Maoist scholar dead

Bhubaneswar: Maoist ideologue Ganti Prasadam succumbed to bullet injuries at an Andhra Pradesh hospital on Friday. He was released in exchange for Malkangiri collector R. Vineel Krishna in 2011.

Protest

Dhenkanal: Forty-six people from Kamalanga village resorted to an indefinite agitation against the GMR power plant authorities on Friday. The latter had allegedly promised to provide employment to the villagers, while acquiring their land. The plant authorities denied this.

Flyover

Sambalpur: The public works department has taken steps to build a flyover at Laxmitalkies Chhak, the intersection of the Golebazaar-Ainthapali Road and Jailkhanachhak-Modipara Road here. The department has started soil testing at the site.

Five in net

Kendrapara: Police on Friday busted an extortion racket by arresting five criminals, including a woman, and seized a revolver. The accused, booked under sections 399, 402, and 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code and section 25 of the Arms Act, were later remanded to judicial custody, said Nrusingha Charan Swain, sub-divisional police officer, Kendrapara.

Thai ties

Bhubaneswar: Thai consul general Prasitidesh Vichitsorasatra met chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday. The Thailand government is interested in a collaborative venture with Odisha in various fields, said Vichitsorasatra. He spoke of a tie-up and investment in agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, tourism, disaster management, education, health services, electronic equipment, computers and automobile parts.