ali on Wednesday night from Rourkela.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested amid massive protests against him and his associates. Women took up cudgels against him for days together accusing Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates of applying coercion for land-grab and inflicting sexual assault on young girls.
Over the issue, the Sandeshkhali area was rocked and roiled by protests for over a month.
The TMC leader had gone into hiding soon after a violent brush with Enforcement Directorate officials on January 5. After his arrest, police have taken Sheikh Shahjahan on 10-day custody.
However, the circumstance under which the first-year ITI student went to the roof and fell down is yet to be ascertained. On the other hand, many suspect it to be a case of suicide. However, it is yet to be known if he died by suicide by jumping off the roof or if it was an accident.
According to his roommates, they were asleep when he left the room late at night. Later, his friends and other hostel mates spotted his dead body lying in a pool of blood early Sunday morning.
On being informed, police reached the spot and seized the body while a further probe into the incident has been launched. A forensic team has also been deployed to probe the incident.
The incident occurred in the wee hours of Thursday. Wearing masks and towels tied around their head, the miscreants knocked on the door of the company’s office. They threatened the employees at gunpoint and fled with the cash.
The entire incident has been caught in the CCTV camera installed inside the office. The involvement of locals behind the robbery is suspected. However, there has been no official confirmation in this regard.
“The robbers had come at around 12 am at night. They knocked out the main door of the office and held all of us at gunpoint. They beat up us and threatened to kill us if we did not give them the locker keys. Out of fear, we gave them the keys and they fled with the cash,” informed Hiradhar Sahoo.
“There were six robbers who looted cash around Rs 9.35 lakh. Three of them were inside the office while three others were waiting outside,” he added.
On being informed, local police rushed to the spot and launched a probe. The cops have been examining the CCTV footage to nab the miscreants, sources said.
As per reports, the green tribunal suo motu registered a case following media reports on the spread of cholera that allegedly killed 15 people and affected over 100 others.
The NGT directed the district administration to constitute a special team to conduct an on-the-spot study of its causes in the affected areas.
The NGT order said that the committee should comprise a senior scientist of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board(OSPCB), a senior scientist of the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR), an officer of senior rank from the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Government of Odisha, an officer of senior rank from the Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO), an officer of senior rank from the Public Health and Engineering Department, an officer of senior rank from the Odisha Housing and Urban Development Department, and the District Magistrate, Rourkela. The Committee shall inspect the area in question and submit its report through an affidavit within four weeks.
The NGT held a hearing of the case on January 25. The Sundargarh Collector, the Rourkela Municipal Corporation, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board, the secretary of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, and the Central Pollution Control Board have been made parties/respondents in the case.
In December 2023, cholera broke out in parts of Rourkela and continued to spread to different areas. Officially it was admitted that nine people died of the water-borne disease while unofficial sources put the toll at 15.
On January 1, a multi-disciplinary Central team took stock of the situation that had arisen after the outbreak of cholera.
Report by Debabrata
To trace Manoj, his son Rohit Bebarta and a relative have been looking for him in every nook and cranny of Ayodhya for the last seven days, but to no avail.
In Ayodhya, Rohit has been moving about the streets holding the photograph of his missing father to get clues about his whereabouts. He has also filed a missing complaint at the police station.
Speaking to OTV over the phone, Rohit lamented, ”I have not been able to trace my father as yet and police are not helping in this matter. One week has passed since my father went missing. My grandmother spoke to him over the phone on January 21. My father was saying that he was not feeling well and would be back in Rourkela.”
Rohit rued that as police did not take any action, he went to Ayodhya to look for his father.
The members of the racket were staying in Cambodia. They have swindled nearly Rs 15 crore from people through fake mobile applications in the last one year. It was learned that four persons of Sundargarh fell victim to the racket.
Addressing a presser, Rourkela SP Mitrabhanu Satpathy said, "A complaint of fraud was lodged with Rourkela Cyber police station on December 30, 2023. The complainant claimed that he was swindled of Rs 65 lakh. Police started an investigation by registering a case (29-30-12-2023) and detected frauds committed by a big racket.”
“These people usually make fake applications and lure people into investing in various shares by promising high returns. They made an India SEBI App through which they received investments from various parts of the country and even abroad. Police later came to know that as many as 210 cases of fraud have been registered against the gang in different states,” the SP said.
He added that their counterparts in various states and enforcement agencies are being contacted about the frauds committed by the racket A joint investigation will be launched, he stated.
Many bank accounts linked to the accused have been frozen while over 200 SIM cards seized from them have been deactivated, the SP added.
Acting on a tip-off about the bird smuggling, forest officials raided areas in Rourkela and on the borders of Jharkhand on Tuesday. They seized a large number of parrots which were being smuggled into other states for sale. They arrested two persons while two others managed to escape.
One of the accused said, ”I used to purchase the birds from others and sell them.”
Rourkela DFO Jashabanta Sethi, said, ”We got information about parrots being smuggled in a bus last evening. Two persons carried parrots in 10 carton boxes on a bike. We apprehended them. Further investigation revealed that two other persons kept parrots in two boxes. We conducted a raid and seized the birds."
He added that the accused were regularly carrying out bird smuggling. “Since smuggling of wild birds is punishable under the Wildlife Protection Act, we have registered a case against the accused persons. They will be forwarded to court. Two others are absconding. They will be nabbed soon,” the DFO added.
Around 100 officers are carrying out the searches for the third day today. The raid is underway at 10 places belonging to Dalmia in Sundargarh, Rourkela, and Bargarh. This apart, the raid teams are simultaneously carrying out the search operation at 30 places in other states.
The searches are on at his two-storied building and office in Gopalpur, his houses, business establishments, showroom, sponge iron factory, MCL coal transportation site, and offices that belong to Dalmia (Bunty) and his brothers Bablu and Jogesh. If reports are to be believed, a huge cash of Rs 250 crore has been seized by the team along with 3 kg gold. However, the I-T team refused to divulge any specific information in this regard.
According to sources, the raid is also on at the residence and office of Nandakishore Agarwal at Uditnagar, Rourkela, and two other places linked to Dalmia. In Chhattisgarh, the raid team is searching an Iron, Steel, and Power plant factory, residence, office at Raighar, and an office in Bilaspur. The officials also continued the raid at his office in Kolkata.
Worth mentioning, Dalmia has business in coal mining, the steel industry, sponge iron factories, and hotel outlets in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, and Kolkata.
No comment could be obtained from Ghanshyam Dalmia in connection with the ongoing raids.
As per reports, two members of a five-member expert team visited the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) and held discussions with senior doctors and other staff of the hospital about the reasons for the spread of cholera. The team will also support the state government in implementing requisite public health measures.
The Central team comprised Dr. Aloke Chakrabarty (Scientist, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata), Dr. Itashini Ranjan Mohanty (Professor, Department of Internal Medicine of AIIMS- Bhubaneswar), Dr. N M Somalkar (Regional Director, Regional Office for Health and Family Welfare, MoHFW, Bhubaneswar), Dr. Sumanto Pal, Public Health Specialist, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata) and Dr. Irum Tabassum (Consultant-Microbiologist, National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi).
The team has been asked to assess the situation, suggest remedial measures, and report every evening on the public health activities that are being undertaken in Rourkela. The Central team will be coordinated by the Regional Director IIFW, Bhubaneswar (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare).
The latest victim of the water-borne disease has been identified as a 44-year-old resident of Rairangpur area. He worked as a driver. He was admitted to a private hospital a few days ago, sources said.
The situation in Rourkela smart city area is going from bad to worse with each passing day. A woman, identified as Sabitri Giri, a resident of Madhusudanpali, succumbed while undergoing treatment at RGH yesterday.
On the other hand, Public Health Director Dr. Niranjan Mishra blamed Vibrio Cholerae and e-coli bacteria for the disease spreading its tentacles in the steel city.
He said the situation is now stable and the number of serious patients is decreasing.
When asked about the disparity between the official and nonofficial death figures, he said he would be able to say anything after receiving the report of the death committee.
Meanwhile, nine mobile health teams are visiting every house in the affected 14 wards and sensitizing the people on how to keep the disease at bay.
Doctors and health workers have been deployed for round-the-clock surveillance. And, a team from RMRC, Bhubaneswar has also been stationed in Rourkela and trying to find out the cause of the outbreak.
Maoist posters and banners were also put up at the blast site.
As per reports, more than 20 trains were held at different stations due to the violence by the ultras.
Yognagari Rishikesh-Puri Utkal Express has been halted at Manoharpur.
Porbandar-Shalimar Express is at Manoharpur.
Jagdalpur-Howrah Express is at Manoharpur.
Shalimar-LTT Express is at Goilkera Station.
Pune-Howrah Express is at Rourkela station.
Howrah-CST Express is at Chakradharpur.
Howrah-Pune Express is at Chakradharpur.
Following the blast, personnel of CRPF and RPF reached the spot and launched a search operation on the track.
As per the Railway officials, the trains will have to wait for some more time. They will be allowed to ply on the route after the track repair works are completed and the RPF gives them a green signal.
It is pertinent to mention here that various outlawed Maoist insurgent groups have called for a nationwide shutdown strike (Bharat bandh) on December 22 to denounce their recent encounters with security personnel.
Maoists on Wednesday had set on fire multiple vehicles and blocked the National Highway in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma hours after their encounter with security forces in the nearby forest.
A passenger bus, two trailers and a pickup vehicle were set on fire by Maoists, police officials said. There was no loss of life in this arson.
Maoist posters have been pasted on the overbridge wall near Sundargarh private bus stand. The poster has been put up in the name of Prem Kumar Yadav of the PLFI Central Committee. Police have reached the spot and are investigating.
Notably, Sundargarh was excluded from the Maoist-affected district as there was no Maoist activity for five years. Earlier, PLFI was active in the Jharkhand border area of Sundargarh. In 2014, six innocent people were brutally killed by the Maoists suspecting them as police informers and then an encounter broke out with the police. Six Maoists, including the PLFI chief were killed in the encounter. Since then, there has been no Maoist movement in the district. After the poster today, they have once again tried to make their presence felt.
The deceased was identified as Sabitri Giri, a resident of Madhusudanpali. She was admitted to the RGH on Sunday, but succumbed today, said her daughter Sandhya Giri.
Sandhya alleged that her mother was affected by cholera. “When her condition grew critical, she was admitted to the RGH where she died today. The problem was due to consumption of contaminated water,” she lamented.
On the other hand, nine mobile health teams are visiting 14 cholera-hit wards and sensitizing people while a team from RMRC, Bhubaneswar has started looking into the causes of the cholera.
People of Bandhamunda Uttam slum alleged that dirty water coming through pipes has caused the disease.
On the other hand, the BJP held the state government responsible for the outbreak of cholera and staged protests near the Watco office while social activist Mukikant Biswal started a sit-in near the CM’s grievance cell in Bhubaneswar over the alleged official neglect of the Steel City.
As per reports, as many as 13 people have died in Rourkela due to the recent Cholera outbreak with more than 1400 infected with the dreaded disease. Three patients have died at the Rourkela Government Hospital, three at other hospitals, and one patient at his home.
More importantly, the disease has now reportedly spread to almost all the 40 wards of Rourkela.
However, with chlorination of water, the fresh Cholera cases being detected are not that severe and are getting cured. While a medical team from Sundargarh is already at Rourkela, two more teams from SCB Hospital in Cuttack and RMRC in Bhubaneswar will reach Rourkela soon to ascertain the exact cause of the cholera outbreak in the city.
Speaking to reporters, Odisha Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said, “We have tested many stool samples. While we found Vibrio Cholera bacteria in some samples, some others carried E-Coli bacteria too. So it is a mixed infection. The government has audited reports of only six deaths. We have data on some more deaths too. But we will officially release the figure once the death committee confirms it after verifying every data in the private hospitals as well.”
“The peak period has already crossed. The disease is on a declining trend,” Mishra said.
While two siblings were arrested, the police recovered 512 gm of gold ornaments from them.
The accused have been identified as Abhiraj Soni and Ayush Raj Prasad from Rourkela.
As per reports, Soni’s friend was working at the jewellery shop. The sibling duo targeted that shop and hatched a plan to loot it. They had looted around 856gm gold from the shop.
Gold worth Rs 52 lakh was looted from that jewellery shop by the accused.
Speaking about the arrest, Rourkela DSP, Anil Kumar Pradhan said, “The arrested brothers will be forwarded to court today. We have recovered 512 gm of gold jewellery from them. But the complainant claimed that 856 gm of gold was looted from his shop.”
“We are questioning the accused. We have found evidence against these two brothers. So we have arrested them. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the involvement of any other accused in the loot,” Pradhan added.
According to sources, three cholera-hit people succumbed during their treatment at Ispat General Hospital (IGH) while the three others died at another hospital. Moreover, another person reportedly died at home taking the death toll to 13, seven higher than the official figure of six.
However, it is alleged that attempts are being made to suppress the exact number of casualties caused by cholera. The water-borne disease is allegedly spinning out of control with the number of deaths increasing.
As per reports, cholera is also spreading in some areas on the periphery of the Steel City. Speaking to media, a woman, alleged, “The water being released by Watco is completely contaminated. The company is apathetic towards the issue and playing with the lives of the people. Muddy and dirty water is coming through pipes.”
He also accused the administration of doing little to alleviate the problem while more and more people are getting affected by cholera and admitted to hospitals.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Shalini Pandit and Health Director Niranjan Mishra visited the Steel City and took stock of the situation in the affected areas. Pandit assured that the outbreak of cholera will be brought under control in two to three days.
Our Rourkela correspondent asked the Health department secretary during her visit to the RGH about the number of casualties, but she reportedly kept mum on the issue.
However, she addressed the media later saying, "After taking stock of the situation, we found that it has been stable since yesterday. Cholera cases are not growing. Though new cases are coming up, they are not critical cases. We have stepped up the testing of water and food supplies. Water purification has been done.”
New patients are being admitted with mild symptoms and released after minor treatment. In the next two or three days, the situation will be normal, she added.
On the other hand, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote a letter to Union Health Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya seeking urgent central assistance to Rourkela and nearby affected areas in Odisha to control and address the recent outbreak.
He claimed to bring normalcy back to Rourkela in 2-3 days.
Speaking to OTV about the current diarrhoea situation in the steel city, Mohapatra said, “The situation in Rourkela is under control. In fact, there have been declining trends in diarrhoea cases in some areas. Different hospitals including the RGH and IGH are very active. Ten additional doctors and paramedical staff have been roped in including some epidemiologists from Sundargarh and Bhubaneswar.”
“36 leakages in water pipelines at different places in Rourkela have already been repaired by the WATCO. RMC is continuously checking food and water samples from affected areas,” Mohapatra said.
“Nine Rapid Response Teams have been formed by the RMC. Patient numbers at hospitals are gradually declining. I hope normalcy will return in 2-3 days,” he assured.
Mohapatra requested people to not panic, drink water after boiling it and take all other precautions. He further assured that the district administration is ready to handle any kind of exigencies.
Notably, the outbreak of diarrhoea in Rourkela has claimed the lives of six people so far while 20 others are still serious in the Steel City.
Patients suffering from diarrhoea started arriving at the RGH on December 10 and the number of patients kept rising over the next few days.
The increase in number of diarrhoea patients in the city has raised serious concern. As many as five places in the city have become hotspots for the infective disease. Those places are Daily Market, Nala Road, Kishan Tola and Udit Nagar.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to review the cholera outbreak in Rourkela situation with the senior officials today.
“We had sent stool samples to Sundargarh and reports received on Monday have confirmed it to be cholera and some others have E.Coli. We urge people to consume ORS and eat food after washing their hands properly. Only after death audit report, we can say whether the deaths were due to cholera or some other reason,” said Sudharani Pradhan, RGH superintendent.
Sources said that the tests confirmed the presence of vibrio cholera bacteria. Commissioner of Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) today informed that there has been considerable improvement in the situation in Rourkela.
Diarrhoea cases in some areas are declining. Ten additional doctors and paramedical staff have been roped in including some epidemiologists from Sundargarh and Bhubaneswar.
Already, 36 leakages in water pipelines at different places in Rourkela have been repaired by the WATCO. RMC is continuously checking food and water samples from affected areas, he added.
The situation has sent the Sundargarh district administration into a tizzy as it is now racing against time to ascertain the exact cause and prevent further spread of the disease.
As per the Superintendent of RGH, special wards have been set up for the treatment of patients suffering from diarrhoea. Moreover, the number of beds in the hospital has also been increased.
Patients suffering from diarrhoea started arriving at the RGH from December 10 and kept on rising over the next few days. Currently, 102 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Increase in number of diarrhoea patients in the city has raised concern. As many as five places in the city have become hotspots for the infective disease. Those places are Daily Market, Nala Road, Kishan Tola and Udit Nagar.
In a bid to provide treatment to the patients, Rourkela Municipal Corporation has formed as many as six rapid response teams. The members of the teams are visiting various places to take stock of the situation. They are also providing treatment and medicines to the affected patients.
Though food and water samples from the affected areas have been examined by Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC), no reason behind the spread of the disease has been confirmed yet.
“Most of the patients are from nine to 10 places. We have been testing water samples from the affected areas. As per the reports, Chlorine level is less in water. However, nothing has been found from those samples as the reason behind the contamination. Following the Collector’s direction, we have again collected water samples from most of the affected areas and sent those for microbiological test,” said Rourkela City Health Officer Sushil Kumar Parida.
“As many as six teams have been formed to collect water samples from 10-12 affected areas. It has not become an epidemic situation. However, we have not found any reason behind the spread of the disease yet,” said Parida.
Meanwhile, Rourkela MLA and Labour Minister Sarada Nayak exuded confidence that the spread of the disease will be contained soon.
“Now the most important thing is to provide proper treatment to the affected patients. A team of experts is working hard to find out the reason behind the spread of the disease. I am fully confident that things will be sorted out soon,” said Nayak.
Following the incident, the injured labourers were rushed to the nearby hospital. They are currently undergoing treatment and their condition is stated to be critical.
It is suspected that the blast occurred due to a suspected leakage in a gas pipe near the workers’ restroom inside the plant. The incident happened while the workers were deep asleep.
As per reports, police are yet to reach the spot and start an investigation into the incident.
As per reports, the explosion occurred in the plant around midnight. Around 100 people work in the private plant which functions on an irregular basis.
Local people expressed their concern over the indifferent attitude of the plant owner towards the safety measures of the workers. The company officials could not be contacted over the incident.
As per reports, an aircraft from Kolkata landed at Rourkela at 4.40 pm and took off at 5 pm from the Rourkela Airport to Kolkata via Bhubaneswar.
Rourkela ADM Subhankar Mohapatra said that flight services between Rourkela and Kolkata is a big milestone for Rourkela and the flight operation will gradually increase the scope for national connectivity.
He added, “I hope the flight services to Kolkata will be helpful to the business community and others in general.”
Sunil Koel, president of the Rourkela Chamber of Commerce, said, “We had been demanding flights from Rourkela to Kolkata. It is a welcome step. The existing Bhubaneswar-Rourkela flight was extended to Kolkata. But there is a difference in timings. As I know, they are doing it on an experimental basis.”
Alliance Air has started flight services on the Rourkela-Kolkata route. The ATR-72 aircraft of Alliance Air (AA), which was earlier operating in the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route, was planning to modify its flight schedule to connect Rourkela with Kolkata via Bhubaneswar. The AA was picked as the Selected Airline Operator (SAO) for the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route through bidding under the Regional Connectivity Scheme- Udey Desh ka Aam Nagarik (RCS-UDAN).
As per reports, a blood donation camp was organised at the Rourkela Government Hospital on the occasion of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s birthday. Nayak inaugurated the blood donation camp.
During the camp, Nayak superseded a nurse and measured the blood pressure of a blood donor. Subsequently, he pricked the needle and drew blood from the donor. The video of the incident has reportedly gone viral on various social media platforms.
Many have questioned how he could draw blood without having any prior experience and expertise.
“The blood donor requested me to draw blood and I obliged him with the help of a health worker. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were afraid to come outside, I was working with the health workers for 24 hours,” said Nayak.
Earlier, Nayak hogged the headlines for reportedly showering money during a music programme organised at a hotel in Sundargarh district. He was also in the news for dancing to the tune of ‘Mein Hun Don..’ song in a meeting.
“The renowned qawwali singer was singing the glory of the country and the audience wanted to honour him. They requested me as a public representative to honour the singer. However, it is quite unfortunate that the matter has been portrayed in a bad light,” said Nayak.
Commenting on his controversial dance, Nayak said, “It was a festive occasion. People know that I used to dance a bit during my student days. Hence, they requested me to dance and I just danced one step on the song. I am a conscious citizen and I am fully aware of my actions which are not intended to do any harm to society.”
Meanwhile, Opposition BJP and Congress slammed Nayak for his acts.
“Under BJD’s rule, the Ministers have no value, and bureaucratic governance is going on. After watching the video of the Minister showering money, it seems he has a lot of money. When people in our district are not getting two square meals a day, it feels very bad to see a minister splurging money like this,” said BJP MLA, Shankar Oram.
“The Minister is trying to divert the attention of the people by giving the false notion that he is serving them. Perhaps he doesn’t have the knowledge that two persons including a government official were recently murdered in the district. Without thinking anything about it, indulging in dancing and merrymaking is very tragic,” said Congress leader Amita Biswal.
Informing about the progress of the investigation, the Rourkela SP on Monday said, “Our investigation reveals assistant Collector Sushmita Minj stayed in hotel Anurag on September 16th night and September 17th. We have collected some information from the hotel. So far, we have interrogated 15 persons and some more are to be quizzed. We are also trying to retrieve the CCTV footage captured in the cameras installed in the hotel.”
When asked about the alleged involvement of the ADM and the District Collector, he said, “The investigation is being carried out as per the law. Whoever it is, if any involvement is found in the case, everyone will be questioned.”
When asked what had happened that night, Anurag Hotel’s manager Dinesh Ray said, “She had stayed for one day only. She had checked in on September 16 night and the next day, she checked out at 2 or 3 pm. She had not taken dinner in our hotel. She might have had her dinner somewhere else. We never allow anyone to meet our guests at night. So, none had met her on that night.”
Notably, the Assistant Collector’s body was found under mysterious circumstances in the pond of the Centurion Park under Plant Site Police limits in Rourkela on September 19 evening.
According to reports, the lady ASI, Alisa Narmi Lugun had gone to an accident spot when she felt uneasy and was rushed to the hospital. However, doctors declared her dead upon arrival. The sudden death of a hefty and healthy police officer has raised serious questions.
While reports suggest that lady ASI died of a heart attack, family members alleged a bigger conspiracy and suspected her death to be interlinked with that of Rourkela Assistant Collector. Family members suspect the involvement of Rourkela ADM Dr. Subhankar Mohapatra, Sundargarh Collector Gavali Parag Harshad, Gurundia BDO Bernadeth Lakra and Sundargarh CDPO in the mysterious deaths.
Earlier, the late Rourkela Assistant Collector’s brother had lodged a complaint stating that the lady ASI Alisha was assigned for the safety of his sister Sushmita Minj when the latter developed mental depression. Moreover, instead of sending Sushmita home, the officials allegedly kept her in a hotel away from her family and a few days later, she was found dead under mysterious circumstances.
On the other hand, family members alleged that there were injury marks on Sushmita’s body when her body was spotted in a pond inside Centurion Park under Plant Site Police limits in Rourkela.
“We suspect that my sister Sushmita Minj knew about the secret of ADM and Collector. So, they did not help my sister during her difficult times and kept her alone and did not provide her with a medical facility,” read the complaint of Sushmita Minj’s brother.
“Moreover, Lady ASI Alisha was assigned for the safety of my sister. Where was she when my sister was murdered,” he questioned.
Meanwhile, family members have decided to knock on the doors of the Orissa High Court and demand a CBI probe in this matter. On the other hand, ASI Alisa Narmi Lugun's husband refuted the reports that his wife died of illness and alleged that she was murdered.
"She did not have any health issues. She was beaten to death while on duty at an accident site. Her face had injury marks," the deceased's husband alleged.
The reaction of Rourkela police to the allegations could not be obtained.
The body of Susmita Minj was found under mysterious circumstances at Centurion Park in Rourkela on Tuesday evening. She was working at Rourkela Assistant Collector’s office.
As per the allegation by the deceased’s mother, Susmita was tense about her work for some days and the senior authorities including the Collector were putting huge pressure on her regarding the office work.
“Susmita came to duty on Saturday. However, she didn’t return home. We lodged a missing complaint at the police station on Sunday. Then her body was found at a park on Tuesday evening. We feel she has been mentally tortured at work workplace which could be the reason behind her death,” said Susmita’s mother Selevstin Minj.
“We can’t get back our daughter. But now we want justice,” she added.
However, no comments on the allegations could be obtained either from Rourkela Assistant Collector’s office or the police.
The four were appearing for the non-teaching exam that was being held on campus. The NIT security personnel detained the four on suspicion and later handed them over to the cops.
Based on a complaint by NIT authorities, police have arrested the four accused and launched a probe in this connection.
This is the first ever-such incident of exam fraud in the prestigious institute, reports said.
Briefing the media, Rourkela DSP Pushpanjali Lingi said, “We received a complaint yesterday from the Registrar that four fake aspirants were appearing for the exam. Based on the complaint, we registered a case and arrested the four accused after a probe.”
“We have also seized their cell phones, other documents, and electronic devices from their possession. They will be produced before the court and a further probe into the incident is on,” she added.
The incident has raised serious questions about the future of eligible students. Demands have grown for the immediate arrest of the mastermind in this connection.
Most of the dazzling projects constructed during the mega event to popularise the city in the international arena have been damaged due to alleged negligence. Moreover, the beautiful ornamental trees planted during the event have been withered due to proper maintenance. As many as 30,000 pine trees with a cost of Rs 1,000 each were planted in the city during the grand event. However, most of those beautiful trees have been damaged only after six months.
All the beautification works undertaken from Birsa Munda Square up to RMC Square in the city have been damaged either fully or partially. Residents of Rourkela have expressed their resentment over the development.
“Before planting trees, they should know how much care those plants require. Those who are getting paid for the maintenance are indulged in corruption and they are keeping mum over the issue. They will again plant trees with tax payers’ money. It’s like ‘Sarkar ka maal dariya main daal’,” said Anirudha Samal, a resident of Rourkela.
“This plantation drive was just a drama, no trees will be there after a month,” said Suryakant Mohanty, another resident of Rourkela.
Though crores of rupees were spent on various projects in Rourkela ahead of the Hockey World Cup under Union Government’s Smart Cities Mission and District Mineral Funds, many of them have been either ruined or lying in dilapidated conditions.
A 40-foot-high statue depicting an Indian hockey player erected in the city ahead of this year’s Hockey World Cup collapsed due to a thunderstorm last month. Though the State government is boasting of the newly constructed Birsa Munda Stadium in the City as the No.1 hockey stadium across the globe, water leaking from its roof has shocked the sports enthusiasts in the State.
With most of the trees planted in the city as part of the beautification drive withering, new saplings are being planted from Panposh Square up to Udit Nagar Square.
Meanwhile, local residents are irked over the development.
“Authorities have not done their duties properly as it was government property. Due to lack of proper maintenance new trees are planted again,” said a local resident.
However, as per Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) Commissioner Subhankar Mohapatra, some of the trees wilted due to heavy rain and wind and those trees are being replaced with new plants.
“All trees will be replenished with no additional cost. Anti-termite treatment is being done with the same contract cost. We have already hired agencies for this work by floating tenders,” said Mohapatra.
The apprehension by sports enthusiasts and experts in the State has been proved correct, as the Odisha government has decided to lease out the Hockey World Cup village in Rourkela.
The State government has floated a tender to lease out the Hockey World Cup village having all kinds of modern facilities. As per reports, the Hockey World Cup village will be leased out not on a short-run term rather on a long-run basis.
However, the Sports Department officials have refused to give any comments about the floating of the tender.
The World Cup Village, which flaunts 225 rooms with all kinds of modern amenities, was built to house the teams, coaches, support staff and officials during the last Hockey World Cup.
As per reports, resentment is brewing among the sportspersons and sports enthusiasts in the State about the development. Some of them are of the opinion that when the State government is claiming to provide World No.1 hockey infrastructures for the players, why the management of Hockey World Cup Village will be entrusted to a third party. Rather, the State government should manage the world-class infrastructure properly.
Narayan, who secured second position in the national-level championship, is hopeful of winning a gold medal in his next event scheduled to be held in Chennai.
With an aim to represent India at the international level, Narayan is practicing in Mahanadi River and in the sea near Ramachandi in Puri.
Expressing his joy over his success, Narayan said, “I practice in Mahanadi or Puri. I secured the second position in the national event held in Goa. I am very elated. The next event will be held in Chennai and I am hopeful of clinching a gold medal.”
Overwhelmed with Narayan’s success, his coach Sabir Baux lauded his dedication and said he will try to make him ready for the Olympics.
“Though he hails from Rourkela, Narayan approached me and practiced in Ramchandi and Mahanadi. If he can give me his five years, I can make him ready for the Olympics. He is No 2 in India in the under-19 category,” an elated Baux said.
Hosts India, Australia and the World Champions Germany will battle it out in the forthcoming league.
Hockey India on Sunday announced that the online sale of tickets for India’s home matches of the competition as well as for Germany vs Australia double-header matches will commence from February 27 (Monday).
As per the league format, Rourkela will host six matches, where the three teams will play each other twice. On March 10, India will take on Germany in the first match, followed by Germany playing against Australia on March 11. On March 12, India and Australia will go head-to-head, while on March 13, India will play against Germany for the second time. On March 14, the spotlight will be on Germany and Australia, and the final match in Rourkela will take place on March 15, with India playing against Australia for the second time. All matches will be held at 7 pm.
“It is great to have international hockey back in Odisha for the FIH Hockey Pro League. I am confident that the fans will truly enjoy their viewing experience, while the teams will be happy to come back to the state-of-the-art facilities, in Rourkela. I welcome the participating teams to Rourkela again,” said Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey.
Ticket prices for India’s matches
West stand - Rs 500, East stand - Rs 400, North & South stands- Rs 200.
Ticket prices for Australia vs Germany matches
West Stand - Rs 500, East stand - Rs 200, North & South stands - Rs 100.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the first direct flight to Rourkela from Bhubaneswar through video conferencing. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and MP Aparajita Sarangi flagged off the service.
Rourkela, which is hosting the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023, became the fourth city in the State to have scheduled flights after Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda and Jeypore.
Speaking about the inauguration of the direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia wrote, “This route, being started under the UDAN scheme, is an important flight from the perspective of development of mineral industry as well as the Hockey World Cup 2023 starting January 13.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "Aspirations of people of Rourkela and Odisha take yet another flight." He added that 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji yet again delivers his promise to the people of Odisha.'
Alliance Air will operate the flight service between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela with a capacity of 72 passengers.
While the inaugural flight took off today, the routine flight services will start from January 12.
An ATR-72 aircraft of Alliance Air will take off from Bhubaneswar at 02:55 pm everyday and arrive at Rourkela at 03:50 pm. On its return journey the flight will take off from Rourkela at 04:15 pm and arrive in Bhubaneswar at 05:10 pm.
As far as the fare is concerned, the Bhubaneswar – Rourkela fare has been set at Rs 2803 and the return fare is priced at Rs 2721.
At the top of the list is the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore in Pakistan with a seating capacity of 45000, followed by the Chandigarh Hockey Stadium in India with a capacity of 30000. Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, with a seating capacity of 20000+ comes fourth, after the Weingart Stadium in Los Angeles, USA (22,355).
So, how did Birsa Munda become 'the world’s biggest'? Since no answers are forthcoming from the government, one of two assumptions can be made. One, it does not really have an answer. And two, it defines ‘biggest’ by some criterion other than what the rest of the world knows it by; namely, the seating capacity. As someone commented on Facebook, the state government considers Birsa Munda stadium the 'biggest' in terms of area, given that it has a sports village complex, a second astro turf for practice and other amenities. If that is the case, the government must come out and say so. If it doesn’t, it would only help strengthen the suspicion that the first assumption is the correct one.
There is absolutely no doubt that the Odisha government deserves all the praise for building such a large stadium from scratch in less than two years' time. Getting a stadium of such proportions (even if not the 'biggest' in the world) up and running in such a short time is a monumental achievement that the government – and everyone concerned – can be justifiably proud of. But the government should not be claiming credit where none is not due. It would not have been such a big issue had some minor minion committed the faux pas. But when it is the Chief Minister of the state – and the prime mover of the whole thing – doing it, and that too on a day when the stadium is being inaugurated, there is cause for serious concern.
One would like to give the Chief Minister the benefit of doubt and assume that he has only mouthed the lie fed to him by his overzealous officers. But he must make amends at the earliest because not doing has the potential of making the state a laughing stock in the whole world. In the age of internet and social media, there is simply no way such a blatant lie would go unchallenged for long.
But may be the Odisha government has been emboldened by its past success in peddling lies and repeating it a thousand times to create a big enough cacophony to drown out the fact. A case in point is its claim that Odisha was the first state in the country to pass the Lokayukta Bill. The claim was challenged almost immediately by Congress leader Prasad Harichandan and a few others (including yours truly). But that has not stopped the government from repeating the claim. Nearly nine years down the line (the Bill was passed in the Odisha Assembly on February 14, 2014, 23 days after Uttarakhand), the lie keeps getting repeated ad nauseam not just by the government (inside the Assembly and outside it), but also faithfully parroted by a less-than-vigilant state media. (So successful has been this misleading propaganda that even an otherwise credible Wikipedia has been taken in by it!).
In the years since then, the government has gotten away with lies, damned lies and white lies on numerous occasions – from the number of beneficiaries of schemes like the KALIA Yojana, National Food Security Act (NFSA) or the Biju Pucca Ghara Yojana to the number of deaths due to Covid-19 - with the few voices of reason too feeble to be heard over the din created by the all-powerful propaganda machinery of the government.
To those waiting to pounce on this columnist for playing spoilsport, lacking pride or simply being ‘anti-Odisha’ at a time when the state is drawing the attention of the world, I would like to pose just one question. Would it be more honourable for us Odias if we are revealed as a bunch of liars before the world?
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
The mega event, which is set to begin on January 13, will witness 16 elite hockey teams from around the world in action.
Eager to get a chance to witness the thrilling action taking place in Rourkela for the first time, fans gathered in large numbers outside the newly constructed Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium since the opening of the Box Office on December 19th (Monday) to buy tickets. And within a week, all match tickets in Rourkela have been sold out.
A total of 20 matches will take place at the new jewel of hockey, the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, which has a sitting capacity of over 20,000.
Meanwhile, the iconic Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar which has a seating capacity of over 15000, will host 24 matches, including cross-overs, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the grand final.
The Indian team, which is placed in Pool D, along with Spain will begin their campaign against Spain in Rourkela on January 13.
Following their match against Spain on the first day of the competition, India will play England in Rourkela on January 15. It will be followed by their final group encounter against Wales in Bhubaneswar on January 19. All of India’s group-stage matches will start at 7 pm.
The 16 teams competing in the tournament are Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, India, Argentina, Germany, New Zealand, England, France, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Chile and Wales.
As the countdown has already started for the showpiece event, beautification drives in both the cities have reached the final stages. While mural paintings have added gloss to the city walls, various places in the city are glittering with colourful lights.
Odisha government has left no stone unturned in the preparation for the grand event. Al kinds of arrangements are in place to give a memorable experience to the players and several guests from abroad and across the country arriving for the marquee event.
Hockey fever has gripped the Steel City of Odisha. Rourkela is gearing up for the mega event with preparations reaching the last stage and the entire city getting a revamp.
The walls have been painted with murals of hockey players and themes. As a precursor to the World Cup, a 40-feet statue of a hockey player has been erected near the airport to welcome the players and fans across the globe.
Along with the inaugural match on January 13, a total of 20 matches of the tournament will be played at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium.
The sense of urgency echoes throughout the Rourkela city as final touches are being given to the entire infrastructure including the stadium, roads and footpaths.
“The whole city has been transformed for the upcoming hockey world cup. With new infrastructure, roads, fountain, lightening, wall paintings, the city has a beautified look like a bride. We are all excited for the grad event. It will be a proud moment for the people of the city,” said Usha Manjusha Barik, a denizen of Rourkela and hockey fan.
“Statutes of some hockey legends have been erected at several places in the city. It will give people a feeling of nostalgia and they will be attracted towards the game,” said former India hockey player Lazarus Barla.
Meanwhile, Rourkela Smart City CEO Shubhankar Mohapatra urged the people to act like responsible citizens to take care of all the beautification work and enjoy the mega event.
“It is the responsibility of all the people of Rourkela to host the grand event in a meticulous manner so that the players and visitors across the globe will cherish their time here,” said Mohapatra.
Meanwhile, the state capital is happening with many fold preparatory activities to host the much-awaited World Cup. While sanitation work has been given priority, the city wall is being painted with morals of various hockey themes. To involve the city denizens with the grand event ‘Chak De’ programmes are being organised.
Moreover, discussions are going on with various ‘Puja Mandaps’ to broadcast the live match on big screens to give a flavor of hockey to one and all across the city. Big cutouts of players will adore the city to attract fans and create awareness about the game. BMC has ordered the shops and other business establishments to keep their surrounding neat and clean. Cab and auto drivers and food delivery boys have been directed to adore their vehicles with hockey themes and wear T shirts and caps depicting awareness slogans on hockey.
“We have been directed to show good behavior to the guests during the World Cup and we will not compromise with it,” said Padman Samal, Secretary of All Odisha Auto Association.
Meanwhile, BMC Mayor Sulochana Das said that everybody should be alert to make sure that all the guests should get a sweet experience in the city during the World Cup.
“There should not be any problem for the players and hockey fans across the globe who will come here for the big event. Everybody should show them good behavior so that they will get a wonderful experience from here,” said Das.
As per reports, Sumitra Biswal’s brother from Sector-8, Rourkela had sent a money order of Rs 500 to her sister, who lives just 100 km away from the city, at the Sector-19 post office on May 9, 2018.
Though he received a receipt from the concerned staff, he did not inform the same to her sister and Sumitra also did not ask him anything about it.
To her utter dismay, Sumitra received a money order of Rs 500 on November 26, 2022. Subsequently, she informed her brother and asked about the money. Sumitra’s brother also got shocked and remembered that he had sent the money order in 2018.
Sumitra blamed the postal department for the neglect. “My brother had sent me the money in 2018. I was surprised to get it after four years in 2022. The money order took more than four years to reach a distance of 100 km. It was due to negligence by the postal staff. When I enquired about the matter from the concerned post office, they could not give me any satisfactory answers,” said Sumitra.
Upon being asked about the lapse, Koida sub-postmaster Abinash Barla said, a departmental inquiry has been ordered into the matter after it came to their notice.
“I have no knowledge about the development then. I just saw the money order pending after joining recently and cleared it immediately,” said Barla.
“Our systems were migrating then. The staff might not have got the data because of the migration,” he added.
Mo Bus service will be rolled in the Ispat Nagar by the last week of next month, informed Subhankar Mohapatra, Smart City CEO, Rourkela. The bus service will kick off with a fleet of 100 buses on a pilot basis.
Speaking to media, Mohapatra said, “The CRUT had floated tender for Mo Bus service in Rourkela. The operator has already been finalized. They will roll out buses phase by phase. The bus service will roll out phase wise and we hope at least 100 buses will provide service by the end of December. The Mo Bus service will surely be a success in Rourkela.”
This apart, regular flight services will commence from Rourkela ahead of the mega Hockey World Cup. Elaborate security arrangements are being made and the Rourkela district administration is leaving no stones unturned to make the mega event a successful one.
On the other hand, the Astroturf and floodlight facilities in Birsa Munda Stadium have been completed. The construction work of rooms for the stay of players and other participating staff will be completed by the end of this month.
The Hockey World Cup will be played in Kalinga Stadium and Birsa Munda Stadium in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela respectively from January 13 to 29. 16 teams will compete with each other in the prestigious world tournament. 24 matches will be played in Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar while another 20 matches will be held in Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela.
Winner of the gold medal in the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, and a mainstay in the Indian team, the legendary VR Raghunath, who was part of two World Cup campaigns, recalls his memories from the years gone by.
One of the deadliest dragflickers to have ever worn the Indian team jersey, VR Raghunath played his senior World Cup as a teenager in Mönchengladbach in Germany. The fullback went on to play over 300 games for his country at the highest level, and noted that there is nothing that matches up to the excitement of being part of a World Cup.
“When I went as a teenager to the World Cup in 2006, it was a great experience and it taught me about the international arena and the kind of pressure that’s associated with it. I learnt to handle pressure in the toughest games and realised that you just cannot make mistakes in the World Cup,” Raghunath said.
Over the next decade, Raghunath had become one of the tallest members of the Indian team and was one of the players the youngsters would look up to when the World Cup in 2014 came around.
“I always told the players to give their best individually, so that it would reflect on the team’s performances. My seniors used to tell me to relax and play my natural game, but when it comes to the World Cup, it’s tough to do that, there is always some amount of nerves, unless you have played 80-100 games for your country. Dilip Tirkey was always very helpful, and it was only in my second World Cup that I really understood the advice they used to give.”
Speaking about playing in front of your own fans, Raghunath rates the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar as one of the best places he has ever played in.
“Having played in Germany, Holland and other countries, I can safely say that the Kalinga Stadium is one of the best in the world. The atmosphere is very different from a lot of stadiums due to the way it is designed, the sound the fans make gets magnified. The support from the fans is immense and it helps bring out the very best among the Indian players.”
The Indian team will be greeted by a similar electric atmosphere at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, and Raghunath feels that the team is among the best in the world currently.
“We are definitely the medal contenders for the mega event. We’ll have the advantage of the home ground and the home fans and we should cash in on that for sure,” he said.
“Recently, we got a medal in Tokyo Olympics 2020 as well and it would be fantastic to finish this tournament with a medal also. And if they can do that it will be a really memorable moment for the players,” he added.
While Raghunath backs the experienced Indian team to put in a mighty performance in January, he also expects the likes of Australia to be right up there as well.
“I feel Belgium and Australia will be two teams who are very difficult to defeat. And I wish the Indian team all the best for the mega event in Odisha and hopefully, we can all celebrate a podium finish at the end,” he signed off.
As per reports, the woman had booked a ticket for traveling to Bhubaneswar from Rourkela on November 8. However, the ticket could not be confirmed.
Following the development, the woman reached the station and requested the concerned officials to confirm her ticket. However, the officials did not pay any attention to her plight. Subsequently, the woman couldn’t board the train.
Fumed over this, the woman made a unique protest. Demanding confirmation of her ticket, she laid on the rail track in front of the Tata-Yesvantpur Express and halted it for around 20 minutes.
Eventually, she withdrew her protest following intervention by the station manager, other railway authorities and security forces.
The station authorities reportedly helped the woman board Hatia-Yesvantpur Express with a confirm ticket at 9 pm on Tuesday.
“The train was halted for nearly 20 minutes due to the protest by the woman. She withdrew her protest after our officials pacified her. Now, with the help of the officials, she has boarded the train with a confirmed ticket and everything is normal now,” said Rourkela station manager, Prabhas Dash.
Beware! Fake Currency Notes Seized In Rourkela, Odisha
The missing girl has been identified as Puja.
Sources said the rescued boys are all out of danger. All those involved in the incident are residents of Panposh Padhi Colony, which is not far from the river.
As per reports, the foursome had gone to the river in the afternoon. While enjoying their bath, they slipped on the rocks and were swept away in the current.
Seeing the children drowning, some villagers raised an alarm and called up the Fire Brigade. The villagers too came to the children’s rescue immediately and managed to fish out the three boys within few minutes after the incident. Later, fire personnel reached the spot and joined the villagers in the search and rescue operation to trace the missing girl.
Sources said that the three boys, who know swimming, managed to keep them afloat before they were rescued by the villagers as the water level in the river is low and the current is also slow.
At the time of filing this report, the search operation was still going on.
After the incident, a pall of gloom descended on the locality.
Speaking to reporters following a meeting with the OSCW Chairperson, Gouri Mundari said she had earlier lodged a complaint at the Jhirpani police station in Rourkela against MP Oram for hurling abuses at her. “Since the police did not take any action, I have sought the Commission’s intervention,” said Mundari.
Mundari claimed Oram shouted at her using foul language when she sought the MP’s backing to contest the forthcoming elections. “I have interest in politics. Therefore I contacted Oram over phone seeking his help in giving me an opportunity in the Panchayat polls. Instead of extending a helping hand, he shouted at me using filthy language,” she alleged
Meanwhile, taking suo motu cognizance of media reports about the alleged incident, the OSCW on January 25 directed the SP, Rourkela to submit a report. Chairperson of the OSCW Minati Behera said the Commission has already asked the SP, Rourkela to conduct a proper inquiry into the incident and submit a report within 15 days. “If we feel it necessary, we will serve notices to both sides for appearance before the Commission,” she added.
Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had lodged a complaint against Mundari alleging she vandalized properties at the party office in Sector-III in Rourkela on January 24.
Oram’s reaction on the allegations is yet to be received.
BJP’s Panposh organizational district President Latika Patnaik had earlier said the allegations are an Opposition ploy to defame Oram. “She (Mundari) was asking for a ticket. When her request was not entertained, she reached the party office and hurled expletives at the party president. Incidentally, Jual Oram was then at the office. It seemed to be a handiwork of the Opposition parties,” she said.
With the Steel City set to host the biggest ever sporting extravaganza in Hockey, the Men's World Cup - 2023, the construction work of the city airport is on full swing.
A high-quality runway along with a hangar, terminal, and taxiway are all being laid out for the much-awaited airport. The authorities have informed that a deadline of May/June 2021 has been set for the completion of the airport for full-fledged commencement of the flight operations.
In the first phase, while 72-seater flights will take off from the Rourkela airport, further expansion will pave way for bigger flight operations.
“The airport is not only for the Hockey World Cup but also for the benefit of the common man. I hope the engineering part of the work will soon complete. Once the terminal is laid out, the airport will be opened for the public,” informed Sundargarh District Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan.
Sundargarh MP Jual Oram said he had discussed with Usha Padhee, the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, in this regard. She said the airport is being developed as a C3-category airport.
“The public demand for C4-category airport will not be possible as of now. Once the airport is commissioned, it will be converted into C4-category in the next phase,” Oram added.
The residents of the Smart City have long been demanding for an airport in the city which is home to some of the institutions of national repute like the NIT and BPUT. As people from all over the country work in the SAIL steel plant and the nearby mineral-rich region of Koida, most of them usually depend on either airports in Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, and the one at Jharsuguda for connectivity with their native lands.
“The flight service from the airport should not be discontinued after the Hockey World Cup. For the service providers, it would be profitable to operate flights from here,” observed social worker Bimal Kumar Bisi.
A city resident, Subrat Patnaik said 12 to 15 flights landed on the airstrip during the tour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the city. ‘Rourkela has everything to make the airport a viable one,” he added.
The airport will benefit not only the people from outside but also the outstation students. “Rourkela has already been a hub for students. The facility will invite students from other states as well as countries to pursue their higher education here,” maintained a student, Priyadarshini Nayak.