Bhubaneswar: The 73rd session of Odisha “Cabinet Meeting’ was held today in the 3rd Floor Conference Hall of Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
After the meeting was over, Minister, Forest, Environment & CC, PR & Drinking Water, I&PR Pradeep Kumar Amat, Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena and other Secretaries of concerned department briefed about the approved agenda items.
There were 12 agenda items related to 10 different departments have been approved in the Cabinet.
Here are some of the important decisions taken by the State Cabinet today:
- It approved the creation of Odisha Culture Development Service (OCDS) Cadre in the process of restructuring Odisha Culture Service Cadre with a view to attracting high quality professionals to the Culture sector for promotion, protection and conservation of Odia Language, Literature and Culture with overall cultural growth of the State and for better management of the dedicated schemes taken up by the Department.
The Cabinet also approved the creation of the posts of Culture Development Officer, Assistant Director, Culture, Deputy Director, Culture, Joint Director Culture and Additional Director, Culture in the Odisha Culture Development Service (OCDS) Cadre.
This will enrich the Culture and Heritage of the State and will meet the requirements of the required human resources.
There will be annual provision of an additional amount of approximately Rs 2.17 Cr to meet the expenditure of this Cadre Restructuring.
Odisha has a total of 6794 Gram Panchayats. There is devolution of funds under CFC, SFC grants along with various other State & Union Government flagship programme to Gram Panchayats for implementation of several schemes at Gram Panchayat level. The Government of Odisha has decided to recruit Accountant-cum-Data Entry Operators in all Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Districts of the State to facilitate better, effective and timely regulation of official transactions, proper management, documentation of record and financial management of various schemes. For this purpose, 7142 nos. of Accountant-cum-Data Entry Operator posts have been created. The Accountantcum-Data Entry Operators will work under the administrative control of the Gram Panchayats.
In order to make GP Office more vibrant and viable, a new rule called Accountant-cum-Data Entry Operator (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2022 has been framed. As per the rules, 70% of sanctioned posts of Accountant-cum-Data Entry Operator shall be filled up by direct recruitment through independent Body i.e. Odisha Sub Ordinate Staff Selection Commission and 30% of sanctioned posts of Accountant-cum-Data Entry Operator shall be filled up by absorbing the eligible Gram Rojgar Sevak (GRS) to in the same with certain terms and condition keeping in view the work experience of Gram Rojgar Sevaks at Gram Panchayat level. But as a one-time measure, the Grain Rojgar Sevak (GRS), who have been selected under MGNREGA Scheme on contract basis and have completed five years of continuous service and otherwise eligible, shall be absorbed against existing vacancies.
- In order to implement various State & Union Government flagship programme at Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad, certain limit of Technical Sanction and Administrative Approval power have been given to various Technical Officers and Administrative Officers respectively in Odisha Panchayat Samiti Accounting Procedure Rules, 2002.
In view of the amendments made in the OPWD Code and provision made in the MGNREGS work, the limit of the financial power of the Engineering Personnel and Administrative Authorities have been enhanced for smooth and timely execution of various developmental works in the State.
After this Cabinet decision, Asst. Executive Engineers are being given technical sanction power for project up to Rs. 10 Lakh . Similarly the Technical sanction power for executive Engineer and Superintendent Engineer of Panchayati Raj Department has been enhanced to Rs. 1Crore and Rs.4 Crore respectively. For project beyond Rs.4 Crore the Technical sanction power will be vested with Chief engineer
Further the Administrative approval power of Collector has been enhanced from Rs.50 lakh to Rs.1 Crore for the project taken by the Panchyati Raj department.
This will expedite the implementation of development work of Panchayati Raj Department.
- The State Cabinet have approved the proposal to sanction the lease of Government land measuring Ac. 1.00 dec. in favour of Odisha Kulta Samaj at Puri in Mouza-Puri Sahar Unit-No-34, Balukhanda under Puri Tahasil free of Premium, incidental charges but subject to payment of nominal amount of annual ground rent @ Rs.100/- per acre and cess @ 75% of the annual ground rent.
- Re-structuring of Odisha Technical Education & Training Service (OTE & TS) Rules,1985: The number of Government Polytechnics and Industrial Training Institutes (I.T.Is) in the State have increased manifold with the increase in students intake and keen interest in technical education. Govt. after careful consideration have approved the re-structure of Odisha Technical Education & Training Service Cadre (OTE & TS) Rules,1985 and brought in the new Odisha Government I.T.Is Trainers’ Service (Methods of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules,2024 & Odisha Government Polytechnics Teachers’ Service (Methods of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules,2024 to give boost to the career growth of the trainers and lecturers and enhance the quality of the skill training and technical education in the State.
- There are some Multilingual Education (Education Volunteers) working in different schools under the administrative control of the S&ME Department for the last 16 years. They are engaged to teach the students in their mother tongue so as to enable the tribal students of elementary grades to easily understand the present course curriculum.
- There has been a demand for regularization of the services of these MLE (EVs). Since the MLE (EVs) are shouldering more responsibilities to bring different tribal kids to the mainstream of education, Govt. has decided to regularize 73 MLE (EVs) who have requisite qualifications i.e., +2, D.LE.ED/CT and OTET pass as a one-time measure in the regularly created posts of Tribal Language Teachers in the ST&SC Development Department by allowing age relaxation.
The balance are allowed timeline for a period of maximum 3 (three) years from the date of notification to acquire the required qualifications of +2, D.LE.ED/CT and OTET pass for consideration of their regularization provided that they have not crossed the age of 60 years by the date their case is considered for regularization.
- Government of Odisha in 2020-21 have launched the scheme “Integrated Development of Heritage & Monuments and Tourist Destination (IDHMTD)”. The objective of the scheme is to preserve and revitalize the Heritage Monuments and Temples to reflect Odisha’s unique character by encouraging integrated development of an aesthetically appealing, accessible, informative and secured environment, combined with efficient public facilities and infrastructure. 159 projects have been taken up under the scheme with estimated cost of all such projects amounting to Rs.1412.79 Crore.
The State Cabinet approved the Scheme at a cost outlay of Rs.1412.79 Crore and the scheme will be implemented from 2020-21 to 2026-27.
Ms Kalinga