Cabinet approves incentives for faculty in new govt medical colleges

KalingaTV News Network

Bhubaneswar: The state cabinet on Wednesday approved additional financial incentives for prospective faculty members at the four new government medical colleges coming up in Odisha.

Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Health minister Pratao Jena said the four upcoming medical colleges have been divided into two categories for the purpose.

“While Zone-I constitutes KBK and KBK plus areas, Zone-II comprises areas situated at least 100 km away from the existing government medical colleges established before 2017,” he said.

While a professor joining a medical college in KBK and KBK plus districts would get an incentive of Rs 1.25 lakh, apart from salary, per month, an associate professor would get Rs 1 lakh and an assistant professor Rs 50,000 by way of incentive per month, the minister said.

In contrast, a professor working in Zone-II medical colleges would get a Rs 35,000 incentive, besides salary, per month. An associate professor in this zone would get Rs 25,000 and assistant professor Rs 15,000 per month.

All doctors belonging to pre-clinical and para-clinical disciplines working in the new government medical colleges would get additional incentives of Rs 20,000 per month.

This will put a financial burden of Rs 19.73 crores per annum on the state exchequer.

The incentive approved for teaching staff at the new medical colleges is aimed at attracting doctors who are not interested in joining these colleges in new medical colleges situated in far from the existing medical colleges.

The four new medical colleges are coming up in Koraput, Balangir, Baripada and Balasore districts.

The Cabinet also approved seven other proposals including the change of moratorium period under Kalinga Sikhya Sathi Yojana to 90 days in case of default in paying the first installment after the moratorium period of 5 years, formation of a GST council and a legislative wing in the Law Department. The meeting also approved to waive premium for the construction of railway over bridges.