The four jawans of Orissa State Armed Police (OSAP) who were abducted by a group of armed Maoists in Malkangiri on Friday were released on Saturday afternoon. 

The four returned to their camp at Janbai safely at around noon, Malkangiri district Superintendent of Police Satyabrata Bhoi said. 

The jawans were returning from Chitrakonda market to their camp at Janbai under Papermetla police station area, about 80 km from district head quarter, on Friday evening when the Maoists abducted them, Bhoi, said. 

Following the incident, combing operation and patrolling by security forces have been intensified in the entire area, which border Andhra Pradesh, to track down the ultras, police said. 

The Orissa High Court on Friday directed Crime Branch to conduct the identification parade of catholic nun, who allegedly raped during kandhamal violence, at Cuttack.

The single judge bench of Justice B K Patal, which had earlier completed hearing on the nun's petition, did not, however, fix any date for the TIP.

Accordingly the prosecution (crime branch of Orissa police) was directed to make an application before the court of the sub-divisional judicial magistrate at Baliguda in Kandhamal district for further action.

The 29-year-old Catholic nun, who was allegedly raped in Kandhamal, has filed a petition in the Orissa High Court for shifting the venue of the Test Identification parade of the accused persons from the riot-hit district.

"The TI Parade may be allowed to be held at New Delhi or at any other place in Orissa, preferably Bhubaneswar or Cuttack. Many criminal elements are roaming free in the area and if she goes to Baliguda Court there is reasonable chance of danger to her life," the petition urged.

Orissa government has sounded high-alert all over the state to prevent an outbreak of bird flu in the state after the disease hit areas in Assam.

The Govt. has directed all officials to be on alert and take measures to prevent an outbreak.

"The fishery and animal husbandry resource development department has alerted all its officials across the state", director of the department Bishnupada Sethi told.

"No flu has been detected in our state. But still we are taking all precautions," he said.

Orissa Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadei on Wednesday presented the supplementary budget of Rs 7587.69 crore for financial year 2008-09 in the Assembly amidst protests from BJP legislators.

The State Government will spend Rs 188.89 crore under plan, Rs 5388.93 crore under state non-plan, Rs 98.78 crore under Central plan and Rs 211.11 crore under centrally sponsored schemes.

'This is the highest supplementary budget since independence,' Ghadei added.

The Orissa government today gave its nod to the projects worth Rs 1,27, 727 crore for the industrialization of the state. New projects would be started in the field of steel, aluminium, power, downstream and ore beneficiation.