Odisha: Rs 10,759-Cr Lift Irrigation Project Gets Cabinet Approval; Other Major Decisions Here

Bhubaneswar: As many as 24 decisions were taken pertaining to different departments at the state Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday.

The important decisions included construction of Parbati Giri mega lift irrigation project with an outlay of Rs 10,759.20 crore for creating additional irrigation potential of 2,63,801 hectare to provide irrigation to kharif crop.

The proposal for construction of 12 mega pipe water supply schemes in Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Balasore, Gajpati, Kandhamal and Koraput with around Rs 1800 crore was also approved at the meeting.

The Cabinet took the decision to formulate the Odisha Artisan Grade Stone Policy 2021 to help the artisans get grade stone. The policy will ensure demand-supply estimation, identification of stone sources, extraction and supply of stone to artisan users of different categories.

Besides, the Cabinet approved a proposal to amend the Industrial Policy Resolution 2015 by addition of a section to provide special incentives to the New Age Mega Industries.

The proposal for job reservation for para-athletes that was approved provides more avenues of employment in the Group-A, Group-B and Group-C levels of the departments and PSUs by relaxing the conditions in the recruitment rules.

Following are other major proposals approved by the Cabinet:

• Bid of Larsen & Toubro Ltd amounting to Rs 235.08 crore for construction of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science & Research, Trauma care and Surgery complex with Casualty at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar.
• State government guarantee to the Aska Cooperative Sugar Industries Ltd (ACSI) who availed cash credit loan of Rs 15 crore from the Aska Cooperative Central Bank to meet the payment of cane dues to the sugarcane growers in time for the crushing season 2018-19.
• Road projects under Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana under which 350 roads to be upgraded and 37 new road projects to be executed in Left Wing Extremism affected areas. Scheme to be implemented with an outlay of ₹2000 crore over 3 years.
• As many as 550 new projects to be taken up under the Biju Setu Yojana in addition to 396 ongoing projects. The scheme will be implemented with an outlay of ₹5182 crore.