Bhubaneswar | 11 hours ago
Scanty rains trigger drought fears in Orissa
Bhubaneswar, Sep 2 - Poor monsoon rains have triggered drought fears in half of Orissa, an official said Thursday.'At least 15 of state's 30 districts have recorded less then normal - rains,' a senior official of the state agriculture department told IANS. Paddy and other kharif crops are likely to be the worst affected in the tribal populated districts of Sundergarh and Mayurbhanj, he said. A goo ... read more

Kolkata | 14 hours ago
New formula may compensate land-losers: Arun Maira
Kolkata, Sep 2 - The Planning Commission may moot a new formula to compensate those who have lost their land to mining companies, its member Arun Maira said here Thursday.'A clear picture is likely to emerge in the next two weeks,' Maira told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India -. The commission would suggest the plan to the mining ministry shor ... read more

New Delhi | 17 hours ago
Maternal, infant health index improves in India: Unicef
New Delhi, Sep 2 - There has been a significant improvement in maternal and child health indicators in the country with rise in institutional delivery and increase in immunisation, a Unicef survey released Thursday said.The Coverage Evaluation Survey 2009 -, a nationwide survey commissioned by United Nations Children's Fund -, was conducted November 2009-January 2010 across India. According to the ... read more

Bhubaneswar | 19 hours ago
Vedanta taps Gujarat for bauxite for Orissa refinery
Bhubaneswar, Sep 2 - Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Resources has begun talks with the Gujarat government to ensure long-term supply of bauxite for its refinery in Orissa's Kalahandi district after its mining project in the Niyamgiri hills was refused permission by the central government on environmental grounds.Mukesh Kumar, chief operating officer of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd, said the company is also pro ... read more

Bhubaneswar | 1 day ago
35 held for ransacking Vedanta office in Orissa
Bhubaneswar, Sept 1 - At least 35 people were arrested Wednesday for ransacking the office of Vedanta Aluminium Limited in Orissa's Kalahandi district, police said.They were arrested for attacking the administrative office of the company at Lanjigarh, some 450 km from here, late Tuesday, Superintendent of Police Sudha Singh told IANS. 'They damaged the windows, furniture, computers and many other ... read more

New Delhi | 1 day ago
Orissa irrigation project gets initial forest clearance
New Delhi, Sep 1 - The environment ministry has accorded initial forest clearance to the Brutanga irrigation project in Orissa, clearing the way for diversion of over 1,527 hectares of forest land across a tributary of Mahanadi river.The project in Nayagarh district was given Stage I forest clearance by the forest advisory committee - at its meeting last month after the state government presented ... read more

Bhubaneswar | 1 day ago
Chinese national down with swine flu in Orissa
Bhubaneswar, Sep 1 - A Chinese national is among five more people infected with swine flu in Orissa, taking the total number of victims in the state in the last two months to 87, an official said Wednesday.The 25-year-old foreigner works at a private factory in Jharsuguda, about 374 km from here. He tested positive late Tuesday, an official of the state health control room told IANS. One person in ... read more

Bhubaneswar | 2 days ago
Police destroy Maoist camp in Orissa, four held
Bhubaneswar, Aug 31 - A Maoist camp was destroyed by the police Tuesday in Orissa's Keonjhar district, and four rebels were arrested and several weapons seized, an official said.Police attacked the camp spread over half an acre area near Telkoi village on the border of neighbouring Dhenkanal district, 335 km from here, Superintendent of Police A.K. Singh told IANS. 'We arrested four rebels, while ... read more

New Delhi | 3 days ago
Scope of central panel probing violations by POSCO widened
New Delhi, Aug 30 - The central environment ministry has decided to widen the scope of an investigation panel probing violation of laws by South Korean steel major POSCO's $12 billion project by asking it to review compliance with environmental protection and coastal zone regulations.The four-member central panel led by former environment and forests department secretary Meena Gupta Sunday complet ... read more

Bhubaneswar | 3 days ago
B.K.Patnaik is Orissa's new chief secretary
Bhubaneswar, Aug 30 - Bijay Kumar Patnaik, the principal secretary to Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, was Monday appointed the state's new chief secretary, an official said.The 1976-batch Indian Administrative Service - officer succeeds T.K. Mishra, who retired Monday. The state government has also made some transfers and appointments. Forest and Environment Secretary U.N.Behera has appoint ... read more