Bhubaneswar, May 6 (IANS) The Indian Railways on Wednesday once again clarified that the creation of the South Coast Railway would not result in any loss to Odisha, terming reports suggesting otherwise as misleading and motivated.In an official statement, authorities said the clarification was issued in response to widely circulated reports claiming that Odisha stood to lose significantly because of the formation of the new South Coast Railway zone.The Railways dismissed such claims as factually…
Latest BJD News & Updates
Bhubaneswar, May 2 (IANS) Naveen Patnaik, BJD chief and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, on Saturday wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, expressing anguish over a shocking incident involving a bank in Keonjhar district. On April 27, Jeetu Munda, a 50-year-old tribal man from Odisha, took the drastic step of placing his deceased sister’s skeletal remains outside a rural bank branch to prove her death and claim her savings.Jeetu was distressed by the b…
Bhubaneswar, April 30 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Naveen Patnaik, on Thursday raised the Keonjhar incident in the Odisha Assembly, stating that it has severely tarnished the state’s image at the national and international level.Speaking during the Special Session on women’s participation in Indian democracy in Odisha Assembly, Patnaik said the incident occurred in the Chief Minister’s home district, making it even more concerning, particularly at a time when the House was delibe…
Bhubaneswar, April 26 (IANS) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misleading the public by alleging that Opposition parties are anti-women for opposing aspects related to the Constitutional Amendment Bill linked to the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act.In a press conference held here, the regional party alleged that although the Women’s Reservation Bill, introduced as the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, 2023, was passed by both Houses of Par…
Bhubaneswar, April 18 (IANS) Senior MP and BJD Parliamentary Party leader in the Rajya Sabha, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, on Friday hailed the defeat of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, saying it was effectively the defeat of the contentious Delimitation Bill (131st Constitutional Amendment). He termed this a crucial victory for states like Odisha, which were likely to lose a significant share in the Lok Sabha with the passage of the Delimitation Bill.Taking to his X handle, Mangaraj …
Bhubaneswar, April 9 (IANS) Senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra on Thursday wrote to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, urging him to revive the Bhubaneswar Metro project through a structured collaboration between the Union and the state government, on the lines of Jaipur Metro Phase-2 in Rajasthan. In a letter to CM on Thursday, Patra mentioned that the Union Cabinet on April 8 approved the Jaipur Metro Phase-2 (41 km; 13,000+ crore) project under the Metro Rail Policy, 201…
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) A fresh political debate has emerged over the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Budget Session of Parliament has been extended to facilitate its rollout. The law, enacted in 2023, provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, but is currently linked to delimitation and is expected to come into effect by 2029. Leaders from the Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena(UBT) on Monday welcomed the move, urging…
Bhubaneswar, March 30 (IANS) Massive chaos, created by opposition parties Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress over the fire tragedy at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, which claimed the lives of 12 patients, continued to disrupt proceedings in the Odisha Assembly on Monday as well. The proceedings began on Monday with Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida moving a motion of condolence to pay homage to former Pallahara MLA and ex-Lok Sabha MP from the Deogarh constituency, Narayan Sahu,…
New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) A political controversy has erupted after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey made remarks about former Odisha Chief Minister, late Biju Patnaik, prompting BJD MP Sasmit Patra to resign from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT in protest. The row began after Dubey allegedly claimed that Biju Patnaik acted as a “link” between the US government, the CIA, and late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The remarks triggered strong reactions from the Biju Janata…
Bhubaneswar, March 27 (IANS) In the wake of the Central Government’s decision to reduce excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per litre, the main opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday demanded a reduction in the VAT imposed by the Odisha government on fuel, noting that the ruling BJP had made similar demands when it was in the Opposition. In a press statement, BJD spokesperson Dr Lenin Mohanty on Friday stated that due to the ongoing conflict between Israel, the United States, and Ira…