The State Cabinet on Saturday approved a total of six proposals, including construction of 13 lift irrigation projects at a total cost of Rs517.77 crore.
The Cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik decided to name all lift Irrigation (lI) projects after eminent woman freedom fighter Parbati Giri, nicknamed as Mother Teresa of Odisha, informed Chief Secretary AP Padhi after the meeting.
He said the lI projects in the State would come up at a cost of Rs7,600 crore of which the cabinet approved 13 projects. Of the 13 projects, eight lI projects would come up in eight blocks in Mayurbhanj district and one project for one block in Keonjhar district, he said. The Cabinet approved construction of a sewerage system for Sambalpur Town on EPC mode at an amount of Rs324,31,98,000.
A proposal to enhance the incentive given to apparel units in the Odisha Apparel Policy 2016 was approved. An apparel unit would receive an incentive of Rs1,500 per worker per month for a period of 36 months where minimum employment conditions are met and 90 per cent workers must be from Odisha.
The Cabinet decided to extend the time limit for the reduced 1 per cent tax on pulses and dals of all kinds under the Odisha VAT Act upto March 31, 2017.
The Cabinet too proposed for reduction of the composition tax rate of the VAT from 3.5 per cent to 1.25 per cent for the dealers, who undertake construction of flats, dwellings or buildings or premises. The reduction would make the composition scheme more attractive for the real estate business and to reduce tax litigation and generate more revenue.