Bhubaneswar: The State Cabinet cleared 17 proposals at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here on Wednesday.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said the Cabinet approval a proposal for amendment of the Odisha Shops & Commercial Establishments Act, 1956. Under the new amendment, provision of display of signboard in Odia language prominently by the employers of all shops and commercial establishments of the state for better convenience of general public will be strictly enforced. Besides, penal provisions of the existing Act are proposed to be enhanced for effective implementation of the Act in the field. A separate web portal is being created for monitoring display of such signboards in Odia language by the employers of shops and commercial establishments of Odisha, Padhi said.
He said the state government had rolled out the Odisha State Youth Policy during 2013. Subsequent to this, flagship programmes like ‘Active Citizenship Programme’ under ‘Biju Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojna’ was rolled out in the state, which saw coverage of around six lakh students in nearly 3000 colleges of the state. To scale up this programme a new sub-scheme of ‘Biju Yuva Vahini’ has been designed under the ‘Biju Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojna’. The prime objective of creating ‘Biju Yuva Vahinis’ will be to channelize the immense youth energy of the state towards nation-building activities. Youth in the age group of 15 to 35 can be an applicant to join the ‘Biju Yuva Vahini’. The total membership in one “Biju Yuva Vahini” should ideally range around 25 members.
The Chief Secretary said the Cabinet also cleared a proposal of the Food Supply and Consumer Welfare department for streamlining public distribution system (PDS). Henceforth, bimonthly allocation will be made. The forthcoming bimonthly allocation order (April-May) will be released by March 5. The entire TPDS transformation process in the state is in a phase of transition as electronic Point of Sale (PoS) device based transaction at Fair Price Shop (FPS) level is ongoing. Huge sum of money and man-hours for training of existing FPS dealers (both Private and Institution) has been invested.
“The present amendment for extending the timeline, from two years to three years for continuation of private dealers is necessary for smooth functioning of PDS as a whole,” he added.
The cabinet also approved amendment of the Odisha Official Language Act, 1954 providing penalties for the officers and employees who do not use Odia language in all official noting.
It also cleared the proposal to frame the Odisha Civil Defence Group A and Group B Officers (Method of Recruitment and Condition of Service) Rules, 2018 have been framed to regulate the service condition of the officers including their recruitment and promotions.
As per recommendation of Commission of Inquiry on Unauthorized Collection of Public Deposits, an Indemnity Bond duly stamped is to be obtained from the small investors for receiving of the amount from the concerned authority. The purchase of stamps for indemnity shall pose difficulties to the small depositors. Taking this into consideration, the Cabinet decided to remit the stamp duty in full for this purpose, a small depositor can submit the Indemnity Bond in plain paper in a hassle-free manner without payment of any price towards stamp duty, the Chief Secretary informed.
He also said Cabinet approved a proposal of the Works department for construction of a high level bridge over river Mahanadi at Gopinathpur connecting to Singhanathpitha and Baideswar in Cuttack district through EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contract under NABARD assistance.
The proposed bridge over river Mahanadi shall connect Baideswar, Kantilo, Banki, Khurda, Nayagarh with Badamba, Narasinghpur, Hindol, Angul and Western Odisha. The Cabinet approved the lowest EPC tender of M/s SP Singla Construction Pvt Ltd, Super Class Contractor amounting to Rs 110.47 crore for execution of the above work. The work is targeted for completion within a period of three years.
The Cabinet approved the Universal Eye Health Programme which was announced by the Chief Minister on October 12, 2017 to provide universal access to comprehensive eye care services from primary to tertiary level for the people of Odisha.
This apart, the Cabinet also approved a new scheme “Strengthening of Ancillary Services in Public Health facilities” with an estimated budget of Rs 550.24 crore proposed for the period of five years covering 1814 health institutions across the state.
In view of the goals of universal health coverage and in order to reduce the out of pocket expenditure towards Diagnostic & Dialysis services at Public Health Facilities, Free Diagnostic Services “Nidaan” & Free Dialysis Services ‘Sahay’ has been announced by the Chief Minister on December 19, 2017, was approved by the Cabinet.
The identified diagnostic and dialysis services being presently run by the government through its own system will be provided free of cost to all patients from January 1 this year.
Subsequently, these will be augmented with additional diagnostics services to be provided free of cost in selected public health facilities, in PPP mode by March this year. The total estimated cost for provision of free Diagnostic & Dialysis services for all types of patients receiving services at public health facilities would be around Rs 596.28 crore ( Rs 552.35 crore for diagnostic and Rs 43.93 crore for dialysis) for a period of 5 years.
The Cabinet also approved the proposal for insertion of “Odia Virtual Academy” under the “State subjects”, in Serial XXXI relating to Electronics and Information Technology Department, in the First Schedule to the Odisha Government Rules of Business.
The other proposals cleared by the Cabinet are utilisation of funds of Rs 345 crore towards universal coverage of piped water supply out of Rs 375 crore earmarked for ‘User end Metering’ under 4th State Finance Commission Grant; renaming of Orissa Rural Drinking Water Programme (in the year 2014-15 for universal access of drinking water to all rural people) as BASUDHA during 2017-18; absorption of Gram Panchayat Technical Assistants (GPTAs) working under MGNREGS as Junior Engineers in the Odisha Diploma Engineers’ Service of Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department; enhancement of daily sitting allowance of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Members of Council of Ministers from Rs 150 to Rs 800 with effect from January 1, 2017 for attending the Assembly Session or Committee thereof.
