Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, approved nine major proposals Friday.
A source said that the state Cabinet fixed the pay of eligible teaching and non-teaching staff of newly-aided non-government high schools, upper primary (UP) schools and madrasas, as per the Odisha (Revised) Scale of Pay Rules, 2017 and the 7th Pay Commission recommendations.
The new pay scales, as fixed, shall have retrospective effects from January 1, 2018. The staff will receive the grant-in-aid based on 7th Pay Commission recommendations from January 1, 2022. This decision will benefit more than 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staffs of the schools and madrasas.
Likewise, grant-in-aid of teaching and non-teaching staff of aided non-government colleges in Odisha has been stepped up as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. The new pay scales shall have retrospective effects from January 1, 2018. The staff will receive the grant-in-aid from January 1, 2022, which will benefit 15,664 teaching and non-teaching staff of the colleges.
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The state exchequer will bear an additional cost of Rs 126 crore per annum towards grant-in-aid for schools and Rs 166 crore per annum for colleges, the official added.
Besides, the Cabinet approved an amendment to three recruitment rules of the Higher Education Department meant for laboratory assistant-cum-storekeeper, librarian and PET positions of state government-run colleges. They staff were earlier being recruited through Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC). As per the new proposal, they will be recruited through the selection board of the department.
Moreover, an amendment of the Municipal Corporation Act proposed to provide land rights in slum areas was also approved. Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB) and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) have done various housing projects on land provided by the Revenue and General Administration Departments.
Cabinet decided that payment regarding premium for the housing projects will be made as per the premium applicable on the day the properties were handed over by Revenue and General Administration Departments to OSHB and BDA. The penal interest of Rs 14.71 crore was waived off.
A proposal to amend the Odisha Gram Panchayat Act, 1964, Odisha Panchayat Samiti Act, 1959 and Odisha Zilla Parishad Act, 1991 was also approved by the Cabinet.
After getting the Cabinet approval, action can now be taken against candidates who provide false information in their affidavits while contesting for posts in Panchayati Raj institutions.
Disaster management was included in the activities of Panchayati Raj institutions, keeping in mind that Odisha is prone to natural disasters.
In addition, a proposal for restructuring of the Engineering cadre of Rural Development Department was approved. A new Rural Works Circle (RWC) will be set up in Rayagada soon.
Three new Rural Works divisions will be constituted at Udala area of Mayurbhanj, Banspal area of Keonjhar and Bonai area of Sundargarh.
Further, the state Cabinet decided to set up eight new quality control divisions under Rural Works Department in different districts. Rural Works sub-divisions will also be set up in all 314 block headquarters with two section offices operating under each of them. Various posts under the department were increased from 1,447 to 1,633.
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