The growing protests against the death of paddy saplings in the Hirakud Command Area are likely to cast a shadow on the poll prospects of the BJD. Though the BJD has made fresh inroads into the Congress bastion in Sambalpur district forcing it to go back-foot, the farmers issue may well help Congress retain the

Notwithstanding Pradip Maharathy’s resignation from the cabinet following the storm over the Pipili gang-rape incident, social organizations and political parties said they would continue with their “save women” agitation. They said Maharathy quitting as the agriculture minister was an “eyewash” and demanded chief minister Naveen Patnaik to resign owning moral responsibility for all that happened

Three youths in the age group of 22-28 years were killed when the motorbike in which they were travelling in dashed against a standing truck at Rampela toll gate near here, the police said today. The deceased were identified as Rajesh Patel, Pankaj Nayak and Ramakanta Mahakud. While Patel and Nayak died on the spot

The East Coast Railway (ECoR) is in the process of preparing a 30-year master plan for the entire Bhubaneswar – Cuttack region to make it among the best in the country, General Manager of East Coast Railway Indra Ghosh has said.  Addressing the Republic Day function, he said plans are approved for upgrading the existing facilities

Former MP Bhabani Sankar Hota alleged that due to Government inaction and apathetic attitude farmers are on the verge of ruination due to extensive damage to both seedling and transplanted paddy plant which are attacked by an unknown kind of plant virus. Farmers of Hirakud command area have suffered almost 100% loss. Responding to demand

Security was beefed up across Odisha on Wednesday ahead of the Republic Day, with authorities wary of a retaliatory strike by Maoists after the recent arrest of one of their top leaders. Although collectors of all the 30 districts of the state have been told to step up vigil, officials in Maoist-hit districts have been

The Orissa police notched up a major success in their anti-Maoist battle after they arrested top Maoist leader Girish Mahato and two of his accomplices in the forests of Paikmal block in Bargarh district. Mahato had escaped Chaibasa jail of Jharkhand in January last year along with two other rebels by scaling the prison walls.

While the BJP is already struggling with factionalism which is likely to reflect on the poll prospects, the BJD has raked up the case of false caste certificate much to its chagrin. The case involves former BJP chairman of Sambalpur Municipality Girish Patel. In a release, the BJD has questioned the delay in initiating action