Latest news with #Barik
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Time of India
Former panchayat staffer gets 3-yr jail term in DA case
Keonjhar: The special vigilance court in Keonjhar on Friday sentenced Mitrajit Barik, a former gram panchayat technical assistant (GPTA) of Champua block, to three years of rigorous imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case. Judge Bhagaban Pradhan also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on Barik. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional three months of imprisonment. Special public prosecutor Debadutta Biswal said Barik was charged by the vigilance in 2012 under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Barik was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from a contractor to facilitate the preparation of the final bill for a road project. Following the trap, vigilance conducted searches at Barik's office and residences, uncovering assets that were disproportionate to his known sources of income. Registration of a DA case resulted in Barik's disengagement from service after the department concerned received a report from the competent authority.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Time of India
6 arrested for failed robbery bid in Mayurbhanj
1 2 3 4 Bhubaneswar: Mayurbhanj police on Friday arrested six individuals in connection with an attempted armed robbery and shooting of a liquor shop employee on NH-18 on June 23. The victim, Shibananda Barik (30), was carrying Rs 8 lakh collected from various foreign liquor shops when he was attacked around 11am between Kuchei Chowk and Baiganbadia Chowk while en route to Baripada. Barik sustained gunshot wounds to his left thigh and ear when he resisted the robbery attempt. "The miscreants have criminal antecedents and are from three different districts," said SP of Mayurbhanj, Varun Guntupalli. Police investigation, aided by CCTV footage and forensic evidence, led to the recovery of a country-made pistol and identification of the suspects. The accused were identified as Debendra Das, 34, and Manas Giri, 19, from Balasore, Narayan Behera, 31, and Dillip Kumar Rao, 55, from Ganjam, and Debabrata Sahu, 26, and Shibashankar Barik, 29, from Mayurbhanj. A suspect, Kuna Barik from Ganjam, remains at large. Police have seized two vehicles used in the crime. DIG (northern range) Satyajit Nayak said the robbery was foiled when local farmers, responding to Barik's screams, forced the assailants to flee towards Andhari Gaon. The case was registered following a complaint by Sangram Keshari Behera of Kamata village. Police investigation revealed that three of the accused had masterminded the plot while the others executed it. The SP also assured that arrests in the June 24 Odisha Gramin Bank robbery case under Kuliana police station limits would occur soon.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC grants interim relief to 59-yr-old teacher
Cuttack: A 59-year-old English teacher at Lachhaman Balajew Higher Secondary School in Angalo, Jajpur, has secured interim relief from the Orissa high court in his plea seeking correction of his date of birth and an extension of his service tenure. During the hearing on June 26, additional government advocate S K Jee informed the court that the govt would decide the matter within two weeks. Taking note of the submission, Justice Biraja Prasanna Satapathy granted interim relief, directing that "in the interim, the petitioner be allowed to continue in his post till the next date." The matter will next be heard in the week commencing July 21. Alok Chandra Barik approached the court after the school and mass education department failed to act on documents verifying his actual date of birth as June 6, 1967, not June 6, 1965, as recorded in his original high school certificate. Advocate Purushottam Chuli, representing Barik, told the court that the date of birth in the original HSC certificate was erroneous. However, his admit card and provisional certificate issued by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha, reflected the correct date. Acting on a formal representation filed on April 4, the BSE issued a duplicate HSC certificate on April 19 confirming 1967 as his correct birth year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like local network access control Esseps Learn More Undo According to the petition, Barik submitted the corrected document to his school authorities on April 29, which was later forwarded to the director of higher education. On May 30, the deputy director sought verification of the certificate. The BSE secretary confirmed its authenticity on June 2. Despite this, no official correction has been made in govt records, putting Barik at risk of retirement on June 30, 2025, two years before his actual superannuation date, the petition said. Barik has sought a directive from the court allowing him to serve till June 30, 2027, claiming that the delay despite verified documents would unjustly shorten his career by two years. He joined service on July 15, 1991.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How Citrus Freight is helping SMEs thrive in export markets
Live Events India loses nearly 40% of its agricultural produce to spoilage. 'This points to a massive inefficiency in the way we store and move our perishable items,' said Biplob Barik , Co-founder & CEO, Citrus Freight. He asserted that the country's perishable exports industry needs better cold chain Freight, a Bengaluru-based reefer container shipping company, is working on solving this issue in perishable exports. The firm, which has recently secured Rs 2.5 crore in bridge funding, is offering a tech-enabled platform that enables SME (small and medium enterprise) exporters to book, track, and manage temperature-sensitive shipments in real time. This is helping these small enterprises reduce spoilage and expand market access by over 40%.In 2024, India recorded $50 billion in agricultural exports, with over 60% coming from perishable goods. The average freight value is around $4,000, which means a multi-billion-dollar opportunity is available for cold chain logistics, he said. As export demand rises further and traceability becomes non-negotiable, this segment, according to him, will grow 10x over the next decade. 'Despite this scale, the lack of organised tech-first logistics players remains a concern. Citrus Freight is now building the digital infrastructure to lead this transformation, bringing visibility, efficiency, and global access to India's cold chain economy,' he company offers an AI-enabled booking engine that allows clients to access real-time pricing for their logistical requirements. The platform provides route optimisation and document automation services. These things can collectively reduce booking times from 72 hours to 10 minutes. Citrus offers tailored services for SMB exporters, capable of increasing their market reach by 30-40%. It also offers instant freight quotes, vessel schedules, container inspection, temperature monitoring, insurance, and customs demand for these services growing, Citrus clocked a revenue of Rs 8.5 crore in FY24 and Rs 15.5 crore in FY25. It is now targeting a revenue of Rs 45 crore in to Barik, the lack of an organised, full-stack solution intermediary is a huge barrier for Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and producers of perishable products to tap export example, even if a client has quality produce and interested buyers, lack of access to reliable logistics, vessel planning, and compliance support can lead to missed opportunities and delayed shipments, he Nazirkar, CEO of Dhanashree Agro Exports LLP in Kalas, Maharashtra, has been using the services of Citrus Freight for the last six months, and it has made a lot of his operations easier. 'Before Citrus, I had to make a lot of calls and get a lot of approvals to book containers, find freight prices, etc., which caused delays in operations. But with Citrus, it's just one click, and you are good to go. It's now easier to book containers and even get customs clearance. Because of Citrus, the time is reduced, and work is done smoothly,' he Citrus offers a promising solution to the perishable exports market, most agri-exporters, especially SMEs, in India operate informally. Barik said that India's SME agri-exporters have long operated in a fragmented, broker-driven cold chain ecosystem, lacking reliable access to logistics infrastructure, real-time visibility, and digital tools.'As a result, key agri-clusters like Raipur, Sagar, and Nashik interiors face massive spoilage risks owing to poor first-mile connectivity and no temperature control. Exporters struggle to discover accurate freight rates and vessel schedules, as pricing varies by commodity type, carrier preference, and seasonal demand. With inconsistent customs processes, no insurance support, and zero accountability in case of delays or damage, global trade becomes a gamble for smaller exporters,' he spoilage is one of the primary reasons for India contributing just 2% to global exports, despite the country continuing to remain the world's largest producer of fruits, vegetables, meat, and marine products. Citrus claims to be India's first organised cross-border cold logistics platform for perishable and processed food company is now targeting a 10,000-container shipment milestone by 2030, from 1500 in 2024. It is currently positioned in Nhava Sheva Gateway and will be expanding to Mundra Port to cover Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. 'This expansion will reduce inland transit costs and times for exporters in North and Central India. We also aim to expand to South India so that Agri and seafood hubs in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh can be explored,' Barik has international plans in the pipeline as well. It is doubling down on strategic trade lanes—Russia, Iran, the Middle East, the Gulf, and Europe—where Indian produce is in high demand.
Hindustan Times
16-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Over 56,000 people trained in water conservation techniques in Chhattisgarh
RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has launched an ambitious grassroots initiative titled 'Mor Gaon Mor Pani' (My Village, My Water) under which till now more than 56,000 villagers, panchayat representatives, and field workers across Chhattisgarh have been trained in water conservation techniques, officials said. The campaign was launched on Panchayati Raj Day (April 24, 2025), and aims to reverse the alarming decline in groundwater levels across districts like Bemetara, Bastar, Surguja, and Raigarh. According to Jaldoot App data, villages such as Khari Gram Panchayat in Bemetara have seen water tables drop from 1.9 meters in 2024 to 5.1 meters in 2025—a trend mirrored across thousands of habitations. 'The Panchayat and Rural Development Department has divided the state into 626 clusters to streamline implementation of the campaign. So far, 56,112 individuals, including villagers, elected panchayat representatives, officials, and field workers, have undergone training in water conservation and resource management,' said Principal Secretary Niharika Barik. Barik further said that in 9,053 Gram Panchayats, current groundwater levels are being publicly displayed through wall writings to spread awareness. Meanwhile, 7,607 Panchayats have held rallies, cultural events, and slogan-writing campaigns to engage citizens in the cause. Officials said that many effective water conservation techniques are implemented under the campaign to tackle the rural water crisis, which include construction and renovation of water bodies such as stop dams, check dams, recharge pits, ponds, and farm ponds to enhance groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting. Village-specific water management plans are being developed using GIS-based mapping of traditional and potential water sources. Public awareness is being raised through wall writings displaying groundwater levels in villages and over 56,000 individuals, including officials and villagers, have been trained in sustainable water management practices. 'Recognising the pivotal role of women in resource stewardship, the campaign is working closely with Self Help Groups (SHGs) to lead the charge at the community level. The program also incorporates GIS-based mapping to identify and plan around existing and potential water sources. Village-level action plans are being tailored to local topography for maximum impact,' Barik added. Under convergence with MGNREGA and allied schemes, the government has drawn up 37,090 water-related projects for 2025–26 which include stop dams, check dams, pond renovation, recharge pits, and farm ponds—with all works scheduled under a time-bound employment-generating plan. Ground activity has already commenced in every Gram Panchayat. In a parallel campaign, 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam', the state plans to plant 13 lakh trees this year. District-level preparations are underway to support the effort, officials said. Each village will also set up a Water Conservation Committee, responsible for project execution, monitoring, and community coordination. Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas are at the center of decision-making, ensuring grassroots involvement, Barik added. Officials said the state is currently facing a serious water crisis due to excessive groundwater extraction, climate change, and unsustainable agricultural practices. Districts like Dhamtari, Bemetara, and Raipur have reported a sharp decline in groundwater levels, primarily because of over-dependence on borewells and water-intensive crops like paddy. Uneven rainfall patterns and reduced natural recharge have further worsened the situation, affecting both rural and urban areas, officials added.
