Odisha Cabinet Approves Modification In KSSY Interest Subvention

Bhubaneswar: To provide financial assistance in the form of interest subvention against education loans availed by students from scheduled banks, the State Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal for the modification in the interest subvention scheme Kalinga Sikhya Sathi Yojana (KSSY) implemented by the Higher Education Department.

Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, said that the scheme is applicable in respect of courses such as Management or Integrated Law, Engineering or Medicine. He said as per the scheme, the period of repayment of loan is 10 years and 15 years including the moratorium period in case of loan amount up to Rs 7.50 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively.

However, due to fewer numbers of courses of study and less period of repayment of the loan, some deserving students are debarred from availing education loan under the scheme. To cover more students, it has been decided that the scheme will be applicable to all courses being pursued in all educational institutions for which the central scheme to provide interest subsidy (CSIS) is applicable. In case of loans up to Rs 7.50 lakh, the period of repayment of the loan has been increased from 10 years including moratorium period to 15 years including moratorium period, he pointed out.

This modification is applicable in respect of education loans sanctioned under the scheme on or after April 1, 2016, Padhi said.

The State Cabinet also approved another proposal for repealing of the Bihar and Odisha Places of Pilgrimage Act, 1920 (Bihar and Odisha Act II of 1920).

The Bihar and Odisha Places of Pilgrimages Act, 1920 seeks to make better provisions for the control and sanitation of places of pilgrimage and for the regulation of houses in which pilgrims are accommodated.

Section 20 of the Act provides the constitution of a Lodging House Fund. Section 13 has empowered to impose Terminal Tax on passengers brought by railway, steam vessels and public service vehicles on road. The functions of Lodging Housing Fund are to provide sanitation, prevention of epidemics and take steps for the convenience of pilgrims. For running of the organisation, finance is generated from Terminal Tax, license fee, inspection fee and rent from Dharmasalas.

 “However, the Lodging House Fund is not functioning adequately to its mandate at present as other organisations are taking its mandate directly or indirectly. There are provisions in the Odisha Municipal Act, 1950 which empower the municipality to exercise more effective management and control in realising the mandates of the Bihar and Odisha Places of Pilgrimage Act, 1920. The role of the Lodging House Fund Puri has been squeezed to a great extent. Also, in view of the changing scenario, Lodging House Fund Puri is considered not to continue further. Taking all this into consideration, the Cabinet decided to repeal the Bihar and Odisha Places of Pilgrimage Act, 1920 as the role and responsibility in the Act find the place in Odisha Municipal Act, 1950,” Padhi observed.

The proposal for amendment of Rule-4 (1) of the Odisha Excise Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service of Group-A Officers) Rules, 2002 by the Excise Department was also cleared by the State Cabinet.

The department had proposed to further amend the Odisha Excise Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service of Group-A Officers) Rules, 2002 so that all the posts of Superintendent of Excise, Group-A, shall be filled up by promotion from among of the eligible members of the Odisha Excise Service, Group-1B’ consisting of Deputy Superintendent of Excise so as to make the Excise field administration more effective and vibrant.

The chief secretary also said that as the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has replaced the multi-layered complex indirect tax structure with a simple, transparent and technology-driven tax regime, the Odisha Goods and Services Tax (OGST) Act, 2017 has come into force with effect from July 1, 2017. The State Cabinet in its 43rd meeting on August 2, 2017 had approved the proposal to issue notifications for the imposition of new tax or change of tax rate, exemption and concession of tax under the Odisha Goods and Services Tax Act (OGST), 2017, on the recommendation of the GST Council, by the order of the Chief Minister.

“Following implementation of GST Act, 2017, the Cabinet decided to approve the proposal for amendment of the relevant subjects appearing under the Serial No III— Finance Department, in the First Schedule and the relevant Sub-Rule under the Second Schedule of the Odisha Government Rules of Business,” he added.

Besides, the State Cabinet also approved a proposal of the Health Department for framing of Odisha Medical and Health Services (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2018 to regulate the method of recruitment, promotion and conditions of service of the medical officers appointed to the Odisha Medical and Health Services Cadre, Padhi said.

Under the new proposals, there will be three cadre branches—Specialist, Public Health and General Duty with distinct criteria for promotion within each of the three branches. There will be additional marks in the written test for the ad-hoc doctors and doctors with PG degree qualification in clinical and para-clinical subjects/super-specialisation.

The recruitment would be based only on the basis of an online written test while the decision about the qualifying marks will be vested with the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).

To safeguard the interest as also for better administration and management of Hindu Religious Institutions in the state, it has been decided to amend the Odisha Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1951 by providing for government control at the stage of framing of schemes as well as by nominating government officers as trustees. The proposed amendment shall ensure the smooth and transparent functioning of the Trust Board and safeguard the interest of the deity, religious institutions and the Hindus.