Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today approved as many as 12 proposals including the report of the Fitment Committee for Revision of pay scales of teachers in colleges and universities who are in receipt of the UGC Scale.

The move will benefit around 5203 teachers working in different State Universities, Government Colleges and Non-Government Aided Colleges across the State, said Chief Secretary AP Padhi after the Cabinet meeting at State Secretariat here this evening.

Besides, the State Cabinet also approved the proposal for enhancement of corpus of Odisha Contingency Fund through an Ordinance amending the Odisha Contingency Fund Act 1967 (Odisha Act 18 of 1967). The corpus fund has been raised from Rs 400 crore to Rs 1600 crore. The fund will be spent for the Krushak Assistant for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) Scheme, which is aiming to cover 92 per cent of cultivators in the State.

The Cabinet has decided for sanction of alienation of Government land measuring Ac.2.045 dec. in mouza-Tangi under Tangi Tehsil in favour of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India on a token premium of Rs.1/- for construction of developing training and residential facilities for students of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. The land value, incidental charges and capitalized value amounting to Rs.1,27,96,865 is decided to be waived.

The Cabinet also decided to allot 0.6 acres of land at Banki Muhana to noted Sudarsan Pattnaik to set up Sand Art Park.

The Cabinet also approved the appointment of Dr. (Ms.) Namita Mohanty and Puma Chandra Pathy as members in Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).

The Cabinet has proposed to introduce the Odisha Subordinate Forest Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service of Foresters) Rules, 2018 by repealing the Odisha Subordinate Forest Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service of Foresters) Rules, 1998 to attract meritorious and physically fit candidates for engagement as Forester.

The State Cabinet also gave its go-ahead to conduct examination to recruit Forester by the Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission with the aim to maintain openness and transparency in the process.