Bhubaneswar: Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved 15 proposals across 10 departments during its 28th meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar Friday.
The decisions, aimed at regulatory ease, irrigation development, sanitation, and public welfare, mark a significant step in the state’s governance reform agenda. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja briefed the press following the meeting.
Industries Department: Jan Vishwas Ordinance for decriminalisation
The Cabinet approved the Odisha Jan Vishwas Ordinance, 2025, which seeks to amend 16 state laws by replacing criminal penalties for minor violations with civil fines. The move, aligned with the Centre’s Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, reflects a shift to trust-based governance and reduces the legal burden on citizens and businesses. Offenses under acts such as the Odisha Municipal Act, Shops and Establishments Act, VAT Act, and Co-operative Societies Act will now attract graded penalties rather than imprisonment.
Finance Department: Flexible training rules for OTAS officers
In a step toward modernising service training, the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Odisha Taxation and Accounts Service Rules, allowing the government to prescribe flexible training durations for new recruits and promotees. This replaces earlier rigid durations and accommodates evolving training needs, especially with growing digital modes of instruction.
Labour and ESI: New recruitment rules for lab technicians
The government approved a new cadre rule — the Odisha Employees’ State Insurance Scheme Laboratory Technician Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2025. The rules will standardise recruitment, promotion, and service conditions for lab technicians in ESI hospitals, ensuring better workforce management and service delivery.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare: Paddy procurement policy for 2025–26
The Food and Procurement Policy for Kharif Marketing Season 2025–26 was approved, targeting procurement of 93 LMT of paddy (63 LMT rice). Farmers registered via e-KYC will be informed through SMS about procurement dates. Payments will be made within 24–48 hours, with priority given to small and marginal farmers. Strict action will be taken against defaulting millers from previous seasons.
Housing and Urban Development: Rs 1,600-crore Swachha Odisha scheme launched
A new urban sanitation scheme, Swachha Odisha, with an outlay of Rs 1,600 crore over five years, was approved to support waste management in Urban Local Bodies. The scheme will bridge funding gaps and strengthen the urban sanitation system, complementing national programs such as Swachh Bharat.
Water Resources: Major boost for irrigation and river projects
The Cabinet extended the In-Stream Storage Structures (ISS-2.0) scheme with an outlay of Rs 19,941 crore for 2025–30. It also approved a new Intra-State River Linking Scheme worth Rs 1,790 crore to connect water-surplus and deficit regions. The Nabakrushna Choudhury Secha Unnayan Yojana will continue with Rs 1,437 crore to restore irrigation across more than 1.2 lakh hectares. Additionally, a Mega Lift Irrigation Cluster in Sambalpur worth Rs 211.87 crore was cleared, using Hirakud water to irrigate 8,507 hectares.
Labour and Employment: Factory and shop act ordinances approved
To promote ease of doing business, the Cabinet cleared two key ordinances — amendments to the Factories Act and the Shops and Commercial Establishments Act. The new rules allow factories to operate with extended hours (10 hours a day, 48 hours a week), women’s night shifts with consent, and flexible spread-over. Shops with fewer than 20 employees are exempt from the Act, though all must display Odia signboards. Overtime limits have been raised, and 24×7 operations are now permitted with safeguards.
Health and Family Welfare: New birth and death registration rules
To align with central laws, the Cabinet approved the framing of new rules under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, ensuring digital issuance of certificates, standardised registration of stillbirths, and updated records for better planning and governance.
School and Mass Education: Textbook paper procurement cleared
For the 2026–27 academic year, the Cabinet approved procurement of 18,500 MT of maplitho paper and 1,300 MT of glossy art paper worth Rs 163 crore (excluding GST). The supply will support timely printing of free textbooks for schoolchildren and must be completed by March 31, 2026.
Law Department: Judicial staff service rules amended
The Cabinet approved amendments to the Odisha District and Civil Courts Judicial Staff Services Rules, 2008, making them more inclusive for eligible candidates, including those previously debarred, and opening wider opportunities for experienced personnel.
PNN
