To encourage doctors to join new Government medical colleges set up at far places in KBK and other regions, the State Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to provide additional incentives ranging from Rs15,000 to Rs1,25,000 per month to professors of different ranks.
The Cabinet met under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Secretariat cleared as many as eight proposals.
“Availability of adequate number of faculty has been found to be a crucial factor for starting new Government medical colleges. Now, it is observed that doctors are also not interested to join the new colleges in KBK, KBK plus and other districts far from existing medical colleges. To encourage them to join the new colleges, additional incentives have been announced for them,” Chief Secretary AP Padhi told reporters after the meeting.
The locations of medical colleges have been divided into two zones, Zone I involving KBK and KBK plus districts and Zone II involving medical colleges within 100 km radius of existing medical colleges.
Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors who would work in Zone I would get additional incentives of Rs1,25,000, Rs1,00,00 and Rs50,000, respectively. Similarly, they would get Rs35,000, 25,000 and 15,000, respectively.
Besides, all doctors belonging to preclinical and paraclinical disciplines would get Rs20,000 per month over and above regular salaries. The Government would have an extra financial burden of Rs19.73 crore per annum, the Chief Secretary said.
The Cabinet approved notifications already issued specifying different rates of tax for goods and services, exemptions and refund of tax under the Odisha Goods and Services Tax Act 2017. Another related proposal approved by the Cabinet would henceforth allow the Finance Department to issue all notifications regarding imposition of new tax or change of tax rate or exemption/concession of tax and the OGST Act, 2017.
A proposal to amend the Orissa Textiles and Sericulture (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1993 was approved. The proposed amendment would be helpful in filling up of the vacant Group A and other Pay Band-3 posts in both the textiles and sericulture cadres.
The Cabinet okayed a proposal for modification of interest subvention scheme ‘Kalinga Siksha Sathi Yojana’ being implemented by the Higher Education Department. Interest subvention would accrue even if temporary default takes place in payment of loan upto a period of 90 days during the moratorium period (10 years for Rs7.5 lakh loan takers and 15 years for Rs10 lakh takers). The temporary default would be relaxed and the students would give 1 per cent interest after the moratorium period.
Similarly, a proposal was approved to lease out Government land measuring 0.5a cree at Alkar under Jatni Tehsil in favour of a social organisation, the Sahaya, at a concessional rate of 7,50,000 and Rs3,281 towards annual ground rate and cess. The Sahay would set up a home for destitute and school for deaf, dumb, blind and mentally retarded children. These establishments would be free of incidental charges.
A law Department’s proposal to frame a separate set of rules for its legislative Wing was approved by the Cabinet.
An important proposal to allow the Railway authorities for use of rivers, canals, Nala, Mahara and Road for construction of over-brides on free of premium and incidental charges was approved by the cabinet. The permission would be available subject to payment of the capitalised value of land revenue.