Odisha Cabinet Approves Amendment Of Semiconductor Policy; Know Major Decisions

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Cabinet on Thursday approved an estimated budget of Rs 6029.70 crore for KALIA scheme and scholarship for three years from 2024- 25 to 2026-27.

Briefing the media, Ministers Ranendra Pratap Swain and Sudam Marandi and Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said total 16 proposals from 13 departments were approved in the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The ministers said in order to ensure hassle-free and smooth implementation of this KALIA scheme and bring the farmers into the financial mainstream of the society, the Cabinet approved the budget.

The Cabinet also approved the proposal to change the release dates of KALIA assistance. The government had earlier decided to provide the financial assistance to the KALIA beneficiaries twice in a year before the cropping seasons. It was given from April 1 for Kharif season and from September 1 for Rabi season.

Besides, the Cabinet approved to provide Rs 2,000 as one-time additional financial support/assistance to eligible landless agricultural households under the scheme. The government is already paying Rs 12,500 in 3 instalments to take up livestock and horticultural crop-based activities to the beneficiaries.

Besides, amendment of the Odisha Semiconductor Manufacturing and Fabless Policy-2023 was approved to attract investors for setting up units to manufacture Semiconductor/EIectronic Chips and fabless design of the products.

Under the revised provisions, mega projects exceeding Rs 500 crore in investment can now effortlessly access an upper limit of Rs 25 crore per annum for a 7 years towards interest subsidy, as the previous 5% capping for interest
subvention has been eliminated. Additionally, such mega projects are entitled to reimbursement of R&D expenditures upto Rs 2 crore annually for 10 years.

As for the Production Linked Incentive (PLI), all units are now eligible to apply for the incentive for a continuous period of 5 years within the 7-year period following the commencement of production. In terms of skill development, eligible units will receive reimbursement of upto Rs 2 crore per annum for 5 years to facilitate the
training of their employees engaged in core operations.

Following are other major proposals approved by the Cabinet:

• Development of Ro-Pax Jetty and allied infrastructures project connecting Kaninali in Bhadrak district and
  Talachua in Kendrapada district under Sagarmala Programme with a cost of Rs 146.39 crore
• The budget for Nua-O, a youth empowerment initiative, revised to Rs 315 crore
• Amendment of the Odisha Sub-ordinate Finance Service (Commercial Tax Branch) Recruitment and Conditions of Service Rules,1988.
• The prescribed syllabus for the departmental examination required to be passed by the Assistant Commercial Tax and GST Officers will be amended to incorporate “The Odisha Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 and rules made thereunder” in order to enhance the working knowledge of the officers under the GST regime.
• The nomenclature of “Commissioner of Commercial Taxes and GST, Odisha” is proposed to be amended to “Chief Commissioner of Commercial Taxes and GST, Odisha” (if in the rank of Principal Secretary to Government).
• Extension of grant-in-aid at revised scale in line with 7th Pay Commission to institutions for eligible employees covered under Odisha (Non-Government Colleges, Junior Colleges and Higher Secondary Schools) Grant-in-Aid in the shape of Block Grant Order, 2014. It will have additional annual financial implication of Rs 27.37 crore.
• Recently released Hindi movies “12th Fail” made entertainment tax free
• Allotment to 515 eligible displaced families of East Pakistan and Burma Repatriates with DP Tenements free of cost, upto 4 tenements per family. These displaced persons have settled at Sunabeda in Koraput district from 1964. Now they will have a permanent title and ownership over the land and structures existing over such land.

Principal Secy, PR & DW & Excise Sushil Kumar Lohani, Principal Secy Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Secy, Aswathi S, Secy Arabinda Agrawal were also present at the press meet.