The State Cabinet on Thursday gave its nod to the extension of the scope of family pension as per the Odisha Civil Services (Pension) Amendment Rules, 2011.
Now, the unmarried, widow, divorced, disabled widow and disabled divorced daughters of deceased government employees will be eligible for family pension after attaining the age of 25 years.
In another major decision, the Cabinet also changed the eligibility criteria for the Biju Saharanchal Bidyutikaran Yojana under which electricity will be provided to habitations having less than 100 households.
It also brought about a change in the grant in aid (GIA) system, which has stirred controversy in the recent times, by deciding that GIA will be paid by abolishing the block grant to upper primary, high school, Sanskrit tolls and madrasas.
The Cabinet also ratified amendment to the Industrial Security Force Act, 2012 as well as the draft Tourism Policy 2013 which envisages incentive-based activities.