The State Cabinet on Wednesday approved as many as 17 proposals ahead of the Budget Session of the State Assembly scheduled from March 20.
The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, enhanced daily allowances of Assembly Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Council of Ministers from Rs 150 to Rs 800 with effect from January 1, 2017 for attending Assembly Session. Earlier, the daily allowance of MlAs had been increased from Rs 800 to 1,500 with effect from January 1, 2017 for attending Assembly Session or Committee.
The Cabinet approved a proposal of the labour and ESI Department to bring a Bill with an objective to enforce the provision of display of signboard in Odia language prominently by the employers of all shops and commercial establishments for better convenience of general public. While penal provision would be there for violation of the act, a separate web portal would be created for monitoring display of such signboards.
A proposal to create a sub-scheme of “Biju Yuva Vahini” under the “Biju Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana” was approved by the cabinet. The Biju Yuva Vahinis, which will comprise youths in age group of 15 to 35 years, will be encouraged for various social actions in the Panchayats, UlBs though awareness campaigns, street plays, observation of important days and camps.
Similarly, the Cabinet, by approving a proposal, enhanced the timeline of private dealers from two years to three years for smooth functioning of PDS under the National Food Security Act.
A proposal to amend the Odisha Official language Act to award officers and employees who would extensively use Odia language in official noting was approved.
The Cabinet approved the Odisha Civil Defence Group A and Group B Officers (Method of Recruitment and Condition of Service) Rules 2018 framed to regulate the service condition of the officers including their recruitment and promotion. Civil Defence is now performing humanitarian tasks intended to protect the civil population against the effects of hostile attack and ravages of disaster, both natural and manmade. It is functioning in five districts, Bhunaneswar, Talcher, Rourkela, Paradip and Koraput.
The Cabinet approved a proposal for utilisation of funds of rs 345 crore towards universal coverage of piped water supply out of Rs 375 crore earmarked for “User end Metering” under the 4th State Finance Commission Grant.
A proposal to include provisions in the BASUDHA programme was approved. Accordingly, every rural household has the access to safe water for drinking, cooking and other domestic needs throughout the year. The Government would undertake various projects on its own for which it has a proposed outlay of Rs 1,000 crore for 2018-19.
The Cabinet decided to absorve Gram Panchayat Techical Assistants, who are Diploma Engineers, in the posts of Junior Engineers in the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department.
The Cabinet approved the lowest EPC tender of SP Singla Construction Private ltd amounting to Rs 110.47 crore for construction of a Hl Bridge over Mahanadi at Gopinathpur in Cuttack district. It would connect Baidswar, Kantilo, Banki, Khordha, Nayagarh with Badamba, Narasinghpur, Hindol, Angul and western Odisha. The work is targeted for completion within a period of 36 months.
The “Universal Eye Health Programme” announced by the Chief Minister on October 12, 2017 was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday.
A new scheme named “Strengthening of Ancillary Services in Public Health Facilities’ was approved. The project cost, estimated at Rs 550.24 crore, will furn for five years and cover 1814 health institutions.
Besides, the Cabinet approved a proposal to make the “Odisha Virtual Academy” function under the Electronics and Information Technology Department instead of the erstwhile Tourism and Culture Department.