BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Monday announced 314 villages of four districts, Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Nuapada, as drought-hit for poor rainfall during rainy season in 2012 leading to 50% crop loss.

Revenue minister S N Patro told the assembly that the declaration was made based on the crop-cutting experiment report received from collectors of these districts. He said the affected farmers of the areas would be eligible to get compensation as per the relief code.

BHADRAK: Minister of forest and environment Bijayshree Routray said community forestry should be taken up in at least 150 hectares of forest land in rural areas of Bhadrak district.

The Odisha government has decided to rope in Rail India Technical and Economic Services (Rites), the engineering and consultancy arm of Indian Railways, to make an assessment of land requirement for non-major port projects.

“We are going to engage Rites for assessing land need of non-major port projects in the state. We have already got government approval for the same,” said a top commerce & transport department official.

Despite concern over the end use of both ground and river water for industrial purposes, the use of ground water for drinking, irrigation and industries in Odisha is 26.14 per cent.

The State Government has plans to create mangrove forest on 720 hectares to counter cyclones in coastal districts.

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has failed to utilise the funds for the last three years despite increasing assistance from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) every year.

Each of these UMPPs would have capacity of 4000 MW & are being taken up at a total investment of Rs 60,000 cr

After zeroing in on sites for establishment of two more Ultra Mega Power Plants (UMPPs) in the state, the Odisha government is keen to have a detailed assessment of private land needed and people to be displaced by these projects.

Bhubaneswar: The World Bank has lifted the suspension of its loan for the Odisha State Roads Project it imposed in May 2011.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has said that it has no-objection to the construction of an ultra mega power plant (UMPP) being built by Power Finance Corporation (PFC) in

BHADRAK (Odisha): The landowners of Dhamra area in Odisha’s Bhadrak district protested the district land acquisition officials during a public hearing at Dhamra for the additional land acquisition