Bhubaneswar, Ap 10: The Odisha Cabinet is set to meet today under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan. Departmental ministers and senior officials are expected to attend the session to deliberate on key proposals that could shape governance and public welfare across the state.
A major highlight of the meeting is likely to be a new initiative from the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department: the “Rural Drinking Water Supply Operation and Maintenance Policy 2026.” The policy aims to ensure safe and consistent drinking water access for every household, particularly in rural areas, addressing long-standing water scarcity challenges.
In addition to water supply, proposals from multiple sectors are expected to be discussed, including education, healthcare, transport, general administration, public grievance redressal, and law. The discussions aim to enhance public services and improve administrative efficiency statewide.
During the last Cabinet meeting on April 4, the government launched the Annapurna Scheme to strengthen food security. Under this program, beneficiaries receive an additional 5 kg of free rice per person every month, benefiting approximately 3.28 crore people covered by food security initiatives.
The government also approved significant reforms in reservation policies for higher education:
Scheduled Tribes (ST): Increased to 22.5%
Scheduled Castes (SC): Increased to 16.2%
SEBC/OBC: Introduced at 11.2% for the first time
