The State Cabinet, which is scheduled to meet on Monday afternoon under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would approve a draft legislation to curb the unbridled grabbing of Government land as the existing Odisha Prevention of land Encroachment (OPlE) Act, 1972 and OPlE rules 1985 have failed to tackle the menace.
Worried over large-scale encroachment of Government land following the CAG lifting the lid off the land scam perpetrated by the ruling BJD leaders, the Revenue Department has prepared a draft land Grabbing Prohibition Bill to amend the prevalent OPlE Act. The proposed legislation has stringent provisions to check encroachment by making the illegal act a cognizable offence, sources said.
The Bill is modeled on similar prevention of land encroachment laws of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. According to the Revenue Department sources, as many as 2.50 lakh hectares of Government land have been encroached upon in which several influential persons are involved. Besides, over one lakh revenue cases relating to land grabbing are pending for disposal.
As many as 14 agendas are before the Cabinet for consideration. The sources said that the Cabinet would also consider approval of the proposal by the Sports department to provide jobs in police department directly to the sports persons who win medals in national and international events as a new recruitment policy. The eminent sportspersons would be recruited directly in police basing on their qualifications and medals in sport events without going through any kind of entrance examination.
The sources said the internationally acclaimed sports persons can be recruited directly in the ranks between Constable and Deputy SP (DSP). The Government is taking the step in the wake of migration of top sportsmen and women to other States for lack of any job opportunity in Odisha.
The Cabinet would also consider the Cooperation department proposal for promulgation of the Ordinance to extend the election to the cooperative bodies for another six months. The election to Cooperative bodies had not been held for last one and a half years.
Though the Supreme Court on July 31 last had disposed of a Cooperative election related case, no initiative had been taken by the State Government to conduct the election despite the fact that the previous ordinance had already expired.Among other issues, the Cabinet is likely to give its nod to provide Block Grant of 40 per cent to the eligible colleges established between 1998 and 2008 in general areas and between 2001 and 2010 in tribal and backward districts.
The Cabinet is also likely to approve the amendment of service condition rules in the Health department.