Bhubaneswar:

As many as six persons died due to lightning strikes in five different districts of Odisha on Sunday.

With this, the death count due to lightning strikes in the state has risen to 15 over the past two days, including nine deaths reported on Saturday from different parts of Odisha.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday expressed grief over the tragic deaths, and condoled the bereaved family members.

As per the Chief Minister’s Office, two persons died in Kendrapara district while one each succumbed to lightning strikes in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, and Subarnapur on Sunday.

Several others have sustained injuries due to the lightning strikes.

CM Majhi has announced Rs 4 lakh compensation for the families of each of those who died in the incidents. 

Wishing the injured a speedy recovery, Mr Majhi also declared that the state government will bear the treatment expenses of all the injured people.

Meanwhile, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari told media persons on Sunday that the district administrations are being regularly updated on weather-related issues.

“The number of lightning deaths is much higher in Odisha in comparison to other states. Around 300 persons die due to lightning strikes every year in the state. There are many reasons for such deaths, such as lack of adequate earthing system in various buildings, including schools and residential homes,” said Mr Pujari.

He added that his department is in touch with the School and Mass Education Department regarding the absence of earthing system at many schools in the state.

Mr Pujari also said that the state government will soon plant 20 lakh palm trees, known as ‘lightning arresters’, across the state to save precious lives during lightning.

The government is taking all the steps to bring the number of lightning deaths to zero in Odisha, the minister said.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhubaneswar:

With the Odisha Assembly continuing to witness ruckus for the second day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Tuesday sought the arrest of BJD President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik for alleged indiscipline during Governor address Raghubar Das’ address in the House on Monday.

Mr Mahaling accused the LoP of breaching the rules of the House, saying he needs to be arrested for the alleged indiscipline.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJD said the statement made by Mr Mahaling shows BJP’s lack of experience in running the government.

Speaking to mediapersons, BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahoo said, “What he referred to shows his lack of experience. I have never seen anyone being arrested in the history of Vidhan Sabha proceedings.”

Meanwhile, Speaker Surama Padhy on Tuesday adjourned the House till 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday after the opposition continued to create a ruckus over the alleged assault on an assistant section officer by the son of Governor Das.

The opposition BJD and the Congress MLAs reached the Well of the House and engaged in sloganeering demanding action against the Governor’s son after the House proceedings resumed at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is now the state’s Leader of Opposition, has drawn up a shadow cabinet to scrutinise and take on the ruling BJP and its Chief Minister Mohan Majhi. The move comes ahead of the budget session of the state assembly, which is set to begin from next Monday.

The 50-member UK-style shadow cabinet reflects the early experiences of Mr Patnaik who spent a large part of his pre-politics life in the UK.

The members of the shadow cabinet are mostly former ministers of his government, who are expected to keep tabs on each minister and his department and prepare alternative plans and policies in areas the government could slip up.

“The Opposition party is the custodian of people’s interests. The Opposition party has a significant role to play in the state Assembly.

The MLAs will keep close watch on the activities of departments assigned to them and actively take part during discussion of those departments in the state Assembly. They will work to protect the interests of the people,” a statement issued by the BJD on Wednesday quoted Mr Patnaik as saying.

The former Chief Minister’s move not only underscores the active role he plans to play from the Opposition benches, it also brushes off the notion that many had — that the Biju Janata Dal will now be politically irrelevant.

The BJD found itself out of power in the recently concluded election after 24 years. The BJP unseated the government of Naveen Patnaik winning 78 of the 147 assembly seats. The BJD won 51 seats.

Days later, as Mr Patnaik was elected the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, the BJD signalled that it means business.

The party, which was the BJP’s friend in Rajya Sabha, said its MPs would not be confined to speaking on issues only, but would hold agitation if the BJP-led government at the Centre “ignores Odisha’s interest”.

The party has already ranged itself alongside the Opposition on the NEET issue and even held walkouts in parliament.

The Ratna Bhandar – the revered treasury – of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha, was reopened after 46 years on Sunday. 

A team of 11 members were formed by the state government to enter the treasury. Orissa HC judge Biswanath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak and a representative of Puri’s titular king ‘Gajapati Maharaja’ were part of the team, reported news agency PTI.

An official told the agency that the team won’t carry out the inventory of valuables immediately. 

The Chief Minister’s Office has issued a statement on X (Formerly Twitter) to mark the occasion. It read, “On the wish of Lord Jagannath, the Odia community, with the identity of ‘Odia Asmita’, has started making efforts to move forward. On your wish, the four gates of the Jagannath temples were earlier opened. Today, on your wish, the Ratna Bhandar was opened after 46 years for a greater purpose.”

ଜୟ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ

ହେ ମହାପ୍ରଭୁ!

ତୁମେ ଲୀଳାମୟ। ତୁମ ଇଚ୍ଛାରେ ଏ ସାରା ସଂସାର ଆତଯାତ ହେଉଛି। ତୁମେ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଜାତିର ହୃତ୍‌ ସ୍ପନ୍ଦନ। ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଜାତିର ଅସ୍ମିତା ଓ ସ୍ବାଭିମାନର ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ପରିଚୟ।

ତୁମ ଇଚ୍ଛାରେ ଓଡ଼ିଆ ଜାତି ଆଜି ତାର ଅସ୍ମିତାର ପରିଚୟକୁ ନେଇ ଆଗକୁ ବଢ଼ିବାକୁ ଉଦ୍ୟମ ଆରମ୍ଭ କରିଛି। ତୁମ ଇଚ୍ଛାରେ ପ୍ରଥମେ ଶ୍ରୀମନ୍ଦିରର ଚାରି…

— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) July 14, 2024

What’s inside the revered treasury

– The treasury is home to precious gold and diamond jewellery offered to Lord Jagannath. As per Odisha Magazine, Odisha’s King Anangabhima Dev donated 2.5 lakh madhas of gold to prepare jewellery for the almighty. 

– The Ratna Bhandar has two chambers — Bhitar Bhandar (Inner Treasury) and Bahar Treasury (Outer Treasury). The Magazine stated that the outer treasury has suna mukuta of Lord Jagannath, three gold necklaces (Haridakanthi Mali) weighing 120 tolas each.

– The report mentioned also mentions Suna Sribhuja and Sri Payar of Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra. 

– Meanwhile, the inner treasury has close to 74 gold ornaments, each weighing more than 100 tolas, the report added. 

– There are plates made of gold, diamond, corals and pearls, the report said. Apart from this, more than 140 silver jewellery are also kept in the treasury. 

Puri (Odisha):

Days after the alleged assault on a Raj Bhavan employee in Odisha by Governor Raghubar Das’s son, the Governor took cognizance of the incident and assured justice for the victim and his family.

Baikuntha Pradhan, a Raj Bhavan employee, has alleged that he was assaulted by Governor Raghubar Das’s son, Lalit Kumar, along with six other people on the night of July 7.

Mr Pradhan, along with his wife Sayoj, met with the Governor on Friday and shared their views.

Governor Das assured the victim’s family that strict action would be taken against those involved in the incident.

In a conversation with ANI on Saturday, Sayoj, wife of Baikuntha Pradhan, said that they were assured by the governor that justice would be served.

“Everyone is aware of what happened on July 7. The governor called us and we met him. He assured us that justice would be given. He said that we are their family,” she said.

Earlier on Friday, a complaint was registered regarding the matter at the Sea Beach Police Station in Odisha’s Puri.

Baikuntha Pradhan had also written to the Governor. “I, Baikuntha Pradhan, Asst. Section Officer, Parliamentary Affairs Department, currently working on a deployment basis at the Governor’s Household, beg to state the following unfortunate and life-threatening incident done by Mr. Lalit Kumar, son of the Honourable Governor of Odisha, and others (a total of six persons) on the night of July 7, 2024, at Raj Bhavan, Puri,” read the letter.

Baikuntha Pradhan further alleged that Lalit Kumar had been threatening him. “Mr Lalit Kumar kept on saying that if they murdered me, nobody could save me, neither the Comptroller nor anybody else,” he claimed.

Baikuntha Pradhan has demanded that the accused be brought to justice.

“In view of the facts stated above, I request that you earnestly give me justice and bring the culprit to book as I received bodily injuries, was severely humiliated, and lost human dignity, for which I will remain highly obliged to you,” he wrote in the letter to the Governor.

Bhubaneswar:

As many as five persons died in lightning strikes in Odisha’s Bargarh and Balangir districts on Wednesday.

Sukhdev Banchor (58), Niroj Kumbhar (25), and Dhanurjya Nayak (45) from Dewandihi village in Bargarh district had taken shelter under a banyan tree near the village when the lightning struck. All three died on the spot, while two others sustained injuries in the lightning strike on Wednesday afternoon.

In another incident, Suryakanti Kharsel (40) and her 18-year-old son Deepak from Chaulbanji village in Balangir district died due to a lightning strike while working in their paddy field.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased persons.

The Chief Minister also wished a speedy recovery to the injured persons, as he instructed the concerned district administrations to provide free treatment to them.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhubaneswar:

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday allocated portfolios to his council of ministers, keeping home, finance and several other departments to himself, according to an order issued by the Raj Bhavan.

Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo was given the charge of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy departments.

The other deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, a debutant MLA and the lone female in the 16-member council of ministers, has been assigned Women and Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism department.

Mr Majhi was sworn in as the state’s first BJP chief minister here on Wednesday.

The other departments which are also held by the chief minister are general administration and public grievances, information and public relations, water resources and planning and convergence.

Veteran BJP leader Suresh Pujari was allocated Revenue and Disaster Management, while Rabi Narayan Naik, a farmer leader, was given Rural Development, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water departments.

Tribal leader Nityananda Gond got school and mass education, ST&SC development, minorities & backward classes Welfare, social security & empowerment of persons with disabilities departments, the statement said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Rourkela:

 Ten people died of suspected heatstroke in Odisha’s Rourkela city on Thursday, as the mercury shot up in most parts of the eastern state, officials said.

The director-in-charge (DIC) of Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH), Dr Sudharani Pradhan, said the deaths occurred within a span of six hours from 2 pm onwards.

“Eight people were dead by the time they reached the hospital, while the rest died while undergoing treatment here. This was likely due to the intense heatwave,” she said.

“The body temperatures were around 103-104 degrees Fahrenheit, which is very high given the weather conditions. This could be the possible reason behind the deaths. The history could not be studied as they arrive dead,” she said.

A few more people were undergoing treatment.

“At this moment the real cause is not known. It could be ascertained tomorrow after the post-mortem examination,” said Ms Pradhan.

The Director of Public Health, U K Sahoo confirmed the deaths of 10 people and said, “Ten people have died, but identities of all of them are yet to be ascertained.” Meanwhile, heat wave conditions prevailed across Odisha, particularly the western region, as temperatures soared to more than 44 degrees C in 12 places on Thursday.

The IMD in its evening bulletin said as many as 19 places in the state recorded a maximum temperature of more than 40 degrees C.

Heatwave conditions prevailed in Jharsuguda, Bolangir, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Malkangiri, Sundargarh, Nuapada and Kandhamal districts, it said.

Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state as the maximum temperature in the western Odisha district zoomed to 47 deg C.

Jharsuguda was followed by Titlagarh at 46.5 deg C, Bargarh at 46.3 deg C and Sambalpur at 46.2 deg C.

The mercury level rose to 45.6 deg C at Sonepur, while Malkangiri recorded 45.6 deg C, Bhawanipatna 45.5 deg C, Balangir 45.3 deg C and Hirakud 45.2 deg C.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Puri:

Fifteen people received burn injuries after a heap of firecrackers exploded during Lord Jagannath’s Chandan Jatra festival in Odisha’s Puri on Wednesday night, police said.

Hundreds of people had gathered on the banks of Narendra Pushkarinee, a waterbody, to witness the rituals when the accident happened, they said.

A group of devotees were celebrating the festival with crackers. Suddenly, a splinter from the burning crackers struck the heap, leading to the explosion, they added.

The burning crackers then hit the people gathered at the spot, and some of them, even jumped into the waterbody to save themselves, police said.

The injured persons were admitted to the district hospital, and the conditions of four of them were critical, a doctor said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the incident and directed officials concerned to ensure proper treatment of the injured.

He said the cost of the treatment would be borne by the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:
Voting will take place in 58 seats across seven states and one Union Territory in the sixth and penultimate phase of the Lok Sabha election today. Delhi and Haryana are voting in a single phase. For the seventh and last phase, 57 seats will be left.

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