BHUBANESWAR: The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday approved a proposal of the General Administration Department to enhance the upper age limit for Odisha Civil Services from 32 to 38 years for 2024.
Earlier such age relaxation was allowed during recruitment to government services in 2021, 2022 and 2023 to provide ample opportunity to candidates aspiring to participate in the recruitment examinations.
Briefing media on the cabinet decisions, Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said the state government has framed new recruitment rules for different cadres and new posts have been created at the base level by restructuring different cadres. He said seven combined recruitment examination rules have been notified where new syllabus and pattern of examinations have been incorporated. In the OCS recruitment examinations, the number of attempts has also increased.
Jena said the proposal of the Housing and Urban Development department to install LED street lights in 110 urban local bodies at an estimated bidding cost of Rs 312.18 crore was also approved. The 110 ULBs excluding the five municipal corporations have been grouped into six clusters. Six out of 18 bidders have qualified to implement the project which will financed out of Odisha Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (OUIDF). Respective ULBs will bear the maintenance cost from their sources.
The cabinet also approved the Panchayati Raj department’s proposal for additional expenses of Rs 20 crore for mobilisation of people from blocks to Puri for participation in the Shree Mandir Parikrama project and another Rs 135.88 crore for undertaking IEC activities at gram panchayat and block levels. The Parikrama project budget was enhanced from Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 4,214 crore.
Similarly, the department got the nod of the cabinet for a grant of Rs 3 lakh per panchayat for the preparation of projects and undertaking IEC activities to create awareness among people about the Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha initiative. Accordingly, the Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha budget has been increased from Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 4,200 crore. Altogether, the state cabinet approved 13 proposals from 10 departments.
CRUT to acquire 200 e-buses
BHUBANESWAR: The state government will procure 200 new electric buses for the capital city. JBM Ecolife Mobility Pvt Ltd has been selected as the operator for procurement, operation and maintenance of the 200 AC e-buses on a gross cost contract model basis for 10 years at the rate of Rs 64.81 per km entailing a total project cost of Rs 933.26 crore. The cabinet also approved the allotment of 5 acres of land free of premium to the Public Health Foundation of India in the capital.
Vital decisions
- Nod to H&UD dept to install LED street lights in 110 ULBs
- Panchayati Raj dept to get additional Rs 20 crore for mobilising crowd for Parikrama project