Four day of National LAWN BOWL championships in Bolangirfrom October23 to 26

Four day of National LAWN BOWL championships in Bolangir

By

Sudhir Mishra Bolangir

October 22, 2026

Bolangir: The All India LAWN BOWLS U-18 and Under 25, both in the boys' and girls' categories, will be kicked off in the RN Singhdeo sports complex in Bolangir, from October 23 to 26.

Organised by the State Bowling Federation of Odisha (SBAO), on behalf of the Bowling Federation of India, the National Lawn Bowls Championship would be held in two categories, U-18 and Under-25, for both boys and girls.

Odisha is going to host the Under-18 National Lawn Bowl Championship for the first time , and it is being held in the R.N.Singhdeo Sports complex ,Bolangir .

Around two hundred players, coaches, and others from across the country would participate in the National LAWN BOWLS championship.

Secretary of the All Odisha Lawn Bowls Association, Sumit Purohit, and Chairman of Bolangir Municipality, Lika Sahu, briefed the media about the championship.

The winning team would participate in the national championships scheduled to be held in Manipur.

Speakers thanked former Rajya Sabha MP AU Singhdeo and Bolangir MLA Kalikesh Singhdeo for their guidance in organising such a national-level championship in Bolangir.

 

Almost ten days ago, on October 12, Bolangir MLA Kalikesh Singhdeo speaking to the media had mentioned that the National LAWN BOWLS championship would be held in Bolangir.

"We are going to develop Bolangir as a sports hub by developing sports infrastructure and organizing various national-level competitions, besides the arrangement of other facilities for players," said Kalikesh Singhdeo, who is also

the President of the National Rifle Association of India.

 

Rally against child labour held in Bolangir.

 Sensitization rally against child labour,flagged off in Bolangir.

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June 12,2026.

Bolangir;Chief Development Officer Cum Executive Officer Zilla Parishad Bolangir,Tarani Suna and Executive Officer Bolangir Municipality Santosh Behera on Friday jointly flagged off an awareness rally against Child Labour on Friday here.

The aim of the awareness rally is to sensitize people about the Child Labour says Bolangir District Labour Officer.

World Day Against Child Labour is celebrated on June 12 to raise awareness about the exploitation of children in the workplace and to mobilize global action to eliminate child labour in all its forms.

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Odisha Rolls Out Robust Kharif 2026 Strategy to Counter Below-Normal Monsoon & El Niño Forecast

Odisha rolls out robust Kharif 2026 strategy to counter below-normal monsoon & El Niño forecast. ==================================

By

Sudhir MishraBolangir

May29,2026

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Bolangir; In response to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast of below-normal South-West monsoon rainfall and potential El Niño impacts in the state, Deputy Chief Minister, Agriculture, Farmers' Empowerment & Energy Minister Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Wednesday chaired a high-level virtual review meeting to deploy a comprehensive Kharif 2026 crop contingency and preparedness strategy.

Addressing district administrations via video conference on Wednesday (May 27), SinghDeo issued directives for all departments, district authorities, and research institutions to work in absolute coordination to safeguard farmers' interests during the upcoming season.

 Those main four points of directive include seed management & climate-resilient agriculture, fertilizer security & anti-hoarding measures, crop insurance & Agristak, and technical support & field awareness.

  To keep adequate seeds for farmers, Singhdeo directed the managing director of Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) to ensure the timely distribution of certified seeds by the first week of June 2026,prioritizing remote and vulnerable districts. Interestingly, in those areas, there is a rainfall deficit history, or areas are vulnerable to rainfall deficit;the focus is on short-duration varieties, and authorities must ensure an adequate supply and focus on short- and medium-duration paddy, pulses, oilseeds, and millet seeds.

Moreover, as part of crop diversification & contingency, Singhdeo directed the district teams to actively promote crop diversification in upland and rainfed areas. In the event of a delayed monsoon, a community nursery approach is to be adopted. The Orissa State Seed Corporation (OSSC) must maintain an adequate reserve stock of paddy, pulses, and oilseed seeds to handle any weather-related exigencies. ,Singhdeo stressed further.

 MARKFED, PACS, and LAMPCS must ensure seamless, last-mile fertilizer delivery to farmers. An uninterrupted supply must be maintained by the fertilizer companies despite global market uncertainties.

Strict Enforcement: District collectors have been instructed to closely supervise fertilizer distribution. The state will enforce zero-tolerance measures against black marketing, hoarding, and illegal diversion of fertilizers.

 Agriculture officials must maximize farmer enrollment under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). To minimize the financial burden on cultivators, the state government of Odisha is bearing the complete premium of the farmer's share (up to 2 hectares per farmer), requiring only a token validation fee of ₹1/- per application. The district teams must accelerate and complete their farmer registry targets. Registration is mandatory for farmers to seamlessly access benefits under PM-KISAN, CM-KISAN, subsidized fertilizer/seed purchases, and government procurement, Singhdeo says further.

Singhdeo informed that Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), through its Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), will provide real-time, location-specific, weather-based agro-advisories. OUAT will also extend technical support for pest management and stress-tolerant crop varieties. : Crop advisories must be prominently displayed on LED screens at both district and state levels to maximize reach.

The district contingency teams remain active throughout the Kharif season, and the Field officers are mandated to regularly visit villages, interact directly with farmers, and conduct extensive awareness programs regarding dry-spell preparedness as a part of technical support & field awareness and real-time agro-advisories, the agriculture minister stressed further. 

 The meeting was attended by Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Agriculture & FE) Shri Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Co-operation Department) Shri Rajesh Pravakar Patil, Vice Chancellor of OUAT Dr. Pravat Kumar Roul, Director of Agriculture & Food Production Shri Shubham Saxena, Director of Horticulture Shri Kalunge Gorakh Waman, Director of IMD, Dr. Manorama Mohapatra, Collector of Balangir Gourav Shivaji Isalwar, and other senior departmental officers.

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Kalbhairab statue located in Harishankar Temple damaged: Complaints lodged , seek action against culprits and protection of heritage structures

 

Sudhir Mishra/Bolangir.

 The Kalbhairab statue located in Harishankar Temple was damaged on May 21 by some unknown miscreants, causing concern and hurting the sentiments of local people. The statue is a historically and religiously significant antiquity, believed to have been made and installed during the 6th-7th century BC. It holds deep religious and cultural importance for the Adivasi communities of the region. The deity is revered as a goddess associated with ancient knowledge of chemistry and is linked to Buddhist traditions, where a similar form is known as Kalantak Bhairab, points out a complaint submitted to the police. The act appears to be a deliberate and malicious attempt to insult and outrage the religious sentiments of the Adivasi communities and followers of the deity. It constitutes an act of religious betrayal and vandalism of a protected cultural heritage site, it said. It is pertinent to mention that several other ancient statues and heritage structures in the surrounding areas of Harishankar Temple and Gandhamardhan hills are also vulnerable and lack proper security and safeguards. 

The incident highlights the urgent need for protection of the sites. The Gandhmardan Yuba Surakhya Parishad and the Kosal Mukti Morcha have lodged a complaint with Khaprakhol police, seeking strong action against the culprits.

Female Jumbo found dead in a nullah in Bolangir

Bolangir 

January2, 2026

Bolangir: A female subadult Jumbo was found dead in a nullah near village Limpada, in Titilagarh Forest Range, on Friday morning.

Getting information, forest officials, including Divisional Forest Officer Bolangir, AK Bisi, rushed to the spot.

 "We tracked the movement of this single elephant for the last seven days. We believe the Jumbo came from the Kalahandi (North) forest area to the Bolangir district forest, says Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Bolangir, Ajit Bisi.

  "It appears that while coming to drink water, the elephant fell down and died. Moreover, a preliminary impression of the elephant dung revealed that there were some problems in his digestive system.

However, the exact cause of death of the elephant would be known after the postmortem report is available," says Bisi, further.

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Sensory evaluation of paddy crop held in Bolangir

Bolangir: 

November 12, 2025

A cooking quality cum sensory evaluation program at the crop cafeteria was held on Tuesday at Mayabarah village, around 22 km from here. 

 The crop cafeteria is a patch of field wherein several varieties of paddy are cultivated for demonstration and evaluation.

 Organized by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment (DAF&E), members of the Shibani Self Help Group (SHG) cooked and served the samples of eight healthier rice varieties. including CR Dhan-411, CR Dhan-315, and Swarna Shakti.

  Among others, Telangana Sona, BRRI-69, DRR-67, DRR-69, DRR-63, and the aromatic Rajendra Kasturi variety of rice were evaluated for appearance, tenderness, aroma, taste, elongation, and overall acceptability. 

 

Telangana Sona, DRR-69 (BRRI-100), DRR-67 (BRRI-84), BRRI-69, and CR Dhan-411 emerged as the most preferred for their balance of taste, texture, and aroma. Farmers also shared field-level feedback, ranking BRRI-69 highest for yield and grain quality, followed by Telangana Sona and BRRI-84.

 

The initiative, managed by Shibani Self Help Group (SHG), aims to showcase diverse, healthier, and specialty rice varieties suited for local conditions and nutritional needs.

 

 KBK scientist Manoj Barik, Chief District Agriculture Officer (CDAO) Bolangir Dhirendra Singh Bariha, farmers, and other agricultural officials of the district participated in this evaluation ceremony.

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Jumbo rescued from the well in Bolangir.Injured one Forester,while fleeing into the Forest.

 13Nov,2025.

Bolangir: A juvenile Jumbo, which fell into an abandoned shallow well near Bijamal village in the Tikhari Reserve Forest in the Muribahal forest range, was rescued by forest personnel and others on Thursday morning.

 
According to reports on Thursday night, the night a Jumbo fell into an abandoned shallow well in Bijamal village and was unable to come out.

 After getting information, Muribahal Forest Range staff and others rushed to the spot and took measures, like making a passage to the well, so that Jumbo could come out. After around two hours of effort, the Jumbo could come out. While fleeing into the forest, it injured a forester, says Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Bolangir, Ajit Bisi, to this correspondent over the phone.

The forester, identified as Pradeep Nath, works with the Kenduleaf wing of the forest department.

 The Jumbo was inside the well for hours and was not able to come out. It was in a mentally stressed condition. When it came out from inside the well, rather than going into the forest in the expected way, it moved in another direction and ran fast, and while fleeing, the jumbo injured the forester. 

 
A total of 60 elephants have been staying in groups in different patches of Tikhari Reserve Forest in the Muribahal forest range for the last nine months.

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