Five killed, 31 injured in separate accidents in Odisha
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Five people were killed and 31 injured in separate road accidents in Odisha, police said on Saturday.
Three persons were killed and one injured when a truck hit two motorcycles and a scooter on National Highway-16 passing through Bhubaneswar on Saturday evening, the police said.
The accident took place on the overbridge near Fire Station Chhak when four persons - two youths in one bike, one elderly man in another bike and one woman in a scooter - were on the way from Saheed Nagr to Khandagiri.
The police said three persons died on the spot, while the elderly man sustained critical injury and was rushed to a hospital for treatment. The impact of the accident was so severe that the skull of the woman was thrown on the road, they said.
However, the truck which hit the two wheelers fled from the accident site and was yet to be located. The police were yet to ascertain the identity of the deceased persons.
The accident caused a severe traffic jam on the NH-16 connecting Kolkata and Chennai.
Earlier on the day, two persons were killed and nearly 30 others injured in separate road accidents in Ganjam, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh districts in a span of 24 hours, police said.
In Ganjam district, a bus carrying around 30 pilgrims from Polasara to Puri collided head-on with a truck near Bali Dhaba on Kodala-Khalikote Road early on Saturday morning.
The truck driver was killed in the accident, while 15 others sustained injuries.
"The injured were shifted to Kodala hospital and two of them were later referred to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur," a police officer said.
In another accident in Mayurbhanj district, an SUV carrying wedding guests overturned after colliding with a truck on National Highway-18 near Nandasol Chhak within Betanati police station limits.
In all, 13 people were injured in the accident and admitted to PRM Medical College and Hospital in Baripada, police said.
In Sundergarh district, a motorcyclist was killed on the spot, while two others were seriously injured in an accident near Ghoghar Bundel jungle within Talsara police station limits on Friday night.
The trio was on its way to attend a wedding party, police said.
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Assam's Baksa honey goes global, 1st shipment exported to US
Guwahati (PTI): The first-ever consignment of honey from Assam’s Baksa district to the United States was flagged off from Guwahati on Saturday, an official statement said.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the export from the aspirational district under the Centre’s One District One Product (ODOP) initiative.
The consignment was undertaken by APEDA-registered exporter Salt Range Foods Pvt Ltd.
Commissioner and secretary of the agriculture department and agriculture production commissioner Aruna Rajoria flagged off the consignment.
"The landmark consignment, comprising around 20 metric tonnes of honey, was flagged off from Guwahati. The honey has been processed and packed at the facility of Salt Range Foods Private Limited in Guwahati," the statement said.
Sourced from an eco-friendly and pesticide-free environment, the honey from Baksa district is known for its high quality and near-organic characteristics, reflecting the region’s rich biodiversity and sustainable agricultural practices, it said.
Honey from Baksa has also been identified under the ODOP initiative, recognising its potential for livelihood generation, value addition and export growth.
Assam has immense potential for honey production owing to its rich biodiversity, abundant forest resources and long-standing tradition of beekeeping, the statement said.
The state produced approximately 1,650 metric tonnes of honey during 2023-24, according to the National Horticulture Board's latest data.
Major honey-producing districts in the state include Baksa, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Udalguri and Tamulpur in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
The APEDA, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, facilitated the export by supporting infrastructure development, including the provision of testing and laboratory equipment at the processing facility to ensure adherence to international quality standards and food safety requirements.
The initiative is expected to significantly benefit local beekeepers and farmers, with farmers receiving around 43 per cent higher price realisation compared to prevailing local farm gate prices, thereby enhancing income opportunities and strengthening rural livelihoods in the region, the statement said.
