Odisha Cabinet Okays Rs 510 Crore For Construction Of MLAs’ Quarters; Know Other Decisions

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Thursday approved a budget of Rs 510 crore for construction of residential quarters for MLAs in Bhubaneswar.

The Cabinet extended its approval to 33 proposals of 16 departments at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. In a press release on Cabinet decisions, chief secretary SC Mahapatra said the MLA quarters are targeted to be completed within two and a half years. The quarters include 195 Type VI and 105 Type VII quarters.

Mahapatra said other major decisions included approval of the financial bids for construction of 40 Lift Irrigation Schemes with intake points on different rivers in Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Balangir, Bargarh, Gajpati, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Angul and Cuttack districts. Two barrages over river Baitarani in Jajpur district and over river Kochila in Bhadrak district would be constructed with a cost of Rs 200 crore.

Similarly, the Cabinet approved the financial bids for execution of pressurised underground pipeline (UGPL) irrigation network system for left command of lower Suktel irrigation project with distribution network with a budget of Rs 634 crore. The project would irrigate around 13,000 hectare cultivable land in the area. The Cabinet also approved Rs 366.77 crore for Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme in Jajpur and Kendrapada districts.

Mahapatra said other important decisions included sanction of lease of 5 acre government land free of premium for establishment of Central Research Institute in Homeopathy (CIRH), 50 acre of land in favour of Rajendra University for their infrastructure development and 3.125 acre for establishment of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Proposal for 15% reservation of seats in government physical education colleges for the students staying in sports hostels along with revised funding for the state level sports infrastructure development scheme also received Cabinet nod.

Long term linkage policy for limestone to the eligible state-based end user industries, widening of Sonepur-Binika-Rampur-Dungurupali road in Subarnapur district, appointment of members of Odisha Public Service Commission, restructuring of tourism service cadre, Odisha cooperative service cadre, formulation of cadre rule for newly created Odisha cooperative audit service cadre, District Police Ministerial Services Rules, amendment of Odisha Civil service Recruitment Rules,  amendment of Odisha legal meteorology service rules, amendment of Odisha Judicial Service Rules, Odisha district and Sub-Ordinate Courts’ non-judicial staff services and Group-D employees rules were also approved in the Cabinet meeting.

Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Angu Garg was also present at the press briefing.