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Bhubaneswar, April 28: A Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patniak Tuesday decided to appoint outstanding athletes as deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in the state police department.
The Cabinet has cleared decks to make direct DSP posting to gold medal winners in Olympic and Commonwealth Games. Earlier, the state government had decided to appoint meritorious sportspersons as sub-inspectors in the police department.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal to sanction three acre free government land to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in Sambalpur to set up a doppler radar unit.
The state will also provide 1.6acre land for construction of office building and staff quarters for Income Tax Apppellate Tribunal at Cuttack.
A proposal of Revenue and Disaster Management department for enactment of a special legislation providing acquisition right to land users for laying underground pipelines, cables and duct for lifting water, sewage, industrial waste and transmission of electricity from one locality to another was approved by the council of ministers.
Proposals to amend Orissa government servants conduct rules, Orissa Public Service Commission (OPSC) method of appointment (instruction 14) under Orissa Government Rules of Business and appointment issued by Bhabaghrahi Mishra as member of OPSC also received cabinet nod.
The state government approved a report of three commissions of inquiry including the report by Justice Shuvansu Kumar Mohanty which went into the death of two engineering students in Bolangir (2009).
School grants scrapped
In a significant move, the state Cabinet decided to scrap grant-in-aid to private high schools set up after March 2013. “The cabinet has decided to provide grant-in-aid to all eligible schools set up before March 31, 2013. However, schools set up after the date would not receive any aid from the state government,” Chief Secretary GC Pati told reporters after attending the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Pati further said if required the state government will set up its own school in specific areas and appoint teachers to ensure proper education for the children in rural areas.
Pati informed the media that the state cabinet has approved a proposal to bring in amendments to Orissa Education Act 1969. As per the proposal, the student- teacher ratio in scheduled area will be 20:1 against the existing 25:1 and in non-scheduled areas it will be 30:1 against the existing 40:1.
Social security dept
The state government has decided to create a ‘Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disability’ “with a view to giving focused attention to welfare and social security of vulnerable sections of the society such as persons with disability, senior citizens and transgenders,” said Chief Secretary GC Pati after the meeting. Pati said the department will be created after bifurcating Women and Child Development department.
Plan for Nabakalebara
The Cabinet also approved a proposal for setting up of 15 community toilet complexes in Puri for the ensuing Nabakalebara festival. As per the decision, Sulabh International Social Service Organization (SISSO) will be roped in for the purpose, said the chief secretary. Besides, the Cabinet has also decided for renovation of the existing community toilet complexes in the city.
The toilet complexes will be designed, constructed, operated and maintained by SISSO. The chief secretary also said OPGC and other public and private entities will be asked to construct such toilets as part of their CSR activity.
Relief to investors
In a major relief to small investors cheated by multi-crore ponzi scam, the cabinet approved an amendment to the Orissa Protection of Interests of Depositors (In financial Establishments) Act – 2011 to protect small depositors and persons whose deposit amount is less than Rs 10000 will be considered small investors and will be accorded priority in refunding money from the chit fund companies.
“In order to remove various practical difficulties being faced in implementation of the Act the cabinet has approved certain amendments to it to give more teeth to it,” said Pati.
As per the cabinet decision Section 7 of this Act has been proposed to be deleted.
“This will remove the inconsistency between the ‘stringent penal provision’ under section-6 and the ‘provision for compounding’ in section-7 of the Act,” the chief secretary said, adding, “This will make the Act one of the strongest legal deterrents in the country against unauthorised collection of public deposits.” Altogether the cabinet approved 21 proposals in the day.
