Former IAS officer and close confidant of Naveen Patnaik, V K Pandian announces his withdrawal from active politics amid criticism after the BJD's defeat in the recent polls. Pandian, who had been targeted by the BJP for his Tamil origin, also apologizes for the party's loss and declares that his intent was only to assist Naveen Babu. Patnaik himself defends Pandian and clarifies that he is not his political successor. This move comes after Pandian's announcement that he would quit politics if Patnaik does not take oath as CM on June 9.
In a recent press release, it has been announced by the Chief Minister's Office that the monthly pension amount under the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana in Odisha will be increased by Rs500. This increase will go into effect immediately and beneficiaries can expect to receive the higher amount between February 20 and 25. The new minimum monthly pension amount will now be Rs1000, with three different slabs of Rs500, Rs700, and Rs900 upgraded to Rs1000, Rs1200, and Rs1400 respectively. This will provide much-needed financial support to the beneficiaries of the MBPY scheme.