Bhubaneswar: The Assembly Saturday passed six bills including the Odisha Lokayukta Amendment Bill on the last day of the session. The amendment was made to the Odisha Lokayukta Act, 2014 to allow re-appointment of the chairperson and members of the panel.
Now, after completion of the tenure, the chairperson and members of the Odisha Lokayukta can get re-appointed in any other state. In the original Act, the government has restricted re-appointment of the chairperson and members across the country.
Similarly, the House passed a Bill to amend Odisha Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005 to allow the state government to raise the level of fiscal deficit by another 2 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
As per the amendment, additional 2 per cent fiscal deficit includes unconditional borrowing of 0.5 per cent of GSDP and another 0.5 per cent bonus for completion of at least three of state-specific reforms.
The balance 1 per cent depends on the implementation of four sectoral reforms, each carrying weightage of 0.25 per cent. The decision would give an additional leeway to the state government to go for higher borrowing for meeting its rising capital needs, sources said.
Similarly, amendment of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) Act was also passed in the House to ensure its smooth functioning and achieve academic excellence.
As per the amendment, term of office of the vice-chancellor of BPUT has been fixed for four years instead of the current five years. Also, designation of professor, reader and lecturer will be re-designated as professor, associate professor and assistant professor in line with all-India pattern.
An OAS officer, not below the rank of joint secretary, will now be appointed as registrar of BPUT to ensure better and efficient management of the university. Similarly, an Odisha Finance Service officer will be appointed as finance officer of BPUT. The move is seen as an attempt by the state government to have control in day-to-day university affairs.
Annual report of the university will be tabled in the Assembly while the vice-chancellor has been authorised to constitute selection committee for recruitment of teaching and non-teaching posts.
Other Bills passed in the Assembly include Xavier University Odisha (Amendment) Bill, Odisha Advocates’ Welfare Fund (Amendment) Bill and Societies Registration (Odisha Amendment) Bill. All the five bills were passed without any participation of the Opposition BJP and Congress.