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Hello Jammu News at 11:49:00 PM 0


Bhubaneswar, Jun 15 :   India lived up to their billing and thrashed South Africa 5-1 in the summit clash to win the FIH Series Finals hockey tournament here Saturday.

Coming into the tournament as overwhelming favourites, world no. 5 India played like champions and remained unbeaten throughout the tournament.

Dragflickers Varun Kumar (2nd and 49th minutes) and Harmanpreet Singh (11th and 25th) scored a brace each, while Vivek Sagar Prasad (35th) was the other goal scorer for India.

South Africa's lone goal was scored by Richard Pautz in the 53rd minute.

India and South Africa have already qualified for the final round of the Olympic qualifiers before Saturday's summit clash. 

Earlier in the day, Asian Games champion Japan defeated USA 4-2 to finish third in the competition.

The top two finishers of this tournament make it to the final round of the Olympic qualifiers to be held later this year. 

Going by world rankings, the Indians were expected to control the proceedings and they exactly did that from the word go.

India secured their first penalty corner as early as in the second minute and Varun made no mistake in converting the opportunity into goal.

In the 11th minute, India got another penalty corner and this time Harmanpreet slammed home to make the scoreline 2-0 in favour of the hosts.

Seconds before the end of the first quarter, South Africa got a rare opportunity but Nqobile Ntuli's reverse hit was kept away by Krishan Bahadur Pathak in front of the Indian goal.

Five minutes from half time, India were awarded a penalty stroke when Birendra Lakra was stick-checked inside South Africa's 'D' by Jethro Eustice and Harmanpreet made no mistake to make the scoreline 3-0.

The flow of the match continued in the same vein after the change of ends with India dominating the proceedings.

Five minutes into the third quarter, India extended their lead when Vivek Sagar Prasad scored from close range after being set up by Simranjeet Singh.

India secured their third penalty corner in the 41st minute but this time Amit Rohidas' try was saved by the South African goalkeeper.

India kept up the pressure and earned their fourth penalty corner in the 49th minute and Varun scored from a variation to make the scoreline 5-0 in the home team's favour.

South Africa finally had something to cheer about when they secured back-to-back penalty corners in the 53rd minute and from the second chance, Pautz deflected in Eustice's flick to reduce the margin to 5-1.

Four minutes from the final hooter, India secured two more penalty corners but failed to utilise the opportunities.

South Africa too got a last chance to pull another goal back in the form of their third penalty corner but to no effect. 

India's chief coach Graham Reid was relatively satisfied with his wards performances and said the just-concluded tournament was a good outing in terms of preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.

"I think what I am pleased with is the last two matches, where it really counted. We played well. Yesterday was very good, today was good in parts. We can learn from things," he said after the victory.

"Good to practice in the heat with back-to-back matches. That's the kind of heat we will face in Tokyo." 

Reid also pointed out the positives he has derived from this tournament. 

"I never put an upper limit on something. We should always get better. From the point of PC conversion, all our flickers did well in this event. The great thing is we are creating opportunities. Next phase is to ensure we convert those percentages," he said. 

The chief coach, however, said defence is something in which India will need to work extensively in the run up to the final Olympic qualifying event later this year and thereafter as well.

"You expect a lot of pressure in our defence. We have a defensive camp coming up in the first or second week in July. So we have a couple of good coaches coming. I am looking forward to it," he signed off.                                         [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 4:53:00 PM 0



Bhubaneswar, Jan 16 :  The Odisha government has launched Rs 680 crore "Sunetra" scheme which has a provision of free eye care treatment for all the citizens of the state.

The scheme was announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday.

The new scheme is aimed at achieving the target of universal eye healthcare by 2023.

"The scheme is for all irrespective of economic background. The people of all age can take benefit from the scheme," Patnaik said.

The scheme will be extended to all patients with cataracts, who will be operated on at different government hospitals, without any paperwork, he said.

All of them will be given spectacles for free, he added.

Under the scheme, eye check-up programmes will be held in schools every year and students detected with vision problems would be given spectacles for free as well.

Those detected with major eye problems can also avail free treatment, the chief minister said.

Around Rs 680 crore will be spent in the first five years under the scheme, officials said.

Health secretary P K Meherda said the eye care and treatment will be available at all government-run community health centres (CHCs), sub-divisional hospitals (SDHs), district headquarter hospitals (DHHs) and medical colleges.                 PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:43:00 PM 0



Bhubaneswar, Jan 13 :  Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch a slew of centrally funded projects worth over Rs 1,545 crore in Odisha during his third visit in last three weeks to the state on Tuesday, official sources said.

Modi, who toured Bhubaneswar and Khurda on December 24 and Baripada in January first week, will visit Balangir, where he is scheduled to address a rally, besides inaugurating and laying foundation of the development projects, mostly in railway sector, they said.

On December 24, the prime minister had launched Rs 14,523 crore worth of projects for Odisha, while on January 5, he unveiled programmes worth Rs 4,733 crore, taking the total value to Rs 20,801 crore in the past month, officials said.

Modi's visits to the state in quick succession assume significance as Assembly election in the state is slated to be held together with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Two days after Modi's rally in Balangir, BJP president Amit Shah is slated to visit Odisha on January 18 when he will meet booth-level workers in Cuttack, a senior BJP leader said.

The back-to-back visit by the top BJP brass shows the party's efforts to take on the ruling BJD, which has been in power in the state since 2000.

Shah has set an ambitious target for the BJP to win at least 120 of the 147 Assembly seats in the state. The saffron party had won 10 assembly seats and one of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2014.

During his Balangir visit on Tuesday, the prime minister will dedicate to the nation electrification of Jharsuguda-Vizinagaram and Sambalpur-Angul lines, spanning 813 km, completed at a cost of Rs 1085 crore.

The project will ensure seamless rail connectivity on the line and reduce running time, a senior railway official said. It will also reduce diesel consumption and lead to reduction of Green House Gas emissions.

Modi will also dedicate the doubling of 14.273 km of Barpali-Dungaripali and 17.354 km Balangir-Deogaon road lines, completed at a cost of Rs 189.3 crore. It forms a part of the 181.54 KM Sambalpur-Titlagarh doubling project.

Among other railway projects, he will dedicate a Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Jharsuguda, built at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

Spread over an area of 28.3 acre, the MMLP is situated adjacent to the main line of Howrah-Mumbai, 5km from Jharsuguda Railway station.

A number of industries, such as cement, paper, aluminum, refractory, pig iron, sponge iron, steel pipe, located in and around the catchment area will benefit from this facility, he said.

The PM will also inaugurate 15 km Balangir-Bichhupali new railway line built at a cost of Rs 115 crore. It is a part of the new 289-km Balangir-Khurda road line which connects to Howrah-Chennai main line on Khurdha roadside and Titlagarh- Sambalpur line at Balangir.

Once completed, the line would connect coastal Odisha with western region through Sonepur, Boudh, Puranakatak, Daspalla and Nayagarh, synchronising development across the state. The line would also benefit many MSME and cottage industries and open up opportunities for the mining sector.

He will flag off a new train on Balangir-Bichhupali route which would benefit commuters in the region, besides connecting Bichhupali to Jharsuguda and Vizianagaram main line through Balangir.

A bridge between Theruvali and Singapur road station, commissioned at a cost of Rs 27.4 crore, will be inaugurated on the occasion. It will rebuild the linkage over Nagavali river, washed away during floods in July 2017, he said.

These apart, Modi will inaugurate renovation and restoration works at Nilamadhav & Siddheswar Temple at Gandhaharadi in Boudh, Paschim Somnath group of temples, also in Boudh, and Ranipur Jharial group of monuments in Balangir, said an official of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The prime minister will inaugurate six passport sewa Kendras at Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri, Phulbani, Bargarh and Balangir, Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra said.

In addition, he is slated to lay the foundation stone for permanent building at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sonepur, to be constructed with an investment of Rs 15.81 crore.           PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:40:00 PM 0



Bhubaneswar, Jan 9 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday made it clear that his BJD will not be a part of the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance).

Patnaik said as part of his party's policy, the BJD will continue to maintain equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress.

"We will continue with our policy of equidistance from the BJP and the Congress," he said.

"I want to clarify that as far as the Mahagathbandhan is concerned, the Biju Janata Dal is not a part of it," Patnaik told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting here.           PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:01:00 PM 0

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed hope that the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh would be resolved soon after the change of government in the neighbouring state.


Bhubaneswar, Dec 12 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed hope that the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh would be resolved soon after the change of government in the neighbouring state.

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Tuesday also said that there could be some relief in store for the state on the matter.

Replying to a question on the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, BJD president Patnaik said, "We hope of finding a resolution soon." 

Chhattisgarh has been accused of constructing projects on the upstream of Mahanadi river and blocking the flow of water down stream to Odisha.

The Congress has all along stood by Odisha in the water dispute.

The matter is now pending before a tribunal. 

The Congress will form the next government in Chhattisgarh, ending the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 15-year reign in the state.


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Hello Jammu News at 12:43:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Sep 27: The Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has set a target of 162.5 million tonne coal production during the current fiscal, the company CMD R R Mishra said.

This was stated by Mishra during his visit to Ib Valley Coalfields to take stock of operational situation Wednesday, a company statement said.

"Collective efforts must be made to overcome challenges to achieve the target of 162.5 million tonne production during 2018-19," he said.

The MCL had produced over 143 million tonne coal during last financial year and dispatched more than 138 mt dry fuel to various consumers across the country.

The CMD visited Samleshwari OCP and Lakhanpur OCP in Jharsuguda district of Odisha and interacted with the representatives of trade unions and officers association at company headquarters here

The CMD said "no target is unachievable for a company if the fundamental requirements are met for the human resources and concerted efforts are made by one and all," the statement said. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 1:19:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Sep 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch half-a-dozen projects in Odisha Saturday, including a fertiliser plant at Talcher, and inaugurate Jharsuguda Airport and UDAN in the state.

Modi, who proceeded to Talcher after arriving here, will lay the foundation stone and commence work for the country's first coal gasification based fertiliser plant at Talcher in Angul district, officials said.

The fertiliser plant is being developed by Talcher Fertilisers Limited, a joint-venture of GAIL, Coal India Ltd, Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers Ltd and Fertiliser Corporation of India Ltd, they said.

The plant, to be commissioned by 2022, will ensure easy availability of urea in Odisha as there is no urea plant in the state.

During his one-day visit to the state, Modi will also dedicate to the nation mines of the NTPC and the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd and railway tracks for transportation of coal.

Garjanbahal open cast mine of MCL, to be inaugurated by Modi, has coal block reserves of 230 million tonnes with annual production capacity of 13 million tonnes. It will generate direct employment opportunity for 894 people and indirect job opportunities for 5,000, officials said.

The prime minister will launch the 53.1-km Jharsuguda-Serdega railway line constructed by MCL, which can be used for passenger traffic.

Modi will dedicate to the nation Dulanga Coal Mining Project of NTPC in Sundargarh district. This is the second mine of the the state-run company to be operational and its first in Odisha.

Coal produced from this mine will be used in the under-construction 1600-MW Darlipali Super Thermal Power Plant of NTPC in Sundargarh district, the officials said.

On the new airport in Jharsuguda, the officials said it has been developed for all-weather operations, including night operations for A-320 type aircraft.

Jharsuguda will be the second airport of Odisha to be operational and provide connectivity to Bhubaneswar, Raipur and Ranchi under the central government's UDAN scheme. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 2:12:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Sept 21: The implementation of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) has not been effective in Odisha with the programme reaching only 3.70 per cent households in the state against its target of covering 35 per cent households by March 2017, a CAG report has said.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on general and social sector was tabled in the Odisha Assembly by Finance Minister S B Behera on Thursday.

"Digging of tube wells without conducting scientific survey had led to dry wells which deprived the habitations of drinking water and expenditure incurred on them became wasteful," the report said.

Therefore, the vision of providing safe drinking water to the people living in rural areas at all times could not be achieved in the state, it said.

The aim of the NRDWP is to provide every rural person with adequate safe water for drinking, cooking and other basic domestic needs on a sustainable basis, with a minimum water quality standard, which should be conveniently accessible at all times and in all situations.

The Centre had launched the NRDWP on April 1, 2009 and the Odisha State Water and Sanitation Mission (OSWSM), under the Rural Development Department, implements the programme in the state.

Fund management was not efficient and instances of delay in release of funds by the state government and low utilisation due to slow pace of execution of works were also noticed.

The CAG report further said that the target fixed under strategic plan, to be achieved by 2017, was largely not achieved and water quality monitoring and surveillance was inadequate.

The CAG also highlighted inadequacies in the jail administration saying that the state's Home Department had not adopted the reforms suggested in the Model Prison Manual.

The Home Department had not submitted utilisation certificate for Rs 75 crore received from the 13th Finance Commission, as a result of which the central government did not release the balance amount of Rs 25 crore which was a loss to the state exchequer, the report said.

It pointed out that the jail authorities had kept 472 convicts and 1,988 undertrial prisoners in the same ward without separate enclosure. This was against the Odisha Jail Manual rules.

Similarly, installation of 2G cell phone jammers in five jails failed to block signal, rendering the expenditure of Rs 3.91 crore on jammers unfruitful, the report said.

Of the 873 walkie-talkies purchased at a cost of Rs 59.74 lakh, 257 were non-functional from the date of receipt.

In 11 jails, 96 out of 234 rifles were unserviceable.

During 2014-17, 21 prisoners managed to escape from jails due to insufficient security, the report said. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:53:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Sep 21: Cyclonic storm 'DAYE' crossed the coast near Gopalpur in Odisha early Friday, triggering heavy downpour accompanied by high velocity wind in several parts of the state.

The cyclonic storm "DAYE" over northwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestward with a speed of about 23 kmph and crossed south Odisha and adjoining Andhra Pradesh coast close to Gopalpur in the early hours of Friday, Director, Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, H R Biswas said.

The cyclonic system then lay centred over south Odisha, about 40 km west-northwest of Gopalpur and about 150 km east-southeast of Bhawanipatna, he said.

Biswas said it would continue to move west-northwestward and weaken gradually into a deep depression.

As the cyclonic storm made a landfall, it brought heavy to very heavy rainfall in some places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts of the state, officials said.

Under its impact, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to lash several places in Rayagada, Kalahandi, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts till Saturday, the MeT centre said.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also likely to occur at some places in Balangir, Bararh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts till the morning of Saturday, it said.

The MeT centre also warned of gale wind with speed reaching 60-70 kmph and gusting up to 80 kmph along and off south Odisha coast for a few hours.

The impact of the cyclonic storm was felt more in Gajapati, Ganjam, Khordha, Nayagarh and Puri districts.

The state government has instructed officials in coastal districts and various departments to be alert to tackle any emergency situation, official sources said.

Danger signs with signal number 3, which warns of surface winds clocking 40-50 kmph, have been hoisted at all ports of Odisha, officials said.

Earlier on Thursday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held a review meeting and directed the officials to keep a close watch on the situation and take steps to ensure no loss of life. He also asked them to arrange adequate relief materials.

The cyclone warning division's (CWD) advisory said the sea will be very rough over central and north Bay of Bengal and off Odisha, West Bengal and north Andhra Pradesh coasts.

There will also be a storm surge of about 0.5 m above astronomical tides and it is likely to inundate low-lying areas of Vizianagaram, Srikakulam districts in Andhra Pradesh and Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts in Odisha at the time of landfall, it said.

The chief minister asked officials of the coastal districts to be alert and prepared.

Patnaik issued direction for cancelling holiday in government offices in Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh and Khurda districts, which are likely to be hit by fierce winds.

The IMD has also predicted damage to thatched hut, roads, crops and minor damage to power and communication lines in Gajapati, Ganjam, Khordha, Nayagarh and Puri districts at the time of landfall. Local cautionary Signal Number LC-III to be kept hoisted at all ports of Odisha, it said.

Reports about damage, if any, were being ascertained, said officials.

As roads and power supply are likely to be affected due to the cyclone, Patnaik asked the departments concerned to take steps in advance to ensure quick restoration works.

He directed that special attention be given to water, electricity supply and hospitals, an official in the CMO said.

Taking the situation into account, the NDRF and the ODRAF have been deployed in different districts. One NDRF team each has been deployed in Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh and Kandhamal districts with 17 boats and other emergency equipment. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:05:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Sep 17: In its bid to clean up the air, the Odisha government Monday launched a 'Star Rating' system here for industries, the first-of-its-kind initiative in the state, to ensure transparency in compliance to pollution standards.

The programme, launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, will rate industries from 1 to 5 based on their efforts to meet the standards set by Odisha's pollution control board.

A joint effort of State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago, the project is an example of the state's 3T framework - Teamwork, Transparency and Technology, the CM said.

"It will go a long way in strengthening the pollution board's regulatory efforts," he observed.

Describing the programme as yet another initiative, where his government has demonstrated commitment to transparency and accountability, Patnaik said "the system will encourage industries to adopt clean technologies".

"This 'Star Rating' programme will help public find out whether industries in their vicinity are fair in their environmental compliance. It will also recognise the efforts of industries that take responsibility to maintain clean environment," Patnaik said.

On the occasion, the chief minister also launched a website, where citizens can access information in this regard.

Development commissioner and chairman of SPCB, R Balakrishnan, said the pollution board has been collecting data through a Continuous Emission Monitoring System on industrial pollution.

"It has been an exciting journey working with researchers from the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) to distill data into star ratings for public disclosure," he said.

Economist Michael Greenstone, who is also the director of EPIC, said citizens will be able to identify the sources of pollution through this project.

"The Odisha Star Rating program is a pioneering initiative to empower people to ensure that industries comply with existing laws," he said.

State Industries Minister Anant Das, Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray and Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi were among others who attended the programme here in the morning. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:09:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Sep 17: Odisha Assembly Speaker P K Amat Monday asked Agriculture Minister P K Maharathy to make a statement on the alleged sapling plantation irregularities before the end of this session of the House.

The Monsoon session of Odisha Assembly would end on September 20.

Amat gave this direction as the House witnessed three adjournments as opposition Congress and BJP members raised slogans over the sapling plantation irregularities.

As soon as the House made obituary reference to former minister Dolagobinda Pradhan, who passed away earlier in the morning, opposition chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati of Congress along with his colleagues trooped into the well and raised slogans.

The Congress members wanted a statement from the government on what action it has taken against the officers involved in the scam. Unable to run the House, Amat adjourned the proceeding thrice till 12.30 pm.

When the House reassembled, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress said that the Agriculture minister has admitted in the House that there has been irregularities worth Rs 17.33 crore in sapling plantation activities. However, no action is taken so far.

"When government admits irregularities and is not taking any action against the officials, it shows that the government is involved in the scam. I demand the chief minister to respond. The government cannot keep quit. You ask the CM to make a statement and why officers involved in the incident were not prosecuted as per the law," Mishra said.

Stating that the government has "admitted" irregularities in floor of the House, BJP legislature party leader K V Singhdeo alleged that the government was protecting the officers.

Singhdeo alleged the then minister (Damodar Rout), who raised the issue, was removed from the ministry and the officers involved in the scam were reinstated in service. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 11:46:00 AM 0


Bhubaneswar, Sept 11 : The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has dropped the proposed water aerodrome project at Chilika Lake in Odisha, according to a senior official.

Susanta Nanda, Chief Executive of the Chilika Development Authority (CDA), told reporters Monday that the AAI has cancelled the seaplane project in the lake which, if implemented, would have negatively impacted the ecosystem and the surrounding human population at the world's second largest brackish water lake.

The AAI has decided to shelve the project following stiff opposition from environmentalists and the CDA, according to Nanda.

The Odisha government has been informed by the aviation body about the decision, the officer told PTI.

Earlier, the CDA in its report to the state government had said that the water aerodrome project would seriously jeopardise the habitat of Chilika's nearly one million avian visitors which come from the Arctic and Eurasian regions.

"Operation of seaplane and water aerodrome at Chilika is likely to cause irrevocable damage to the ecosystem and livelihood of people dependent on it.

"The cost involved in the operation of seaplane seems to outweigh the benefits likely to accrue from it. Besides, legally the project is not feasible," the CDA chief executive had stated in the report.PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:00:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Sep 8: Bhushan Steel, which was acquired by Tata Steel in May, has dedicated a mobile primary health care unit for the people of periphery villagers of its plant at Kantabania in Dhenkanal district of Odisha.

The health care unit, launched as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, would benefit around 12,000 people of 11 villages, a company release said.

Managing Director of Bhushan Steel Rajeev Singhal, said the health care unit will visit the peripheral villages as per the prescribed schedule to provide health care at the doorsteps of villagers and create awareness on preventive measures for various diseases.

The unit has a trained doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist and necessary medicine.

This is one of the many CSR interventions Bhushan Steel is planning for partnering inclusive growth of the region, said Singhal, who flagged off the health care unit on September 6.

Commending Bhushan Steel for the initiative, Debashree Behera, Sarpanch of Sibapur village in the area, said many villagers who are unable to go to hospital will get treated in the village iteself.

"We will provide all cooperation to the staff of the mobile primary health care unit," she said.

After takeover of Bhushan Steel, Tata Steel has started work for a model school at a cost of Rs 5 crore in Hindol block while another school is proposed to be built in Odapada block of Dhenkanal district, it said.

On May 18, 2018, the BSL was acquired by Tata Steel Limited through its wholly-owned subsidiary Bamnipal Steel Limited, it added. (PTI)

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Hello Jammu News at 1:32:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Sep 8: Noted Odia poet Satrughna Pandav will be honoured with the prestigious 'Sarala Puraskar' for his poetry collection 'Misra Dhrupad'.

The 'Sarala Puraskar' -- instituted by eminent Odia industrialist late Dr Bansidhar Panda and late Ila Pnada in 1979 and awarded by the Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust(IMPaCT) -- will be presented to Pandav on October 26.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5,00,000 and a citation.

The 39th edition of the award was announced by the Sarala Puraskar Committee at its meeting here on Friday, a release from IMPaCT, the charitable wing of leading ferro alloys producer IMFA Group, said.

Two other eminent personalities of Odisha will also be honoured for their contribution in the field of music and art, the release said.

Pandeet Umesh Chandra Kar will be awarded the 'Ila Panda Sangeet Samman' and Binod Moharana will receive the 'Ila Panda Chitrakala Samman', it said.

They will receive a cash award of Rs 1,50,000 each along with citations.

Eminent novelist Govind Mishra will be the chief guest at the Sarala Puraskar function which will be held here on October 26. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:36:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Aug 29: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today unveiled the countdown clock for Hockey Men's World Cup to be held in the state between November 28 and December 16 at the Kalinga Stadium here.

Ninety days before the stat of the mega event, Patnaik also launched the "My Heart Beats for Hockey" campaign saying the countdown clock will rhyme with the hearts of India and Odisha.

He said, "The campaign aims at spreading the passion for the game of hockey in the run up to the Hockey World Cup.

The campaign urges people to pledge their support for the game, saying - my heart beats for hockey, does yours?"

Odisha has produced brilliant hockey players who have brought laurels for the country, Patnaik said.

"The state government is taking all the steps to organize it in a befitting manner and ensure that it's a grand success," Patnaik said at the programme attended by, among others, Hockey India CEO Elena Norman.

Officials said 'Heartbeat Centres' will be set up in select cities across the country including Jalandhar, Lucknow, Ranchi, New Delhi and Chennai to promote the World Cup.

As part of the campaign, specially designed hockey sticks will be installed in six cities - Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Bhopal, Rourkela and Imphal.

Additionally, two permanent installations would also be erected at the Kalinga Stadium, the officials said.

The chief minister also presented the Biju Patnaik Sports Award to hockey players Sunita Lakra and Amit Rohidas on the occasion. They received a cash award of Rs 2 lakh each.

Visually impaired cricketers Md Jafar Iqbal and Pankaj Bhue were given Rs 5 lakh each for their performances.

Athletics coach Sanjay Garnaik and sports journalist Sujit Kumar Garnayak were also awarded for their contribution to the field of sports.

The Biju Patnaik Bravery Award was conferred on Mamata Dalei and Biswajit Puhan, while Priyabrat Panda, N Khirod Sahu and Purna Chandra Behera were felicitated for their contribution in social work. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 11:50:00 AM 0


Bhubaneswar, Aug 29 :  Odisha has secured second place in the country in the implementation of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme in the state, an official said today.

The state's position was determined by the National Level Rating Framework assessment up to August 21, 2018, state's Housing and Urban Development Secretary G Mathivathnan said.

The scheme has so far been implemented in 9 towns of the state.

The issue was discussed yesterday at a high power committee held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary A P Padhi.

After review of the projects, Padhi directed the department to cover all households and entire population in AMRUT cities through pipe water supply as a first priority.

Padhi further directed to complete the projects well before time while safeguarding the quality of project and ensure delivery of services to the people by the scheduled time.

The meeting decided to priorities the projects in order of drinking water, sewerage/septage and parks and playgrounds.

Mathivathnan said as of now 192 projects have been approved and taken up under the AMRUT scheme. This includes 130 water supply, 14 septage and 48 park projects.

All these projects have been tendered out and tender awards have been issued for 187 projects. So far 42 projects have been completed, the official said.

These projects involve an investment of around Rs 1810 crore. The scheme is being financed by both the central and state governments on 50:50 sharing.

These projects are being implemented in the cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Brahmapur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Balasore, Bhadrak and Baripada.

Odisha has qualified for national incentive on achievement of reform milestones for three years - 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. In three years, the state has received incentive award of Rs 41.66 crore, he said.PTI

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Hello Jammu News at 1:18:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Aug 24: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has so far sanctioned 3,24,623 projects worth about Rs 793.96 crore under the 'Ama Gaon Ama Bikash Yojana' in the past five months, official sources said.

'Ama Gaon Ama Bikash Yojana' (Our village, Our development), was launched by Patnaik on March 5 this year to reach out to the people in rural areas and involve them in the development process.

In a programme yesterday, the chief minister interacted with the people of Khurda, Puri, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Balangir, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal and Mayurbhanj districts through video conferencing from the state secretariat.

The chief minister listened to the people and wanted to know about their requirements. Based on their demands, he sanctioned projects for 209 gram panchayats (GPs) in these districts.

With these sanctions, the chief minister has approved Rs 793.96 crore for 3508 GPs under 155 blocks taking the number of sanctioned projects to 3,24,623 under the 'Ama Gaon Ama Bikash Yojana', the officials said. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:29:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Aug 18: A two-year-old Royal Bengal tigress from Madhya Pradesh was released into wild in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha's Angul district, a top Forest official said today.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Sandeep Tripathy said the tigress was released yesterday in the wildlife sanctuary.

The tigress was was brought to Satkosia from Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh on June 28 and was kept under observation in a special enclosure at Satkosia Tiger Reserve.

Earlier, a three-year-old Royal Bengal Tiger was relocated from Madhya Pradeshs Kanha National Park and released in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve on July 7.

"An expert team of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has been monitoring movement of the big cats round-the-clock in the forest," Tripathy said.

The two RBTs, one male and another female, were translocated as a part of inter-state re-introduction of tigers, as per the the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines.

The Odisha government has planned to bring six tigers from Madhya Pradesh and release them into the Satakosia tiger reserve to increase the big cat population. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:16:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Aug 3: A Secondary Data Centre of National Data Repository (NDR) and Software Technology Parks of India-ELITE is all set to be launched here tomorrow that will act as a boon for researchers and companies.

The centre is slated to be inaugurated by Union Petroleum and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Union Electronics and IT and Law and Justice Minister Ravi Sankar Prasad will also be present.

This was announced by senior officials of STPI and Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) at a press meet here yesterday.

The centre, first of its kind in eastern India and third in the country, would help students of geology and researchers, Manas Ranjan Panda, Jurisdictional Director (Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand), STPI, Shiladitya Bhattacharjee, General Manager (HR), DGH and H K Patra, Consultant (NDR) said.

The Union government had on June 28, 2017 started functioning of Integrated Centralised Data Repository to promote and preserve the data regarding exploration and production of petroleum products in India.

The Secondary Data Centre (SDC) to be operational at STPI in Bhubaneswar will be operated under Primary Data Centres Disaster Recovery Centre at Noida, New Delhi.

Students of geology, researchers, academicians and companies will be able to conduct data analytics and research based on data available at the centre on exploration and production of petroleum products in India, they said.

The STPI, has three fully operational centres at Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Berhampur in Odisha and five more such centres will come up at Balasore, Angul, Jajpur, Koraput (Jeypore) and Sambalpur.

STPI ELITE is an additional facility established in Bhubaneswar to further facilitate the IT/ITES industry and boost IT exports. (PTI)

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Hello Jammu News at 2:10:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Aug 3: Odisha government has decided to relax the educational requirement for former Maoists to facilitate their skill development training in state-run centres in Left Wing Extremist-affected districts, a senior government official said.

With an increasing number of young Maoists returning to the mainstream, they need to be properly rehabilitated so that they can take up jobs, Sanjay Singh, the secretary of Skill Development and Technical Education, told.

The state government has asked the Director Technical Education and Training (DTET), Cuttack, to relax the requisite educational qualification to facilitate the training of former Maoists in state-run Skill Development Centres (SDC)s and Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), he said.

The state government has already set up five ITIs and 10 SDCs in Maoist-affected districts, Singh said.

Though only four red radicals had surrendered before the police in 2008, the number of surrendered Maoists is on the rise now due to a progressive surrender and rehabilitation policy of the state, a senior official in the Home department said.

Ninety-nine Maoists had surrendered before the police in 2014 and 64 in 2015. At least 31 Maoists had surrendered in 2016 and 26 others surrendered in 2017. Till now, 15 Maoists have surrendered before the police in 2018, the official said.

The state government is hopeful that more Red rebels will surrender before the police after the bridge over river Gurupriya, connecting the cut-off areas with the main land in Malkangiri district, was opened for the public on July 26. (PTI)
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