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Tag: Odisha

  • 59 H3N2 influenza cases detected in Odisha

    59 H3N2 influenza cases detected in Odisha

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    H3N2 mar11

    Bhubaneswar: At least 59 H3N2 influenza cases were detected in Odisha during the last two months, said director of regional medical research centre (RMRC)-Bhubaneswar, Sanghamitra Pati here on Saturday.

    A total of 225 suspected flu samples from different parts of the state were tested for H3N2 at the RMRC-Bhubaneswar during January and February 2023, of which, 59 samples were found positive for the H3N2, one influenza- and one Covid-19, she said.

    However, not a single case of H1N1 flu (swine flu) was detected from the suspected sample, she said.

    Pati said that concerned healthcare institutions and public health officials have been informed about the detection.

    So far, over 3,000 laboratory-confirmed H3N2 influenza cases have been reported from across the country.

    Notably, the Centre on Saturday wrote to all states and Union Territories directing them to be alert, take proactive steps and raise community awareness about the viral infection which has Covid-like symptoms.

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    #H3N2 #influenza #cases #detected #Odisha

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Suspected spy pigeon with devices fitted on leg caught in Odisha

    Suspected spy pigeon with devices fitted on leg caught in Odisha

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    Paradip: A pigeon fitted with devices, which appear to be a camera and a microchip, was caught from a fishing boat off the Paradip coast of Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, with the police suspecting that the bird was being used for spying.

    Some fishermen found the pigeon perched on their trawler a few days ago. The bird was captured and handed over to the marine police here on Wednesday.

    “Our veterinarians will examine the bird. We will seek help of the State Forensic Science Laboratory for examining the devices attached to its legs. It appears that the devices are a camera and a microchip,” Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Rahul PR told PTI.

    It also seems like something has been scribbled on the wings of the bird in a language unknown to the local police.

    “Experts’ help will also be sought to find out what is written,” the SP said.

    Pitambar Behera, an employee of the fishing trawler ‘Sarathi’, said he saw the pigeon perched on the boat.

    “Suddenly I noticed that some instruments were attached to the bird’s legs. I also found that something is written on its wings. I could not understand it as it was not in Odia,” Behera said.

    He caught the bird as it came closer.

    The pigeon was found on the trawler when it was anchored around 35 kilometres off the coast of Konark around 10 days back.

    Behera said he fed the bird broken rice for the past several days.

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    #Suspected #spy #pigeon #devices #fitted #leg #caught #Odisha

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • TSRTC to run 10 bus services to Odisha

    TSRTC to run 10 bus services to Odisha

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    tsrtc odisha

    Hyderabad: Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) in which the former has decided to run 10 bus services to the state of Odisha.

    The agreement was signed in the presence of TSRTC chairman Bajireddy Govardhan, TSRTC MD VC Sajjanar, and OSRTC MD Deeptesh Kumar Patnaik.

    TSRTC also recently announced its decision to launch AC sleeper services for long-distance travel in March.

    The 12 meters long AC sleeper bus has a capacity of accommodating 30 passengers, 15 on the lower level and another 15 on the upper level.

    To ensure the safety of the passengers, a vehicle tracking system and panic button functions that are directly connected to the TSRTC control room are provided. The bus will be equipped with a parking optics camera and a fire detection suppression system to detect any fire-related incidents, said a press release on Monday.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Budget session: Oppn to target Odisha govt over minister’s murder

    Budget session: Oppn to target Odisha govt over minister’s murder

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    Bhubaneswar: The budget session of Odisha assembly will be stormy as Opposition BJP and Congress have decided to target the state government over the brutal murder of minister Naba Kishore Das.

    The BJP held its legislative party meeting on Monday while the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress would hold their meetings on Tuesday to prepare strategies for the session.

    “A cabinet minister was killed in broad daylight by a police official. Though 23 days have passed since the murder of Naba Das, the crime branch is still in dark about the conspirator behind the murder case,” said BJP chief whip Mohan Majhi.

    Alleging there is no law and order in the state, Majhi said his party will raise the minister’s murder case as its major issue in the budget session.

    Apart from the murder case, the BJP will also raise farmers’ plight, irregularities in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), hijack of free rice scheme of central government and sexual harassment case against Tirtol BJD MLA during the session.

    Similarly, the Congress party will also raise the murder case. Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra said the main issue for the budget session is deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

    How can the government, which has failed to protect its own minister, provide safety and security to the people and their property?, he asked.

    The law and order situation has collapsed in the state. The killing of Naba Das in broad daylight by a policeman showed that ‘jungle raj’ prevails in the state, Mishra alleged.

    The Congress leader alleged that Das’ murder was not accidental. “It did not occur all of a sudden, but as a result of a deep-rooted conspiracy,” claimed Mishra.

    The Congress party would also raise issues like rising crime in the state, mismanagement in paddy procurement, unemployment and inflation, he informed.

    On the other hand, the treasury bench has decided to raise the central government’s neglect issue to counter the Opposition. The ruling party would raise reduction of the budgetary allocation for paddy procurement and discontinuation of distribution of 5 kg free rice under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

    The BJD will also raise the issue relating to Jayanarayan Mishra, who allegedly manhandled a lady police officer.

    Government chief whip Prasanta Kumar Muduli said the ruling party is always ready to discuss any issue, which is in the interest of the state and its people.

    Strategy to counter the opposition will be decided at the BJD legislature party meeting to be held on Tuesday, he said.

    The budget session will be held in two phases – first phase from February 21 to March 1 and second phase from from March 10 to April 6.

    The budget session will start with the address of Governor Ganeshi Lal on Tuesday while the annual budget for the year 2023-24 will be presented in the House on February 24.

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    #Budget #session #Oppn #target #Odisha #govt #ministers #murder

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Mother of 11 driven out of home by husband for undergoing tubectomy in Odisha

    Mother of 11 driven out of home by husband for undergoing tubectomy in Odisha

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    Keonjhar: A tribal woman who is a mother of 11 children was driven out of the house in Odisha’s Keonjhar district by her husband for undergoing tubectomy operation, a permanent method of contraception, against his wish.

    Janaki Dehury, along with some of her children, has been staying outside the house in Dimiria village after being thrown out of the home by her husband three days ago.

    The woman decided to go for tubectomy after being convinced by a local ASHA worker about the adverse impact of giving birth to children every year. She has given birth to 11 children in 11 years of her marriage, though one of them died.

    “It is very embarrassing to get pregnant every year while my children are growing up. Though many of our village women had gone for the operation, my husband does not understand and he drove me out of the house,” Janaki said.

    Her husband Rabi, on the other hand, claimed that his wife has committed a crime by undergoing the sterilisation process.

    “We belong to the Bhuyan community. According to the belief in the community, our forefathers will not get water if women undergo the operation. I am strongly opposed to such an operation,” Rabi Dehury said.

    ASHA worker Bijaylaxmi Biswal who persuaded Janaki to go for the surgery said that frequent pregnancies are taking a toll on her health.

    She has become too weak to handle any more pregnancy, Biswal said adding that it will also be difficult for the family to raise 10 children.

    Alleging that Rabi has been threatening to kill her as she convinced her to opt for the surgery, Biswal said he fails to understand the health condition of his wife.

    “Not only me, anyone trying to talk to him about the issue becomes his target,” Biswal said.

    Meanwhile, the health officer Dr Pritisah Acharya of Telkoi hospital is making efforts to convince Rabi about the situation and accept his wife.

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    #Mother #driven #home #husband #undergoing #tubectomy #Odisha

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Odisha: BJD, BJP stage rival dharna on LoP’s misbehaviour’ , worsening’ law and order

    Odisha: BJD, BJP stage rival dharna on LoP’s misbehaviour’ , worsening’ law and order

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    Bhubaneswar: The women’s wing of the ruling BJD in Odisha staged a dharna here on Thursday demanding removal of Jaynarayan Mishra from the post of the Leader of Opposition for allegedly misbehaving with a woman police officer in Sambalpur.

    Mishra on Wednesday stirred controversy by allegedly pushing the woman police officer during a BJP protest in Sambalpur. The incident took place in front of the district collector’s office during the party’s statewide stir on “worsening” law and order in the coastal state.

    The saffron party too staged a dharna near Raj Bhavan, claiming that there was a bid to eliminate Mishra, also the BJP MLA from Sambalpur, for criticising the state government in connection with the assassination of ex-minister Naba Kishore Das.

    Members of the BJD and BJP also burnt effigies of the Leader of Opposition and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik respectively.

    Holding placards and banners, the BJD activists who were on a dharna on MG Road, accused Mishra of pushing and assaulting the woman police officer.

    The protesters also demanded an apology from Mishra.

    BJD spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra claimed Jaynarayan Mishra was a “habitual offender”, with 14 cases, including murder, registered against him.

    Meanwhile, members of the saffron party demanded the chief minister’s resignation for allegedly failing to maintain law and order in the state.

    The BJP for the last two days was holding demonstration across the state over the “worsening” law and order following the assassination of Naba Kishore Das last month allegedly by a former policeman.

    Based on the complaint of Dhanupali Police Station Inspector in-charge Anita Pradhan, the law enforcers in Sambalpur had on Wednesday booked Mishra under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

    Meanwhile, Sambalpur Mahila BJP also lodged a complaint against Anita Pradhan, alleging that she had pushed and misbehaved with the Leader of Opposition.

    A video (not verified by PTI) that went viral showed Mishra assaulting the woman police officer in the western Odisha city.

    The BJP rank and file, including its senior leaders, came down heavily on the state government alleging that Mishra was being framed by the BJD after he launched a scathing attack on the state government following Naba Kishore Das murder case.

    “It is a plot created by the BJD to fix Mishra as he was attacking the government on its weak points. The woman police officer instead misbehaved with the Leader of Opposition, who is considered as second to the chief minister in the Assembly,” said BJP state in-charge D Purendeswari.

    Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the incident was “pre-planned” and “sponsored” by the government to “cover up its inefficiency and wrongdoings”.

    “Jaynarayan Mishra was not appointed the Leader of Opposition as a charity from Naveen Patnaik. He was appointed by the Parliamentary Board of the BJP The law and order situation is fast deteriorating in the state.

    “Such pre-planned and state-sponsored acts do not last long in a democracy,” Pradhan told reporters.

    IG, North Range, Deepak Kumar said the police has registered a case against Mishra on the basis of a complaint by the woman police officer.

    The BJP’s complaint against the police officer has been registered as a station diary, Kumar said.

    The complaint by the saffron party will be probed while investigating the allegations made by the woman police officer, Kumar said.

    Meanwhile, BJP’s Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi said, “We know an incident has taken place and the law will take its own course. The incident is worrisome both for the party and Mishra”.

    Meanwhile, Mishra alleged that a group of BJD goons Thursday reached the circuit house at Sambalpur where he was staying.

    “The BJD goons had come to eliminate me,” Mishra told reporters in Sambalpur.

    The BJP MLA from Sambalpur also accused the Dhanupali Police Station Inspector in-charge Anita Pradhan of pushing him.

    “The IIC, who was involved in corrupt practices, had intentionally shoved me. She stamped on my feet and pushed me twice,” Mishra told reporters.

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    #Odisha #BJD #BJP #stage #rival #dharna #LoPs #misbehaviour #worsening #law #order

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Odisha minister murder: BJP questions ‘court-monitored’ probe

    Odisha minister murder: BJP questions ‘court-monitored’ probe

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    Bhubaneswar: Continuing its attack on the Odisha government over murder of minister Naba Das, the BJP on Tuesday raised questions on appointment of a retired judge to monitor the Crime Branch probe into the case.

    Addressing a press conference here, Odisha BJP spokesperson Pitambar Acharya said: “The BJD leaders are claiming that it is a court-monitored investigation, which is totally false. The Orissa High Court has not issued any judicial order for monitoring of the crime branch probe by a retired judge (J.P. Das).”

    Acharya urged the state government to produce the request letter it had sent to Orissa High Court for the appointment of a judge/retired judge to monitor the probe and the Orissa HC order on the appointment of Justice Das.

    “Which order/writ petition or judicial proceedings has allowed appointment of a retired judge to supervise the probe?” asked Acharya, who is also a senior advocate.

    The appointment of Justice Das is neither a judicial proceeding nor a consultation under the Commission of Inquiry Act, he claimed and urged the state government not to misuse the name of the High Court and uphold its dignity as people have faith in the constitutional institute.

    Claiming that the appointment of retired High Court judge, Justice Das is illegal, he demanded that the case should be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for proper investigation.

    As the state government and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik do not have faith in the Crime Branch investigation, they have reportedly requested the Orissa High Court to monitor the investigation, the BJP leader alleged.

    Reacting to the allegation of BJP, senior BJD leader and government chief whip in Assembly Prasanta Muduli said: “The opposition has a habit of making comments on every issue. The Crime Branch is investigating the matter under the supervision of the judiciary. The society and democracy will not survive if they don’t have faith in the judiciary.”

    Meanwhile, the Crime Branch recreated the crime scene by taking the accused police ASI (now dismissed) to the spot in the presence of a forensic expert. Justice Das and Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal have reached Jharsuguda to look into the status of the Crime Branch’s investigation into the sensational murder case.

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    #Odisha #minister #murder #BJP #questions #courtmonitored #probe

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • President Murmu to visit Odisha on Feb 10

    President Murmu to visit Odisha on Feb 10

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    Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to arrive here on Friday for a two-day trip to Odisha during which she will visit Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, besides attending other programmes.

    The President made her maiden visit to Odisha on November 10 and 11 last year.

    Murmu would attend three public programmes during her second visit to Odisha after assuming the office of President, Cuttack-Bhubaneswar police commissioner, Saumendra Priyadarshi said.

    She would attend two programmes in Bhubaneswar and one in Cuttack, besides visiting the Lingaraj temple, he said.

    As per schedule, she would arrive here at Biju Patnaik International Airport on February 10 around noon and would proceed to Utkal Mandap, Bhubaneswar to attend the foundation day of Jnanaprabha Mission as chief guest.

    After lunch, she will attend the second convocation of Rama Devi Women’s University. She will spend the night at Raj Bhawan.

    Next morning, Murmu is scheduled to visit Lingaraj temple and then proceed towards Cuttack to inaugurate the second Indian Rice Congress at ICAR.

    Then she will leave for Delhi from Bhubaneswar Airport on the same day.

    The state administration has geared up to welcome the President in her home state.

    A high-level meeting to this effect was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra on Monday.

    Mahapatra directed concerned officials to stay alert and keep strict vigil over the entire process meticulously so as to make the visit of Murmu free of any hitches and omissions.

    Officials said RT-PCR test of all staff to be deployed for the visit, dignitaries and appointees will be conducted 72 hours prior to the event.

    Use of face masks has been made mandatory for all who will attend the President’s programmes.

    She visited Lord Jagannath temple Puri, her alma mater, and attended the civic reception and launch of an Odia textbook for engineering courses.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Odisha minister murder case: Munda demands probe by an independent agency

    Odisha minister murder case: Munda demands probe by an independent agency

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    Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on Saturday demanded investigation by an independent agency into the brutal murder of Odisha minister Naba Kishore Das.

    Speaking to media persons here, Munda said the murder of the minister is a major concern for the law and order situation of the state. “If such an incident happens to a minister, then what would be the condition of the common people in the state?” he asked.

    If such a situation arises in between police and a minister, whom will the common people trust? Munda further asked.

    Therefore, the case should be investigated by an independent agency so that truth can come out, he demanded.

    The Tribal Affairs Minister also blamed the Odisha government for non-inclusion of 169 communities into Odisha ST List.

    “It is not a political issue. It is a constitutional matter. It cannot be resolved by making political statements,” he said.

    The state government has not submitted a concrete proposal for inclusion of the communities in the ST list, Munda said.

    As per process, he said, proper anthropological research is needed to be done about the communities. After examining those, the Centre can include the genuine tribals in the list.

    “In the 120 cases, there is no document, no research is done. If we will take those into consideration after receiving just a piece of paper, the entire India will tell us to make them tribals,” the Minister said.

    Munda is here to inform the people about the programmes and welfare measures taken by the Modi government in the Union Budget 2023-24.

    Meanwhile, the state crime branch, which is investigating the minister’s murder case, has got another four-day remand of accused police ASI Gopal Krushna Das (now dismissed).

    Crime branch ADG Arun Bothra briefed justice J.P Das about the status of investigation. Justice Das, a retired judge of Orissa High Court has been appointed to monitor the high-profile case.

    Das said he was briefed about the status of investigation in the case and overall, it is going in the right direction. However, he is yet to see the documents. Das also informed that he will soon visit the crime spot at Brajarajnagar in Jharsuguda district.

    The investigation in the sensational murder case is on the right track, justice Das reportedly said after crime branch ADG Arun Bothra met him at his house in Cuttack and briefed him on the progress in the probe.

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    #Odisha #minister #murder #case #Munda #demands #probe #independent #agency

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Odisha CM expresses concern on reduction of MGNREGS, food security in Union Budget

    Odisha CM expresses concern on reduction of MGNREGS, food security in Union Budget

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    Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday expressed concern over reduction of funds for MGNREGS and food security scheme in the Union Budget for 2023-24.

    Patnaik said the budget has some good aspects which needs to be appreciated and there are some concerns which need to be looked into, and addressed.

    “I have concerns regarding the drastic reduction of funds for MGNREGS. This will hit the poor people. The reduction in food security budget along with reduction in procurement will hit the poor people as well as farmers,” he said.

    About Rs 80,000 crores was spent on procurement in 2021-22 while only about Rs 60,000 crores is kept in this budget. This will cause serious problems in selling crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP), he said.

    While in 2021-22 an amount of Rs 2 lakh crores was spent under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), in this budget only Rs 1.37 lakh crore is kept for this purpose, pointed out the CM.

    Patnaik also said that there has been a decrease or no growth in health and education sectors.

    He further said that the budget provision for Ayushman Bharat scheme is Rs 7,200 crore for the entire country while Odisha spends almost about Rs 2,400 crore on Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) in private facilities alone.

    “If we include government facilities, it would be around Rs 6,000 crores annually under the BSKY. Health is an important priority for our state and we believe in investing and in sincere efforts,” he said.

    Slamming the Odisha BJP leaders, who are pressing hard for implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Odisha, Patnaik said he now hopes that the BJP state leadership will stop hoodwinking the people of Odisha.

    Speaking about the good steps taken by the Centre in the Budget, he said the increased capital investment, support to drinking water initiatives, and increasing rural housing will accelerate growth as well as have social impact in rural areas.

    He also welcomed the Prime Minister’s thrust on millets. Stating that Odisha Millet Mission is a pioneering initiative in the country, Patnaik said he feels happy that millets have been given importance in the budget.

    “The focus on new world technologies like artificial intelligence, internet of things etc. is appreciable. These are some of the good aspects of the budget. The focus on primitive tribal groups is a welcome step,” he added.

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    #Odisha #expresses #concern #reduction #MGNREGS #food #security #Union #Budget

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )