It was one of those blink-and-miss moments. Advocate general Pitambar Acharya, not exactly known to be a member of the Naveen Patnaik fan club, recently found himself sharing a flight with the former CM. Acharya did what any modern-day public figure would do when presented with such a historic mid-air encounter — he went straight to X, posting an in-flight snapshot. Acharya wrote that it was “a great pleasure” spending “beautiful moments” with former Odisha CM and leader of the opposition while travelling to New Delhi, adding that they discussed several issues concerning Odisha’s interests. From sharp critic to cheerful co-passenger, politics clearly works in mysterious ways.Plaque gaffeIn a goof up that has gone viral, an inauguration plaque in Udala, Mayurbhanj, had accidentally crowned a new chief minister. The plaque, decked up with marigold garlands and solemn officialdom, mistakenly identified school & mass education minister Nityananda Gond as the chief minister of Odisha. Social media, as expected, did not keep calm. “Wait, when did the CM change?” one user quipped, while others jokingly congratulated Gond on his surprise promotion. Officials, however, were quick to pour cold water on the excitement. The mix-up, they clarified, was nothing more than an unfortunate printing error.Grateful mayorMayor Sulochana Das recently posted an emotional message on X, thanking the people of Bhubaneswar for their support over the years. And no, it was not just a random “feeling grateful” post — it marked her completing four years as the mayor of Bhubaneswar. As the city’s first woman mayor, she has already made history, and judging by her message, she has also made “serving every street, every ward, every family” sound like the world’s most heartfelt full-time job. Fondly called “Appa,” or elder sister, by the people of Bhubaneswar, Sulochana shared that these four years were not just about holding office. For her, it was about sincerely serving the city with dedication and care.True or falseShortage of LPG supply due to the war in West Asia has affected many people as well as businesses. But food supply and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra doesn’t agree. He has been telling people there is no shortage of LPG, and there is sufficient availability in Odisha. BJD MLA Ganeswar Behera was not amused. “Not accepting LPG shortage in the state is like not acknowledging sunrise and sunset every day. Minister should go out of his office and visit market places and offices of gas agencies,” Behera quipped.(Contributed by Team TOI)
