Bhubaneswar, Jan 10: Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sri Naveen Patnaik today took 12 major decisions relating to the departments of handloom, textiles and handicrafts; general administration and public grievances; higher education;  panchyati raj and drinking water; and revenue and disaster management. 

Informing people about cabinet decisions through media, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra along with Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena said that Cabinet decided to extend the upper age limit for entry to state government service from 32 to 38 for three years up to 2023.

This decision was taken to enable the youths who could not appear the recruitment examinations because of Covid situation, and run out of age during last two years. The Chief Minister also gave nod to Odisha non-Government colleges, Junior colleges and higher Secondary schools grant-in order 2022.

Cabinet also approved the tender proposals of mega pipe water supply schemes for Samakhunta, Kaptipada and Baripada block of Mayurbhanj district; Banki, Dampada Baranga of Cuttack district; Jujumora, Maneswar Naktideula, Rairakhol blocks of Sambalpur district; and Saraskana, Kuliana and Bangiriposi blocks of Mayurbhanj district. Chief Secretary Mahapatra said that construction of these pipe water supply schemes would be completed in 2 years from the time of the execution agreement.