At a recently held District Collectors' conference, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi issued directions to stop illegal sand mining, which bears testimony to the fact that the state has been witnessing growth in sand theft.
State’s Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, who met the Union Consumer Welfare, Public Food Distribution minister recently in New Delhi, also pressed for the release of Rs 8178.19 crore of pending paddy subsidy claims.
The arrested marine fishermen were natives of the Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts. The trawl and fishing implements used by them for sea voyage in prohibited marine sanctuary areas were seized. Later, they were remanded to judicial custody under relevant sections of the wildlife protection act, 1972, said officials.
Indian Railways regularly undertakes Disaster Management Exercises to reinforce emergency readiness across its divisions. These drills are designed to test emergency preparedness of railway staff, NDRF teams, and local agencies in accident-like situations.
With Odisha recording an all-time yearly high record of 94 elephant deaths in 2024-25 (till 18.3.2025), the state has acquired the dubious distinction of being the elephant graveyard of India.
They were killed in an intelligence-based operation and the rebels were in their hideout in the mountainous terrains when the operation was launched to flush out the Maoists, said Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Sunil Bansal.
Malkangiri District Collector called it first of its initiative from the district administration and the Border Security Force (BSF) taken for the benefit of locals. It is a pilot project. In days to come, more such centres would be established.
Meanwhile amid substantial drop in cases, the Odisha government has withdrawn all COVID-19 restrictions, including mandatory wearing of masks in public places and prohibition on large gatherings, officials said.
Debraj Sahu had fallen from a swing of a joyride at a fair in Tureikela block of Balangir district on 8 November last.
The explosives and arms seized from the ammunition dump site were intended to target civilians and police forces, said a senior police official on Wednesday.
