Pandian visited Samleswari temple in Sundargarh town and reviewed the progress of work. He also reviewed the progress of development of other major temples such as Vedvyas temple at Rourkela, Shiv Temple at Ghoghar and Shiv temple at Belsara.

He also reviewed the progress of railway overbridge being constructed with a cost of Rs 48.11 crore at Rajgangpur. The project, which was pending for the last 10 years, was taken up after the local people informed Pandian during his last visit.

Later, he reviewed the progress of other development projects including MEGA piped water supply to Kutra, Rajgangpur, Gurundia, Lahunipada, Koida, Nuagaon and Kuarmunda blocks, important bridges and synthetic turf Hockey Training Centre at Kuarmunda, Nuagaon and Bisra.

During interaction with public, Pandian narrated that in 2019, International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that the Hockey World Cup 2023 would be held in Odisha. Chief Minister Patnaik insisted that Rourkela should be second venue of the world cup.

“The chief minister said Bhubaneswar is the state capital while Rourkela is the hockey capital of Odisha. FIH expressed concern that there is no hockey stadium, no hotels and no airport in Rourkela. But the Chief Minister said we are committed and we will get it done. In spite of COVID challenge and delays, the stadium, 225 rooms for accommodation and airport were constructed in record time. The stadium was named after the legendary Birsa Munda as a token of respect towards his contribution to freedom struggle,” Pandian said.

During the day, he interacted with the public in Rajgangpur, Nuagaon and Bonai and received the grievances on various issues and assured early resolution.

DSP Anil Pradhan told the media that the businessman, identified as Pradeep Kumar Soni of Basanti Colony in the city, had gone to Kolkata and returned to Rourkela by train in wee hours of the day. One of his friends had come to the railway station to pick him up.

While both of them were going on a scooty, the unidentified miscreants intercepted them near Railway Colony under Plant Site police station. The miscreants attacked them with a knife and snatched Pradeep’s bag containing the ornaments.

The locals admitted Pradeep and his friend, who had sustained injuries in the attack, in a hospital.

On being informed, police went to the spot and started investigation, the DSP said.

The two projects include a structure over Ib river at Bhasma and another over Sapei river at Phulbari in the district. While Rs 262.5 crore has been sanctioned for Bhasma projects, Rs 123.75 will be spent for Phulbari structure.

The people of 5 blocks will benefit from the projects. While Bhasma project will meet the water needs of Tangarapalli, Sundargarh and Jharsuguda blocks, Phulbari project is meant for Badagaon and Bamara.

The instream storage structures will not only meet the drinking water requirements but also facilitate pisciculture and cattle farming. It will also recharge the ground water level.

It may be noted that the people of Sundargarh had proposed for the projects to 5T chairman VK Pandian during his visit to the district.

As per reports, Rajesh Badi of Andharpalli in Bargarh district, who works in the finance company in Jharsuguda. He had gone to collect the repayment instalments of loan taken by the people of Tilia under Hemgiri police limits in Sundargarh.

While was returning with the cash amounting to Rs 1.2 lakh to deposit in the office, the miscreants wearing masks on their faces came on a bike and intercepted him on a deserted stretch between Tilia and Kaudhar. They beat up Rajesh and took away the money. Then they fled towards Belpahad in Jharsuguda.

Later, Rajesh managed to go to Hemgiri police station and filed a complaint. The police have registered a case and started investigation.

According to new chief district medical officer (CDMO) of Sundargarh Dr Dharanidhar Satpathy, of the 69 samples that were tested, 13 were found to be positive for scrub typhus. The district has reported 263 scrub typhus cases so far this year.

The mite-borne bacterial disease, which has been on a steady rise in western Odisha, has emerged as a major challenge for the health authorities to curb spread of infection.

Rise in scrub typhus cases has become a cause of major concern for the health administration as it happened amid the fight to contain dengue spread in the district.

Scrub typhus infection spreads through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites). The common symptoms of the disease include fever and a black inflamed mark on the skin called ‘eschar’. People who frequently visit farmland or forests are vulnerable to the infection.

The arrested have been identified as Prakash Gupta of Sundargarh, Tutu Dehury of Angul and Praveen Pradhan of the same district.

According to police sources, the three were found extorting money from truck drivers on National Highway near Ambapani forest by impersonating Sundargarh RTO and cops on Monday night. They later committed similar offence at  Kendumunda in Birmitrapur area. The trio drove an Innova.

Suspecting foul play, some truck drivers informed police, which then tracked them down. Further investigation is on to ascertain the possible involvement of others in the offence, the sources added.

The accused has been identified as Dalrasa Gudia, sarpanch of Birabira panchayat under Sadar block of the district. She is on the run to evade arrest.

According to sources, the sarpanch sent the girl to one Vinay Patel in Jharsuguda in July 2022 to learn tailoring at an institute there and become employable. Vinay later took the girl to Ahmedabad on the pretext of giving her training at a bigger institute, but engaged her as a domestic help at his house. He and his wife Sunita also started to harass and torture her. The girl was told that the sarpanch had sold her to the couple for Rs 5 lakh.

When the girl expressed her wish to return to her village, the couple confined her to a room for around six months. They allowed her to visit her village in July this year after she promised to come back. Once in her village and having spent here some days, the sarpanch forced her to go to Ahmedabad again.

Following which, the girl approached Dharuadihi police, which allegedly to refused to register the complaint. On August 5, she knocked on the door of the SP, who directed the police to file a case and record her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC.

The deceased has been identified as Md. Mohadis Nausad, a student of Sri Aurobindo Study Circle at Rajgangpur.

According to sources, Nausad fell unconscious during the drill class this morning and was rushed to a private hospital in Rourkela. However, the doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, police have initiated a probe into the incident.