Cabinet okays 10 pc quota for ex-Agniveers in uniformed services

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday approved a proposal to reserve 10 per cent jobs for ex-Agniveers in the State’s uniformed 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 for 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 uniformed service. The proposed rules aim to provide ample opportunities to ex-Agniveers to secure job in uniformed 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 uniformed 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.

On the other decision, the Chief Secretary said the Adani Ports had earlier purchased 56 per cent stake in Gopalpur Port from real-estate conglomerate Shapoorji Pallonji Group (SP Group) and 39 per cent stake from Orissa Stevedores. While Adani Ports will have 95 per cent stake in 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 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 Transport 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 Build Own Operate Share Transfer (BOOST) mode and Gopalpur Port Limited (GPL) won the bid through a competitive process.

The 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 tonnes 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 directly and indirectly employs around 4,000 people. 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.