Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Saturday approved drinking water supply projects in 4 districts with a budget of Rs 1,553 crore.
Speaking to the media, chief secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said total 9 decisions were taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The decisions related to the departments of Skill development and Technical education, General Administration and Public Grievance, and Pacnhayati Raj and Drinking Water.
Apart from abolition of contractual recruitment and regularisation of present contractual employees, the Cabinet approved the tenders for construction of major piped water supply projects in 4 districts.
These included two rural pipe water supply projects for around Rs 395.43 cr in Ranpur and Odagaon blocks of Nayagarh district. The project to be completed within 24 months would provide safe drinking water to 3.08 lakh people of 429 villages under 73 panchayats.
The project for Ambabhona, Bhatli and Sohela blocks of Bargarh district would be implemented at a cost of Rs 453.1 crore. Around 2.95 lakh population of 316 villages under 58 panchayats in the blocks would benefit from the project.
Similarly, the Cabinet approved 5 projects in Tangi, Bhubaneswar, Balipatana and Balianata blocks of Khurda district with a budget of Rs 456.51 crore. Around 4.16 lakh people of 356 villages under 63 panchayats would get safe drinking water under the projects.
For Kalahandi district, 2 projects in Thuamul Rampur and Kokara blocks were received approval with an expenditure of Rs 248.91 crore. The projects aim at covering 1.26 lakh people of 155 villages under 36 panchayats.
The Cabinet also approved waiver of rent of SDC and SDECs for the period from March, 2020 to October 2020 due to Covid-19; Rules for Odisha Group-B, C, and D Posts (Repeal and Special Provisions)-2022; Amendment of Odisha Heads of Department of Recruitment and conditions of service of Junior Assts, ASOs, SOs Rules-2019; Combined Technical Service recruitment examination Rules; and Combined post-graduate level recruitment examination for specialist posts service Rules-2022.