Odisha to take up chit fund issue with WB counterpart Bhubaneswar: With investors hitting the streets across Odisha demanding return of their deposits with Saradha Group, the state government on Monday asked the police crime branch to take up the matter with their West Bengal counterparts. The government also instructed the police to take help of RBI and SEBI to nail the ponzy scheme outfits. "The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the crime branch of police will take up the...  
02:19 AM, Apr 30, 2013

Odisha: Fire breaks out near missile trial centre at DRDO Balasore: A fire broke out in Chandipur's ammunition depot in Odisha early Monday morning. The fire broke out at 4 am in the ammunition testing centre of the Proof and Experimental Establishment or PXE. "The fire triggered explosions as it erupted in the magazine store of the Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) where shells and ammunition of different capacities and sizes are stored for test," Officer In-Charge of Chandipur police...  
08:08 AM, Apr 29, 2013

Pipili rape case: Odisha govt to challenge relief to ex-policeman Cuttack: The Odisha government is mulling to move the High Court challenging the January 23 decision of the State Administrative Tribunal in which it had set aside the government's dismissal order of a disgraced police inspector. Amulya Kumar Champatiray, in his capacity as inspector in-charge of Pipili police station in November 2011, had refused to register an FIR and conduct probe into a rape and attempt to murder incident of...  
02:36 PM, Apr 28, 2013

Odisha Congress leaders meet Prime Minister for funds
by IANS
New Delhi: Expressing concern over the misuse of central funds in Odisha, a delegation led by state Congress president Niranjan Patnaik met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek a need-based financial package for the state, party leaders said in Delhi on Saturday. "The prime minister has said that there is no discrimination whatsoever with Odisha as is being claimed by the state government, and under the revised guidelines of backwardness,...  
06:01 AM, Apr 28, 2013

Odisha PCC meets Chidambaram, demands special state status New Delhi: A delegation of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday met Finance Minister P Chidambaram and demanded a financial package for the state on the lines of special allocation for Bihar and conferment of special category status. It also demanded setting up of a high-level fast track inquiry against the BJD government in the state to "expose massive mis-utilisation of public funds". The delegation led by PCC President Niranjan...  
12:45 AM, Apr 27, 2013

Odisha: Two arrested for gangraping 15-year-old girl Baripada: A 15-year-old school girl was allegedly gangraped by two youths and her picture in compromising position taken on mobile phones by the accused at a village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, police said. The girl was allegedly gangraped while she had gone to a village pond for attending nature's call on Wednesday evening in Sanasimula village, about 55 kilometer from Baripada, police said. Police has arrested two youths - Bhabani...  
04:46 AM, Apr 26, 2013

Odisha: IAF test fires short range missile from Chandipur Balasore: Indian Air Force on Wednesday conducted the test fire of its short range surface-to-air missile "OSA-AK" from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, 15 km from here. "It was a routine trial carried out by the IAF to train its personnel," said a defence official. On Wednesday, three rounds of trials were conducted targeting a tow body supported by pilot less target aircraft (PTA) 'Lakshya'. OSA AK is a...  
08:10 PM, Apr 24, 2013

BJD trying to exploit people's sentiments: Congress Bhubaneswar: With the BJD intensifying its anti-Centre tirade accusing it of neglecting Odisha, opposition Congress on Monday said the ruling party was trying to "exploit" the sentiments of the people by making such allegations. "BJD is simply exploiting the sentiment of people by taking name of special category state status for Odisha and alleging Central negligence," Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik told reporters. Claiming that the BJD's...  
03:00 AM, Apr 23, 2013

Odisha: Land acquisition for Posco steel project resumes Paradip/Bhubaneswar: Land acquisition for the Rs 52,000 crore Posco steel project resumed in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district on Monday after being suspended for about two-and-a-half months. The restarting of the demolition of betel vines at Gobindpur village at the proposed plant site near Paradip coincided with Posco-India CMD YW Yoon meeting Development Commissioner JK Mohapatra at the state secretariat in Bhubaneswar. Though Yoon described the meeting as a courtesy call, sources...  
12:24 AM, Apr 23, 2013

Odisha Cong leaders to meet Prez, PM for special status Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Saturday said its leaders would meet President, Prime Minister, Finance Minister and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to press for special category status for the state. "We will meet Prime Minister, Congress resident and others to press Odisha's demand of a special category state status," OPCC President Niranjan Patnaik told reporters after the ruling BJD called for a 12-hour bandh demanding special category status...  
10:58 PM, Apr 20, 2013

Odisha: Girl admitted to hospital only after dharna outside CM's home Cuttack: After running from one hospital to another, parents of an 11-year-old girl with burn injuries staged a dharna in front of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's residence in Cuttack. The incident took place on Friday when the parents of the child were unable to admit their daughter to a hospital. The child was later admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital here with over 50 per cent burn injuries...  
10:50 PM, Apr 20, 2013

News 360: 2G JPC gives clean chit to PM, Chidambaram

The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G spectrum scam on Thursday gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram, saying that the duo was not informed of the change in policy by the then telecom minister A Raja. ...
09:11 PM, Apr 18, 2013

SC order on Vedanta to impact all mining operations in India

Vedanta Aluminium's plan to mine the bauxite-rich Niyamgiri mountains in Kalahandi district in Orissa suffered a major jolt after the the Supreme Court on Thursday said that consent must be taken from the Gram Sabha first. ...
08:59 PM, Apr 18, 2013

'SC verdict on Vedanta Odisha project gives importance to Gram Sabha'

The lawyer of Dongriya Kondh Tribals, Ritwik Dutta, welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on Vedanta's mining project in Odisha saying the judgment gives importance to the Gram Sabha. ...
03:50 PM, Apr 18, 2013

Odisha: Women attack liquor shop in Kendrapara Kendrapara (Odisha): Grudging over growing alcoholism among local youths, a group of women attacked a liquor shop at Choudkulat in Kendrapara district, police said on Thursday. The women picketed in front of the shop and attacked it before police reached the area and controlled them on Wednesday. "We have drawn the attention of the district administration and sought closure of the shop located close to schools and a temple. However,...  
02:04 PM, Apr 18, 2013

Vedanta can mine in Odisha if Gram Sabha allows: SC New Delhi: Vedanta will be allowed to mine in the Niyamgiri Hills in Kalahandi district of Odisha only if the Gram Sabha allows, said the Supreme Court on Thursday, adding the final decision on the project would be taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in consultation with the Gram Sabha. The Gram Sabhas of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts of Odisha will decide in three months on issues arising...  
10:45 AM, Apr 18, 2013

SC verdict on Vedanta's Odisha mining project today New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Thursday pronounce its verdict on whether Vedanta should be allowed to mine aluminium in the Niyamgiri Hills in Kalahandi district of Odisha or not. In 2008, the Supreme Court gave phase 2 clearance to Vedanta to mine at Niyamgiri but after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's rally in Kalahandi, the Ministry of Environment and Forests cancelled the clearance in August 2010. The project...  
07:45 AM, Apr 18, 2013

Child killed as quake hits twice in Northeast, Odisha Guwahati: An eight-year-old child was killed in a mudslide in Assam on Tuesday as two earthquakes jolted the state along with other northeastern states and Odisha. Three children, who had gone for fishing in river Beki at Kalgasia village in Assam's Barpeta district, were swept into the waters by the mudslide during the first tremor, official sources said. While Jehirul Nessa (8) drowned, the other two Moidul Islam and Kamala...  
05:51 PM, Apr 16, 2013

Speaker gets 7 days time to file counter on contempt plea Cuttack: Odisha High Court on Monday asked Assembly Speaker Pradeep Kumar Amat to file a counter affidavit within seven days in response to a contempt petition filed against him by the state NCP president Utkal Ranjan Parida. A Division Bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanti and BN Mohapatra after taking up the contempt petition against the Speaker earlier this month had asked the government counsel to get instructions from the Speaker...  
02:02 AM, Apr 16, 2013

Posco-India has no knowledge about its MoU renewal Bhubaneswar: Though optimistic of setting up a mega steel plant in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district and commissioning it in five years, South Korean steel major Posco says it does not know about the fate of its proposed MoU renewal with the state government. "We do not know when the MoU with Odisha government will be revised," Posco-India CMD Yong Won Yoon said. Posco-India's MoU with Odisha government had lapsed in June...  
10:29 PM, Apr 15, 2013