Bhubaneswar: The state government has decided to add Reproductive Health (RH) service component to Disaster Response and Disaster Mitigation Plan at the state and district levels. This was decided at a joint advocacy meeting presided over by Development Commissioner Rabi Narayan Senapati at the State secretariat here on Tuesday.

Bhubaneswar: Forest and environment minister Debi Prasad Mishra on Tuesday said that a legislation on biodiversity is soon to be considered by the State Legislative Assembly. Addressing a workshop on ‘Biodiversity conservation in Odisha: Challenges and Opportunities’ organised by the Regional Plant Resource Centre (RPRC), Bhubaneswar to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity-2012, Mishra said that biodiversity is important for our survival. Maintaining the equilibrium of biodiversity should get priority.

Bhubaneswar: School and mass education minister Pratap Jena on Tuesday said that special strategies and plan of action were being taken up to implement the Right to Education Campaign-2012 and it was decided to finalise the District Plan for the RTE campaign by June 5. Briefing newsmen here, Jena said that core committees would be formed in all district project offices and the first meeting as to how to carry out the campaign to create awareness to mobilise students to schools would be held by June 5 and by this time.

Bhubaneswar: Finance minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadai on Tuesday said that Odisha has been able to reduce the net debt stock from 55.92 per cent of the GSDP in 2001-02 to 15.86 per cent in 2011-12, thereby achieving the desired level of 25 per cent recommended by the 13th Finance Commission. It is targeted to reduce the debt stock further to 15.55 per cent by the end of the current fiscal- 2012-13.

Bhubaneswar: Alleging tardy procurement of surplus rice by FCI from Odisha, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday sought prime minister's intervention for moving at least one lakh MT rice from the state every month. Despite request by the state and my food minister's meeting with union food minister, FCI has not moved a single grain from the state in April and May, the chief minister said in a letter to Manmohan Singh.

The Odisha government has decided to take up plantation in 2 lakh hectares of land in the state in the 2012-13 fiscal with an allocation of Rs 183 crore.
This was decided at a high-level meeting presided over by chief minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here on Sunday. It may be mentioned that the state government has taken up afforestation programme in 1.82 lakh hectares in 2011-12 fiscal with an allocation of Rs 160 crore. However, it has increased its target to 2 lakh hectares in the current fiscal.

Berhampur: A probe has been ordered into the allegation that child labourers were being engaged in executing works of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in Ganjam district. District Level Monitoring Committee will inquire into the allegation of child labour engaged in the MGNREGS work, district collector Krishan Kumar said here on Tuesday.

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has sought a fresh detailed project report from Posco India concerning its proposal to downsize the proposed 12-MTPA steel project near Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district as the chairman and managing director of the company is scheduled to meet chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday.

Kendrapada: The World Bank authorities have expressed displeasure over the inordinate delay in handover of the roadside land required for widening of the 106-KM long Cuttack-Chandballi State Highway in state, official sources said. The funding agency has refused to start road widening work for the Rs 800 crore worth State Highway project as the state government agencies have failed to make the transfer of the 30 per cent of roadside land to the executing agency, sources said.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a final reminder to the chief secretary of Odisha to furnish action taken report and proof of the payment of compensation to the displaced in the Reba-Kapali river renovation project by June 6.
Amid allegations of severe discrimination in the payment of compensation to the land oustees in the Reba-Kapali river renovation project, the government officials are now under the scanner of the NHRC, who are trying to escape punishment.