Bhubaneswar: The state Cabinet Tuesday approved 19 proposals, including floating a tender for a water supply infrastructure project for four western Orissa towns – Baripada, Sambalpur, Rourkela and Jharsuguda at a cost of Rs 318 crore to ensure safe drinking water for over 13.92 lakh people.
The Cabinet also approved two sewerage projects for the capital city involving an estimated expenditure of Rs 551 crore. The meeting approved promulgation of an ordinance to establish a Council for Higher Education in the state.
Other proposals include commencing construction work for a 100-seat and another 500-bed government medical college and hospital in Keonjhar. The medical college and teaching hospital will be set up on a turnkey basis.
After the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi told the media that the per capita water supply in the region will be equal to that of the national service standard of 135 litres per capita per day for people residing in these towns after the completion of the water supply project.
The project, which will benefit 10.5 lakh people, is expected to be completed in three years from the date of commencement. The maintenance and defect liability periods of the project will be five and two years respectively.
Giving details of the sewerage project, Padhi said that the project will be divided into two parts – sewerage districts I and III. The estimated cost of SD I is Rs 206 crore, while the cost of project in SD III is Rs 345 crore.
The project includes a sewerage network of 25km in SD I and 97km in SD III, terminal pumping stations and sub-stations and sewage treatment plants in the two sewerage districts.
These two projects aside, Cabinet also decided to introduce a special Act – the ‘Orissa Regulation of Fishing and Fisheries in Chilika Act, 2017’ – to regulate fishing and fisheries in Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon – Chilika Lake. The government intends to regulate fishing activities in the lake in a responsible and sustainable manner and address the rights of the traditional fishermen living in and around Chilika.
The new Act for Chilika will prohibit certain activities in the lake that are detrimental to the long term interest of the stakeholders, such as fishing in the eco-sensitive zone, use of zero net, mantel nets and net box with mesh size of less than 10mm.
Under the proposed legislation, the Chilika Development Authority will be empowered to undertake certain functions like granting sub-lease within the leasable area of Chilika and take action against people contravening the Act.
Padhi said that the proposed Act will help to protect the sensitive eco-system of the lagoon, which is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds in the Indian sub-continent.
The Cabinet also gave its nod for establishing Orissa State Higher Education Council (OSHEC) to improve the quality education and promote research, in addition to look into funding issue in higher education sector.
State minister for higher education will be the chairperson of the council, while an administrator in the rank of a professor will be its vice-chairperson. The council will comprise 15 members, including vice-chancellors of three universities in the state and principals of two autonomous colleges.
“OSHEC will also work as an advisory body to the state government vis-à-vis higher education,” the chief secretary said.
In a major boost to aviation sector, the Cabinet also approved reducing VAT to 1 per cent on aviation turbine fuel from the existing 5 per cent at the four upcoming airports in the state under the RSC-UDAN Scheme for a period of 10 years.
PNN
