The State Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday approved the first ever the “Odisha State Export Policy-2014” to provide support to entrepreneurs in the matter of facilitating export and help them compete in the global market.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati said that the policy would have immediate effect and envisages increasing export turnover from the present annual turnover worth Rs 12,246 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 38,714 crore in next 10 years. As per the policy, the entrepreneurs having good track records would be provided with “Exporters’ Card” for hassle-free export and early passage of consignment at check gates on priority basis.
Highlighting the policy provisions, Pati said that in order to boost production of quality products, increase export and create a spirit of competitiveness among exporters, exporters would be awarded annually. Besides, an international buyers and sellers meet at Bhubaneswar will also be organised annually by the MSME department to boost export.
The State Government would organise visit of foreign trade delegates from different countries frequently to industries at various locations. In order to facilitate the exporters for participation in International Trade Fairs, travel expenses in respect of not more than two persons from a firm will be permitted subject to 50 per cent of the total travel expenses is limited to Rs50,000, he said.
The State Government, he said, will take necessary steps to create containerized facilities in the ports located within the State so that the exporters will get facility to export their goods through the ports located in the State instead of exporting through outside ports.
Steps will also be taken for setting up of ICD and Dry Ports in different locations of the State where port facilities are not available, he informed.
As per the new policy, the State in order to provide infrastructural support would set up export parks and trade centres in different locations having export potentiality and organize workshops and conferences. This apart, it would establish a NABAl accredited, ISO certified Testing laboratory, Pati said.
He said that as many as 21 issues were discussed and decided by the Cabinet. It also decided to bring a new legislation by amending the Odisha Municipal Act, 1950 and the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003 to implement new system of levy of property tax in the Urban local Bodies (UlBs) on the basis of unit area method in lieu of existing Annual Rental Value Method. The draft bill would be introduced in the State Assembly in the ensuing session.
Pati said that as per an amendment aimed at introduction of Community Participation law with a view to instituionalising citizen participation in urban developmental process, Area Sabha in urban areas would be held in line with the Gram Sabha in village areas, which forms a part of State level mandatory reforms under the JNNRUM.
This is aimed to provide better interaction between the electorate and the elected and increase participation of the people at the grass root level in the UlBs, he said.
The Cabinet also framed Grant In Aid (GIA) policy in the shape of 40 per cent Block Grant to colleges established between 1998 and 2010. The State Government would implement a Drainage Improvement Programme (DIP).
Pati said the DIP would help remove the problem of water logging due to drainage congestion in the irrigated and non-irrigated command areas and urban centers. The DIP would be operational from the current financial year 2014-15 at an estimated cost of Rs1, 000 crore over the next five years to retrieve the irrigable and non irrigable command affected by water logging. It will be funded by the State Government out of State Plan resources. The State Government will also explore the possibility of availing Central assistance for the scheme, the Chief Secretary said.
The new DIP is targeted to help revive around 1.79 lakh hectares of cultivable area under water logging and help increase crop productivity by an average of 10 per cent in the area of influence. Under the scheme, efforts would be made to renovate and de-silt select urban water bodies to avoid acute drainage problem, he said.
The Cabinet also allowed the Cooperative Department to promulgate ordinance for amendment of the Odisha Co-Operative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2012 to extend time period for holding of the elections to the cooperative societies by another six months.
The Cabinet also approved a policy for long term linkage of iron, chrome ore and other minerals as per its MoUs signed with several steel companies.
Fifty per cent of the iron ore production is to be earmarked for long term linkage for industries which have already been established and started full or partial production. The quantity to be assured to an industry under the linkage will be determined by a committee comprising officials of the Industry Department, IPICOl, Director of Mines and the OMC, Pati said.
Price of the ores of such long term linkage shall be fair market price as discovered through national e-auction. In case of chrome ore, 70 per cent of the production will be earmarked for long term linkage.