Fire guts more than 80 homes near Angul

Angul: More than 80 houses and properties worth Rs 2 lakh were gutted at Barahampur, 20 kilometres from here, on Sunday. The intensity of the fire was so severe that five fire tenders took about five hours to douse it. his is the second incident of fire mishap in the district in the last three days. Earlier, a fire in Basoi village had rendered more than 2,000 people homeless.

Body found

Bhubaneswar: Tension prevailed at Jagannathpur area of Bhadrak on Sunday after a body was found at a licensed country liquor shop. Local residents alleged foul play and ransacked the shop. The situation came under control after police intervention. The police also detained a person in this connection.

Rebels torch

Bhubaneswar: Maoists have torched a dozen of kendu leaf godowns in Khaprakhol area within the limits of Balangir police on Saturday night. The Maoists have also left pamphlets at the spot consisting eight-point charter of demands, including hike in the price of kendu leaf and proper remuneration for the kendu leaf pluckers. The police have started a drive to nab the persons involved in the crime. Sources said that the rebels also torched another kendu leaf godown at Nuapada district on Saturday.

OTDC package

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation has started a special package for the Raja festival on Saturday. The package, which includes serving of wide varieties of country-made cakes and swings, will come to an end on June 20. An official of the tourism development corporationsaid the package would be available at all the Pantha Nivas guest houses of the government across the state at an affordable price.

Boy drugged

Bhubaneswar: Police on Sunday rescued a 16-year-old boy, Chandan Naik, from Master Canteen area in an unconscious state. Chandan, a native of Satakosia village in Mayurbhanj district, was coming from Chennai when anti-socials allegedly drugged him at the Bhubaneswar railway station and looted all his belongings. He was taken to the Capital Hospital for treatment.

Dance fest

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi is organising a contemporary dance festival, Samakala, for the first time. The festival, which will begin from Monday at the Rabindra Mandap in the capital, will feature six artistes from outside the state. Organised with the support of the state tourism department, the three-day dance festival will conclude on June 13.

Goons held

Cuttack: Two persons were arrested for allegedly abducting the driver of a diesel tanker in Cuttack on Saturday. The police arrested Kanhu Charan Choudhury and his associate Dipu Gocchayat of Tangi area in Cuttack, who along with four others, had kidnapped the tanker driver and his helper after looting the tanker. The police said the tanker was on its way to a Keonjhar-based filling station from Vizag when it was stopped around midnight on June 5 at Manguli Square on NH-5 by the group of anti-socials.