To accelerate growth of handicrafts sector, the State Cabinet, which met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here on Tuesday, approved the Odisha Handicrafts Policy-2019.
The policy aims to empower handicraft artisans and make them lead partners in development, to focus on the welfare of artisans, to maximize their income, to enhance Odisha's share of exports of handicraft goods, to revive languishing crafts, to preserve craft heritage.
The Cabinet okayed 11 other proposals of different departments.
The State Cabinet approved the proposal for enactment of a separate legislation for establishment of ASBM University by up-grading Asian School of Business Management, Bhubaneswar in the State.
The conferment of University status to ASBM will broaden the horizon of Education in Odisha and give an impetus to multi-disciplinary teaching and research.
The proposal for execution of the Rural Piped Water Supply Projects in Bhadrak district out of State Plan RIDF funding was approved. By this project, 6,16,838 people of 526 villages under 84 GPs of four blocks will be provided with safe drinking water. The Cabinet approved the lowest tender of the Megha Engineering Infrastructure Ltd, Hyderabad amounting to Rs 754 crore. The work is targeted for completion within a period of 24 months.
It okayed execution such a project in the mining affected areas of Keonjhar District out of OMBADC and DMF funding. About 4,13,919 people of 589 villages under 89 GPs of four blocks will be provided with safe drinking water. The lowest tender of Rs 979.82 crore of the Larsen and Toubro Ltd was approved. The work is targeted to be completed in 24 months.
The Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department’s another proposal for execution of two individual Rural Piped Water Supply Projects in the mining affected areas of Angul district out of DMF funding was also accepted. By this project, 3,40,197 people of 388 villages under 64 GPs of three blocks will be provided with safe drinking water. The NCC Ltd was given the work at Rs 701,86,17,500.
Besides, the two individual such projects will come up in Khorda and Dhenkanal districts out of State Plan "BASUDHA" funding. By this project, 2,82,951 people of 390 villages of 44 GPs under three blocks of the two districts will be provided with safe drinking water. The JMC Projects and JWIL (JV) were awarded the work at Rs 315.20 crore.
The Cabinet also approved two other such projects for Mayurbhanj district. The project to come up with OMBADC funding would benefit 1,61,722 people of 330 villages of 29 GPs under two blocks of the district. The Larsen and Toubro Ltd was awarded the work at Rs 430 and given 24 months for completion.
A proposal for Odisha Children’s and Women’s Welfare Services (Amendment) Rules, 2018 was approved. As per the rules, 47 per cent the total cadre strength of Junior Grade Service will be filled by direct recruitment, three per cent by promotion from among LVLWs and 50 per cent by selection from among AWWs.
The outlay of the Swasthya Sahay was increased from Rs 6,622.82 lakh Rs 51,741.78 lakh due to inclusion of new activities under ASHA Kalyan Yojana and other programmes.
To reduce IMR and MMR, the “Shishu Abong Matru Mrutyuhara Purna Nirakarana Abhiyan - SAMMPurNA has been implemented in the State since 2015-16 with priority focus on 15 high burden districts having initial budgetary allocation of Rs 21,141.69 lakh for the period of 2015-16 to 2019-20 which has been enhanced to Rs 39,829.59 lakhs, due to inclusion of various new interventions.
Under the Nidan, Sahaya and Free Healthcare
Services, the five years revised estimated cost for provision of free diagnostic, dialysis, including free healthcare services for all types of patients has been enhanced to Rs 75,750.75 lakh, due to requirement of additional fund of Rs 7191.19 lakhs towards provisioning of additional requirement for waiving OPD & IPD, OT, ICU etc.
Under KALIA Scheme, it was also decided that Kharif assistance will be paid on Akhaya Trutiya and the Rabi assistance on Nuakhai, every year.
Framing of the “Odisha Secretariat Data Entry Operators (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Amendment Rules, 2019” was approved. As per the rules, changes in service, eligibility criteria, constitution of selection committee, preparation of select list for promotion, reservation of vacancies were proposed in the Odisha Secretariat Data Entry Operators (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2008.