In its reply to the MoEF dated August 13, the department of forest and environment has categorically stated that there are no traditional forest dwellers at the Posco site. It has also clarified that there are no claimants under the Forest Rights Act and certain land records pertaining to the erstwhile Bardhaman estate are not authentic.
Leaflets had also been distributed in several villages containing the threat: "Those ignoring this directive will not be forgiven."
Hours before the deadline set by Naxals for release of their jailed members in exchange of an abducted Orissa Member of Legislative Assembly, a retired army officer on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court to restrain the state government from meeting Maoists' demands. Major General (retired) Gangurdep Bakshi pleaded with the apex court that the state government should be restrained from releasing the Naxals as they had been captured by security forces.
They burnt an effigy of the Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh and shouted slogans against him.
Uncertainty prevailed over beginning of a joint operation against Naxalites in Orissa with the state government today accusing the Centre of not sending adequate paramilitary forces for the purpose.
Reliance's move will put at stake about 10,000 jobs in Uttar Pradesh and Orissa. Already, about 1,000 people, 60 per cent of whom are directly employed, have been sacked.
Tata Steel is to form a committee to undertake a social audit of its Kalinganagar project in Orissa, in a bid to counter allegations on the negative impact of industrialisation.
The met office also predicted surface wind with a speed between 45 and 65 kmph along and off coastal region and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea.
Posco-India has made it clear that it has no intention to shift the site of its 12 million tonne steel project.
Indian Oil Corporation will fund restoration of the Sun temple at Konark in Orissa, Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni said on Tuesday.
They neither had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of his blockbusters nor the popular TV shows anchored by the superstar. Yet, actor Shah Rukh Khan has a large fan following in a remote village in Orissa's Kendrapara district.The remote village now has light after daybreak, courtesy the generosity of King Khan.Ahirajpur village under Rajnagar Tehsil has come under the purview of a solar energy harnessing project funded by Khan.
The proposed investment will be made in aluminium, cement, telecom, retail, among other sectors, in the state over the next few years. Birla, who was in the city to discuss some project related issues with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, said the company also intends to launch its retail business in the state as part of its national roll out plan in the next six months.
Area manager, Bondamunda Railway Yard, H K Padhee, who escorted the injured passengers, said that of the 55 injured, 32 were discharged after first aid, while the rest were admitted to the Ispat General Hospital and Government Hospital in Rourkela. He said two engines of the train had derailed while two bogies completely toppled over and three had tilted.
With flood waters of Mahanadi river system slowly receding in the delta region, Orissa government on Tuesday accelerated relief work in the affected areas with focus on health care, sanitation and supply of safe drinking water.
The government's hurried action to give justice to the tribal population came in the wake of violence at Narayanpatna in Koraput district, official sources said. On June 15, angry tribals at Koraput forcibly ploughed about 500 acre land in possession of non-tribals. The tribal fury came to fore after the state administration failed to redress their grievances that the non-tribals had captured tribal land by using fraudulent means as well as by violating law of the land.
Though the preparatory work has been under way for two years, the financial effect of abandoning the plants would be 'negligible' since no land had so far been acquired and no building work has been done.
At least one person was killed and four others were trapped in the wreckage after two goods trains collided in Orissa's Keonjhar district early on Wednesday.
A summary of the second day's play in the Ranji Trophy Elite division matches, on Friday.
A low-intensity explosion took place in Hatia-Bhubaneswar Garib Rath Express near Rourkela in Orissa -- one of the five states where Maoists called a 48-hour bandh on Monday. There have been no casualties in the blast, said the local railway police.
Bowing to pressure from various quarters, the Sangh Parivar on Friday night called off their proposed Orissa bandh on Christmas day following talks with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The state-wide bandh had been called by Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati Sradhanjali Samiti in protest against alleged failure of the state government in arresting the culprits and conspirators involved in the killing of Swami Laxmanananda in Kandhamal district.
At least 12 people were killed and more than 150 others injured this evening as a tornado wrought havoc and left trails of devastation at villages in Rajkanika block of Orissa's Kendrapara district.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to project senior leader Dharmendra Pradhan, 40, as its chief ministerial candidate in Orissa after its alliance with the Naveen Patnaik led Biju Janata Dal came to an end on March 7.The BJP's central election committee on Friday cleared its six sitting MPs to seek re-election, with the exception of Pradhan's constituency Deogarh, leading to speculations that he will be the party's CM candidate for the assembly elections.
With 877 villages completely cut off from rest of the state due to high flood in Mahanadi river system, Orissa government Sunday began air-dropping of food packets in worst hit areas as the death toll rose to 16, official sources said.
A major expose by Cobra Post and CNN IBN on how the judges of the Orissa High Court got houses under the discretionary quotas available with the ministers, is set to be released around 8 pm on Wednesday.
The well-planned attack, apparently aimed at affecting the upcoming polls and looting weapons, took place shortly after 9.30 pm on Sunday when about 22 CISF personnel were inside a canteen at Asia's biggest bauxite mine. The heavily-armed Maoists, numbering about 200, including some women, looted the CISF armoury in the mine area which contained huge quantities of sophisticated arms and ammunition as well as explosives, police sources said.
Naveen Patnaik was injured when ruling and opposition members clashed over the government's agreement with a private mining company.
Jyotirmayee, who was chosen team leader of the UNICEF-sponsored 'Meena--the girl child' project, was the lone Indian to receive this year's International Youth Action Net Award instituted by International Youth Foundation, USA.
The fear of an epidemic loomed large over the flood ravaged areas of Orissa, where train services remained severely affected due to damaged tracks.
Accusing the UPA government of failing to check anti-Christian violence, the CPI(M) on Tuesday demanded invocation of Article 355 to issue "specific directive" to Orissa government to arrest the culprits involved in the attacks on the minority community.
Curfew was clamped in four major towns of Orissa's Kandhamala district on Tuesday after one person was killed and at least 24 others injured during a VHP-sponsored bandh. The meeting was called to protest the alleged attack on an anti-conversion leader.
Protesters torched 24 houses in Kandhamal on Saturday as the death toll in the week-long communal violence rose to 14, with the recovery of two more bodies in the Orissa district.Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was headed for the curfew-bound district to review the situation in the affected areas and the Ashram at Jalespeta, where Vishwa Hindu Parishad Laxamanada Saraswati was gunned down along with three others on August 23, leading to the violence.