Sharmili Mallick

The Odisha Cabinet on Friday cleared as many as nine proposals, including grant-in-aid under 7th Pay Commission to eligible teaching and non-teaching employees of new-aided non-government schools and land rights to slum dwellers in five municipal corporations of the State.

The Cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik via video conferencing accorded approval to provide grant-in-aid under 7th Pay Commission to eligible teaching & non-teaching staff of new aided non-government High Schools, upper primary schools, Madrasas, informed the Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra.

Around 26,164 employees of the non-government aided schools and Madrasas will receive the benefits of grant-in-aid with effect from January 1, 2022.

In another big decision, the State Cabinet approved Jaga Mission for slum dwellers in five municipal corporations, including Berhampur, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Sambalpur.

Under the Jaga Mission, the State government will provide land to slum dwellers residing in the five municipal corporations.

“Under the Jaga Mission scheme, the State Government will provide land to slum dwellers under the jurisdiction of five civic bodies. As many as 1.90 lakh families in 938 slums across the five municipal corporation areas will be benefitted under the scheme. The land distribution process will be completed within six months,” informed Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Minister Pratap Jena.

“Under the Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act, 2017 and Jaga Mission, land were provided to people residing in 109 urban local bodies, municipality and NACs across the State which have benefitted around 1.75 lakh families till date,” added Jena.

The State Cabinet also okayed the proposal of the Higher Education Department for the amendment of the recruitment and conditions of service of Laboratory Assistant-cum-Storekeeper, Librarian, and Physical Education Teacher of Government Colleges.

As per the amendment, the Laboratory Assistant-cum-Storekeeper, Librarian, and Physical Education Teacher of Government Colleges will no more be recruited through the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). Instead, they will be selected through the Selection Board of the Higher Education Department.

The proposal for the restructuring of the Engineering cadre of the Rural Development Department was also cleared by today. 

The State Government has decided to create a new Rural Works Circle in Rayagada and three new RW Divisions in Udala, Bansapal and Bonai. Similarly, eight more Quality Control Divisions are being created to strengthen the monitoring and supervision.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal for the amendment to the Odisha Gram Panchayat Act, Panchayat Samiti Act, and Zilla Parishad Act which aims at inserting provision of filing affidavit by the contesting candidates and provision of disaster management in the three Acts.

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