Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bishweswar Tudu were present.

Dharmendra expressed gratitude to the PM for allocating Rs 1,21,117 crore to the Education Ministry in the Interim Union Budget 2024. He further said that the Rs 1 lakh crore corpus for research in technology will directly benefit the new generation.

“Today’s event marks the inauguration of a project by the PM for which he had laid the foundation stone through virtual mode on January 2, 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said, stressing that Modi ensures that project taken up are completed within the targeted time period.

While talking about the importance of IIMs, the CM said that the Prime Minister has set a new direction for the country and it is on a path to become an economic power. “This is a golden period for startups India and Odisha is a top performer in the country for promoting startups,” he said.

Naveen added, “Odisha hosting the first World Odia Language Conference from today and we are fortunate to have the PM, who is a lover of Indian languages, in our midsts.”

IIM-S NEW CAMPUS

The new campus at Basantpur spread over 200 acres has been built, incorporating regional art and architecture, with an investment of Rs 401.94 crore. Traditional IKAT – a patterned textile-dyeing technique – is mapped onto the brick facade which gives a remarkable elegance to the campus.

It is equipped with modern facilities for administration, faculty, academics, including auditoriums, libraries, sports zone, incubation centres, and hostels. IIM-S has its own Incubation Centre, governed by the Innovation and Incubation Cell, to build an ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs by providing them with a platform to interact, learn and network with a multitude of people which includes investors, venture capitalists, industry experts. It also boasts of a rooftop photovoltaic solar power plant with advanced features like motion sensor lights and solar water heating systems. The institute has implemented astronomical timers for external lighting and a high BEE star rating, aimed at cutting electricity consumption by 55 per cent. The campus also has an on-site waste water treatment system.

Recently, Dharmendra inaugurated the ‘Rangavati Centre of Excellence in Cultural and Sustainable Management’ at IIM Sambalpur as a part of the 4-Day 9th PAN IIM World Management Conference. The primary focus of the centre will be research on the art, literature, culture, and history of western Odisha, with a special emphasis on textiles.

The foundation stone for the permanent campus was laid by the PM through virtual mode on January 2, 2021. Initially, the B-school operated from a privately-run institution, Silicon Institute of Technology, campus at Sason area.

The Chief Minister dedicated the Rs 200 crore project after offering prayers at Maa Samaleswari temple in the western Odisha town.

After unveiling the project in the presence of several dignitaries, temple priests and servitors, the CM witnessed the yagna performed on the occasion.

5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman V K Pandian, functionaries of Samaleswari Temple Trust Board and senior officials were present on the occation.

The inauguration came ten days after a religious and political spectacle in Puri which saw the grand unveiling of Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa, strategically timed with the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya.

The SAMALEI project in western Odisha, which is considered a BJP stronghold, is expected to witness an equally magnificent opening, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official tour to the town in the first week of February. And this temple gambit by the BJD is being seen as an attempt to outmanoeuvre the BJP in the state and counter its Hindutva push ahead of the twin elections.

The 16th-century Samaleswari Temple, the abode of the presiding deity of the western Odisha, on the banks of the Mahanadi has seen remarkable transformation over 39 acre of its peripheral area under Rs 200-crore project, which include a 1km heritage corridor, heritage gates, improvement of access to the temple, and state-of-the-art amenities for the pilgrims. Development of Mahanadi river front is also part of the project.

The SAMALEI scheme is being implemented by the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC).

Ahead of the inauguration, the CM on Friday addressed the people, and said that Odisha will always remember those who volunteered to forego their lands for this project. “This project could be completed because of the blessings of Maa Samaleswari despite the hurdles during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he further said, while elaborating on the purpose behind the transformative improvement of the shrine.

Besides providing devotees and people an experience of peace and divine bliss, Naveen said that it will help boost tourism and economy of the region. “Now, thousands of devotees can congregate at the ghat to witness Mahanadi Alati,” he added.

The days leading to the project inauguration here also saw a yajna by the temple priests and ceremonial rituals, which culminated with a Kalash Shobha Yatra to Samaleswari Temple in which more than 1000 women participated on Friday. The water brought during the Yatra will be used for holy bath of the deity, Samaleswari Temple Trust Board chairman Sanja Babu had earlier told the media.

Participating in the Nua-O programme, organised at Mandalia Ground, he told the college students that they can showcase their talent and achieve overall personality development in addition to academic achievements by utilising the platform.

Citing examples of prominent persons like PK Mishra from the district, Pandian advised them to work hard to achieve success in life. He motivated them to dream big towards achieving the goals.

He visited Maa Samaleswari temple and reviewed the progress of SAMLEI project being implemented in 2 phases with a total cost of Rs 292 crore. Its inauguration is scheduled on January 27.

Pandian also reviewed the progress of development of Jagannath Temple, Panchakhanda Temple in Rairakhol and renovation of Smruti Pitha at Kandhara and Prapti Pitha at Madhupur of Santha Bhimabhoi at cost of Rs 13.58 crore.

Later, he reviewed the progress of construction of 4 instream storage structures on river Bheden in Budharaja, Kirasasan, Saida and Gochhara in Kuchinda at a cost of Rs 210 crore and various mega PWS projects in 7 blocks of the district with a cost of Rs 802 crore, 16 road projects with Rs 131 crore and 16 bridge projects with Rs 90 crore.

During the day, he interacted with the public at Kuchinda College ground in Kuchinda and Kadam Padia in Rairakhol and received the grievances on various issues and assured early resolution.

The Odisha government is spending around Rs 200 crore for the implementation of the Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economy Initiatives (SAMALEI) project in Sambalpur.

During his visit to Sambalpur, Pandian held a meeting at the conference hall in the district collector’s office for a thorough review of the progress made in the project. The meeting was attended by senior officials, including RDC, Sambalpur collector and commissioner of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC), sources said.

The 5T Chairman also visited Maa Samaleswari Temple and offered prayers before the goddess. He went around AAMALEI project site and took stock of the ongoing work.

The Chief Minister is slated to inaugurate the project which has been taken up for the beautification and peripheral development of the temple, heritage corridor, state-of-the-art amenities and the Mahanadi riverfront development.

The president and members of Samaleswari Temple Trust Board and priests came to chief minister’s residence, Naveen Niwas, in Bhubaneswar on the day. They handed over the invitation amid chanting of Mangalastoka (hymns for Devi).

They said the temple trust will invite the devotees in Sambalpur city by sending coconut as a symbolic gesture. In return, it will collect vermilion from the people to be applied on the deity of the temple.

On receiving the invitation, the chief minister said he has been working for welfare of the people of Sambalpur. 5T chairman VK Pandian, who was present on the occasion, said the transformation work of the temple was going in right pace and will be completed in time. The temple with new look will be dedicated to the people with the blessing of Maa Samaleswari on January 27, he added.

Speaking to the media, IIM-S director Mahadeo Jaiswal said that they had received an intimation in this regard from the Prime Minister’s Office. “We can confirm about thePM’s visit only after receiving the official letter,” he said.

Senior BJP leader Mohan Majhi also hinted at PM Modi’s visit to Odisha by December-end while speaking to reporters on Tuesday. “The PM may attend a programme in western Odisha,” he said, adding that Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda are scheduled to visit the state between December and January next year.

PM Modi had last visited Odisha in June this year to inspect the triple train accident site in Balasore district and take stock of the relief operations.

The permanent campus of IIM-Sambalpur, the foundation stone for which was laid by the PM through virtual mode on January 2, 2021, has been built over an area of 200 acre at a cost of Rs 401 crore with National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited as the project management consultant.

According to IIM-Sambalpur website, the newly built state-of-the-art buildings reflect an eclectic mix of the traditional IKAT—a patterned textile-dyeing technique and a significant part of Sambalpur’s history and culture – mapped onto the brick facade with remarkable elegance. These include academic building, student academic centre, hostel block, auditorium, health centre, guest house and canteen besides residences of Director, faculty and staff quarters.

Jaiswal had earlier said that Odisha’s art and culture, including the wheel of Konark temple and Sambalpuri fabric, will be seen in the buildings of the permanent campus. Only battery-operated vehicles will be allowed to ply inside the campus where priority will be given to solar energy, he added.

Initially, the B-school operated from a privately-run institution, Silicon Institute of Technology, campus at Sason area.

Acting on a tip-off about gambling activities taking place at a secluded location, a team of police personnel carried out a raid at Bahanagan forest under the jurisdiction of Jamankira police station of the district.

During the raid, six persons were found indulging in gambling at a site inside the forest. All the six were arrested and several incriminating articles seized from them, sources said,

Some cash, three motorcycles and three mobile phones were also seized from the arrested persons. Further investigation is in progress to ascertain if others are involved in the racket.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, approved 10 proposals submitted by different departments.

In a bid to give a major boost to industrial development, the Cabinet approved construction of a utility corridor between Gopalpur Port and Tata Steel Industrial Park at Gopalpur in Ganjam district. The Rs 128.88-crore project to be executed through IDCO will cater to the demand of existing and upcoming industries in Gopalpur Industrial Park.

The Cabinet also approved a special incentive package for Welspun Group’s projects at Choudwar in Cuttack district and Nilgungri in Sambalpur. These projects with a combined investment of Rs 6,600 crore will create job opportunities for more than 20,000 people, revitalise textile industry, and foster sustainable industrial growth and skill development.

Welspun Group has proposed to set up an integrated textiles manufacturing unit at Choudwar, a plastics product manufacturing unit and DI pipe making unit at Nildungri.

Other Cabinet decisions include amendments to Odisha MSME Development Policy 2022. It will help the MSMEs, which have received financial incentive from the Central government, avail the higher incentives offered in the state policy.

The amendment adds provision of reimbursement of stamp duty and land conversion premium for entrepreneurs. With this, MSMEs will be able to pay the duty and land conversion premium upfront to expedite their project execution and seek reimbursement later. The Cabinet has also enhanced timeline for condonation of delay and facilitated large investment in packaged drinking water.

In transport sector, decision was taken on one-time waiver/concession in arrear of MV tax and penalty. The tax and penalty will be exempted fully for those owners who will want to scrap and de-register their vehicles.

Similarly, the penalty will be exempted along with some portion of the tax as per the age of the vehicle for those owners who would want to carry on their transport business by depositing the tax at a concessional rate.

The Cabinet also approved the proposal for amendment of the Odisha Government Land Settlement Rules, 1983 and take-over of the Secondary Board High School, Cuttack by the government with effect from January 1, 2024.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said education has always played an important and transformative role in society building. She highlighted that moral and human values like service, equality and sympathy are the foundation of our culture.

Calling upon the youth to be familiar with these great ideals, she said they should take care of their elderly parents and people from the deprived sections of society to make a better society.

Positive attitude towards these values should be created in the minds of children through education, Murmu said.

The President said that moral education helps in building our life and brings positive changes in the society. Moral education makes us aware of the life values of compassion, kindness, friendship and fraternity. Positive changes can occur in an individual having these qualities. Positive changes in an individual can result a better society, she said

She was happy to note that Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya is making the path to happiness, peace and joy, accessible through character-building, self-realisation and divine experience.

According to sources, there was a heated exchange of words between the postgraduate student and the security guard, which escalated into a physical confrontation in which the latter suffered injuries. The exact reason behind the dispute, which reportedly took place =around 4 am, is still unclear.

Later, the injured guard’s brother arrived at the scene and attacked the student, leaving him injured. The identity of the injured student and the security guard is yet to be ascertained.

Several postgraduate students then held a demonstration, demanding disengagement of the security agency which had deployed the guard. Soon, Inspector in Charge (IIC) of the Burla police station along with a team of officers reached the campus and tried to diffuse the situation.