Ahead of the panchayat elections, the State Cabinet at a meeting here on Tuesday approved as many as 14 proposals, including 54 mega lift irrigation projects worth Rs 1,796.27 crore.
The Cabinet met under chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat approved the proposal to award works for 54 more mega lift irrigation schemes in four clusters to irrigate about 62,000 hectares of land in 23 blocks under five districts, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Ganjam, Kalahandi and Nuapada, informed Chief Secretary AP Padhi after the meeting.
The projects are scheduled to be completed during 2018-19, he said.
The Cabinet gave its nod for framing of the Municipal Administration Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2016 in respect of the Odisha Municipal Administrative Service cadre.
A proposal to amend the OSJS and OJS Rules, 2007 to strengthen the legal accuracy and the administrative capability of the Judicial Officers in the cadre of District Judge was also approved.
Similarly, the Cabinet okayed framing of the Odisha State legal Service (Method of Recruitments and Conditoins of Service) Rules, 2016 in order to regulate appointment of legal officers in all Government departments, excepting the law Department and offices in the Heads of Departments and district offices.
The Cabinet too approved a proposal to amend the Odisha Ayurveda Medical Education Service (Method and Recrutiment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2013. As per the amendment, the upper age limit of the lecturers in the Government Ayurvedic Colleges was enhanced to 40 years. Similarly, the teaching experience of lecturers was reduced from eight years to five years for promotion to Reader posts in Ayurvedic Colleges.
Besides, the Cabinet approved the operational guidelines for payment of town area surcharge at 2 per cent of sale value in shape of grants to different development authorities, regional improvement trusts and special planning authorities out of the stamp duty which is collected at 5 per cent in respect of transfer of immovable property in those areas.