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Odisha based sports documentary The Mountain Hockey to premiere in Germany, Spain and Dubai

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Bhubaneswar, Aug 30 (LocalWire): On National sports day, internationally acclaimed filmmaker, promoter and curator Jitendra Mishra who has been widely known for promoting value-based, independent and regional films from India at world platforms has picked up the recent sports documentary from Odisha ‘The Mountain Hockey’ directed by Avinash Pradhan and Debasish Mohapatra, produced by Raj Kishore Hota of Cinespinner Productions and ULB Films for world promotion.

Soon after this collaboration the film has already got official invitations from three different international film festivals from three different countries and soon to be premiered in Germany, Spain and Dubai in the month of September & October.

The twenty-nine minutes film narrates the story of a teacher, hockey coach and sports activist Rajendra Kumar Kujur who goes through a lot of struggle and hardship to teach hockey to several tribal girls in Amlikhaman village at Sambalpur district, Odisha. This is an inspiring story of few passionate youth and their never give up attitude in spite of several challenges in life.

“I really appreciate the honest intention of the young filmmakers behind making this film, we had agreed in principle much earlier and I am happy to have collaborated with this project. My key objective is to support and promote sincere filmmakers and positive stories from our region, we all should do it together. This way I would like to pay homage to the legendary Major Dhyan Chand on National sports day this year,” said Jitendra Mishra on this occasion.

Avinash Pradhan the director of the film said “A really precious moment blooming up for all of us since our Odia language documentary The Mountain Hockey is premiering on National and International film festivals.

A heartfelt thanks to Jitendra Mishra sir for carving us this noble opportunity.

Now Our Hockey Girls will out-craze their voices loudly internationally”.

And Debasish Mohapatra Said “Our Moto to make this film reach the maximum numbers of audiences around the globe .

This momentum soon will be premiering on the festival circuit”.

Raj Kishor Hota the producer says, “It’s an absolute Dream come true moment for all of us to showcase our documentary The Mountain Hockey around the globe.

Mr Jitendra Mishra sir is our mountain man who stands & support our film with this collaboration to take our film to the globe”

About the Directors:

Avinash pradhan & Debasish Mohapatra both are the young dynamic filmmaker’s from Odisha. They both planned this documentary film The Mountain Hockey since the World Cup open 2018 which has been inaugurated by Odisha CM Shri Naveen Pattnaik and have mastered the documentary very well. Rolling all the odds today The Mountain Hockey is ready to showcase in the national & international film festivals.

About the Producers:

It is said that Artists are just the children who refuse to put down their crayons. In the world of cinema this new filmmaker and art lover Raj Kishore Hota gives us gigantic hope and proves this quote that working hard is the real key to achieve success. Raj has got the social storytelling from his lineage. This young dynamic filmmaker producer has stepped in to produce a regional film the mountain hockey to inspire the generations about our national sport hockey.

Co-producer Subrajit Pradhan, a well-deserved highly qualified professional from Boudh Phulbani, Odisha. He completed his education from JNV India, later from Oxford University (UK). He financially and morally supports the youngsters who do innovative & creative stuff so that they don’t get stuck due to a paucity of funds. He has made his debut as a producer in the documentary film ‘The Mountain Hockey’.

About Jitendra Mishra:

Born in Titilagarh, Odisha, Jitendra Mishra is one of the few Indian film producers and promoters who have been able to create a benchmark in ‘Alternative methods of Film Production, Distribution & Promotion’ at international level. Committed towards meaningful cinema, Jitendra has already been associated with more than 110 films in various categories in different capacities. Awarded with several national & international awards, Jitendra Mishra has been elected President of world’s largest and oldest global network for children & youth media CIFEJ, formed under the auspices of UNICEF in 1955. He has been representing as the festival director of SIFFCY at CIFEJ. He has also been an active member of Cannes producers’ network and invited jury to more than 35 international film festivals so far.

Jio achieves second highest market share of gross revenue

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Bhubaneswar, Aug 30 (LocalWire): Reliance Jio further extended its leadership position with 52.3% gross revenue market share in the sector, as per the least financial report published by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for the April-June quarter.

In fact, the 52.3% gross revenue market share achieved by Jio in Odisha, in the quarter ending June 2021, is the second highest among all telecom circles in India, revealed the report published by TRAI.

As per the report, overall gross revenue in the sector in Odisha in Q1 has remained flat versus the previous quarter, wherein Reliance Jio achieved nearly 4.9% growth in gross revenue followed by nearly 3.7% growth witnessed by Airtel. Both Vodafone Idea and BSNL witnessed decline in gross revenue during this period, said the report.

With this, Jio extended revenue market share leadership in Odisha with 52.3% share of gross revenue in the sector followed by Bharti Airtel with 38%, VI with 4.8% and BSNL with 4.5%.

As per the report, the total revenue of the sector in Odisha stood at Rs. 1228 crores in the April-June quarter, wherein Jio had the highest share of Rs. 642.7 crores followed by Bharti Airtel with Rs. 467.2 crores, Vodafone Idea with Rs. 58.6 crores and BSNL with Rs. 54.7 crores.

It is worth mentioning here that Reliance has been adding highest number of mobile subscribers in Odisha every month and added over 2.53 lakh mobile subscribers in June 2021, as per telecom subscriber data released by TRAI, recently.

Reliance Jio is presently also the market leader in terms of highest subscribers in Odisha with nearly 1.5 crore mobile subscribers followed by Bharti Airtel with 1.11 crore subscribers, BSNL with 64 lakhs subscribers and VI with 21.89 lakh subscribers in the state.

Reliance Jio has been expanding its all 4G mobile network across the state and connecting several hitherto unconnected remote areas across the state, bringing delight for the people, especially students and teachers attending online classes from geographically challenging regions including the districts of Kandhamal, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Rayagada, Koraput, Keonjhar and Sundergarh.

Jio has also recently successfully completed deployment of the additional 20 MHz spectrum acquired in the recent spectrum auctions, across Odisha, further enhancing network, speed, and subscriber experience in the state.

What does today’s youth have to say on International Youth Day?

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‘The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow’ – has become a cliche in recent years, but the veracity and the sheer universality of the statement shall never cease to exist. Generation after generation will come and go, handing over the reins of society and humankind at large to those succeeding them, and some will always emerge as leaders, drawing the horsecart that is human existence, over the bumpy terrain of evolution.

August 12 has been celebrated as International Youth Day since the year 2000. The purpose is to recognize the importance of youth in the context of the larger society and empower them to make positive contributions to their communities and nations.

We observe International Youth Day through various activities such as awareness campaigns, community concerts, and events, which help bring to the notice the socio-economic and socio-political issues that the youth face.

This year, we decided to celebrate this day in a unique way – by letting them expound on their perspectives. LocalWire spoke with some extremely talented individuals from various backgrounds, in order to ask them two important questions in the context of the current situation.

Q1 – How do you as a youth, envision your role in helping curb the current pandemic?

Q2 – In the current decade, how do you think you are contributing to taking India forward?

We got some really interesting responses from people. Read on to find out the thoughts of today’s Indian youth!

Sweeti Ghorai, 26, Architect

“During this pandemic, social distancing and following COVID appropriate behaviour is the only way we can ensure our safety. Taking care of my health by eating healthy and exercising is also something I follow, in order to put my best foot forward every day.

Even the smallest of actions of an individual can have an impact on the growth of a country. A country does not only grow economically, but it also grows socially, which is where we as the young generation come in. Personally, I believe in helping small businesses thrive, and always purchase things from the local shops in my neighbourhood. Delivery guys are another set of people who work hard for their daily bread. If my delivery gets late, I try to be understanding about it rather than giving them a bad rating straightaway. These small acts will help us be more compassionate as a society in general.”

Soumya Swain, 27, IT professional

“I believe we ourselves have to be responsible in order to deal with the pandemic properly. For my part, I follow all advocated precautionary measures and stay inside. I have reduced contact with outside/unknown people as much as I can.

I maintain that it is extremely important for people to conduct themselves in a way that helps shape India into a safe place for all, physically and mentally. I try my best to do so, as also to create and spread awareness on mental health and the importance of following one’s dreams. Nurturing spaces that allow judgement-free bonding of people helps them grow, and I feel it is my responsibility to be the kind of person that promotes that.

Suneli Patra, 28, MBA professional

“As I am the kind of person who loves going out, it was extremely difficult for me to stay at home for months on end during the lockdowns. However, I understand the importance of the measures that the government is taking for our safety, and as such, I try my best to be safe and follow COVID guidelines.

The pandemic came as a complete and utter shock last year. There were pay cuts and job losses, everyone had to adapt to the rapid technological changes at work, while going through huge changes in their personal lives brought on the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. While it took time for me to adapt to all these things myself, I have become better at handling things since, and am now entirely focused on growing professionally, as well as personally. I believe that for a nation to grow, the people of the nation should be willing to give their best on all levels.

Smita Santuka, 23, CA student

“Ever since the pandemic has begun, new practices have been established as part of our daily lives. People have had to get used to a lot of things that have the potential to shake up their core beliefs and practices. Amidst all this, we still have to be extremely careful regarding personal hygiene, COVID appropriate behaviour and practices as this would affect not only us, but the people around us. I, personally, make sure to wash my hands as often as I can, wear a mask at all times, and reduce going out as much as possible.

Since my childhood, I have had a soft spot for animals. When the pandemic began, the government requested citizens to feed stray animals in their lane, or in their neighbourhood. It was at that time that I began not only feeding the strays, but also working for their welfare. I have done numerous rescues of stray animals, by raising money through donations for their treatment and then getting them adopted by responsible and loving people. I also have rescued cows from being sent to slaughterhouses and facilitated their going to gaushalas where they are well-cared for. Going forward, this is my contribution to India – my vision of an India where animals are loved and cared for.

Naina Kujur, 26, B.Ed student

“I make sure that everyone in my family follows COVID appropriate behaviour as laid down by the GoI, and take the vaccine on time. I try to do the same for my friends, relatives and neighbours as well.

Being a B.Ed student, I hold the belief that in education lies the power to change everything for the better. Shaping young minds and helping them hone their skills in order to be the best version of themselves is a great responsibility, and I believe it is my duty to give my best in my endeavours for the same.”

Sanjay Bishi, 39, IT professional

“Creating awareness on cleanliness as well as COVID appropriate behaviour amongst people around me is my way of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone should stay as vigilant as humanly possible.

The worst thing that has happened in the current decade is the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it has taught us that we need to be self-sufficient on many levels. For this reason, I am looking to work in start-ups, as I believe that my years of experience could be put to better use in a fast-paced learning environment. I also think that working on IT/technological start-ups will help boost India’s competence in this extremely important sector, which is slowly gaining a lot of significance.”

LocalWire

Satpathy takes charge as Vizag DRM

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Bhubaneswar, August 11 (LocalWire): Anup Kumar Satpathy, IRTS, 1993 exam batch has reported in East Coast Railway for taking charge as DRM of Visakhapatnam.

A highly competent and most renowned officer of Indian Railway Traffic Service, he has worked as Area Manager of Sahdol, Divisional Operations Manager, Sr Div Safety officer, Sr Dom, etc at Chakradharpur Divn of SERly.

He was then the Deputy Chief Operations Manager of SERly at Garden Reach, Kolkata. He has held posts of Dy CCM, Dy COM of SEC Rly at Bilaspur.

Then he was made Sr dom and Sr Dso of Ngp Divn of SECrly.

He also briefly became Sr Divisional Safety officer of Raipur Division.

Most recently, he was posted as Addl DRM of Nagpur Divn of Central Rlys. As Chief General Manager of the Central Region of Container Corporation of India, he developed the business of that company to a different level at Bhopal, Raipur, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Bhusaval, etc and was awarded by the Chief Minister of Chattisgarh as the Best Business Leader in 2020.

There are many awards and recognitions to his credit for meritorious services like General Managers Award in 1999 and Railway Board National Award in 2001. He has been trained in the National Academy of Indian Rlys, Vadodara.

The Railway Staff in general over SER, SECR, Central Rly and ECoR know him as a very strict, uptight but most helpful and broad-minded officer with great administrative abilities. The Chakradharpur, Nagpur, Raipur, and Bilaspur Divisions will miss his presence for years to come.

LocalWire

Guidelines for devotees visiting Srimandir in Puri

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Bhubaneswar, August 11 (LocalWire): The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration has issued a Standard Operating Procedure for reopening the Srimandir in Puri for devotees from August 16.

COVID appropriate guidelines for the devotees visiting the temple have been mentioned below.

It is mandatory for all devotees to wear masks at all times, inside and outside the temple.

Devotees should sanitize their hands before entering the temple.

Devotees should maintain physical distance at all times as per COVID-19 guidelines and follow COVID-appropriate behavior.

Devotees are requested not to touch statues or idols inside the temple.

It is prohibited to take flowers/ bhoga/ deepa inside the temple. There will be big containers placed at the entrance, where such items can be dropped if being carried by the devotees.

The lighting of the deepas inside the temple by the devotees will not be permitted at all.

Chewing of Tobacco/ Paan and spitting inside the Temple premises is strictly prohibited. A fine of Rs.500/- will be levied for each violation.

There is a complete ban on carrying Polythene Bags inside the Temple. A fine of Rs.100/- will be levied for each violation.

There will be no partaking of Mahaprasad inside Ananda Bazar and temple premises. However, the devotees can carry Mahaprasad and partake it at their place of residence or any other convenient place.

There will be a separate queue for differently-abled devotees, for darshan of the Lords.

Parking of the vehicles will be done only at Jagannath Ballav Math premise or any other designated place.

Guidelines have also been issued for people who will visit the temple from 23rd August, 2021.

The queue system will open from 07:00 AM. Devotees will make entry through the barricades opposite the Shoe stand, situated on North East side of the temple complex.

All devotees visiting the temple will have to produce the Final Certificate for Covid-19 vaccination (of having taken two doses) or COVID-19 negative certificate (RT PCR) of testing done within 96 hours prior to their visit to the temple.

All devotees will be required to bring their photo ID Card like Aadhaar/ Voter ID etc.

Devotees will leave their belongings at the designated place outside the temple; produce their ID proof for verification and follow the COVID-19 guidelines of hand sanitization & thermal scanning before entering the temple.

All devotees will enter through Singhadwar. After the Darshan, the exit will be through Uttaradwar.

LocalWire

KiiT International School Shines in CBSE Class X Results Too

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Bhubaneswar , August 03 (Local Wire ): One has to strengthen the wings, and the entire sky is yours.

The students of KiiT-IS have proved that. Amid circumstances which never augured the traits of a certainty, the young students of KiiT, Bhubaneswar have done it and done it well.

As always, they have made the institution of their learning proud once again braving many trying times, the consociation of KiiT-IS students, teachers and the staff could scale the heights and emerged with shining colours when the entire world was in turmoil.

KiiT International School stood out and apart, with all its students passing in first division in the CBSE Class X results which were declared on 3rd August 2021.

The School recorded an average of 85%, where 40% of the students stand with a score of above 90% (A1). Vaibhav Kumar topped the School with 99.4%, followed by Yash Khandelawal with 99%

Congratulating the successful students, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS said, “The School has been posting excellent results consistently only due to proper care of students and modern teaching methodology”.

He thanked Chairperson Dr. Monalisa Bal, Principal Dr. Sanjay Suar, teachers and staff for their effort towards this success.

State to create more than 4000 new villages

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The Revenue and Disaster Management Department has found a way to facilitate the creation of more than 4000 new villages, a matter which has been repeatedly brought up in the Legislative Assembly and other forums.

It was proposed by the R&DM Department that under the Boundary Change Proceedings, the limit of reservation for creation of new villages should not be insisted upon.

The residents of the newly carved out village can still have access to the existing Gochar and communal land situated in the mother village. In other words, all communal as well as Gochar lands etc. shall be Common Property Resources (CPR) for both the villages.

The following guidelines have been approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik:

(a) The hamlet to be declared as a new revenue village is to be located at more than half k.m. from the mother revenue village with a population of 250 or more.

(b) The hamlet to be declared as a new revenue village lying within half k.m. from the mother village should have a population more than 300.

(c) Hamlet separated from the mother village by a natural barrier can be reorganised as a new revenue village even if the population of the hamlet is less than 250.

(d) Reservation limit for Gochar and Communal land for creation of new revenue village out of existing mother village shall not be insisted upon.

However, residents of the newly carved out village shall still have access to existing Gochar and communal land situated in the mother village.

In other words, all communal as well as Gochar lands etc. shall be Common Property Resources (CPR) for both the villages.

LocalWire

Stamp duty can be paid online soon: Sethi

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Bhubaneswar, July 27 (LocalWire): In yet another citizen-centric initiative, the State Government on Tuesday decided to provide a single-window to citizens for online preparation of deeds and online submission along with payment of stamp duty, registration fees and other fees.

This reform measure has been initiated by the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management (DoR&DM) for improvement in delivery of Registration services and collection of duties/ fees at a single point to minimize the physical presence of citizens in Registration offices of the State, said Principal Secretary Bishnupada Sethi.

Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra has approved the proposal of the Principal Secretary DoR&DM and took the decision that while submitting the deeds online to concerned Registration offices, citizens will choose the date and time slot for presentation and registration of documents.

Sethi through a powerpoint presentation explained the steps being decided to improve delivery of Registration services and collection of duties/ fees at a single point.

The Registering Officer will verify the admissibility of the deed and confirm the auto calculated stamp duty, registration fees and ancillary fees payable, he said.

After scrutiny by the Registering officer, the deed/ document will be reverted to the applicant’s login ID for payment of stamp duty, registration fees and ancillary fees through a single payment gateway.

In order to further simplify the process for the citizens, they have been advised to take the help of ‘Mo Seva Kendras’ for online preparation of deed and payment of all types of duties/ fees and also for availing various online registration services, Sethi said.

The list of Mo Seva Kendras will be displayed in the IGR Portal, he said, adding that after successful payment, the applicant will execute and present the document before the concerned Registering officer on the appointed date and time.

An online token system with prior appointment will be introduced for capturing biometrics of executing parties and the identifiers.

The token holders will only be allowed to enter the office chamber of the Registering Officer on the scheduled date and time allotted for the presentation and registration of documents.

The integration of IGR portal and the payment gateway of Stock Holding Corporation RDM-Reg-REGN-0046-2020/5/2021 of India Ltd. (SHCIL) will be completed within a month for single point online payment of stamp duties and all types of fees.

Under the initiative, the E &IT Department will issue detailed guidelines for delivery of online registration services through Mo Seva Kendras, the personnel of which shall be imparted training on the online registration services, Sethi added.

The online deed preparation facility along with single point payment and token system for presentation and registration of documents will be piloted in three registration offices of the state within one month.

For seamless electronic registration of documents dispensing with the physical appearance of the concerned persons at the Registration offices, Revenue & DM Department will take steps for amendment of the Registration Act, 1908 in its application to the State of Odisha.

LocalWire

Ratha Yatra conducted in California following COVID guidelines

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Fremont Hindu Temple, the first abode of Lord Jagannath in Bay Area, California, USA, and FOG Odisha together with members of the Odia Community in Bay Area hosted the 27th annual Ratha Yatra Utsav on Sunday, July 11.

Attended by members of the Odia community and the larger Indian American Community, the event attracted 600 plus people.

The Consul General of India in SFO, Dr TV Nagendra Prasad and his wife Padma, Anuraag Pal representing State Assembly member Alex Lee, Mayor of Fremont Lily Mei, Fremont City Council Member Teresa Cox graced the occasion.

The first Sri Jagannath sthapna by the Odia community in the Bay Area happened here at the Fremont temple and the temple has been following Lord Jagannath traditions and rituals for the past 27 years ritualistically that attracts folks from the Odia community, Indian American and beyond.

Mayor Lily Mei said “I have been attending the Ratha Jatra for over 15 years here at the Fremont Hindu Temple and enjoy the programs of the vibrant Odia and Indian American community”.

Devotees continued to follow Covid guidelines by wearing masks indoors and came to take blessings of the Holy Trinity.

Says Dr Romesh Japra, Chairman of the Fremont Temple, “The temple has finally opened with in person activities with this Ratha Yatra utsav.

By Lord Jagannath’s grace hopefully we will come out of the pandemic soon.

The Temple follows all the rituals to complete this annual tradition of Rath Yatra.

Its a blessing for us to be able to conduct Ratha Yatra every year and all due to the efforts of the temple management and a handful of Odia community members and devotees.”

He appreciated the contribution by an Odia senior member and a committed devotee, the late Shri Deba Mohanty who was instrumental in initiating and starting the first Ratha Jatra in Silicon Valley, here at Fremont Hindu Temple.

The Consul General and his wife felt blessed to have attended and participated in this holy event far away from our country India.

He congratulated Dr Japra, the organizers and the temple for hosting the event and was happy to see the in person participation praying that the pandemic goes away with the beginning of Ratha Yatra.

Lokayukta gives clean chit to senior bureaucrat Bishnupada

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Bhubaneswar, July 9 (LocalWire): Absolving Principal Secretary Bishnupada Sethi from the allegation of wrongful reimbursement of medical bills during his tenure as Management-in-Charge of Odisha State Co-operative Bank (OSCB), the Lokayukta has not only appreciated the conduct of this senior bureaucrat for returning the said amount to the bank, it has directed the State government to consider reimbursing the medical bills in question as per rules.

In the order passed today, Lokayukta has also rejected another allegation that Bishnupada misused his office to receive bonus illegally from OSCB.

“Sethi clearly became entitled to receive bonus under section 56 (2)(f) of the Odisha Cooperative Societies Act.

Therefore, the allegation that Sethi by misusing his office illegally received bonus from the OSCB is wholly without any foundation and we accordingly reject the same,” pronounced the Lokayukta in its order.

The Lokayukta has cited the findings of the Director of Inquiry appointed by it to go into details about these two allegations leveled against Bishnupada.

The Director of Inquiry in its observation stated, “Sethi has admitted that he was Management in-charge of the OSCB from 06.02.2013 to 28.07.2015.

He has also admitted to have reimbursed a sum of Rs. 3,27,000/- on three occasions towards medical expenses for the treatment of his father, Bhajahari Sethi and wife, Mrs. Vaisali Sethi.

He has categorically denied availing medical expenses amounting to Rs. 9,46,071.

According to him the medical bills were in fact reimbursed to him from the fund of bank after permission from the State Government.

He has also filed certain documents in support of his stand.

As regards allegation of receiving bonus from the OSCB, Sethi has stated that he is entitled for the same because he as a Government servant was engaged whole time in connection with the affairs of the OSCB and section 56 (2)(f) of the Odisha State Cooperative Bank Act, 1962 permits such payment of bonus.”

The Director of Inquiry gave the finding that Sethi had lawfully reimbursed the medical bills amounting to Rs. 3,27,000/- on different occasions from the fund of the bank after receiving permission from the State Government.

Despite this finding of the Director of Inquiry in his favour, Sethi as a goodwill gesture has returned the entire amount of Rs. 3,27,000/- to the OSCB on 25.06.2021 by making payment through three cheques of the same date, Lokayukta said in its order while putting on record its appreciation of such a conduct of this senior bureaucrat.

“The State Government may consider reimbursing the medical bills in question as per rules.

Since Sethi has already returned the amount of medical reimbursement, we find no good ground to further dwell on the allegation of wrongful reimbursement of medical bills by him,” Lokayukta said in its order.

Sources in knowledge of the development said this senior bureaucrat has been targeted by some of his detracters in the recent past.

Pertinent to mention here that Lokayukta had earlier exonerated Sethi from similar allegations made against him while he was the Manging Director of OMFED.

Sethi is now the Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Information and Public Relations as well as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director Odisha Hydro Power Corporation.

LocalWire