The Vigilance had received a complaint that the complainant along with another person had gone for hydrocele operation in the district headquarters hospital (DHH) at Jharsuguda. This operation is conducted free of cost in government hospitals across the state.

But Dr Supreet Sourav, surgery specialist in the DHH, demanded Rs 6,000 to perform the surgery. Though the complainant expressed his inability to pay the amount, Dr Sourav refused to carry out the operation without the money.

Finding no other way, the complainant approached the Vigilance. A Vigilance team chalked out a plan and nabbed Dr Sourav while accepting the bribe from the complainant. The entire tainted bribe money was recovered and seized from the possession of Dr Sourav.

Following the trap, the Vigilance conducted simultaneous searches on at three locations of the doctor from DA angle.

In a press release on Tuesday, the chief secretary said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declared January 17 as a public holiday in view of the fact that devotees and the public can participate in this festival and offer prayer to Lord Jagannath.

The government has also declared holiday for all its offices, schools, colleges and universities on the day. “The Chief Minister is receiving requests through social media and other sources for participation of private institutions, educational institutions and business establishments in this event,” Jena said.

Considering the demand, he requested the private institutions, schools and business establishments for screening of live telecast of the event in different electronic media from 12 noon to 3 pm on the day in their respective institutions. It will help the employees, teachers and students watch the programme and associate themselves in the auspicious event.

Similarly, the chief secretary has requested all the people of the state to participate in the historic event by watching its live broadcast.

A release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Sunday stated that the devotees from across the state are expected to participate in the inauguration programme of Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa (heritage corridor project).

The programme has been organised for the devotees to celebrate in an atmosphere of devotion and piety. For the convenience of the people, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has declared January 17 as a government holiday.

All government offices and educational institutions including schools and colleges will remain closed on the day, the release stated.

The Chief Minister is scheduled to attend the inauguration of the heritage corridor project.

The Odisha Table Tennis Academy features a spacious table tennis arena with 16 TT tables, a well-equipped gymnasium, a weightlifting room and a chess area. There are also dedicated space for yoga and zumba enthusiasts to provide a holistic approach to fitness and well-being.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said, “With the inauguration of the Odisha Table Tennis Academy, we are taking another significant step towards promoting sports excellence in table tennis. This academy will not only nurture budding talents but also serve as a hub for recreation and competitive spirit.”

He said 33 Table Tennis Centres being established across indoor halls in the state will be operational by December. Cuttack TT Academy will also be operational shortly with 16 tables.

Naveen commended the Odisha State Table Tennis Association for taking significant steps for promoting table tennis and offered all necessary support to produce elite table tennis players to represent the state in national and international competitions.

TTFI dignitaries Chaudhury and Kamlesh Mehta appreciated the Chief Minister’s vision for sports and support towards hosting Commonwealth TT championship and the National TT Championships in 2019.

Chairman of 5T and Nabin Odisha VK Pandian, Sports and Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera, Bhubaneswar Central MLA Ananta Narayan Jena, Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, OSTTA president Sanjay Singh and Sports Secretary Vineel Krishna were present on the occasion.

They expressed happiness for him taking responsibility as Chairman of 5T Initiative and Nabin Odisha. They said that he is working day and night to give shape the vision of Chief Minister for a new, empowered Odisha. He has been driving the transformation dream of the Chief Minister, they said.

VK Pandian thanked the organisations and sought their cooperation in State’s endeavours. He asked them to work as partners of this transformation drive to realise Chief Minister’s vision of a new and empowered Odisha.

The associations which met the 5T Chairman include SAKHA, the organisation of transgenders led by Advisor Meera Parida, Odisha Child Protection Officers and Staff Association, Odia Mahamancha New Delhi, All Odisha Additional BDOs Association and Punjabi Global Foundation.

At the launching ceremony, 6 elephant art pieces handcrafted by local artisans were unveiled. Besides, several activities including cultural performances, cycle rally, origami and storytelling workshops for students and informative sessions, all designed to highlight the importance of elephants and their habitats, were organised.

A symbolic baton was handed over by Pradip Kumar Amat, Minister of Forest and Environment to Sumit Kar, Dhenkanal DFO, Bijaya Dash, Collective Initiation For Social Solidarity (CISS) and Sandeep Tiwari, Chief of Conservation, WTI. The function concluded with a media panel discussion on “Sensitive and Responsible Wildlife Journalism”.

Gaj Utsav is a campaign by the WTI with a mission to raise awareness about safeguarding the future of India’s National Heritage Animal, while advocating for their essential right of passage.

Odisha is home to over 1900 elephants spanning three elephant reserves and having 12 identified elephant corridors. Gaj Utsav seeks to encourage collective action among policymakers, media, infrastructure agencies, legal professionals, and wildlife experts for their protection. The campaign has successfully engaged with 75,000 people across the country in the last 5 years.

Sushil Kumar Popli, PCCF and CWLW, Debidutt Biswal, PCCF and HoFF, Satyabrata Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change were among others present at the function.