Odisha Tourism gets intl award for best relaxation culture

odisha tourism



Bhubaneswar: Odisha Tourism has bagged an award for the Best Relaxation Culture & Beaches Destination from the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) at a function held at Berlin, an official release said on Friday.

The award was received by M R Patnaik, Director Tourism Odisha in a glittering ceremony at Berlin. This is considered as a prestigious international award received by Odisha Tourism in ITB Berlin.

Secretary General, UNWTO, CEO PATA, Minister Tourism Egypt, Minister Tourism and Culture Seychelles, President, International Hotel and Restaurant Association and Secretary General, PATWA were present at the award giving ceremony.

Odisha Tourism is expected to receive more response in the events from the other countries in the coming days. The state delegation will remain present in Berlin till March 10, it said.

Odisha Tourism has bagged an award for the Best Relaxation Culture & Beaches Destination from the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA).

Violence inside courtroom in Umerkote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HoXlrrg1LYk



Umerkote: Tension gripped this southern Odisha town of Nabrangpur district on Thursday over the mysterious death of an on-duty home guard last night.

When the death of the home guard, identified as Paduram Bhatra of nearby Sankumari village spread, over a hundred locals gheraoed the ourtroom where the body was found in a hanging position.

Alleging that Bhatra was murdered, the irate mob started pelting stones at office bearers present inside the courtroom and tried to barge into it.

When the situation went beyond control, the police resorted to mild lathi charge resulting in injury to some.
According to police, the body of Bhatra was recovered in a hanging position from the ceiling of the courtroom on Thursday morning.

“When we called the magistrate and other officials after seizing the body, irate mob started pelting stones at us alleging that he has been murdered. Four of our team members have been injured in the incident,” Saroj Kumar Upadhyay, Umerkote PS in-charge said.

The locals alleged on the other hand that the home guard who was on-duty last night has been murdered.
“This is certain that he has been hanged after being killed. And most surprisingly how couldn’t his fellow home guards see when he took the extreme step, as claimed by some people,” Dhanurjay Bharta, a local, said.

To avoid any untoward incident, additional forces have been deployed near the court.

BJP accuses BJD of using volunteers for electoral purposes

Bhubaneswar: The BJP today alleged that Bharat Nirman sevaks were being used by the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha for electoral purposes.

“Bharat Nirman sevaks who are voluntary workers are been used by Naveen Patnaik for electoral purposes. It is not only unfortunate, but also an affront to established constitutional norms and provisions,” senior BJP leader and party’s state spokesman Sameer Mohanty alleged to reporters here.

Producing documents, he claimed that district collectors have been instructed to utilise the sevaks to pull people to booths. “Though it appears as a noble initiative, there is more than what meets the eye.

“In the name of persuading people to vote, sevaks are trained to highlight achievements and schemes of Naveen government, he claimed.

“It shows BJD has created a new paradigm under which government treasury and administration are being misutilised for electoral gain, sacrificing all scruples, principles and constitutional norms,” he said.

Mohanty alleged that the government which took recourse to such methods much before elections had also prepared a blueprint to utilise the treasury and the administration during the elections.

Barsa Swony receives acid attack threat

Bhubaneswar: Barsa Swony Choudhury, an alleged dowry torture victim and daughter-in-law of a former minister, was reportedly threatened in a letter with acid attack if she tried to enter politics.

The letter came today, five days after the Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) of the Odisha Police filed chargesheet against former law minister and Biju Janata Dal leader Raghunath Mohanty, his son and three other members of his family in a dowry torture case last year.

Barsa’s father Kishore Choudhury has received a postcard at his village home in Balasore district.

“It (postcard) has warned my daughter to refrain from any attempt to enter politics. It says if she makes any such attempt, she would be attacked with acid,” Choudhury said.

“I met the Balasore superintendent of police, apprised him of the threat to my daughter and sought adequate security to her,” Choudhury told reporters.

“I have asked for a thorough examination of the post card that the family members of Barsa received today. The post card would be sent to the fingerprint section which I hope will help the police nab the miscreants,” Balasore SP N Pankaj said.

Barsa was provided security after she met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on February 21.

Choudhury said this might be the handiwork of the supporters of Raghunath Mohanty, against whom Barsa has filed a dowry torture case following which he was dropped from the cabinet.

Mohanty was arrested from his hideout in Kolkata along with wife. Their son Rajashree was also arrested in March last year.

Cong dares Naveen to public debate on Odisha’s development

Bhubaneswar: Slamming Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for blaming the Centre for Odisha’s problems, Congress today challenged the BJD supremo to a public debate on a host of issues like how the state topped the list in terms of poverty and migration during his 14-year rule.

Besides giving Naveen three days to come forward with time and venue suitable for the proposed debate, senior Congress leaders asked the BJD chief to unveil a white paper on his government’s performance in accelerating development and tackling burning problems.

“If Patnaik fails to respond to our call for a public debate by Monday, we will go to him with our proposal,” OPCC president Jaydev Jena and party’s campaign committee chairman for the state Srikant Jena told reporters.

Describing debate as an essence of democracy, Srikant Jena said, “I wonder why the Chief Minister is so scared of joining a debate. Earlier also I had invited Naveen to public debate several times, but he never responded.”

The invitation for public debate to Patnaik came a day after he attacked the UPA government at the Centre while addressing three public meetings.

Hitting out at Patnaik for accusing the Centre of neglecting Odisha, Jena said the Chief Minister, who claims about speedy development in the state, must answer as to how the Raghuram Rajan Committee in its report had put Odisha as the least developed state.

“Despite tall claims by the Chief Minister, in terms of development, Odisha is placed at the bottom in all sectors,” said Jena, Union Minister for chemicals and fertilisers.

BJP alliance plans still unclear

Bhubaneswar: It seems BJP’s pre-poll alliance plans in Odisha will take a little longer to take final shape. Smaller parties in the state which are eager to have some kind of seat sharing arrangement with the saffron party will have to sit for a round of talks with national leaders, said a senior leader.


“Those who want to work with us, can talk to the party’s central leaders in the second phase. They will have a discussion with senior leader Arun singh thereafter. In the last phase we will reach a conclusion on basis of our calculations for the next elections,” said State BJP chief spokesperson Suresh Pujari.

Earlier in the day, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, accompanied by the party’s Odisha in-charge Chandan Mitra and deputy in-charge Arun Singh, arrived here to initiate talks with some political parties for a possible alliance in the state.

Sources said the trio held a closed door meeting with state BJP leaders at a city hotel about the smaller parties who are keen to fight the forthcoming polls along with the saffron party.

The central leadership of the party also discussed Narendra Modi’s proposed Sambalpur tour and poll preparations with the state leaders.

Meanwhile, Utkala Bharat president Kharavela Swain made it clear that his party is ready to forge an alliance with BJP.

“If both the parties are eager to form an alliance, they will definitely come to the table for a discussion. One is for sure our party is ready to work with BJP,” said Swain.

Leaders from Ama Odisha Party and Samata Kranti also had meetings with the BJP leaders but no final words came from either party.

As expected, OJM chief Pyarimohan Mohaptra was not called for a meeting with the saffron party leaders.