After the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the annual Rath Yatra, the state government had been facing tremendous pressure from different quarters to intervene in the matter.

The Odisha government on Sunday said it will take "favourable action" as legally permissible on a request by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb that Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra, which was stayed by the Supreme Court this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, be allowed sans congregation of devotees.

After the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the annual Rath Yatra, the state government had been facing tremendous pressure from different quarters to intervene in the matter.

"The State Government will take favourable action as legally permissible on the request of the Gajapati Maharaj when the writ petition W.P.(C) No. 571 of 2020 is taken up for hearing before the Hon'ble Supreme Court," Odisha law department said in a statement.

The government's response came a day after Gajapati Maharaja Deb requested it to move a fresh application before the Supreme Court seeking modification of its June 18 order.

The titular king of Puri had also requested the state government to request the court to allow the yatra sans any devotees and only in Puri as the festival is "sanctioned and mandated" according to the religious scriptures and legal provisions.

More than a dozen petitions have been moved before the Supreme Court seeking recall of its order staying the historic Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, which was scheduled for June 23.

Cyclone Fani: Odisha teaches the world how to prepare for disasters

The United Nations office for Disaster Risk Deduction (UNISDR) and other organisations have hailed government and volunteer for their efforts.

Fani, a rare summer cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, hit eastern India on May 3. It is one of the strongest cyclones to have hit India in the last 20 years, according to the Indian government’s meteorological department. Storm surges and powerful winds reaching 125mph blew off roofs, damaged power lines and uprooted countless trees.

But the worst-affected state, Odisha, has been successful in keeping the loss of life and numbers of affected people to a minimum. This is the result of a very effective strategy of disaster preparation and quick responding.

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The United Nations office for Disaster Risk Deduction (UNISDR) and other organisations have hailed government and volunteer efforts that have ensured the levels of destruction have been kept to a minimum. According to official estimates, 64 people lost their lives due to the devastating cyclone Fani. But considering the power of the cyclone, it is remarkable that more lives have not been lost.

To put the death toll in perspective, the 1999 Odisha cyclone (which had 155mph winds) killed 9,658 people and caused US$2.5 billion in damages in the state. It was this super cyclone in 1999 that led the state to become better prepared for future cyclones.

The government’s “zero casualty” policy for natural disasters and the near accuracy of the India meteorological department’s early warning system have helped reduce the possibility of deaths from cyclone Fani. A record 1.2m people (equal to the population of Mauritius) were evacuated in less than 48 hours, and almost 7,000 kitchens, catering to 9,000 shelters, were made functional overnight. This mammoth exercise involved more than 45,000 volunteers.

The statistics are striking when compared to the impact of recent big weather events around the world. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017 with wind speeds of 175mph, it caused a death toll of 2,975. The same year, Hurricane Harvey struck Texas with winds of 130mph and caused devastating flooding. There was US$125 billion in damage and at least 68 direct storm-related deaths reported in Texas. Most recently, cyclone Idai hit Mozambique on March 14 and ripped through Madagascar, Malawi and Zimbabwe, with more than 1,000 people feared dead.

So the Indian state of Odisha’s ability to put such an effective disaster management plan in place and save thousands of lives is a template that the world can learn from. This, after all, is a state where the average income is less than US$5 a day. We identify four key takeaways from Odisha.

Congress committed to safeguarding tribal land in Odisha: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of "snatching" tribal land.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of "snatching" tribal land and asserted his party will work for protecting the rights of the community.

Addressing a rally at Bhawanipatna, among the backward regions of the state, Gandhi said the BJP-led government at the Centre and the BJD dispensation in the state have "failed to work" for the welfare of the dalits, the tribals, the farmers and the poor.

"The Congress is the only party committed to safeguarding the land of tribals. We will protect the rights of tribals in Odisha and elsewhere," he said.

This was Gandhi's second visit within 10 days in the state where Assembly and Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to be held together. Gandhi had addressed a rally at Bhubaneswar on January 25.

In stinging attacks on the BJP and the BJD, Gandhi said the two parties are working for the "benefit of their industrialist friends" while "neglecting" the farmers and poor people.

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The Modi government readily waived Rs 3.5 lakh crore loans of 15 industrialists, but refused to waive farm loans, he alleged.

Despite its promise, the BJP-led government has "failed" to provide remunerative prices to farmers for their produce in order to mitigate their plight, the Congress president alleged.

Gandhi alleged that Naveen Patnaik failed to work for the benefit of farmers in Odisha.

The Congress president said that within two days of forming governments in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, farm loans were waived by the Congress governments in these states.

He also accused the "Chowkidar" (PM) of being "corrupt" and charged Naveen Patnaik with being "remote controlled" for chitfund scams.

The Congress has decided that land acquired for setting up industries would be returned to the farmers if projects fail to take off within a period of five years of land acquisition, he said.

The Congress chief said work in this regard has already started in Chhattisgarh.

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Odisha's Kalia scholarship scheme for farmers' to boost higher education

Children of farmers who have taken admission at Government Professional colleges on merit basis will be eligible for the scholarship scheme.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the new 'KALIA Chhatravritti Yojana', which is a scholarship for the children of farmers who are the beneficiaries of Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme.

Under this scheme, the children of farmers, who are the beneficiaries of the KALIA scheme will be provided scholarships for pursuing higher education in professional courses free of cost.

Naveen Patnaik made the announcement during a farmers' congregation in Keonjhar and stated that under the scheme State Government will bear the education expenses of the children of KALIA scheme beneficiaries.

Children of farmers who have taken admission at Government Professional colleges on merit basis will be eligible for the scholarship scheme.

Odisha Chief Minister also inaugurated 17 welfare projects worth Rs 66 crore and laid the foundation stone for 47 projects worth Rs 2,100 crore in Keonjhar.

He also announced the approval of drinking water projects worth Rs 1,050 crore to supply safe drinking water in the district.

Patnaik also addressed Mission Shakti Conclave on Sunday and dedicated the development projects worth Rs 45 crore and laid foundation for welfare projects worth Rs 960.34 crore.

Business Standard