Odisha Govt To Reward Officials For Extensive Use Of Odia Language

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to amend the Odisha Official Language Rules, 2016, with a provision to reward the officials as well as the departments for extensive use of Odia as the official language in the state.

“In case of any substantial and persistent dereliction in the use of Odia as the official language for official purposes, action as deemed fit under the Odisha Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1962, will be initiated against the erring officials. In case of officials of All India Services and Central Services working under the State Government, action will be initiated under the provisions of relevant disciplinary Rules following the laid down procedure,” chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi told mediapersons after the meeting which was presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here in the evening.

For effective implementation of the use of Odia as the official language, appropriate training will be imparted to the employees for their capacity-building, he added.

The Odisha Official Language (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed in the 13^th session of the 15^th Assembly and enacted in the 69^th year of the Republic of India.

The other proposals that got the cabinet’s nod are as follows:

— Framing of the Odisha Civil Supplies Service (Recruitment and Condition of Service)  Rules, 2019 to create two new grades— Additional Civil Supplies Officer (between Assistant Civil Supplies Officer and Civil Supplies Officer and Chief Civil Supplies Officer (between Civil Supplies Officer and Joint Director) and one additional post of Civil Supplies Officer in lieu of abolition of 51 posts  of Inspector of Supplies and 25 posts of Assistant Civil Supplies Officer, enhance pay level of joint director and  additional director to next higher level.  This will enable smooth management and functioning of the Odisha Civil Supplies cadre.

—Amendment of rule  4(2), 9(1), 10(1), 10(7), 13(3) and 22 (5)  of the Odisha  Fire Prevention and Fire Safety  Rules,  2017 in view of the public interest.

— Restructuring the Odisha Elementary Education Service Cadre to give more promotional opportunities to the teachers and headmasters working in Elementary Education Service. For implementing this restructure, approximately, an additional amount of Rs 454 crore per annum will be spent from the state exchequer.

—Construction of a 3-lane high-level bridge (1.932 km) over River Brahmani on Goradia-Kaluria ghat road near Joranda in Dhenkanal district through EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract to connect Kamakhyanagar sub-division headquarters to the religious places like Mahima Gadi at Joranda, Chandrasekhar Jew Shiva temple at Kapilash as well as the district headquarters. The construction of the bridge assigned to S.P. Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd will be completed in 30 months.

—Widening and strengthening of Tomka-Mangalpur road to 4-lane without paved shoulder from 19 km  to 28.5 km and from 35 km to 43 km in Jajpur district through EPC contract under the DMF fund to provide direct link from the mineral belt of Kaniha and Sukinda area to industrial areas like Kalinga Nagar at Duburi and also the major ports like Paradip and Dhamara. It will also facilitate the high volume of traffic congestion faced during the transportation of minerals and industrial products in this route and result in industrial and economic development of the area. The construction work of the road assigned to the RCL-UMSL (JV) will be completed in 24 months.

—Restructuring of Odisha Diploma Engineers Services Cadre to attract meritorious candidates in Odisha Diploma Engineers Service, avoid stagnation in the promotion, reduce resultant erosion in productivity in the cadre.

—Introduction of the Odisha Education Service (School Branch) (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2019 to reorganize the cadre with well-defined role and responsibilities as per the hierarchical position and framing of proper cadre rule to regulate the entry and growth of career in the service.