Odisha Cabinet’s Big Decision For Unbanked Gram Panchayats; NUA Scheme & Other Proposals

Bhubaneswar: Nutana Unnata Abhilasha (NUA) scheme with an outlay of Rs 385 crore, which is aimed at training one lakh youths every year during next 3 years, was among the 19 proposals approved by the Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday.

The scheme will be implemented in all the 30 districts and skilling, reskilling and up-skilling opportunities will be provided through skilling institutions of the SD & TE Department (ITI, Polytechnic), government skilling institutions, educational institutions and clusters (MSME, agriculture, craft). While addressing scarcity of skilled human resources in emerging trades, it will help to bridge the skill-gap in utilization of new-age technologies in traditional sectors like handicraft, handloom and agriculture.

“The establishment of state-of-the-art training centres, well-equipped labs, and a strong skilling ecosystem will further facilitate strengthening the Skilled-in-Odisha brand. As envisaged in the Budget 2023-24, NUA Odisha reflects the commitment of the government to ensure transformation of human lives through skilling leading to economic empowerment,” an official release said.

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The Cabinet also gave the go-ahead to the scheme to open ‘CSP Plus’ banking outlet in coordination with six public sector banks – State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda & Bank of India – in 4373 unbanked Gram Panchayats of the state with budgetary support of around Rs 500 crore to ensure timely direct benefit transfer.

The scheme will be implemented in a phased manner to cover all 4373 unbanked GPs within the current financial year 2023-24. The state government will provide rent-free banking space for 5 years. Additionally, it will also bear onetime expenses for fixed cost & recurring expenses for a period of three years, it said.

This assume significance since banking penetration in the state is quite low. 65% of 6798 GPs don’t have brick & mortar branches.

An additional budget of Rs. 2687.4587 crore was approved for a special programme for developing and creating awareness for millets.

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To mitigate the drinking water problem, the Cabinet also approved the lowest tender of The Indian Hume Pipe Co Ltd Mumbai, amounting to Rs 639,16,28,812, for execution of 4 Mega Piped Water Supply Projects, which will be completed within a period of 24 months and benefit around 4,60,612 people of 498 villages under 92 GPs of seven blocks of Puri district, the release added.

THE OTHER DECISIONS

Odisha Subordinate Fisheries Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Amendment Rules, 2023

The proposed amendment intends to exclude viva voce/interview and to fix certain percentage – 50% for Diploma in Agro Polytechnic in Fisheries Science, 25% for Plus II Vocational (Fisheries) and 25% for Plus II Science, which will improve competitiveness in the process of recruitment of Junior Fisheries Technical Assistant, Group-C conducted by the Odisha Staff Selection Commission.

Odisha Public Private Partnership (PPP) Policy 2023

Formulated by Directorate of PPP, Finance Department, it will further accelerating the growth of PPPs in the state. The policy aims for an optimum balance between private sector risk and rewards. The fundamental benefit of the policy is to provide value for money to the state, resulting in better and affordable services in the long term.

Odisha Sub-ordinate Staff Selection Commission (Preservation and Destruction of Records) Rules, 2023.

This will help create more space for the examination papers and other related documents for ensuing examinations conducted by Odisha Sub-ordinate Staff Selection Commission.

Amendment to Odisha Sub-ordinate Staff Selection Commission (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service of the Chairman and Members) Rules, 2012.

The amendment will enable enhancement of upper age limit from 62 years to 65 years, increase in pay, no additional pension, maximum gratuity limited to Rs 20 lakh considering both services rendered in the Commission and previous services, subscription of GPF or CPF till the age of superannuation in the previous service and LTC as admissible to All India Service Officers for the Chairman and Members of Odisha Sub-ordinate Staff Selection Commission.

Amendment to Odisha Government Rules of Business

Two new subjects — Energy Transition and Green Hydrogen — have been allocated to Energy Department to coordinate the efforts of various Ddpartments for adoption of renewable energy and use of green hydrogen.

Amendment to Odisha Public Service Commission (Conditions of Service) Regulations, 1952.

The amendment will enable increase in pay, no additional pension, limiting the gratuity maximum up to Rs 20 lakh considering both the services rendered in the Commission and previous services, contribution to NPS, subscription to GPF/CPF till attaining the age of superannuation in the previous service for the Chairman and Members of OPSC.

Restructuring of Odisha Industries Service (OIS), Industries Promotion Officer (IPO) and Industrial Supervisor (IS) cadres of MSME Department

No recruitmen will be done in IPO and IS cadres, which are proposed to be declared as dying cadres. The incumbent IPOs and ISs will, however, continue to get all service benefits as per existing rules.

The post of Assistant Industries Officer of Group-B is proposed to be the entry level post of OIS cadre, which will be filled up partly by direct recruitment and partly by selection from eligible IPOs and ISs. Degree in any engineering discipline will be the minimum qualification required for the direct recruitment to this post. The total sanctioned strength of OIS cadre has also been enhanced from 108 to 553 by creating 445 new posts in all ranks from Level 10 to 15 of scale of pay.

Amendment to Odisha Government Land Settlement (OGLS) Rules, 1983

The amendment will simplify the manner of settlement of Khasmahal, Nazul, Gramakantha Paramboke and Abadi categories of lands with persons in lawful occupation of such lands and also to make provision for conversion of lease hold land of Odisha State Housing Board and Development Authorities into free hold as well as settlement of government land directly on free hold basis in their favour for development of housing or residential projects. The amended provisions will be implemented after publication of the OGLS (Amendment) Rules 2023 in the official Gazette.

The Cabinet also approved construction of distribution system for 3745 hectre of cultivable command area of Kusumi Smart Irrigation Project over Kusumi river at Sunalati Krushnaprasad in Nayagarh block through underground pipeline irrigation system in Engineering, Procurement and Construction ( EPC ) mode.

The proposal to write off arrear tax cases between Rs 5001 to Rs 25,000 in each case relating to the OST Act, OAST Act, CST Act, Odisha Entertainment Tax Act and OVAT Act except for petrol, diesel, ATF, natural gas, petroleum crude oil and liquor for human consumption, also go the go-ahead.

“There are 59,243 arrear tax cases with revenue implication of Rs.8156.72 crore. Among these, 27,546 arrear tax cases are between Rs 5001.00 to Rs 25,000.00, totalling to Rs.32,73,97,876.00. If considered to be written off, it will reduce 46% of arrear cases with a sacrifice of arrear revenue of 0.4%,” the release said.

Arrear tax revenue under the Odisha Entry Tax Act and the Odisha State Tax on Profession, Trade and Calling and Employment Act, 2000 will not be written off, it added.