The new courses and seat hikes have been approved for three of the oldest institutions of the state, Vikram Deb Autonomous College (oldest in the state established before Independence) in Jeypore, Government Autonomous College in Rourkela and Samanta Chandra Sekhara (SCS) Autonomous College in Puri.
The meeting also discussed on developing infrastructure of the state varsities and streamlining the teaching and non-teaching faculty in all colleges.
“Along with the introduction of new PG courses in Vikram Deb College, the number of seats in Odia, English and Sociology departments at post-graduate level has been increased to 32, while number of seats in Physics and Zoology has been increased to 16,” informed Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Congress chief whip and member of Standing Committee.
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In Rourkela Government College, the departments which will start M.Phil course from the ensuing academic session are Odia, English and Botany with 8 seats approved for each of the three departments.
Similarly, in SCS College, the number of PG seats in Economics, Education and Chemistry department has been increased to 16, while introduction of Odia, English and History departments at M-Phil level has been approved with 8 seats each.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the Inter-State Council meet. Chief ministers of seven states, including Odisha, will be joining the meeting.
The meeting of the council is set to discuss the role of Governors, centre-sponsored schemes and financial transfers from the Centre to states, a unified agricultural market for the country and other issues concerning Centre-State relations.
Steps to make Inter-State Council more effective and measures directed towards better Centre-State fiscal management will also be taken up in the meeting.
"I realise that the Bargarh farmer's death is a fit case for investigation as raised by the Leader of Opposition and opposition members in the Assembly. Agriculture department comes under the purview of the Standing Committee-II," Pujari said in his ruling.
Stating that 12 members of the Standing Committee-II comprised MLAs from all parties, Pujari said "I hope the Committee impartially probe into the death of the farmer."
The Standing Committee-II is headed by senior BJD member Pramila Mallick and has three Congress MLAs and a BJP MLA as members. BJP state president Basant Kumar Panda is the lone member from the party in the Committee.
Pujari also said the Committee, after a detailed investigation into the matter, would submit its report in the House in the next session of the Assembly.
The Speaker's ruling came after Assembly proceedings were disrupted for six days with the opposition Congress and BJP members demanding a House Committee probe into the death of Hadu Bagarti and other farmers.
The Congress members also demanded suspension of Bargarh district Collector, who in an earlier report had claimed that Bagarti had committed suicide, but for some other reason which has no link with crop failure or debt burden.
The Congress had also served a privilege notice against state Agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy accusing him of misleading the Assembly on the suicide of Hadu Bagarti.
"Action should be taken to punish the minister and the officials responsible for misleading the House and for breach of privilege," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said.
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Maharathy in a statement on March 4 had said the farmer had committed suicide after a dispute with his wife.
Bagarti had consumed pesticide on February 26 and subsequently died at a hospital on February 28. The minister has admitted that the farmer had incurred a loan of Rs 18,818 from the cooperative service society.
The wife of the deceased farmer had, however, denied any quarrel with her husband and claimed Bagarti committed suicide because of crop failure and loan burden.
The panel, which is headed by BJD MLA Subrat Tarai, sought more IMFL-off shops to generate more revenue and to check illegal trafficking of spurious liquor.
Presenting its report in the Assembly on Friday, the panel said the Excise Department generated resources for the state government and stressed on the rationalisation of minimum guaranteed quantity (MGQ) of shops located in rural areas.
"The exclusive privilege holders, who meet the MGQ fixed for the shop and cross it substantially, should be rewarded appropriately," the standing committee said in its recommendation.
It also recommended increase in staff strength, providing more infrastructural support to officers of the department and establishment of more depots of Odisha State Beverages Corporation (OSBC) with appropriate infrastructure to facilitate supply of liquor to retailers.
The panel observed that the department has been meeting its revenue collection target and the Excise revenue has increased from Rs 849 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 3,925 crore in 2018-19.
With rising trend of consumption of different beverages such as India-made foreign liquor (IMFL), beer and country spirit in the state, an Excise revenue target of Rs 4,600 crore has been set for the 2019-20 fiscal.
The state run OSBC's total turnover increased from Rs 735.28 crore during 2007-08 to Rs 4,738.36 crore in 2018-19.
Odisha Mada Mukti Abhijan, a body demanding total prohibition in the state, has condemned the committee's recommendation. "We fail to understand how a trader is to be rewarded for selling more liquor and not a teacher or doctor for their best service to the people. We urge the government not to accept the committee's recommendation," said Prahallad Singh, a leader of the organisation.
Speaking on the issue, member of the standing committee and former Excise Minister, Sura Routray, said,” No such recommendation has been made. Naveen Patnaik government is earning Rs 4500 crore but still they are claiming that they are running out of funds. They are shamelessly declaring that they will award those who sell more liquor. They should rather award farmers, students and industrialists who are doing well.”
Senior BJP leader and former Excise Minister Damodar Rout said, “Naveen Patnaik has made the situation so bad that there is no place in Odisha where there are no drunkards."
However, BJD leader and former Excise Minister Sashi Bhushan Behera said that the recommendation of the Standing Committee has not been accepted.
“If there is any such recommendation to stop the illegal sale of liquor, it is not necessary that it will be accepted in the House. Only after a discussion and approval by all members, it will be accepted,” Behera said.
(With Agency inputs)
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019, which seeks amendments to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, was passed with 278 members voting in favour and eight against.
The Bill got the Lok Sabha's nod minutes after Home Minister Amit Shah put up a strong defence of the government's proposals, arguing that terrorists such as Indian Mujahideen's Yasin Bhatkal, who were under the radar for years, would have been caught much earlier if he had been designated a terrorist.
Concluding the debate, Shah promised that the Modi government would never misuse its provisions.
Congress and several opposition parties staged a walkout after the Minister's reply demanding that the Bill be sent to a Standing Committee.
Shah said the BJP-led government had only brought an amendment to the law which was enacted by the Congress and whose provisions were later made stringent.
Responding to the arguments of other MPs, the Minister said what the Congress governments did "was right and what the BJP-led government is doing is also right".
"The law was enacted in 1967 by a Congress government and amendments made to it in 2004, 2008 and 2013 when Congress was in power. Who made the law stringent? What you did was right, what we we are doing is also right."
He asked opposition members about their concerns over powers of states when the Congress had made changes to the law.
"There is a need for tough laws to end terrorism," Shah said.
Referring to the provisions of the Bill that allow an individual to be designated a terrorist, Shah said a terrorist often floats new organisations if a ban is imposed on an existing one.
Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy on Tuesday moved the Bill for passage in the House mentioning that the government wanted to take strict steps against terrorism for which it had adopted a "zero tolerance" policy.
Under the UAPA Act, the central government may designate a group a terrorist organisation if it commits or participates in acts of terrorism, prepares for terrorism, promotes terrorism or is otherwise involved in terrorism.
The Bill additionally empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists on the same grounds.
As per the Act, an investigating officer is required to obtain the prior approval of the Director General of Police to seize properties that may be connected with terrorism.
The Bill adds that if the investigation is conducted by an officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the approval of the Director General of NIA would be required for seizure of such property.
Under the Act, investigation of cases may be conducted by officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police or above. The Bill additionally empowers the officers of the NIA, of the rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases.
The Act defines terrorist acts to include acts committed within the scope of any of the treaties listed in a schedule to the Act.
The Schedule lists nine treaties including the Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997) and the Convention against Taking of Hostages (1979).
The Bill adds another treaty to the list: the International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005).
As per reports, in 2013-14 the Forest Department had undertaken a plantation drive under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the Padmapur area of Sadar Forest range in the district. A plaque laid by the department after the completion of the project states that 56,000 saplings have been planted under this drive which cost Rs 17.77 lakh to the state exchequer.
The reality however looks quite different. The locals alleged that not even 56 plants were planted, let alone 56,000. Even if those many were planted, they all died due to negligence of the department.
The locals further alleged that the department did not pay heed to repeated complaints over corruption in the plantation project. Dejected by the apathy of forest officials, they then moved the Standing Committee of Odisha Assembly, which after visiting the spot on December 17, found mere 56 saplings planted there.
The members of standing committee reportedly expressed their displeasure after seeing the current status of the project for which lakhs of rupees were spent.
Brundaban Dehury, a local who happens to be an ex-serviceman said, “You can see for yourself. Barring 50-60 plants, there is nothing here. The forest department has made a mockery of forest here.”
The forest department however refused to comment on the allegations.
A senior official told IANS that the Ministry had raised the issue before the Standing Committee in its recent meeting and said it was, however, not known whether the Ministry has got permission for extension.
The Parliament had passed the amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955, in December, 2019, following which the Narendra Modi government notified it in January 2020.
As per the amendment, India will grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Christians, Jains and Buddhists from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan on grounds of religious persecution.
Rules for legislation should be framed within six months of the date of the President's assent or the standing committee on subordinate legislation should be approached for extension of time as per manual on Parliamentary Work.
The CAA, which excludes Muslims, will be applicable to those who entered India before December 2014.
The Home Ministry official said that the additional time has been sought to frame the rules citing the Ministry's busy schedule in other works amid COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown for the last few months.
The committee, however, was informed by the Ministry that the CAA rules will be framed very soon, the official said. "The exact specific time was not mentioned in the meeting."
The manual on Parliamentary Work states that in case the ministries or departments are not able to frame the rules within the prescribed period of six months, "they should seek extension of time from the Committee on Subordinate Legislation stating reasons for such extension" which cannot be more than a period of three months at a time.
The government has claimed that while the rules are being framed, the non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will have to provide proofs of their religious beliefs while applying for citizenship.
The applicants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Parsi faiths will also have to furnish documents to prove that they entered India on or before December 31, 2014, according to officials.
Lok Sabha had passed the CAA legislation on December 9, 2019, and Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019. The amendment was brought in to grant-- for the first time in India-- citizenship based on religion. This triggered massive protests in various parts of the country, including in Assam where opponents alleged the amended Act will violate one of the principal clauses of the Assam Accord of 1985, which was signed after six years of anti-foreigner agitation in that state bordering Bangladesh.
Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution. They also allege that the CAA, along with the National Register of Citizens, is intended to target the Muslim community in India.
(IANS)
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