Odisha Politics & Governance

Odisha launches HPV vaccination campaign in Puri district

1 March 2026

Odisha launched a district-level HPV vaccination campaign at Mangalpur Community Health Centre in Pipili, Puri district. Nine girls aged 14–15 received doses at the launch, with parental consent required for vaccination.

The campaign aims to protect girls against cervical cancer. Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said the state had set a target of vaccinating 336,000 girls and that the vaccine would be available free at government hospitals.

Key Facts

• HPV vaccination prevents cervical cancer by protecting against high-risk virus strains.

Mahanadi Tribunal team inspects river areas in Puri district

1 March 2026

A team from the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal visited river areas in Puri district, including Kanas, Gop, Delanga, Brahmagiri and Nimapara, during its Odisha visit. It inspected rivers and areas affected by water scarcity.

The field visit formed part of the tribunal team's assessment; no resolution of the Odisha–Chhattisgarh water dispute was reported.

Key Facts

• The Mahanadi is a transboundary river shared by Chhattisgarh and Odisha, making inter-state water coordination significant.

Odisha conducts preliminary surveys for proposed Bahuda Port

1 March 2026

Odisha officials visited the proposed Bahuda Port site near Sunapur in Ganjam district and carried out preliminary surveys for a visibility report. Construction had not begun; the technical survey was reported to be nearing completion, with a detailed project report to follow.

The proposed port is estimated to cost ₹21,500 crore and have annual cargo capacity of 150 million tonnes. Officials said its planning would take local fishing livelihoods into account.

Key Facts

• Sagarmala promotes port-led development to lower domestic and export-import logistics costs with limited infrastructure investment.

DGP declares Balangir and Bargarh free of Maoist activity

1 March 2026

Odisha DGP Y.B. Khurania declared Balangir and Bargarh free of Maoist activity on 1 March, crediting joint operations, intelligence work, coordination between central and state forces, and local support. The declaration followed the surrender of 15 Maoists from the Bargarh-Balangir-Mahasamund division in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

Police said 25 active Maoists remained in Odisha, most operating in small groups in Kandhamal.

Key Facts

• The Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme covers security-related expenditure in designated Maoist-affected areas; Kandhamal was Odisha’s sole covered district.

Odisha sets up coordination measures for people affected by Middle East unrest

2 March 2026

Odisha formed a working group and designated a nodal officer to coordinate assistance for Odias affected by unrest in the Middle East. The state also arranged a control room and helpline and coordinated with the Union government and Odia associations in the region.

By 11 March, officials said 35 tourists from Dubai had returned to Odisha in two groups, while arrangements were being made for another 22 to return.

Key Facts

• India's Ministry of External Affairs handles repatriation of Indian citizens in danger abroad.

NHAI awards contracts for Odisha Capital Region Ring Road

3 March 2026

The National Highways Authority of India awarded contracts for the planned 111-km, six-lane, access-controlled Capital Region Ring Road, also known as the Bhubaneswar bypass. The greenfield road is planned from Rameswar to Tangi in three packages, with construction scheduled to take 30 months from commencement.

The project is intended to improve regional connectivity and ease traffic in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Khordha.

Key Facts

• NHAI’s statutory role is to develop, maintain and manage national highways entrusted to it by the Government.

Five candidates file nominations for four Odisha Rajya Sabha seats

5 March 2026

Five candidates filed nominations for four Odisha Rajya Sabha seats on 5 March. The BJP’s Manmohan Samal and Sujit Kumar, BJP-backed independent Dilip Ray, BJD candidate Santrupt Misra and BJD-Congress-backed candidate Datteswar Hota submitted papers.

Voting was scheduled for 16 March; the nominations and party support did not determine the election result.

Key Facts

• Rajya Sabha elected members are chosen indirectly by state legislatures through proportional representation using the single transferable vote.

Odisha inaugurates projects and lays foundation stones worth ₹3,275 crore

6 March 2026

At a programme attended by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Odisha inaugurated 69 projects worth ₹1,159.03 crore and laid foundation stones for 130 projects worth ₹2,116.06 crore. The combined announced value was ₹3,275 crore, and six memoranda of understanding were ...