Metro TV Bureau gives you latest news in Odisha; let’s find out today’s
great happenings in our state. Eleven students were injured when a gas balloon
burst near Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s house on Friday. The students, members of
BJD student wing Biju Chhatra Janata Dal, had come to wish the CM on his 70th
birthday. Patnaik, too, was to felicitate them for winning the student union
polls in Rama Devi Women’s College. The students were going to the CM’s
residence as part of a rally. Less than 100m from Patnaik’s house, a huge
balloon filled with flammable gas burst, possibly after some crackers fell on
it, police said.
The students, including nine girls, were rushed to
the nearby Capital Hospital. Hospital superintendent Dr Binod Mishra said: “All
of them have received minor injuries,” he said. President of Biju Chhatra
Janata Dal and BJD MLA Byomakesh Ray too sustained minor injuries. The Congress
and the BJP lashed out at BJD for absence of adequate safety measures during
the rally. The Congress and a few other outfits lodged an FIR against Patnaik,
holding him responsible for the accident. “Section 144 of CrPC is in force on
the road to the CM’s residence. It is surprising how a big rally was allowed
there,” said state Congress chief Prasad Harichandan.
Some more metro
today news - The Union Minister of Steel and Mines Narendra Singh Tomar has
set the ball rolling for an inspection by the Indian Bureau of Mines
(IBM) into allegations of illegal iron ore mining in Odisha. This
comes days after Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram's letter to Mr.
Tomar, saying there were reports of a 120-crore illegal mining scam in
the State. The letter had said that local residents at Rangra, 60 kms
from Rourkela, had detected 30,000-40,000 metric tonnes of iron ore “dug
under the surface soil”. Urging Mr. Tomar to send an inspection team to
ascertain the legality of the matter, Mr. Oram had cautioned that mining
mafias operating in the area "in collusion with the State mining
department” could suppress the matter. The BJD had reacted cautiously.
Its leader Bhartruhari Mahtab had said that there should be an immediate inspection
if a Cabinet minister was expressing such concerns. He said this would be
better than speculations on the matter.
