Light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms are likely to occur at one to two places between 2 pm and 5 pm today.
LocalWire
Jagatsinghpur
JioFiber services expanded to 5 Odisha towns and cities
Bhubaneswar, Oct 27 (LocalWire): JioFiber, a popular high-speed broadband service provider, has expanded its services to include the towns of Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Koraput and Bhawanipatna towns in Odisha.
This takes the number of cities and towns in Odisha coming under the coverage of JioFiber to 18.
Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Bolangir, Brajaraj Nagar, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Bhawanipatna, Koraput, Rayagada, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jajapur Road, Keonjhar, Angul, Puri and Jatni fall under its ambit right now.
The service is expected to get rolled out in Berhampur and Jeypore over the next few weeks.
In Jagatsinghpur, JioFiber is now available at several key locations including Bus stand area, College Chowk, Hata Bazar, Jayabada and nearby areas in the first phase and is fast expanding into other areas of the town.
Expanding its footprints in Keonjhar town, JioFiber services have now become available in key areas including Badahala, Magurgadia, Kamargoda, Tikargumura, Gandhi Chowk, Sirajuddin Chowk, DD College Road and nearby areas.
Similarly, JioFiber service has commenced at several localities in Rayagada including Kapilash Road, Gandhi Nagar, Nehru Nagar, Indira Nagar, Ashok Nagar, UGMIT Chowk, Udaya Plaza, Gayatri Nagar, New Colony, College Road and nearby areas.
In Bhawanipatna, JioFiber service is now available at Ramnagar Pada, Nuapada, Irrigation Colony, Sharma Colony, Choriharipada and nearby areas.
In Koraput, JioFIber service is available at Pujariput, Biswal Colony, Janiguda, Shanti Nagar, part of Goutam Nagar and Malisahi and nearby areas.
JioFiber claims to have recently revamped its tariff plans to empower every Indian home, further reinforcing its customer-obsession under the tagline NAYE INDIA KA NAYA JOSH.
LocalWire
BJP woos Muslim voters of Krishnanandpur in Tirtol
Jagatsinghpur, Oct 25 (LocalWire): The sizable Muslim community of Krishnanandpur panchayat in Tirtol block has made two demands from the ruling BJD leaders: withdrawal of false rioting cases against them in the local police station and filling up of the three doctor posts lying vacant in the Krishnanandpur Primary Health Centre.
Meanwhile, the BJP has started wooing the Muslim community taking advantage of the community’s grievances against the ruling party.
The Muslim community has been playing a decisive role in elections for the Tirtol seat for a long time.
Earlier, the Congress had huge support from the Muslim community but the BJD has shared the vote bank since the year 2000.
In June 2020, Muslims of the area ventured to perform Namaz in a mosque in Krishnanandpur even though the government had restricted the same to curb the spread of coronavirus.
After receiving information, local police personnel entered the Akhunmahala mosque and caned the local people.
They locked some of the people inside the mosque and threatened to arrest them for violating COVID-19 rules and restrictions.
Aggrieved at the police excesses, the community demonstrated in front of a police outpost. The outpost was ransacked and the personal vehicle of the Officer-in-Charge of the outpost was torched.
The police registered FIRs against 200 people, out of which 11 were arrested.
The Muslim community alleges that 5 out of the 11 are innocent and hence demand the withdrawal of cases against the innocent ones.
On the other hand, there is one Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Krishnanandpur panchayat, and it does not have even a single doctor out of the three doctors sanctioned for it.
Meanwhile, BJD party leader cum MP Muna Khan and BJD leader cum general secretary Ayub Khan visited the panchayat and interacted with the voters of the community.
Poll observers have informed, “This is a golden opportunity for both the BJP and Congress parties to woo the Muslim votes.
This issue has also reflected in other panchayats where the Muslim communities have united with the issue of this community.
The BJP believes that it could snatch a sizable number of votes in this seat from the BJD.”
LocalWire
COVID-19 casts shadow on 500-year-old Bengali Durga Puja tradition
Punaga, a small village situated 3 kms from Jagatsinghpur town, is known for its traditional Bengali Durga Puja owing to the Bengali community settled there.
This year, however, the town wears a deserted look on the occasion of Dussehra as neither devotees nor relatives and friends throng the place.
Goddess Durga has been worshipped in Punaga as per Bengali tradition for the last 500 years owing to the nearly 400 Bengali families making up the community there as well as its adjoining village, Badabag.
The festival of Durga Puja, especially sacred to Bengalis and Odias alike, is celebrated with fervour in this village by all communities.
The occasion witnesses a beautiful blend of religious and cultural activities of different communities and as such, the village attracts devotees from far and near every year.
However, this year there is no such multi-cultural crowd celebrating the festival, as the ever-looming threat of COVID-19 haunts people everywhere.
“It feels as if the pandemic has shattered all the joy and happiness in the world.
Every year our uncles, aunts, cousins , in-laws and friends used to gather at our village for the celebrations, but this year COVID-19 has managed to dampen all the festivities.
It is not possible for anybody to come because of the restrictions, and it feels as if a pall of gloom has descended upon the village,” said Ranjit Bhattacharya, a resident.
“Relatives and friends coming from near and afar creates a festive environment and brings new freshness to our mundane lives.
People put on new sarees and ornaments, and children are particularly in the mood for fun and enjoyment.
However, this year there is no such festive environment as the COVID-19 has caused many restrictions to be imposed on us,” said Sumitra Dey, another resident.
The village is known for being the birthplace of former urban and higher education minister cum BJP leader Samir Dey, freedom fighters cum MLA Priyanath Dey, Jatiya Kabi Birakishore Das and MLA Krushna Chandra Mallick.
Dey, who lives in Cuttack with his family, is known to come to his native village for the Durga Puja celebrations every year.
LocalWire
Paradip port crew rescues Bangladeshi crew members swept away at sea
Paradip, Oct 23 (LocalWire): Three Bangladeshi crew members who were swept away at sea were rescued by the marine team of Paradip Port Trust on Thursday.
Sources said that the Malta flag bearing vessel Ocean Century, carrying iron ore, was waiting at the PPT anchorage area to enter the port harbour for unloading cargo.
Three crew members along with a rescue boat fell in the deep sea and were swept away on a tidal wave due to bad weather and the rough sea.
After receiving the information from the captain of this vessel, a marine team of PPT led by harbor master captain Alekh Chandra Sahu rushed to the spot to rescue them with a port patrolling craft and tug boat.
Later, marine team personnel rescued the three crew members who were working as second engineer, third engineer and electrical engineer. They have been shifted to the port hospital for treatment.
Chief Medical Officer Prahallad Panda informed, “The condition of the three crew members was stabilized.
After primary treatment, they were discharged in the afternoon.”
Meanwhile, the timely step taken by the port marine department has become the talk of the port town.
LocalWire
Sub-inspector suspended for drinking inside police station
Jagatsinghpur, Oct 21 (LocalWire): A sub-inspector of Naugaon police station was placed under suspension for drinking alcohol with a liquor trader inside the police station today.
Sources said that the illegal sale of liquor is flourishing in the Naugaon area with the knowledge of local police officials.
Sub-inspector Bibekananda Sahoo was found drinking at the police station yesterday, in the company of a local liquor trader.
A video of the same incident became viral on social media.
After an inquiry by Sub Divisional Police Officer Priyaranjan Satpathy, Superintendent of Police Prakash R suspended Sahoo for misconduct and dereliction of duty.
LocalWire
COVID positive voters to vote in final hour of polling
Jagatsinghpur, Oct 20 (LocalWire): As part of the preventive measures against COVID-19 during the Tirtol by-elections, the district administration has asked the political parties to convince the COVID, positive voters, to cast their votes during the last one hour of polling.
A meeting with the representatives was convened at the Collectorate under the chairmanship of collector-cum-district election officer Saroj Kumar Mishra, wherein he has appealed to the contestants to not use more than five vehicles for their roadshow.
He has also asked them not to gather more than 200 people keeping in mind the dire situation of COVID-19.
Mishra informed that 15,253 voters including 340 Covid positive patients have been identified to cast their votes through postal ballot.
General observer P. Rajendra Cholan and expenditure observer Chittee Yogesh Sugdeo were also present at the meeting.
They have informed that in each political party meeting, local health officials will be present to monitor the observance of Covid guidelines and each candidate would spend only Rs. 28 lakhs towards election expenditure.
LocalWire
NGO volunteering to cremate COVID dead felicitated by administration
Jagatsinghpur, Sept 24 (LocalWire): Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra felicitated an NGO named Samaj Vikash Mission (SVM) of Raghunathpur for volunteering to cremate the dead bodies of COVID positive patients for the last two months.
As per the government circular, an amount of Rs. 45,000 was e-transferred to their account.
Collector Mohapatra said, “When the families, kith and kin and fellow villagers have disowned the dead bodies, the magnificent work done by this NGO is really appreciated and praiseworthy.”
Secretary of SVM Sarit Mohapatra has informed, “We were inspired after being felicitated by the administration today.
Our activists have not only cremated dead bodies but also distributed free cooked food to hundreds of people including disabled persons, street beggars, mentally ill persons and other poverty-stricken persons in Raghunathpur, Jagatsinghpur and Kandarpur of Cuttack district during the lockdown.”
LocalWire
COVID casts shadow on World Maritime Day celebration
Paradip, Sept 24 (LocalWire): Paradip Port observed the 43rd World Maritime Day today with the theme, “Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet”.
Unlike National Maritime Day, there is no fixed date of celebration of World Maritime Day. However, generally it is celebrated in the last week of September every year.
It depends on the individual governments to decide a suitable date for the celebration and DG Shipping, Govt. of India had directed to celebrate World Maritime Day on 24th September 2020 in India this year.
On this occasion, at PPT, Capt. A.K. Mohapatra, deputy Conservator hoisted the World Maritime Day flag at the Marine Site office in presence of other Sr. Officials of Marine Dept.
Due to the threat of spread of COVID-19, the celebration of World Maritime Day was conducted in a restricted manner this year.
The significance of this day is to emphasize the importance of International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the maritime sector and to highlight its contribution towards Maritime Safety, Maritime Security and Marine Environment.
In a simple manner, it can be explained that World Maritime Day is celebrated for carrying out commercial sea transport in a safe, secured and environmental-friendly manner for the economic growth of the world.
The first celebration of World Maritime Day was done on 17th March 1978 to mark the occasion of enforcing first convention of IMO in 1958 and since then every year, during last week of September, the World Maritime Day is observed globally.
LocalWire
Dead teachers promoted to new posts in Jagatsinghpur
Jagatsinghpur, Sept 15 (LocalWire): In a bizarre turn of events, a teacher who recently died due to COVID-19 has been promoted to the post of headmaster in a High School in Balikuda.
Another assistant teacher who died last year has been promoted to the post of headmaster in a high school in Jagatsinghpur block.
One Manoj Kumar Gochyat, working as a science teacher in Chanarpur High School under Balikuda block, got infected by the coronavirus and died on August 29, 2020, sources said.
The Directorate of Secondary Education has promoted this dead teacher and given him a new posting according to the letters of the District Education Officer, Jagatsinghpur, dated Sept 13, 2020.
A science teacher of Allipingal High School, Saubhagya Charan Sahoo, who died on January 25, 2020 due to prolonged illness has also been promoted to the post of headmaster in the same school in a letter dated Sept 13, 2020.
In the recent list of promotion of teacher, nearly 70 assisted teachers have been promoted and posted in different government high schools, after six years.
DEO of Jagatsinghpur Prativa Manjari Das said, “Assistant teacher Gochyat died last month due to COVID-19 and the same had been informed to the concerned department.
However, his name was not removed from the list by mistake.
Out of 70 teachers, 11 have refused promotion, while the rest 57 have already joined the schools in their new posts.”
LocalWire