ORISSA

Those, who are not familiar with the use of the Internet, can now visit their nearestMo Seva Kendra or regional transport office(RTO) to get a helping hand for online booking of high security registration plates (HSRPs) for their vehicles.

Mo Seva Kendras were opened by the government across the state to help people pay electricity, water bills and various , receive necessary certificates and avail other public Services. The development assumes significance as theOrissahigh court has been closely monitoring the online booking of HSRPs.

In a bid to attract investments toOdisha’s textile sector, the state industries department has planned a meeting with representatives from the on October 25. Senior officials of the Centre and the state will also attend the meet.

The State Government has taken this initiative in order to participate in the Prime Minister’sMega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks(PM-MITRA) scheme under which seven textile parks across the country will be built in five years to draw foreign direct Investment in the sector. A sum of Rs 4,445 crore has already been approved for the scheme.

The state plans to set up two textile parks with common facilities and Infrastructure to support the entire value chain and draw investment. Under the PM-MITRA scheme, the Centre has assured to provide a capital support of Rs 500 crore or 30 per cent of the project cost (whichever is highest) to develop common infrastructure in the proposed textiles park.

TheOrissa has claimed 2021 to be a year of transformation “in more ways than one” for the judicial administration in the state when innovations and technological strides were made to make things more transparent and accessible to the people.

The claim was made in theannual reportof the high court which was published after a gap of six years. The high court’s Annual Report-2021 was released on the opening day of the three-day district judges’ conference.

The annual report said the year saw functioning of 60 new courts in various districts with 22 more set to becoming functional with Infrastructure to accommodate courts and officers’ residence. The year also saw the completion in construction of 14 court complexes with provision for 102 courts. Out of them, 6 were district court complexes at Bhawanipatna, Nabarangpur, Jeypore, Sonepur, Malkangiri and Bhadrak.

The Swachhta Pakhwada 2021 observance ends at Pradip with a playa and Prize distribution by Shri AK Bose, Dy. Chairman, PPT.

Highlights:

Observance of Swachhta Pakhwada ended at Paradip Port today with Shri AK Bose, Dy. Chairman, PPT making prize distribution to the winners of debate Competition held among the local school children to record the occasion.

The observations ended with a play EBE NUHEN TA KEBE NUHEN administered by the local cultural organisation CANMASS.

Dr Prahallad Panda, CMO and Secretary-in-charge, alongside other HODs and Dy. HODs were also present once in a while.

As a part of Swachhta Pakhwada, various activities like Awareness run among workers and staff of all Departments & Divisions of PPT, Swacchata Rath, Swachhata Awareness hoardings, Cleaning of Pump Houses and alphanumeric display at essential locations within the Township were undertaken.

These were Odisha Town Planning and Improvement Trust (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers (Amendment) Bill 2021, Odisha Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill 2021, Indian Stamp (Odisha Amendment) Bill, 2021, Odisha Government Land Settlement (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Odisha University of Land Health Sciences Bill, 2021 and Odisha University of Technology and Research Bill 2021.Besides, Urban Development and Housing Minister Pratap Jena laid the Odisha Town Planning and Improvement Trust (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 (Odisha Ordinance No 1 of 2021).

From one of the bottom-ranked states in the last ranking,Odishahas now been marked as an Achiever along with some of the industrially developed states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2020 assessment report of the department for promotion of Industry and internal trade (DPIIT), under the Union ministry of commerce.

Other states in the achiever category include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, read the report released by Union finance ministerNirmala Sitharaman.
The report is a boost to the state and comes a day after chief ministerNaveen Patnaikheld his first overseas investors meet in Dubai to showcase Odishas business ecosystem and manufacturing prowess and invited investors from the region to invest here. The state also received Investment intents of more than Rs 21,000 crore from the meet.

States like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab,Tamil Naduand Telangana have been categorized as Top Achievers in the ranking.

Odisha had got 29th rank (placed among the bottom states) in the Ease of Doing Business ranking as per the previous BRAP evaluation report, released in September 2020. Odisha has shown remarkable progress in the current cycle by implementing over 90% of the 301 reforms suggested by DPIIT and achieving more than 80% positive user feedback, said state industries secretary Hemant Sharma.

The Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar, the award instituted in reminiscence of late poet laureate Kuvempu, has been awarded to famed Odia poet Dr Rajendra Kishore Panda for the year 2020. The prestigious award consists of a cash award of Rs 5 lakh, a silver medal, and a citation.

He was Born on June 24, 1944, Dr Panda writes in the Odia language. He has published sixteen poetry collections and a novel. He is a primary Indian poet who suggested the course of contemporary Odia poetry to brilliant heights. He was awarded the Gangadhar National Award in 2010 and the Award in 1985. He was awarded a DLitt by Sambalpur University.

About the Award:
Founded in 1992, Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Trust instituted this countrywide annual literary award in 2013 in the name of Kuvempu to apprehend litterateurs who had contributed in any language diagnosed via the Constitution of India.

Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Bishweswar Tudu visited Gajapati district for laying the foundation stones of various developmental projects.

Tudu first inaugurated a memorial temple of the founder of Shabar Samaj Kalyan Samiti and eminent social reformer late Pradhani Gamang at N Jhalar Singh under Nuagadh block and then attended a programme on the occasion.

Acting president of Shabar Samaj Kalyan Samiti Trinath Shaba presided. Mohana MLA Dasharathi Gamang, State BJP leader Bhrigu Baxipatra, Shabar Samaj Kalyan Samiti editor Krishnachandra Gamang were present.

Later, Minister Tudu participated in the ground-breaking and foundation-laying ceremony of Eklabya Adarsh Residential School at Tekubul in Nuagadh Block and Subhadrappur in Rayagad Block.

In order to provide good and quality Education to tribal students in India, the Modi Government has decided to build more than 700 Ekalavya residential schools across the country and 87 of them will be established in Odisha, Tudu said.

The has initiated steps to implement a new scheme, Mukhyamantri Medhabi Chatra Protsahan Yojana (MMSPY) very soon.

Principal Secretary Higher Education Bishnupada Sethi has taken an initiative in this regard, said sources in Department of Higher Education.

Existing three types of scholarships given to the students for pursuing higher studies, such as e-Medhabruti, Vyasakabi Fakir Mohan Medha Bhasabruti and Gopabandhu Sikhya Sahayata Yojana, will be brought under one umbrella, that is the

Electricity dues worth Rs 10,266.73 crore have been pending against different types of consumers including industries in all the four distribution company areas of Odisha.

This was informed by Energy Minister Pratap Keshari Deb in the State Legislative Assembly.

In a reply to a question of MLA Nityanand Gand, the Minister said highest Rs 4,578.93 crore electricity dues are pending against the consumers in the Tata Power Western Odisha Distribution Limited (TPWODL) area while Rs 3,115.17 crore is pending in Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL).

Similarly, electricity dues worth Rs 1,782.57 crore are pending in Tata Power North Odisha Distribution Limited (TPNODL) and Rs 750.06 crore is pending in the Tata Power South Odisha Distribution Limited (TPSODL).

As per the statement of Deb, Rs 7,872.95 crore electricity bills were pending against the domestic consumers in the four discom areas, of which highest Rs 3,650.14 crore is pending in TPWODL area, followed by Rs 2231.44 crore in TPCODL area, Rs 1,298.35 crore in TPNODL area and Rs 693.02 crore in TPSODL area.

Similarly, a total electricity duty of Rs 386.04 crore is pending against industries and Rs 996.98 crore is pending against different commercial establishments.