PITAMBAR SAHU, OP Amarpali: A government upper primary (UP) school in Subarnapur district operating on private land has been struggling with a shortage of classrooms, vacancy of teachers and absence of other essential infrastructure such as a boundary wall and a kitchen. Bisalpali Government Upper Primary (UP) School in Bahal Pader Panchayat under Birmaharajpur block was established...

Nabarangpur/Tentulikhunti: A large public rally was held Thursday at Hirmimunda ground in Tentulikhunti block of Nabarangpur district to oppose a proposed nuclear power plant. The Anabaika Shakti Prakalpa Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (Nuclear Power Project Resistance Struggle Committee) organised the event, which focused on protecting water, land, forests, livelihoods and the environment. Congress and Biju Janata Dal leaders,...

Hatadihi/Bancho: Residents of Bancho village under Hatadihi block in Kendujhar district blocked the State Highway 53 Thursday to protest the absence of irrigation facilities for their farmland despite the Baitarani River and a canal running through the area. Due to the blockade, several vehicles travelling between Anandapur and Bhadrak were stranded on the highway. Villagers complained that...

RABINARAYAN JENA, OP Bhubaneswar: Central assistance allocated to Odisha under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U) and PMAY-U 2.0 is not being utilised within the stipulated timeframe. A review by Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department has identified three key reasons behind the delay. Following queries raised by the department, Sangram Keshari Biswal, Deputy Secretary of the...

Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Anu Garg directed the concerned departments and district administrations to strengthen solid waste management (SWM) through scientific processing, strict enforcement of rules and greater public participation. Chairing the first meeting of the state-level committee constituted for the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules-2026 at Lok Seva Bhawan here, Garg stressed accountability among stakeholders...

Bhubaneswar: “Strengthening preventive Vigilance mechanisms and embedding ethical practices in public institutions are crucial to building public trust and reinforcing institutional credibility,” emerged as the key message at a Chief Vigilance Officers’ Meet hosted by National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) in Bhubaneswar Thursday. The meet, organised as part of the ongoing three-month-long Preventive Vigilance Campaign, brought together...

SUSHANT KUMAR JENA, OP Kataka Sadar: Illegal encroachment of the Kathajodi riverbed under Kataka Sadar tehsil continues unabated, with buildings coming up on land close to the river channel. The growing settlements, particularly in the 42 Mouza area, have encouraged people to build houses on the fertile riverbed land, posing challenges to the repair and maintenance of...

Bhubaneswar: Senior Odisha BJP leader Jatin Mohanty Thursday criticised former chief minister Naveen Patnaik for his alleged support for those involved in the arrest of two key organisers of the Gen-Z movement, Ashutosh Ranka and Sourav Das, and demanded their immediate release. Addressing a press conference at the party office, Mohanty questioned the rationale behind Naveen Patnaik’s...

Bhubaneswar: Capital city Bhubaneswar will host two major national events on urban development and transport from October 23 to 25, bringing together policymakers, urban planners, transport experts and industry representatives to discuss sustainable mobility, urban governance and improved civic services. The 19th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Exhibition will be held on October 23 and 24,...

New Delhi, Bhubaneswar: Odisha is finalising its landmark Agri-PV Policy 2026, with an ambitious goal of deploying 1 GW of agrivoltaic capacity across the state by 2030, Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said Thursday while speaking at the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in...