Odisha plans to restore coastal green cover
Uprooted trees in Puri. Nearly 22 lakh trees have been destroyed in the cyclone in Odisha.Biswaranjan Rout Cyclone Fani-hit State aims at planting over 1.3 crore saplings as per a five-year scheme
Uprooted trees in Puri. Nearly 22 lakh trees have been destroyed in the cyclone in Odisha.Biswaranjan Rout Cyclone Fani-hit State aims at planting over 1.3 crore saplings as per a five-year scheme
Aiming to expedite disposal of applications for renewal of mining leases, the steel & mines department has rejected 135 such applications of a total of 323 applicants. “We have already rejected 135 applications for mine lease renewal. These applications did not merit renewal as they lacked the necessary statutory clearances. The department is making all efforts to dispose off pending applications in accordance with the directive of the Odisha High Court,” said an official source.
BHUBANESWAR: The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), state branch, is planning to increase the number of Jan Aushadhi stores to 400 within a year. At present, just 16 such fair price shops sell generic medicines in the state. The shops, established under Centre-sponsored Jan Aushadhi scheme, sell 'quality' medicines, manufactured by PSUs, at a price as low as one-tenth of the prevailing market rate. An initiative of the Union ministry of chemical and fertilizers, these shops popularize generic medicines. In Odisha, such stores are managed by the IRCS. The Medical Council of India recently asked doctors to prescribe generic medicines.
Sale price at Rs 5,600/tonne compared to raising cost of Rs 600 The All Odisha Steel Federation (AOSF), a body representing the interests of local steel units and sponge iron manufacturers, has stepped up the ante on mine owners, accusing them of making huge profits by selling iron ore to end use industries at exorbitant prices. AOSF held that after the notification of the state steel & mines department dated December 5 last year that made selling of at least 50% of their ore to local industries compulsory, two lessees- Sirajuddin and Indrani Patnaik had offered ore for sale to such units.
Company, however, not keen on selling alumina to Vedanta as they are competitors, say Nalco sources National Aluminium Company (Nalco), which has an exportable alumina surplus of nearly one million tonne per annum, stands to gain Rs 250 crore if it agrees to sell the intermediate product to its competitor - Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL). The business deal, though apparently lucrative, is not tempting enough for Nalco, which prefers to export the surplus alumina.
The inter-ministerial committee of the Odisha government constituted to formulate a policy for offering raw materials to state based industries will seek more time for submission of its report. Though the panel was mandated to submit its report by January 30, exactly three months after the notification dated October 30 last year, it was yet to finalize the report.
The project, supposed to be ready last year, had been delayed due to labour and land issues, and slow progress on the power plant front Shine Jacob With environment clearances delaying Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)’s product pipeline, the state-run company plans to commission its Rs 30,000-crore refinery at Paradip in Odisha this September.
The state government has sought Rs 3,050 crore outlay for the development of rail infrastructure in the state in the ensuing 2013-14 Railway budget. The state had received only Rs 723 crore allocation in last year’s rail budget against its demand of Rs 2,345 crore. Of the total budget allocation sought for the coming year, the government has asked Rs 1,440 crore for construction of nine new lines, Rs 50 crore for gauge conversion (90-km Rupsa- Bangiriposi), Rs 890 crore for doubling and laying of third line in some sections.
BHUBANESWAR: The Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) on Thursday announced it would commission the first phase of its six million tonne per annum (MTPA) steel plant in Angul within two months. "By March we will achieve two MTPA production capacity in the first phase," company chairman Naveen Jindal said after meeting senior state government functionaries at the secretariat here. About 30,000 people were working round the clock to meet the deadline, he informed, adding the facility would achieve full capacity of six MTPA within the next three years.
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is all set to have a Directorate of Radiation Safety (DRS) soon. It will have the mandate to ensure that radiation in radio diagnostic facilities does not cause health hazards. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) of the Union government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government in this regard on Thursday. AERB, constituted in 1983, is entrusted with carrying out certain regulatory and safety functions of radiation and nuclear energy in India. It has to ensure that the use of ionizing radiation and nuclear energy does not harm health and environment.
CUTTACK: To improve the economic condition of farmers, the district administration has been encouraging them take up soyabean cultivation. And the efforts have yielded desired results with 300 farmers cultivating soyabean in 550 acre in the district. District agriculture officers claim soyabean cultivation ensures lucrative returns with less input for the farmers. . "A farmer has to spend only Rs 500 per acre while the government provides them seeds and fertilizers worth Rs 3,500 to boost oil seed farming," said an agriculture officer.