Odisha cabinet gives nod to 10% quota for ex-Agniveers in state's uniform services

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday approved a proposal to reserve 10 per cent jobs for ex-Agniveers in the state's uniform services.

The government also allowed transfer of equity shares to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) from Shapoorji Pallonji Port Maintenance Pvt Ltd and Odisha Stevedores Ltd.

The proposals in this regard were approved at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The cabinet also approved a proposal providing jobs to unmarried daughters and stepdaughters of government employees on compassionate ground, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said.

The Odisha government approved framing of Odisha Ex-Agniveers (Recruitment to Uniform Services) Rules, 2024 to reserve 10 per cent seats for ex-Agniveers in the uniform service.

The proposed rules aim to provide ample opportunities to ex-Agniveers to secure job in uniform service like police, forest, excise, fire or any services as decided by the government from time to time by providing 10 per cent horizontal reservation for ex-Agniveers in all Group C and D posts in direct recruitment in the uniform services of the state.

Such reservation shall 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.

There will be three years age relaxation in the prescribed upper age limit for ex-Agniveers in all Group C and D posts in direct recruitment in the uniformed services and exemption from physical efficiency test.

The Adani Ports had earlier purchased a 56 per cent stake in Gopalpur Port from real-estate conglomerate Shapoorji Pallonji Group (SP Group) and a 39 per cent stake from Orissa Stevedores, the chief secretary told reporters.

While the Adani Ports will have 95 per cent stake in the Gopalpur Port project, the remaining 5 per cent will remain with Orissa Stevedores.

"Following the due procedure, the cabinet has approved the proposal to transfer of equity share to Adani Ports and SEZ Limited from Shapoorji Pallonji Port Maintenance Private Limited and from Odisha Stevedores Limited along with permission to sign the revised concession agreement thereof towards the development and expansion of Gopalpur Ports Limited," an official note said.

Gopalpur Ports, which handles bulk cargo, including iron ore, coal, limestone and alumina, after expansion will handle multi cargo, said Odisha's Commerce and Tranport secretary Usha Padhee.

Gopalpur Port, initially managed by the Commerce and Transport department as a fair-weather lighterage port, operated only during the favourable weather conditions.

Recognising its potential for economic development and its impact on the socio-economic life of Odisha's people, the Odisha government decided in 2003 to transfer it into an all-weather deep berthing seaport through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the Build Own Operate Share Transfer (BOOST) mode and Gopalpur Port Limited (GPL) won the bid through a competitive process.

GPL, a consortium of Odisha Stevedores Limited, Noble Group Limited and Sara International Limited, with 34 per cent, 33 per cent and 33 per cent share respectively, developed the port. Shareholding changed in 2010 and 2017.

Currently handling 11.43 million metric tonne per annum of cargo, GPL shares 7.5 per cent of its gross revenue with the state government. The revenue share for the 2023-24 fiscal is approximately Rs 38 crore, an official said, adding that the port employs around 4,000 people in direct and indirect. The expansion is expected to boost revenue and employment, he said.

The state government also approved another proposal to provide jobs to unmarried daughters and unmarried stepdaughters of deceased government servants under compassionate appointment scheme.