Cabinet nod to amend Odisha R&R policy

Extends licences of IMFL shops by three months

The Odisha Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today cleared an amendment to the state rehabilitation & resettlement (R&R) policy-2006, a decision that will require industrial houses to accommodate more families under their compensation package.

The amendment to R&R policy has changed the definition of ‘family’. Now, major grandsons, irrespective of their marital status and major unmarried daughters/grand daughters and major unmarried sisters will be treated as separate families and hence will be entitled to all the R&R benefits under the policy.

In the existing policy, a major son irrespective of his marital status, unmarried daughter/sister exceeding 30 years of age, physically and mentally challenged persons, minor orphan and a widow or woman divorcee are considered as separate families.

The Cabinet also allowed extension of licenses of the existing IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) off shops and country spirit shops by three months.

“Earlier, the licences of existing IMFL off shops and country spirit shops were extended till July 2013 on the basis of the interim direction of the Odisha High Court. Now, the Cabinet has further extended by another three months to enable the government to comply with the orders of the court,” said chief secretary J K Mohapatra after the Cabinet meeting.

The state excise department will take steps to redraw the procedure of e-auction during these three months. The state government’s February 28 notification, announcing allotment of liquor shop licences through e-auction was challenged in the Odisha High Court through a host of writ petitions.

The government, in March, came out with a revised notification and rescheduled the auction of liquor shop licences to June onwards.

But the High Court quashed the revised notification in its July 24 order, stating that it was not practicable and could not be implemented. The Cabinet approved the proposal of the revenue & disaster management to amend the Registration Act-1908. As per the amendment, transactions related to immovable properties of state government or local authorities, properties belonging to Bhoodan Yagna, properties belonging to Wakfs and also properties registered in the name of Lord Jagannath Mahaprabhu-Puri will be declared opposed to public policy unless prior sanction for such transactions is issued by the competent authority.

Besides, the Cabinet gave its nod to the proposal for amending the Rules of Business wherein new Non-Plan and State Plan schemes above Rs 250 crore are to be approved by the cabinet after appraisal of the schemes by the expenditure finance committee.