liquor shop renewal extended till March 31 next FD Tax on Kendu leaf down from 16% to 2%
The State Government on an advisory of the Odisha High Court on Monday decided to vest power of entire first appellate jurisdiction with the District Judge (civil) raising the pecuniary limit of the case from `5 lakh to `10 lakh. This would reduce the work load of the High Court and provide justice to the litigants on the local level.
The decision was taken by the Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday evening. However, in order to enforce the new dispensation, the Cabinet approved the proposal of the law Department for amendment of the Odisha Civil Courts Act, 1984 (Odisha Act 18 of 1984). A bill in this regard would be presented in the Assembly in the next session.
Since a large number of cases are pending and new cases are being registered every day, the High Court had proposed the Government to vest the first appellate jurisdiction with the District Judges, raising the terms of the pecuniary limits in case of civil cases to ensure justice to the litigants at their door steps. With the new provision, the litigants would not have to take pain for coming to the High Court in order to make an appeal.
According to official sources, the Cabinet has granted the ExciseDepartment to extend renewal to the existing “off” country spirit shops for another eight months beyond July 2014 till March 31, 2015.
Since the modalities of conducting the e-auction of three categories of liquor shops have not yet been prepared, the Cabinet extended the time for implementation of the e-auction. The State Government in 2012-13 had decided in principle to introduce e-auction for renewal of the liquor shops of the three categories.
However, some liquor shop owners had challenged the decision of the Government in the High Court. The High Court in its verdict had said that the modalities of conducting the e-auction needed to be reviewed to make it legally tenable and implementable.
However, on the appeal the apex court, it had upheld the decision of the State Government in its order on February 7 last. later the Cabinet on March 2 last had extended the period of renewal till July 31.
The Cabinet also approved the draft notification to be adopted for settlement of the liquor shops by e-auction during the current financial year.
The Cabinet approved a proposal for recruitment of technical persons against five posts in the Odisha State Beverage Corporation, a corporate body of the Excise Department, from open market.
Since the volume of business and the annual returns has been increasing, the Corporation needs expert workforce for smooth conduct of the commercial administration.
The recruitment would be conducted against the posts of Chief Operating Officer, System Manager, Manager, Assistant Manager and Accountant. Earlier, the posts were being filled up out of the existing staff members of other Corporation.
The Cabinet decided to rationalize Forest Development Tax on Kendu leaf from 16 to 2 per cent. The reduction will help thousands of poor Kendu leaf pluckers, the official sources said
