BHUBANESWAR: The state cabinet on Thursday approved three important proposals including framing of rules for recruitment of ex-Agniveers, amendment of Odisha Civil Service (Rehabilitation Assistance) Rules, 2020, and transfer of shares to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) for expansion and development of Gopalpur port.
The rules framed for the recruitment of ex-Agniveers in uniformed services of the state provides three years relaxation in the upper age limit in all Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ posts.
The relaxation will be provided in direct recruitment in uniformed services. The recruitment will be exempted from physical efficiency test.
Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja told mediapersons that there will be 10% horizontal reservation for ex-Agniveers in all Group ‘C” and “D” posts in direct recruitment in the uniform services of the state.
Such reservation will be over and above the reservation applicable for ex-servicemen provided they fulfil the required minimum qualifications prescribed for the posts in the relevant recruitment rules as on the date of award of Agniveer certificate, he added.
The amendment of the OCS(RA) Rules, 2020 has been proposed for consideration of the case of daughters/stepdaughters irrespective of their status of marriage for compassionate appointment subject to conditions that their “dependency” on their parents is proved.”
As per provision of the OCS(RA) Rules, 2020, unmarried daughters and unmarried stepdaughters of deceased government servants are being considered for compassionate appointment. Whereas the case of married daughters/married stepdaughters are not considered.
The cabinet gave the go-ahead for transfer of 95% of equity shares of the Gopalpur Ports Limited (GPL) to APSEZ from Shapoorji Pallonji Port Maintenance Private Limited (SPPMPL) and Odisha Stevedores Limited (OSL). The GPL is now a consortium of SPPMPL and OSL. The revised concession agreement between directorate of ports and inland water transport, commerce and transport department and Gopalpur Ports Limited (GPL) was also approved.
Gopalpur Port, initially managed by the commerce and transport department as a fair-weather lighterage port, operated only during favourable weather conditions. An official statement said recognising its potential for economic development and its impact on the socio-economic life of Odisha’s people, the government decided in 2003 to transform it into an all- weather deep berthing seaport through a public private partnership (PPP) in the Build Own Operate Share Transfer (BOOST) mode. GPL won the bid through a competitive process, it added.
The state government in 2006 awarded a 30-year concession to GPL, with the provision of two extensions of 10 years each. Currently handling 11.43 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) of cargo, GPL shares 7.5 percent of its gross revenue with the state government. The revenue share for 2023-24 was approximately Rs 38 crore. The port employs approximately 4,000 people in direct and indirect employment. The government release stated that the expansion is expected to boost revenue and employment.