By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 30, 2015 : The Cabinet chaired by Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday gave its nod to extend the system of online payment for paddy procured during the kharif season to 160 blocks in the state.

In yet another significant move, the cabinet approved an amendment to the Odisha Electricity Duty Act, 1961 which will facilitate exemption of tax on power generators of up to 50 KV. The waiver was restricted to generators of up to 10 KV earlier.

Electricity duty for domestic consumers has been raised from 4 to 5 percent, while duty has also been hiked by one percent for industry. Duty on captive power plants has been raised by 30 paise per unit, chief secretary G C Pati said briefing media persons at the end of the cabinet meeting.

The cabinet also gave its thumbs up to a proposal to put cadres of teachers of schools meant for tribals at par with that of teachers of schools run by the School and Mass Education department.

The cabinet also approved a plan for revival of the problem-ridden Sardar Rajas Medical College at Jaring in Kalahandi district.

The cabinet has in principle decided to scrap the MoU signed with Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust for setting up of the medical college in public-private partnership (PPP) mode back in 2004 with and the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC). Instead, a fresh one would be signed with a new company for revival of the institution, Pati said.

Some 124 students of the medical college would be relocated to private medical colleges in Bhubaneswar, he added. The future of Sardar Rajas Medical College at Jaring is at stake with the Medical Council of India (MCI) declining approval on the ground that the college lacked necessary infrastructure.