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On October 21, upon receiving the cyclone forecast from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chief Minister Majhi quickly mobilized the state’s disaster management machinery. He convened an emergency meeting, attended by ministers and key officials, to establish a comprehensive plan for relief, rescue, and post-cyclone recovery operations. All leave for government employees was cancelled, and reinforcements were mobilized. This included National Disaster Rapid Action Force (NDRF) teams from Punjab, along with Odisha’s own Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Fire Services, and a significant number of volunteers.

To safeguard the most vulnerable populations, including elderly residents, children, and pregnant women, the government evacuated over 584,000 people to 8,322 cyclone shelters under the supervision of trained healthcare workers. This strategic approach allowed for the safe delivery of more than 1,600 babies in specially designated maternal care units, highlighting the proactive measures taken by the state.

Majhi took a hands-on approach, overseeing operations on the ground throughout Thursday night and surprising many by arriving early Friday morning at the state secretariat to review the ongoing relief efforts. Nine ministers, including Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singhdeo and Pravati Parida, and six senior bureaucrats were dispatched to the affected districts to lead ground-level operations.

At a Friday press briefing, Chief Minister Majhi expressed his gratitude to colleagues, officials, rescue teams, and media personnel for their dedication in minimizing the impact of Cyclone Dana. He attributed the success to both divine protection and the state’s coordinated, swift response. “By the grace of Lord Jagannath, Cyclone Dana could not inflict significant damage,” Majhi said, crediting the dedicated efforts of NDRF, ODRAF, Fire Services, healthcare workers, and various government departments.

As recovery efforts began, Majhi instructed district collectors to assess damages to crops and homes quickly so that a compensation package could be prepared. “We’ve directed district collectors to submit their reports without delay. Once received, we’ll finalize the compensation package,” he assured. Efforts to clear uprooted trees and restore power were well underway, with full restoration anticipated by evening.

Odisha’s response to Cyclone Dana stands as a testament to the state’s resilience and unity. The achievement of the “Zero Casualty” mission reflects the strength and solidarity of its people and leadership. In acknowledgment of these efforts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached out to CM Majhi, commending Odisha’s preparedness and efficient response to the disaster.

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A bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai came down heavily on the CBI's counsel and cautioned that not only it will impose exemplary cost but will also reward the probe agency with "compliments".

The Bench, also comprising Justice K.V. Vishwanathan, was possibly hinting recording of adverse comments against the CBI in its judicial order for filing "frivolous" plea merely because the accused were "high profile".

In its decision delivered in February this year, the Bombay High Court had quashed and set aside the LOCs issued against Chakraborty, her brother Showik, her father, an army veteran, and her mother.

"It is not in dispute that all the petitioners have roots in the society. The right to travel is a fundamental right and cannot be curtailed except according to due procedure established by law," it said.

Rhea, along with 19 others, were arrested by the NCB in connection with the drugs angle which surfaced during the investigations of the actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case.

Sushant's father had levelled various allegations against Rhea Chakraborty, including taking money from his son and also threatening him to disclose his medical reports to the media.

Sushant's family has also accused Rhea of keeping him away from his family.

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had ordered a CBI probe into the death by suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Sushant Singh Rajput, who was an emerging star in Hindi cinema, was found dead at his apartment in Bandra in Mumbai in June 2020. He was 34.

Sushant has worked in over 10 films. He is fondly remembered for playing the role of Indian cricket legend and 2011 World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the film "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story", which released in 2016.

--IANS

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The party’s National General Secretary and Headquarters In-charge, Arun Singh, has informed the Election Commission of India about the star campaigners list.

The state’s 81 assembly seats will be contested in two phases, with voting for 43 seats set to take place on November 13 for the first phase, giving parties and candidates just 18 days to campaign for this phase.

Among the leaders announced as star campaigners, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have already started campaigning on the ground, holding 10-12 meetings every day in the last three days.

Other key BJP Chief Ministers set to campaign include Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh’s Mohan Yadav, Odisha’s Mohan Charan Majhi, Haryana’s Nayab Singh Saini, and Chhattisgarh’s Vishnu Deo Sai.

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Annapurna Devi, along with Ministers of State Nityanand Rai and Sanjay Seth, will also play prominent roles in the campaign.

Other senior leaders, including Smriti Irani, UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary, and Rajya Sabha members Laxmikant Bajpayi, Nagendra Nath Tripathi, Karmveer Singh, and Suvendu Adhikari, have featured in the list of star campaigners.

From the BJP’s Jharkhand state unit, notable figures such as State President Babulal Marandi, Opposition Leader Amar Kumar Bauri, former Union Minister Arjun Munda, former Chief Minister Champai Soren, former MP Karia Munda, Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash, and MPs Vidyut Varan Mahto, Nishikant Dubey, and Dhullu Mahto will join the campaign.

Other prominent members include Aditya Sahu, Pradeep Verma, Balmukund Sahay, former MLA Sita Soren, former Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi, Manoj Singh, and Ghuran Ram.

The nomination process for the first phase concluded on Friday, October 25, with 868 candidates filing their papers, as per the Election Commission’s website.

--IANS

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