ODISHA

The AREMHL has signed definitive agreements with the Essel Green Energy Pvt Ltd to acquire 100-per cent economic value in a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that owns the solar project in Odisha, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

The project has a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Corporation of India (SECI) for `4.235 per unit with remaining PPA life of about 22 years, the company said.The closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions. The acquisition of project is at an enterprise valuation of `219 crore. Managing Director and CEO of Adani Green Energy Ltd Vneet Jain said, We remain focused on opportunities that help us create value for shareholders as well as facilitate Growth of Environment-friendly green power in India. With acquisition of this project in Odisha, AGEL will now have its footprint across 12 States in India. We are on an expansion path that will make us worlds largest renewable player by 2030. With this acquisition, the AGEL would achieve a total renewable capacity of 19.8 gigawatts (GW). The total portfolio includes 5.4 GW operational assets, 5.7 GW assets under construction and 8.7 GW near construction assets.

The Odisha Government’s pre-emption scheme of iron Ore has saved many industries, protected thousands of people’s livelihood and resulted in the industrialisation of modern-day Odisha.

The steel sector, especially MSMEs, in the State is struggling for survival. About 44 sponge iron making units out of 106 have been closed, and several companies are operating below their installed capacities due to the unavailability of iron ore at competitive prices.

Recently, several industrial bodies like the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the Odisha Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association (OSIMA) and others have requested for intervention of the to address the iron ore crisis in Odisha.

More than 15 sponge iron and pellet companies are eagerly waiting to receive the allotment of iron ore from the Steel and Mines Department to supply iron ore under the State’s pre-emption policy.

On the occasion of the Rath Yatra, the Prime Minister greets the people.

Highlights:
This year’s Rath Yatra festival at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, took place on July 12th.
The festival was held without devotees due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Apart from Police officers, only officials and temple authorities were present.

About Puri Rath Yatra:
Rath Yatra is a festival honouring Lord Jagannath (Lord Krishna), Goddess Subhadra (Lord Krishna’s sister), and Lord Balaram (his elder brother).
Rath Yatra is widely celebrated and is one of India’s largest festivals.
According to the traditional Oriya calendar, the Jagannath Rath Yatra festival starts on the second day of Shukla Paksha in the Hindu lunar month of Ashadha.
The nine-day festival commemorates Lord Jagannath’s annual journey to the Gundicha temple with his brother Lord Balbhadra and sister Subhadra.

The State Cabinet has approved tenders for execution of eight rural drinking water supply projects worth Rs 2,312.11 crore in Ganjam, Balangir and Gajapati districts.

On the occasion of completion of the fourth year of the fifth term of his Government, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik chaired a State Cabinet meeting, in which 18 important proposals including the tenders for the drinking water supply projects were approved.

Speaking to mediapersons, Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said supply of Safe drinking water to the people living in the rural areas is one of the priority areas of the .

Accordingly, the State Cabinet has approved the lowest tender amounting to Rs 1,509.91 crore for execution of a mega piped water supply project to provide safe drinking water in Ganjam district out of JJM (Jal Jeevan Mission) funding. By execution of the project, around 9,92,368 people of 770 villages under 228 GPs of 12 blocks of the district would be benefited, he said.

Similarly, the Cabinet also approved a tender worth Rs 379.17 crore for execution of two rural drinking water supply projects in Gajapati district to benefit more than 1.31 lakh residents of 346 villages.
The Government also cleared two tenders of Rs 423. crore for execution of five drinking water projects in Balangir district. All the drinking water projects would be completed in two years, Jena said.
The Cabinet also decided to spend Rs 364.40 crore in three years (2022-23 to 2024-25) for implementation of the State Plan scheme Sustainable Harnessing of Ground Water in Water Deficit Areas.
The Cabinet also approved allocation of Rs 330.17 crore for establishment of an Odisha University of Health Sciences.

It approved a tender worth Rs 209.73 crore for Konark Temple Complex. Konark Heritage Area Development Plan (KHADP) under Integrated Development of Heritage & Monuments and Tourist Destination scheme will transform the physical Infrastructure in and around the temple complex and upgrade the visitors experience, he said.

He said that creation of mangrove forest was the only viable solution to prevent devastation which was witnessed during the recent cyclonic storm Yaas, mainly in three districts including Baleswar, Bhadrak and Kendrapada. Jena observed that the need of hour is to create a wall of mangrove forests for a 480 km coastline with one km width. Per hectare while nearly Rs 50,000 is needed for 48,000 hectares of land the amount about Rs 250 crore would be required. Jena also opined that another option to construct a seawall wont work as it would cause water draining issues. When the trees along with the coast are being cut mindlessly and indiscriminately, it has created an ecological imbalance.

Except in the Bhitarakanika sanctuary, the mangrove forest of the State is almost nonexistent these days. Hence, the should undertake the mangrove forest plantation in a time-bound manner, Jena emphasised. Jena also observed that a programme entitled Coastal Shelter Belt was undertaken following a severe cyclone in 1971, which caused loss of human lives of over 10,000 besides huge damages to Livestock and other assets, by former CM Biju Patnaik as a long term solution to the tidal surge but the programme was stalled subsequently.

He further said the shrimp farming should be regulated through a regulatory authority and the mangrove forest should be revived and created along the sea coast in both the forest lands as well as Government lands.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced that the annual grant of the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) will be doubled. He said this while reviewing the programmes of the council through videoconferencing.

Naveen also announced that offices of the council will be opened at 10 districts and at Athamallik sub division in Angul district. He also directed the officials to create more job opportunities for the youths of the western Odisha.

Annual grant of the council was Rs 3 crore in the year 1999-2000, but now it has increased to Rs 100 crore per annum. After this announcement, the council will get Rs 200 crore for the financial year 2021-22.

It seems the inclusion of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in development of Odisha is not a priority of the Odisha Government as it is evident that, leave alone central schemes, there is not a single dedicated scheme solely out of State funds under the provision of Scheduled Caste Sub Plan focusing development of SCs.

Majority of SCs in Odisha are historically victims of the practices of untouchability. Besides, they are poor and landless. Many of them are distressed migrant workers. It has been widely understood that without the States intervention to change their socio-eco condition, it is difficult for them to stand on their own.

Though they constitute almost nearly one-fifth of the Population of the State but they have been deprived of funds in State Budget proportionate to their population for development. Leave aside job reservation in Government which covers only a very microscopic number of families among them, a vast majority of them, about 99 per cent of the families, are struggling to make a living against all odds.

In this context, lets discuss about schemes for SCs in Kerala which has achieved highest rank in social development indicators among the States. The SCs constitute about 9.1 per cent of the total population of the State and STs constitute almost 1.45 per cent. The total area of Kerala is 38,852 sqkm with about 590 km coast line and a majority of its population are in urban area. By contrast, the total area of Odisha is 1, 55,707 sqkm and the State has 480 km coast line.

Kerala has had a long HISTORY of progressive socio-political tradition that is rooted in ideology of social and social Justice promoted by social reformers such as Ayyankali (1863-1941), Narayana Guru(1856-1928), and powerful social movements such as Vaikom Satyagraha against untouchability (1924-25) with involvement of MK Gandhi and EV Ramaswami. Later the Left Front Government led by EMS Namboodiripad, the first Chief Minister of Kerala launched land reform, Literacy, universal primary Education, Panchayati Raj system and progressive literary and science education movements, which contributed immensely to building an inclusive social development.

The three major institutions evolved in Kerala laying focus on SCs development are the Scheduled Castes Development Department, Kerala State Development Corporation for SCs and STs and Kerala State Commission for SCs and STs.

The many unique initiatives of the State Government include a host of schemes covering from nursery education to EMPLOYMENT in abroad and business sector and radical social reform agenda such as employing Dalits as priests in temples and promoting inter caste marriage.

The State has developed a scheme to finance SC and ST families to purchase land both in rural and urban areas for housing and suitable agricultural activities with 6 per cent rate of interest and repayment within 8 years. In order to ensure basic amenities schemes for self-sufficient village, SC habitations having more than 50 families are being provided about Rs 1 crore grant under local MLA supervision. The scheme ensures all basic facilities, connecting roads, toilet, drinking water, electricity, drainage line, and Waste Management, renovation of house, bio gas Plants and IGP for the villagers.

With increasing use of agricultural machinery especially tractors, demand for bullocks for agricultural purposes has gone down over the years. Official data shows the number of bullocks has decreased by 31 per cent in the last seven years in the state.

and animal Resources development (FARD) ministerRanendra Pratap Swaintold the assembly on Wednesday that requirement of bullocks has declined due to reduction in usage of the animals in ploughing and bullock carts.

Odisha Milk Farmers Association (OMFA) chairmanRabi Beherasaid the situation has drastically changed after the introduction of farm mechanisation techniques and machines.

The number of migratory birds flocking to Hirakud Dam Reservoir has increased significantly this year. A total of 3,16,676 migratory birds of 108 species were counted at Hirakud during the mid-winter waterfowl census conducted on January 8. While 2,08,634 birds were recorded in 2022, the figure was 1,24,864 in 2021 and 97,899 in 2020.

Besides, 10 new species were spotted in the reservoir bringing cheer among wildlife experts and bird watchers. These are bar-tailed godwit, pied harrier, curlew sandpiper, pygmy goose, caspian tern, blue tailed bee-eater, crested serpent eagle, wooly-necked stork, yellow-billed duck and painted stork.

DFO, Hirakud Wildlife Anshu Pragyan Das said the reservoir was divided into 15 sectors and a total of 30 teams were engaged for the bird census.

PM Gati Shakti-guided big public bid to create world-class Infrastructure and Logistics, which finance ministerNirmala Sitharamanmentioned in the Union Budget 2022-23 on Tuesday, is likely to benefitOdishafor its strategic locations.

Launched in October 2021, PM Gati Shakti national master plan is an initiative of the Narendra Modi government to ensure coordinated planning and execution of infrastructure projects like roads, railways, Airports, Ports, mass transport, waterways and logistics. The plan, which includes infrastructure developed by state governments, aims to reduce the logistics costs of projects.

As Odisha has several mining-based industrial houses, it offers long-term potential for cargo handling by leveraging its 480km coastline. While the state, at present, has three all-weather ports at Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur, three more ports at Astaranga,Subarnarekha Mouthand a riverine port near Mahakalapada are expected to be ready in a few years. The State Government has also identified nine more potential port locations.

Odisha is also looking at a big share as the Union finance minister announced expansion of national highways by 25,000 km in 2022-23 with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore. The states strategic location connecting east with west would also ensure faster expansion of the highways.