Bhubaneswar, June 22 (IANS) Acting on concerns raised by Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary has written to the BJD president informing him that the Department of Financial Services under the Union Finance Ministry has taken serious note of the alleged harassment faced by tribal man Jitu Munda at an Odisha Grameen Bank (OGB) branch in Malliposi, Keonjhar district, in April this year. The Department has directed Regional Rural Banks to ensure …
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Bhubaneswar, June 19 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Friday expressed deep concern over the non‑payment of social security pensions to around 18 lakh beneficiaries in Odisha for the past three months due to technical glitches, calling it a serious failure of governance. In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Patnaik said the affected beneficiaries belong to the most vulnerable sections of society, elderly citizens, widows and persons wit…
Bhubaneswar, June 4 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday thanked the people of Odisha as the state marked two years since the historic mandate that brought the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power in June 2024, saying their continued support would further strengthen the state’s journey towards a Viksit Odisha. Taking to his X handle, Majhi wrote: “On June 4, 2024, the people of Odisha gave a historic mandate for change, good governance, and development. Over the past two yea…
Bhubaneswar, May 27 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced the schedule for the by-elections to fill the vacancy in the Rajya Sabha from Odisha following the resignation of Debashish Samantaray.Samantaray resigned on Monday from the BJD and the Rajya Sabha.According to the schedule announced by the ECI on Wednesday, the notification for the by-election will be issued on June 1. The last date for filing nominations has been fixed as June 8, while the scrutiny of nomi…
Bhubaneswar, May 23 (IANS) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party make public the data on water availability in Odisha’s Mahanadi basin that was reportedly presented by the state government before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT), accusing it of trying to hide certain information. The BJD on Friday raised the demand following questions raised by the “Mahanadi Banchao Andolan”, a prominent citizens’ action group dedicated to protecting the Mahanadi river…
New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday and submitted a detailed representation urging the initiation of structured national deliberations on the inclusion of petrol and diesel under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework. In his representation, Patra emphasised that the constitutional framework under Article 279A(5) already envisages the eventual inclusion of petroleum products within GST through the recommendation of the GST…
New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) Chemists across India on Wednesday observed a one-day strike under the banner of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) to protest against online pharmacy sales, alleged irregularities in the e-pharmacy sector, and concerns over counterfeit medicines. The strike led to the closure of medical stores in several states, disrupting medicine availability and healthcare services in many areas.Bihar Chemists and Druggists Association (BCDA) President and A…
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…
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…