Expressing reservation over bringing the Prime Minister under the purview of the Lokpal, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said the head of government should not come under the ambit of the ombudsm

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday reached Orissa for a two-day trip that will take him to several districts as he attempts to strengthen the grassroots base of the party.

Gandhi ar

The post-Malkangiri collector hostage crisis period has seen a sudden spurt in violence in the Maoist-hit districts of Orissa. At least 22 persons, including nine tribals and nine security personnel, have been killed by the rebels while 45 civilians have allegedly died in anti-Naxal operations.

Construction work for the proposed 12-million-tonne Posco steel plant resumed on Tuesday after remaining suspended for 10 days following protests by the local people, even as the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) asked the state government to immediately withdraw police forces from school buildings in the project area.

At least three people, including two minor boys, were killed and two minors were injured Sunday in separate incidents during the Rath Yatra or chariot festival of lord Jagannath in Orissa, police said

Lakhs of devotees and tourists flocked to Orissa's Jagannath Temple in Puri as the annual chariot festival or Rath Yatra began on Sunday.

All the rituals have began almost on scheduled time, Laxmidha

Five political parties — CPI, CPI (M), Forward Bloc, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party — on Thursday launched an indefinite dharna here in the state capital demanding withdrawal of security forces from Dhinkia, the proposed Posco steel project site near Paradip in Orissa.

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has asked Orissa to take urgent measures to safeguard the tigers in the state’s Similipal national park.

Under mounting pressure from the Opposition, Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday referred the alleged “horse-trading” in the last year’s Rajya Sabha elections to the Election Commission of India.

Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), an umbrella organisation of anti-displacement forums, on Friday said it apprehended a “commando-type” operation by the Orissa police in the proposed steel plant site to evict the local people.