Odisha Politics & Governance

Odisha Announces Land, Housing and Livelihood Measures for Malkangiri Families

1 January 2026

Odisha announced measures to address land, education and livelihood issues in Malkangiri, including permanent land titles under the Forest Rights Act and Odisha Government Land Settlement Act for eligible landless and houseless tribal families. In MV-26, assessed repair assistance was approved up to ₹75,000 per damaged house and ₹20,000 per damaged shop; tribal applicants are also to be supported through agricultural and enterprise schemes.

Key Facts

• The Forest Rights Act recognises forest dwellers’ rights to address historical injustice, rather than serving as a general land-distribution scheme.

Centre Agrees to Procure Six Lakh Tonnes of Rice from Odisha

1 January 2026

The Centre agreed to procure six lakh tonnes of rice from Odisha by April 2026: five lakh tonnes of parboiled rice and one lakh tonnes of raw rice. State Supply Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said the state had seven lakh tonnes in stock, with the remaining one lakh tonnes planned for auction; neither action was reported as completed.

Key Facts

• The Food Corporation of India is a Central Government agency established under the Food Corporations Act, 1964.
• FCI’s procurement purchases rice from farmers at government-declared minimum support prices.

IGNOU Regional and Skill Centres Inaugurated in Rairangpur

1 January 2026

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated IGNOU’s regional centre and skill centre in Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj district, expanding access to distance education and skills training. The regional centre serves Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts and began operating temporarily at a local venue; a permanent campus was planned on 1.25 acres, with land transfer and construction still to follow.

Key Facts

• IGNOU expands access to higher education through open and distance learning for diverse student groups.

Special Court Opens in Paralakhemundi for Cases Against Maoist Leader

2 January 2026

A special court opened in Paralakhemundi, Gajapati district, to hear cases against Maoist leader Dunna Kesava Rao, also known as Azad. A special judge was appointed to hear 37 cases registered in Odisha, excluding POCSO cases, with a one-year target for concluding the eligible cases. The court was established following a Supreme Court direction.

Key Facts

• The special court was established following a Supreme Court direction to facilitate hearings in the cases.

Odisha Sets Toilet Target for All Anganwadi Centres

2 January 2026

Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg directed departments to provide toilet facilities at all Anganwadi centres by 8 March 2026, International Women’s Day. The state has about 71,000 centres; the Women and Child Development Department is to coordinate with other departments on infrastructure and maintenance.

Key Facts

• Anganwadi centres combine preschool activities with basic health care, nutrition education and supplementation.

Odisha Announces ₹735-Crore Grant for Household Smart-Meter Measures

3 January 2026

Odisha announced a one-time grant of ₹735 crore for household smart-meter measures. The package provides ₹340 crore to replace 8.75 lakh non-smart meters in connections up to 2 kW, ₹88 crore for smart meters in 2.78 lakh new connections, and ₹307 crore for meter rent for consumers whose smart meters were installed before March 2025. The relevant DISCOMs are to operate and maintain the meters.

Key Facts

• Smart meters share consumption data with customers and suppliers, supporting clearer usage information, grid monitoring and billing.

Odisha Seeks 151 Additional Posts in Civil Services Examination

3 January 2026

Odisha asked the Odisha Public Service Commission to add 151 posts to the Odisha Civil Services Examination 2025. The requested posts comprise 14 in the Odisha Administrative Service, 113 in the Odisha Revenue Service, 16 in the Odisha Transport Service and eight in the Odisha Welfare Service. The request followed a review of vacancies after the examination notification omitted posts in some cadres.

Key Facts

• OPSC conducts competitive examinations to recruit candidates for Odisha government posts.

Odisha Reviews Paddy Procurement and PDS Operations

4 January 2026

Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg reviewed Kharif paddy procurement and Public Distribution System operations, directing officials to manage mandis with farmers’ interests in mind. As of 3 January, procurement had begun in 18 districts, with about 11.84 lakh metric tonnes procured; 19,67,812 farmers were registered for the 2025–26 season.

Key Facts

• The National Food Security Act made subsidised foodgrain distribution through the ...