Bhubaneswar Archive

Orissa boat tragedy: five bodies recovered

Published: November 4, 2009Posted in: NationalTags:

Bhubaneswar, Nov 4 – Bodies of all the five pilgrims who went missing after an overloaded boat capsized Monday in the Mahanadi river in Orissa’s Cuttack district have been recovered, an official said Wednesday.

Two bodies were recovered during the day Tuesday while three others were recovered late in the night.

‘All the bodies missing since the boat mishap have been recovered. The search operation continued late in the night. Three bodies were recovered at about 2.30 a.m.,’ said Arbind Agrawal, the sub-collector of Athagarh in Cuttack district, about 25 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.

Post mortem examinations will be conducted and then the bodies will be handed over to relatives.

The boat capsized at Mancheswar Ghat while ferrying pilgrims to the Dhabaleswar temple, where there was a heavy rush because it was Kartika Purnima (full moon of Kartika in the Hindu calendar). More than 20 people were rescued Monday.

Orissa boat tragedy: Two bodies recovered, 3 still missing

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: NationalTags:

Bhubaneswar, Nov 3 – Bodies of two of the five pilgrims who went missing when an overloaded boat capsized Monday in the Mahanadi river in Orissa’s Cuttack district Monday, were recovered Tuesday.

‘We have recovered two dead bodies so far from the spot. We will continue the search operation for the remaining three pilgrims for a few hours more, then we will see,’ said Arbind Agrawal, the sub-collector of Athagarh in Cuttack district, about 25 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.

According to the officials, the chances of survival of the missing pilgrims are grim.

The boat capsized at Mancheswar ghat while ferrying pilgrims to Dhabaleswar temple, where there was a heavy rush as it was Kartika Purnima (full moon of Kartika month of Hindu calendar). More than 20 people were rescued Monday buy five could not be traces

Earlier Tuesday, the district administration took the help of international scuba diver Shabir Bux and his team to help in the search. However, the search operation failed to trace out other pilgrims who had drowned.

3 more in Orissa school found to have swine flu

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: Health, NationalTags:

Bhubaneswar, Nov 3 – Three more students tested positive swine flu in a residential girls’ school in Orissa’s Sundergarh district, officials said Tuesday. Two girls had already been detected to be infected Sunday.

‘Four swab samples had been sent to regional medical research center. Three of them were found to be positive,’ Gopinath Mahalik, director of health, told IANS.

He, however, said that there is no need to panic.

‘There is no need to panic. We have taken every precautionary measure. A team of doctors is already stationed at the school and treating the students. We have quarantined the students to prevent the spread of any contamination,’ he added.

Samples of two students of the Jampali Government Girls High School, sent to the regional medical research centre, turned out to be positive Sunday.

The health department was concerned after it found some of the students returned to their homes after they complained of fever last Saturday.

However, the officials say that the students have been traced and undergoing treatment.

‘We have traced ninety percent of the students who had gone to their homes after they complained of fever. We are treating them too,’ Mahalik added.

Orissa boat accident: 2 bodies recovered, 5 still missing

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: NationalTags:

Bhubaneswar, Nov 3 – Bodies of two pilgrims who drowned when an overloaded boat capsized Monday in the Mahanadi river in Orissa’s Cuttack district Monday, were recovered Tuesday. Five passengers are still missing.

‘We have recovered two dead bodies so far from the spot. We will continue the search operation for a few hours more, then we will see,’ said Arbind Agrawal, the sub-collector of Athagarh in Cuttack district, about 25 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.

According to the officials, the chances of survival of the missing pilgrims are grim.

The boat capsized at Mancheswar ghat while ferrying pilgrims to Dhabaleswar temple, where there was a heavy rush as it was Kartika Purnima (full moon of Kartika month of Hindu calendar). More than 20 people were rescued Monday.

Earlier Tuesday, the district administration took the help of international scuba diver Shabir Bux and his team to help in the search. However, the search operation failed to trace out other pilgrims who had drowned.

Sari-clad cheerleaders to boost crowd at Cuttack ODI

Published: October 27, 2009Posted in: Cricket, Entertainment, NationalTags:

Bhubaneswar, Oct 27 – Sari-clad cheerleaders will perform for the first time during the day and night one-day international cricket match between India and Sri Lanka Dec 21 at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.

The cheerleaders will wear Sambalpuri saris — the oldest form of the tie-and-dye handwoven textile — and perform whenever a boundary is hit or a wicket falls, Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Ashirbad Behera told IANS.

‘At least 15 Oriya girls between 18 and 20 would be selected for the purpose. They will be placed in three different parts of the stadium,’ he said.

‘The girls will not wear short skirts as has been done in many other places because it would be against our culture and tradition. Our audience will not accept it. They will have modest traditional attire. They will be dressed as per our tradition and culture.’

OCA has already placed an order to buy the saris from a state cooperative body, Behera added.

Music from superhit Oriya films or albums would be played in the background when the girls perform, he said.

OCA had thought of introducing similarly-clad cheerleaders during the day-night ODI between India and England Nov 26 last year, but it cancelled the plan saying that it did not have adequate time to organise it.

Cricket first saw cheerleaders when business tycoon Vijay Mallya’s IPL (Indian Premier League) team took the field in Twenty20 IPL championship last year.

The latest match will be the 16th day-night international to be played in Barabati, some 26 km from the state capital here. OCA has already begun preparations.

Behera said the stadium authorities are increasing the seating capacity from 35,000 to 45,000.

‘For the first time, we are also creating an air-conditioned corporate box where at least 800 people can be accommodated,’ he said.

The players, match referees and officials would stay at hotel Mayfair Lagoon in Bhubaneswar. ‘We have already booked the hotel,’ he said.

Behera said a reception committee has been formed to look after all arrangements. The committee will soon meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and seek his help to provide adequate security for the match, he said.

Judicial probe ordered into Orissa student’s death

Published: October 25, 2009Posted in: Education, NationalTags:

Bhubaneswar, Oct 25 – The Orissa government Sunday ordered a judicial inquiry into the death of an engineering student Saturday and the violence that followed in Bolangir district, officials said Sunday.

The incident would be probed by a retired high court judge, the official said.

Meanwhile, another student succumbed to his injuries Sunday after being ‘hit by police’, during a baton-charge Saturday. Sashikant Panda died in Burla Medical College Hospital where he was shifted from Bolangir Saturday after his condition deteriorated.

‘My son was hit by police on the head. He could have been saved had he not been hit on the head,’ said Umakanta Panda, the father of the student.

The state government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs.5 lakh to the next of kin and promised to bear the medical expenses incurred for the treatment of the injured.

The situation remained tense in the Bolangir district Sunday.

The district administration held consultations with political parties to defuse the tension. Security forces also conducted a flag march in the town.

Violence erupted in the town following the death of an engineering student Saturday, after a police vehicle allegedly hit the motorcycle of the student.

Hundreds of students took to the streets and destroyed half a dozen vehicles and ransacked the town police station.

Meanwhile, the driver of the police vehicle has been suspended.

‘We are probing the entire incident. The driver has been suspended. We have ordered a departmental inquiry into the matter,’ said Inspector General of Police Y.B Khurania.

Bolangir is some 400 km from Bhubaneswar.

Work begins on Rs.100 crore knowledge park in Orissa

Published: October 25, 2009Posted in: Education, NationalTags:

Bhubaneswar, Oct 25 – Work on a Rs.100 crore Konark Knowledge Park has begun in Orissa with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday laying the foundation stone for the project, officials said.

The park will be developed under public-private partnership between the Orissa government and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International at Mauja-Andharua on the outskirts of state capital Bhubaneswar.

‘The project aims to boost investments in the areas of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals in the state by providing such industries high class infrastructure,’ a senior official of the state’s science and technology department told IANS.

The state government has allocated 64.86 acres of land where the park is slated to be completed in eight years. The area includes 10 acres where a Biotech Incubation Centre would also be built, the official said.

The state government will provide all external infrastructure facilities, such as four lane roads to the gate, and uninterrupted water supply and power to facilitate rapid development of internal infrastructure.

Two Maoists arrested in Orissa

Published: October 25, 2009Posted in: NationalTags:

Bhubaneswar, Oct 25 – Two Maoist guerrillas were arrested early Sunday during a combing operation in Rayagada district of Orissa, police said.

‘Two Maoist rebels were arrested from the forested area of Gudari area. They were involved in several cases,’ Superintendent of Police Asish Kumar Singh said.

Singh said the rebels were arrested during a joint combing operation by Special Operations Group (SOG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

Rayagada is more than 300 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.

Student’s accidental death triggers violence in Orissa town

Published: October 24, 2009Posted in: Education, NationalTags:

Bhubaneswar, Oct 24 – The death of an engineering student in an accident involving a police vehicle triggered violent protests in Orissa’s Bolangir town Saturday, police said.

Rampaging students of the Sushree Institute of Technical Education torched vehicles after their college mate was hit by a police vehicle.

The angry students also ransacked the town police station. Police baton charged the protestors and fired warning shots to disperse them.

‘The situation is under control,’ said Superintendent of Police P.S. Ranpesh.

Central nod to rename Orissa welcomed

Published: October 24, 2009Posted in: National, PoliticsTags:

Bhubaneswar, Oct 24 – The central government’s nod to a proposal by Orissa government to re-name the state as Odisha has received appreciation from people in the state.

‘This was a long-standing demand. There should also be changes in the names of all other places in Orissa which were misspelt,’ state Agriculture Minister and the ruling Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) general secretary Damodar Rout told IANS Saturday.

‘We welcome the move. We have been demanding this since quite some time,’ Basanta Panigrahi, president of Utkal Sammilani, an organisation which works to protect the language, culture and tradition of the state, said.

‘It is a welcome move. At least we will be able to use the right name of our state soon,’ college student Sudhakar Satpathy said.

‘Odisha is the ancient name of the state. It is a good move but only renaming of the state does not serve the purpose. The state government should promote Odiya culture and its language in true sense,’ former chief minister and Congress leader J.B. Patnaik told reporters.

The BJD government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had approached the centre to amend the constitution after resolving in August last year to change the name of Orissa to Odisha and the name of its official language from Oriya to Odia.

The central cabinet approved the proposal Thursday, and the bill to amend the Constitution for the change is expected to be introduced in the next session of Parliament.

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