Odisha Grapples With Intense Heatwave, Red Alert Issued For 9 Districts

According to sources, the vehicle was on the way from Andhra Pradesh to Odisha, loaded fully with coconuts.The incident took place on National Highway 26, where the vehicle rammed into a roadside tree.While a traveller died on the spot, another was critically injured in the incident.Police alongwith locals rescued the injured person and rushed them to the District Headquater Hospital.

Traffic was disrupted as the Eicher remained unmoved for hours.

The police have reached the spot and started the investigation.

Further information are awaited.

Notably, the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are being held simultaneously in the state in four phases from May 13 to June 1.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha Nikunj Bihari Dhal said that voting was underway at 9,162 polling booths in Bargarh, Sundargarh, Bolangir, Kandhamal, Aska parliamentary constituencies and 35 Assembly segments under these constituencies.

As per the Election Commission of India, Odisha recorded 21.07 per cent voter turnout till 11 a.m.

As many as 79.70 lakh electors will exercise their franchise simultaneously for the five Lok Sabha seats and 35 Assembly segments.

CEO Dhal further stated that polling was going smoothly without any incidents of violence till now. Facilities have been provided for the voters at the booths, he said.

Dhal stated that as many as 70 ballot units, 85 control units and 167 VVPATs have been replaced at some booths out of the 9,162 polling booths of the state.

“The total number of polling stations in Odisha is 9,162 and now we have live webcasting at more than 5,400 polling stations,” Dhal added.

The CEO also said that the situation in the Aska parliamentary constituency, where a BJP worker was recently killed in a pre-poll violence, is very much under control now. Meanwhile, Dhal also said he had discussions with the Director General of Police, Arun Kumar Sarangi regarding intense political rivalry in the Ghasipura Assembly constituency in Keonjhar district.

The supporters of BJD heavyweight Badri Narayan Patra and former BJD MLA, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik came face to face during an election rally in Ghasipura on Monday. Patnaik is contesting the Ghasipura Assembly constituency as an independent candidate.

Meanwhile, as many as 33,000 police officials, including 102 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), and 66 platoons of the Special Armed Police Force of Odisha Police are deployed to ensure a smooth and peaceful voting in the second phase of polling in Odisha.

Odisha Police have made adequate security arrangements at 556 booths in the five Maoist-affected districts -- Kandhamal Boudh, Bolangir, Bargarh, and Rourkela. Around 20 per cent of locations have been declared as critical locations.

As many as 40 candidates, including six women in five Lok Sabha constituencies, and 265, including 41 women candidates in 35 Assembly segments, are trying their luck in the second phase of polling in Odisha on Monday.

The prominent leaders in the fray include Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who is contesting the Hinjili seat in the Aska Lok Sabha constituency and Kantabanji in the Bolangir parliamentary constituency. Former Hockey India captain Dilip Tirkey, former Union ministers Jual Oram and Dilip Ray, and noted educationist Achyut Samant are also in the poll fray. (IANS)

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The infrastructure will include world-class indoor nets, indoor swimming pools and fitness centres for year-round training options and will benefit the aspiring cricketers of the six states including Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.

"Honoured to have laid the foundation stone for BCCI’s upcoming state-of-the-art indoor training facilities in the North East! Our cricketers from six states - Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim—will soon benefit from world-class indoor nets, indoor swimming pools and fitness centres for year-round training options," Shah wrote on X.

"This, along with the launch of the new pavillion in Mizoram, are big steps towards our vision to enhance cricket infrastructure in the region, exciting times ahead!" it added.

Earlier, BCCI had announced the release of Request for Proposal (RFP) for the construction of an indoor cricket training facility at Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland Sikkim and Annual Maintenance in December 2022.

"The BCCI invites bids from reputed entities for providing construction services of Indoor Cricket Training Facility at Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and annual maintenance, through a tender process," the BCCI has notified in its then release.

"Any interested party wishing to submit a bid is required to purchase the RFP. However, only those satisfying the eligibility criteria set out in the RFP and subject to the other terms and conditions set out therein shall be eligible to bid. It is clarified that merely purchasing the RFP does not entitle any person to bid," it had added. (IANS)