BHUBANESWAR: The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal for introduction of the Odisha Regulation of Fishing and Fisheries in Chilika Act, 2017 in next session of the Assembly for regulating the fishery activities in a responsible and sustainable manner and address the rights of the traditional fishermen living in and around the lake.
The Cabinet meeting, presided by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, also gave the green signal to several other proposals including bringing an Ordinance for the establishment of Odisha Higher Education Council and drinking water projects for four urban centres - Rourkela, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Baripada.
Besides, the Cabinet approved the tender for construction of sewerage system for Bhubaneswar sewerage district 1 and Bhubaneswar sewerage district III. Chief Secretary AP Padhi said the Act on regulating fishing activities in Chilika lake will prohibit certain activities which are detrimental to the long-term interest of the stakeholders like fishing in eco-sensitive areas.
The activities to be prohibited include fishing in outer channel, use of zero net, mantle nets and net box having mesh size less than 10 mm, capture of some important species of fishes, prawns and crab below a particular size. Besides, mullet fishing during breeding seasons and aquaculture including pen, cage and gherri culture will also be prohibited, he said.
The Chief Secretary said two contracts for laying sewer network for Bhubaneswar sewerage district I and II as a single package and Bhubaneswar district III as a separate package were awarded to East Coast Construction Industries Limited (ECCI Limited), Chennai in 2007 at `136 crore and `150 crore respectively.
Since the work was not completed beyond the schedule time even after several extensions, both the contracts were rescinded on November 16, 2015 for which the Government has to fight a long legal battle to get relief from the High Court.
Fresh tender proposals were placed before the cabinet after getting leave of the High Court, he said.
He said the work for sewerage district I has been awarded to Iron Triangle Limited, Rajkot and Laxmi Construction, Ahmedabad at a cost of `206.71 crore while the contract for sewerage district III has been awarded to Tata Projects Limited, Secunderabad and SSG Infratech Private Limited, New Delhi at a cost of `345.37 crore.
The projects are targeted to be completed within a period of three years with defect liability period of two years and operation and maintenance period of five years, he said.
Besides, proposal to reduce value added tax (VAT) on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to one per cent from five per cent under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS)-UDAN at RCS airports and for RCS flights from other airports located within the State for 10 years was approved.
Major approvals
The activities to be prohibited in Chilika include fishing in outer channel, use of zero net, mantle nets and net box having mesh size less than 10 mm, capture of some important species of fishes, prawns and crab below a particular size
Ordinance for establishment of Odisha Higher Education Council and drinking water projects for four urban centres - Rourkela, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Baripada
Contracts for laying sewer network for Bhubaneswar sewerage district I, II and III
VAT on aviation turbine fuel reduced to one per cent from five per cent under the regional connectivity scheme at airports for 10 years