Odisha Govt’s New Year Gift: Land To Slum-Dwellers, Pay Hike For School, College Teachers; Check Key Cabinet Decisions

Bhubaneswar: In a major decision, the Odisha Cabinet on Friday gave its nod to provide land to 1.9 lakh families in 938 slums across five major municipal corporations in the state.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, okayed nine key proposals related to the School and Mass Education, Higher Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Panchyati Raj and Drinking Water departments.

In another major move, the Cabinet also gave its nod to implement the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations for teachers. To be implemented with retrospective effect from January 1, 2018, the decision will benefit over 26,000 teachers under the School and Mass Education Department and over 16,000 teachers under the Higher Education Department.

Besides, the Cabinet okayed a proposal to set up rural works offices in each of the 314 blocks in the state under the Rural Development Department to expedite implementation of roads, buildings, bridges and other construction works.

After the meeting, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said that the Cabinet decided to extend grant-in-aid to eligible employees of newly aided high schools, upper primary schools, Sanskrit Tols, madrasas and non-government colleges, including erstwhile junior colleges.

The eligible employees in these institutions would get the actual revised grant from January 1, 2022, as per Odisha’s revised pay scale rules 2017. The state government would bear the additional financial burden of around Rs 292 crore per year towards this enhanced grant-in-aid, he said.

The Cabinet also cleared the amendment for college laboratory assistant-cum-storekeeper, librarian and PET recruitment services rules.

Other important resolutions included proposals for amendment of the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act for assigning land rights for development and upgradation of slums; amendment to Odisha Gram Panchayat Act, Panchayat Samiti Act and Zilla Parishad Act. Disaster management was included in the activities list of panchayati raj bodies.

It was resolved to set up one rural works circle in Rayagada, and three rural works divisions in Udala, Banei and Banspal, respectively.