Biju Janata Dal MPs urge the Railway Minister for immediate implementation of budgetary allocation [Odisha Diary]

 BJD MPs have urged Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda for immediate implementation of the railway budgetary allocation for Odisha.

A delegation of the 14 BJD MPs, headed by leader of BJD Parliamentary Party Bhartruhari Mahtab, met Gowda here on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum to him in this regard.

The delegation also requested him to direct the railway authorities to complete the State’s unfinished railway projects which have not be been completed since a long time.

BJD MPs have urged Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda for immediate implementation of the railway budgetary allocation for Odisha.

A delegation of the 14 BJD MPs, headed by leader of BJD Parliamentary Party Bhartruhari Mahtab, met Gowda here on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum to him in this regard.

The delegation also requested him to direct the railway authorities to complete the State’s unfinished railway projects which have not be been completed since a long time.

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CM Naveen Patnaik felicitates five FREEDOM FIGHTERS chosen for national honour [Odisha Diary]

The five freedom fighters of Odisha, who have been invited by the President of India for a special felicitation programme at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the national capital on Saturday (August 9), were also honoured by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday.

The special ceremony in Bhubaneswar was also attended by additional chief secretary, finance and home secretary U N Behera and several senior officials of the state government.

The five freedom fighters, who have been invited for the function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan and were felicitated on Wednesday by the state government are – Shyamsundar Behera from Adampur and Gourishyam Goswami from Suryapur in Bhadrak district, Sashidhar Mishra from BJB Nagar area of Bhubaneswar, Rasabihari Nayak from Khantapada block of Baleswar district and Ramahari Goswami from Athagarh in Cuttack district, informed a communiqué from the chief minister’s office.

The five freedom fighters of Odisha, who have been invited by the President of India for a special felicitation programme at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the national capital on Saturday (August 9), were also honoured by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday.

The special ceremony in Bhubaneswar was also attended by additional chief secretary, finance and home secretary U N Behera and several senior officials of the state government.

The five freedom fighters, who have been invited for the function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan and were felicitated on Wednesday by the state government are – Shyamsundar Behera from Adampur and Gourishyam Goswami from Suryapur in Bhadrak district, Sashidhar Mishra from BJB Nagar area of Bhubaneswar, Rasabihari Nayak from Khantapada block of Baleswar district and Ramahari Goswami from Athagarh in Cuttack district, informed a communiqué from the chief minister’s office.

- See more at: http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=52429#sthash.e6a7MBXo.dpuf

CM Naveen Patnaik gives away Odisha Bigyan Academy Awards to numerous Scientists [Odisha Channel]

Several eminent scientists were felicitated at the investiture ceremony of different awards of Odisha Bigyan Academy for the year 2012 at a grand function held at the Jayadav Bhavan auditorium here on Tuesday.

The awards were presented by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Congratulating the scientists who were felicitated for their outstanding contribution to the cause of science and its popularization, the Chief expressed hope that their feats would sow the seeds of a new generation of scientific revolution by stimulating the young researchers and popularize the scientific achievements for the benefit of the common men.

“Our academic and research institutions have to enhance their quality to match with the international standards. Our research programmes need to achieve a range of out-of-the-box solutions to combat the menaces of environmental pollution, energy crisis, water scarcity, global warming and climate change,” said Patnaik in his address.

“I wish an annual conclave of scientists and technocrats be organized by Odisha Bigyan Academy in our State that would provide an excellent platform to the scientific fraternity including young scientists, school children, women scientists and traditional innovators of Odisha for deliberations and exchange of views on emerging issues of the state for sustainable development,” he added.

Patnaik felicitated three eminent scientists of Odisha – Prof. Satyananda Acharya, Prof. Bhabendra Kumar Patnaik and Er. Govinda Chandra Sahu.

He presented the Biju Patnaik Award for Scientific Excellence to Prof. Ganapati Panda and also presented the Samanta Chandra Sekhar Award to Dr. Birendra Kumar Mohapatra, Prof. Sushil Kumar Dutta, Prof. Sanghamitra Mohanty and Dr. Ajit Kumar Shasany.

The Chief Minister also awarded Dr. (Ms.) Dipti Prakasini Das, Dr. Banikalyan Swain and Dr. (Mrs.) Punyapriya Mishra for Odisha Young Scientists Award and Dr. (Mrs.) Purabi Mohanty and Dr. (Mrs.) Jyotirmayee Mohanty were awarded as Pranakrushna Parija Popular Science Award on the occasion.

Biju Janata Dal to support Insurance Bill in the Parliament [The Economic Times]

In a boost to the government, Biju Janata Dal today said it will Insurance Bill which will be moved in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

"The government has circulated about 97 amendments in the Rajya Sabha. The amendments moved by the government have given clarity. We will support the bill," BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab told PTI here today.

He said his party was opposed to the bill introduced by the UPA government as there was no clarity on certain issues. "There was no rider on FIIs," he said.

The BJD has seven members in the Rajya Sabha. The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, Modi government's first major reform initiative to raise FDI cap in the sector to 49 per cent, has been listed in Monday's government agenda in the Upper House.

However, uncertainty still looms over the immediate passage of the bill with nine parties including the Congress giving notice in Rajya Sabha for referring the bill to a Select Committee.

Congress, CPI-M, CPI, SP, BSP, DMK, JD (U), Trinamool Congress and RJD have given a notice to the Chairman of the Upper House Hamid Ansari for referring the controversial bill to a Select Committee.

AIADMK, which despite not being an ally supports the government on key issues, has also agreed to back the nine parties in the endeavour though it is not a signatory to the notice.

It has been agreed upon among the Opposition parties that as soon as the government moves the controversial Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, they will move a motion pressing for referring it to the Select Committee.

The BJP-led NDA does not have a majority in the Upper House and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has refused to react on the possibility of the bill being referred to the Select Committee.

The bill, which has already been through the Standing Committee, seeks to raise the ceiling of FDI in the insurance sector to 49 per cent from the current 26 percent.

Congress has been claiming that the bill was originally its idea, but now several new provisions have been added including allowing investment by FIIs, which is "extremely mobile, uncertain and like quicksand".

CM Naveen Patnaik plans July 1, 2015 deadline to implement Food Law [Indian Express]

The Naveen Patnaik government plans to cover the entire state under National Food Security Act by July next year.  Having already decided on the eight exclusion criteria for identification of beneficiaries, the state government now plans to implement it in 3 phases, with the final phase covering 275 of the 314 blocks by July 1 next year.

The first phase would start by January 1 next year.

Beggars, destitute, pension holder widows, particularly vulnerable tribal groups and persons having disabilities of 40 per cent or above, rag-pickers, domestic workers, street vendors, construction workers, home-based workers and rickshaw pullers would be the beneficiaries.

At the 5th meeting of the state task force on NFS Act held last week, IBM made a presentation on the methodology for identification of beneficiary under the NFSA. But before adopting the methodology, the performance of integrated database for Khurda district would be observed.

Officials said the government would first notify the exclusion criteria and seek application from existing ration card holders . “Once the beneficiary database is ready, the same would be seeded to the Aadhaar database. The final list would be web-hosted and the beneficiaries would be given a laminated bar-coded ration card,” officials said.

CM Naveen Patnaik reviews flood situation in the state [Odisha Diary]

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday reviews flood situation in the state. Apprehending the worst, the Chief Minister on Monday after reviewing the flood situation had asked all district Collectors, particularly of the vulnerable three district administrations, to take all precautionary steps to deal with the possible floods.

With all the rivers in north Odisha flowing close to their danger marks and showing a rising trend, the Chief Minister asked the district Collectors of Baleswar and Mayurbhanj to remain alert to handle the situation.

The ODRAF, NDRF and Fire personnel were pressed into service in Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts to undertake rescue and relief operations as two blocks under Keonjhar, including Hatadihi, Andnadpur and three blocks in Jajpur, including Dasarathpur, Korei, and Jajpur Sadar had been flooded due to the Batarani water.

The Chief Minister during the review meeting on Monday evening asked the Collectors to evacuate people from the low lying and marooned areas to safer places and provide them with free cooked food. The flood victims should be provided with emergency relief if necessary, Patnaik instructed.

He also asked the Irrigation Department to identify the vulnerable pointes along the river embankments and deploy mobile patrolling teams for protection. Besides, he also asked the Urban Development, Health and Rural Development Departments to ensure provision of portable drinking water to the affected people.

CM Naveen Patnaik writes to PM, asks Centre to share NPR data for Food Security Act implementation [Odisha Sun Times]

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share the National Population Register (NPR) data base with the state government for implementation of National Food Security Act (FSA), 2013 in the state.

The Registrar General of India (RGI) has been requested on several occasions to share the digital NPR database of  the remaining 29 districts of Odisha. The matter has also been taken up with the Union Home secretary and Home Minister. I had also personally written to Dr Manmohan Singh to intervene in the matter in April, 2013. I would request you to intervene in the matter immediately for enabling Odisha to implement the National Food Security Act, 2013 at an early date,” said Patnaik in a letter to prime minister Modi.

So far, the RGI has shared the data of only Khurdha district in August 2013.

Informing that there are large inclusion and exclusion errors in the existing ration cards, the chief minister said the government has decided to digitalise the list of beneficiaries for the NFS Act on the basis of NPR created at the time of 2011 Census as it is a near complete database of all the people in the country.

The RGI and Census Commission of India are the custodians of the database. The Odisha government has inked an MoU with the RGI for sharing the NPR database in March 2013.

Expediting the process of implementation of the Act, the government has given its nod to eight exclusion criteria for identification of beneficiaries who  will avail subsidised food grains.

The eight exclusion criteria covers monthly income, income tax payees, persons having four wheelers or 2 nos of three wheelers, business with TIN number, electric consumption above 300 units, any state Government or Central Government employee, persons owning tractors, power-tillers, fishing boats or other heavy vehicles, persons into entrepreneurship, professional tax payees etc.

Based on the criteria, the government has decided to delete all bogus ration card holders and APLs counted as BPLs, due to erroneous registrations, to facilitate streamlining of the process for implementation of the Food Security Act in the state.