y k y cm PRICELESS MOMENTS NO HAJ WITHOUT VAX SRH TAKE ON MI Actor Anushka Sharma and hubby The Haj Committee of India says no Indian Muslim Sunrisers Hyderabad lock horns with Mumbai Virat Kohli love to spend leisure time shall be allowed to go for pilgrimage without Indians in an Indian Premier League match today with their pets LEISURE | P2 taking two vaccine doses TWO STATES | P7 SPORTS | P12 VOLUME 11, ISSUE 17 | www.orissapost.com BHUBANESWAR | SATURDAY, APRIL 17 | 2021 12 PAGES | `4.00 IRREGULAR by MANJUL Below normal rains in state: IMD POST NEWS NETWORK/AGENCIES Bhubaneswar/New Delhi, April 16: The southwest monsoon is expected to be below normal in Odisha during this year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Friday. Director General of IMD Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, “The country is going CICSE defers Class X, Let’s get cracking... to experience a normal rainfall this fudging numbers, gagging year. However, rainfall in some parts media & activating IT cell! of Odisha, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand XII exams over Covid and West Bengal is likely to be below normal.” AGENCIES SHORT TAKES This was a preliminary prediction made by the IMD. The forecast will be New Delhi, April 16: The again updated in May-end, he said. CICSE Friday deferred the Man on shooting Asked about specific places or dis- board exams of Classes X tricts of Odisha which are going to REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO and XII in view of a rise in spree kills 8 in US face below normal rainfall, Mohapatra Covid-19 cases across the “While Class XII exams Indianapolis: A gunman killed said, “So far we have not been em- At the national level, the Long Period The country is going to on agriculture and its allied activities. country. will be conducted at a later eight people and wounded powered to give district-wise seasonal Average (LPA) will be 98 per cent with experience a normal Large parts of the country rely on the In light of the nationwide stage, Class X students will several others before killing forecast. The prediction has been made an error margin of plus and minus 5 rainfall this year. four-month rainfall season for agri- surge in coronavirus cases, get an option to either appear himself in a late-night shooting for a larger area.” per cent, said M Rajeevan, secretary of However, rainfall in some parts culture and also for filling reservoirs. the Class X and XII exams in offline exams later or get at a FedEx facility near the Most probably, areas like north the Ministry of Earth Sciences. of Odisha, Assam, Bihar, This is the first time the IMD has which were to be held from evaluated on basis of fair Indianapolis airport, police said, Odisha, Jharkhand, north Chhattisgarh While releasing the first Long Range Jharkhand and West Bengal is made a specific forecast on spatial dis- May 4 have been deferred, and unbiased criteria to be in the latest in a spate of mass and adjourning parts of West Bengal Forecast for the four-month rainfall likely to be below normal tribution. the Council for the Indian developed by the board,” shootings after a relative lull would receive less rain, he added. period from June to September, Rajeevan Rajeevan said the IMD will also issue School Certificate Arathoon added. during the pandemic. Five Last year, the state had received a nor- at a virtual press conference, said, MRUTYUNJAY MOHAPATRA | month-wise forecasts during the next Examinations’ chief exec- Earlier this week, the DIRECTOR GENERAL OF IMD people were hospitalised after mal rainfall. Of the 30 districts, deficient “The monsoon will be 98 per cent of the four months and also for the homoge- utive and secretary Gerry Central Board of Secondary the Thursday night shooting, rainfall was observed in five districts. LPA, which is normal rainfall. It is a nous regions of the country --- IMD’s Arathoon said. “We will Education (CBSE) had can- according to police. One of them Khurda recorded 28 per cent deficit really good news for the country and The news augurs well for the econ- four divisions --- the Northwest India, closely monitor the situa- celled its Class X board exams had critical injuries, police rainfall, while in Puri it was 25 per will help India have a good agricul- omy, battered due to the coronavirus pan- East and Northeast India, Central India tion and review it in the and deferred the Class XII spokesperson Genae Cook said. cent deficit, Balasore (24 per cent deficit), ture output.” The LPA, the average of demic. The southwest monsoon is one and South Peninsula. The country has first week of June to take a board exams. Several state Another two people were treated Gajapati ( 23 per cent deficit), and the season’s rainfall across the coun- of the primary drivers of the coun- recorded above normal rainfall for the final decision on conduct boards have postponed or can- and released at the scene. P10 Jajpur (20 per cent deficit). try from 1961-2010, is 88 cm. try’s economy, which is largely based last two rainfall seasons. of examination,” he said. celled their exams too. China’s Q1 GDP Srimandir to remain PANIC & PANDEMIC up at 18.3 pc shut on weekends State to up oxygen Beijing: China’s economy POST NEWS NETWORK grew a record 18.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, Puri, April 16: Srimandir, the riding on strong domestic and abode of Lord Jagannath, would stock by 10 times foreign demand and aided by recovery from a low base in remain closed for devotees on all early 2020 when COVID-19 Saturdays and Sundays to con- Producers will have to take permission from the stalled the world’s second- tain the spread of Covid-19, said Drugs Controller to supply oxygen to other states largest economy, according a revised standard operating pro- to statistics released Friday. cedure (SOP) issued by the shrine The GDP reached 24.93 trillion administration Friday. POST NEWS NETWORK yuan (about USD 3.82 trillion) The new SOP has been prepared Panel to check in Q1, data released by the after due consultation with Puri Bhubaneswar, April 16: In view drugs hoarding National Bureau of Statistics Collector, SP, Srimandir officials of the ongoing oxygen crisis in (NBS) said. P11 and senior servitors of the 12th cen- many parts of the country, the state BHUBANESWAR: The Home tury shrine, said Shree Jagannath government has decided to aug- Department Friday issued an order Temple Administration (SJTA) ment its oxygen stock by more than for constitution of a high-level panel MARKET WATCH chief Krishan Kumar. As per the 10 times the stock maintained dur- to check hoarding and black market- new SOP, all devotees coming from ing the peak of Covid-19 last year. ing of drugs and medical supplies in INDEX VARIATION outside Odisha will be required to Speaking to Orissa POST, Health the wake of rising Covid cases. The produce Covid-19 negative cer- Director Bijay Mohapatra said, “We department has appointed the SENSEX 48832.03 28.35 tificates (RT-PCR) obtained within have sufficient stock of oxygen now Additional Director General (Crime 96 hours or the reports of their sec- in liquid form, gas pipeline, cylin- Branch), Cuttack as chairman of the BOURSES NIFTY 14617.90 36.40 panel. The other two members will ond dose of anti-Covid vaccination People anticipating another period of lockdown/shutdown wait in long queues to board trains to reach their homes der and concentrated form. We are include an officer who should not be DOLLAR 74.85 `0.63 to visit the shrine. at Bhubaneswar railway station, Friday PIC: BIKASH NAYAK augmenting the stock limit keeping below the rank of Joint Secretary the last year’s demand in view.” from health department besides the EURO 89.297 `0.68 The stock will be enhanced by 10 CURRENCY Drugs Controller from the state. ` ` times the stock of September, 2020, GOLD 47,345 170 3 women die, 1 critical as quarry caves in when Odisha witnessed the high- permission from the Drugs SILVER `68,725 `185 est number of Covid-19 cases, he Controller to supply the essential BULLION POST NEWS NETWORK gone to a site to fetch limestone, and conducted a preliminary inves- said. Mohapatra said the state gov- item to other states, he added. which is smeared on the walls of tigation. Local MLA Pitam Padhi also ernment has made provision of Sources in the office of the Drugs Moreover, all devotees will be re- Pottangi/Koraput, April 16: In a houses. While they were collecting visited the site and held discussions gas pipeline in all Covid hospitals Controller said the state has 29 WEATHER quired to bring their photo iden- tragic incident, three women died the limestone, a chunk of earth with locals on the tragic incident. so that the entire hospital can get oxygen production units, of which BHUB CTK tity cards for identification at the and another suffered critical in- from top part of the limestone mine Expressing grief over the inci- oxygen through one source. cylinder refilling is being carried shrine entrance. It is mandatory juries after a limestone quarry came crashing on them. Four women dent, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Moreover, concentrated oxygen out at 23 units while oxygen is pro- MAX 39.3° 38.0° for the devotees to follow Covid-19 caved in on them at Podaguda vil- were trapped under the heap. announced an ex-gratia of `5 lakh plants have been installed in the duced in liquid form in bulk quan- TEMP MIN 24.6° 23.0° norms including social distanc- lage under Pottangi block of Koraput The deceased were identified as for the next of the kin of the de- medical colleges, the director stated.