Khati corner

Biz on wheelsBhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to level up street vending by handing out pushcarts to vendors. Traditionally, BMC would guide vendors into designated zones where they could sell their wares.

But this time, they’ve gone the extra mile… quite literally, thanks to the carts. Vendors can now glide around in style, probably feeling like entrepreneurs on wheels. The move has earned praise from vendors, customers and pedestrians.Stormy effectThe capital recently got a dramatic wake-up call from a feisty nor’wester that seemed to have a very specific target. The storm went for the central areas — uprooting trees, tossing around roadside shops and giving parked vehicles a free “denting-painting” session.

Strangely, the outskirts, especially Patia, were spared. Residents there carried on with life as usual, completely unaware of the chaos downtown — until the news (and photos of flattened trees) broke the calm.Goodie bag?The yellow bag near CM Mohan Majhi’s seat inside the helicopter, which was forced to land in Puri due to inclement weather in Bhubaneswar, piqued the curiosity of netizens, with many playing Sherlock Holmes to guess its contents.

One user remarked, “Majhi is a people’s CM and lives like a common man. Just as we carry vegetables, groceries or fruits, he too might have brought organic vegetables from Mayurbhanj.” Another guessed, “He might have brought mangoes.

” A young woman wrote, “It could be Raja Bhara, a gift from relatives for the Raja Mahotsav.”What’s in a name!Cuttack will be officially Kataka, following the last Cabinet decision. Historians and language enthusiasts are delighted. The ancient city has reclaimed a spelling closer to its historical roots, a move many residents have welcomed. And yet, amid the celebrations, some have posed an uncomfortable question — will the new spelling also help clear traffic at Badambadi or drain rainwater from waterlogged streets? For years, residents have navigated clogged roads, overflowing drains and monsoon flooding with admirable patience.

Now they are wondering whether civic problems, too, can be corrected through a change in spelling.(Contributed by Team TOI)