BHUBANESWAR: The Maoist-infested Laxmipur block in Koraput district which hogged the headlines for the wrong reason was back in the news on Tuesday. In a move that will help resolve the current crisis over land dispute, nearly 500 landless tribal families were given pattas under the land allocation programme, initiated by the Odisha Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme (OTELP).

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.

A large number of eggs of Olive Ridley turtles were destroyed due to sea erosion in the mouth of Rushikulya river in Odisha’s Ganjam district where the endangered sea species nest.

“We think around 10 to 20 per cent of eggs were washed away due to the sea erosion,” divisional forest officer, Berhampur AK Jena said.

Around 1.06 lakh eggs were laid by Olive Ridley sea turtles in the Rushikulya river mouth, one of the nesting sites in the state in February.

Very few Olive Ridley turtles had nested in the place, where largescale sea erosion was taking place, DFO said.

BERHAMPUR: The erosive waves of the Bay of Bengal have again started to threaten villages on the coastline of Ganjam district. During past two days, the Podempeta village in Chhatrapur block of the district witnessed the fury of sea waves. The village is inhabited mostly by marine fishermen. On Sunday night, two thatched houses were swept away in the high tides. The houses belonged to PL Appeyya and B Matheyya.

The erosive action of tidal waves has also washed away hundreds of Olive Ridley eggs in the last two days.

Berhampur: The Odisha government has decided to make solar fencing to arrest increasing man-elephant conflicts in Ganjam district.
In the first phase, around five-km stretch would be fenced near Narayani jungle under Khallikote forest range to prevent entry of jumbos into human habitats.
The work for solar fencing will start after the elephant herds are driven away Ganjam block, divisional forest officer, Berhampur AK Jena said. At least 22 elephants divided into three to four herds are now camping in Damanagiri forest in Ganjam block.

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government declared 17 of the 30 districts as drought-affected on Thursday. The announcement comes a day after Opposition Congress and BJP slammed the BJD Government for the alleged delay in providing assistance to the affected farmers.

The decision was taken after receiving reports on possible crop loss of 50 per cent or more in 12,046 villages under 113 blocks and 100 wards under 25 urban local bodies in the 17 districts, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister SN Patro informed the Assembly.

BHUBANESWAR: With the World AIDS Day theme of ‘Getting to Zero’, the State Government on Thursday started a number of initiatives to meet the goal of “zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths” in the State. At a function organised to mark the event, Health and Family Welfare Minister Prasanna Acharya announced the inauguration of CD4 testing facilities at Rourkela, Balangir and Balasore Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) centres and setting up of nine ‘Link ART’ centres in the State.

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government is keen on including iodised salt in the public distribution system (PDS) in order to ensure access by the lowest rung of the society and tackle the high prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) in the population, said Health Secretary Anu Garg .
The proposed project would commit itself to universalisation of salt iodisation and is proposed to be carried forward through multi-sectoral engagement.

BHUBANESWAR: In another step towards food security in the state, Odisha has been included in International programme for Roots and Tuber Crops (RTC), initiated by International Potato Centre (known by its Spanish acronym CIP).

Berhamupur: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday laid the foundation-stone for the proposed anti-Maoist Vijayawada-Ranchi corridor at Aska in Ganjam district.
The corridor would go a long way in solving certain basic problems affecting not only some regions but the entire state, he said during his one-day visit to the district.

Patnaik arrived at Aska amidst rousing welcome by the party workers and local leaders. Patnaik addressed a gathering following inauguration of the Aska New Bus Stand.