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Mning row: Odisha govt issues notices to 13 cos

Bhubaneswar: A day after Union Minister Srikant Jena accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of colluding in a mining scam that supposedly caused a loss of Rs 4 lakh crores to the state exchequer, the Odisha government on Tuesday issued notices to at least 103 mining leases.

Odisha Mines Secretary Rajesh Verma was quoted as saying, "About 103 mining leases have been issued notices for Rs 67,900 crore under Section 21(5) of MMDR Act. We have issued a showcause, they will present their case and then the course of law will be followed."

The development comes a day after Jena demanded resignation of BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, saying, “Nearly Rs 4 lakh crore have been looted over the years with the knowledge of the Odisha government.”

Jena claimed mining mafias were allowed to extract iron ore beyond the plan approved by the Indian Bureau of Mines.

The senior congress leader from Odisha said by imposing Rs 58,000 crore penalty on 27 mining operators for alleged illegal mining, the BJD-led government has only ended up admitting its own involvement in the "mega loot of minerals".

"The Chief Minister is hand in glove with the miners who have been imposed a Rs 58,000 crore fine for illegal mining. The scam would not have happened had the Chief Minister not (been) involved in the scam," Jena said in a press conference here.

Tendulkar to get Aussie honour today

New Delhi: Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar is set to add another feather to his already crowded cap as he would be conferred the membership of the Order of Australia, an honour “rarely” awarded to non-Australians on Tuesday.

Earlier during her visit to India last month, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard had announced that the iconic Indian cricketer would be conferred the membership of the Order of Australia.

The 39-year-old master batsman will become only the second Indian after former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee to get the honour.

Sorabjee was made an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia (AM) “for service to Australia-India bilateral legal relations” in 2006.

“Cricket is of course a great bond between Australia and India. We are both cricket-mad nations. I am very pleased that we are going to confer on Sachin Tendulkar, membership of the order of Australia (AM),” Ms. Gillard had told reporters.

Obama to give interviews and play basketball on election day

Washington: US President Barack Obama will spend the election day in his home town of Chicago, playing basketball with friends and giving a dozen satellite interviews in several battleground States.

The First Family would have dinner at their Hyde Park home late in the evening, after which Obama would deliver his speech to his supporters in the city, the Obama Campaign said, as the US President gave his last election campaign speech in Iowa.

"President Obama will spend Election Day in Chicago. In the morning and the afternoon, he will participate in a dozen satellite interviews in battleground states, where he will highlight the progress the country has made over the last four years and his plan to continue to move America forward in the next four years," the campaign said.

"Tuesday afternoon, President Obama will honour his Election Day tradition of pickup basketball with friends and staffers. Then, the First Family will have dinner at their home in Hyde Park," the campaign said.