Prof Umaballava Mohapatra
as Vice Chancellor of Rajendra University, Bolangir
& Prof Sanjay Kumar Satpathy
as VC of Kalahandi University, Bhawanipatna.
CM Naveen Patnaik welcomed the 275 graduate engineers who joined Water Resources Department and exhorted them to keep themselves abreast of new technologies in field of water resources. CM expressed confidence that new recruits will work hard with dedication & sincerity towards State's development
CM said that Odisha has huge potential in irrigation & hydro power sector. CM added that the newly recruited engineers are joining the department in this exciting era of transformation and will have a prominent role to play in coming years.
CM said Odisha is making huge investments in irrigation sector adding that 10 major, 50 medium & 2500+ minor dam projects are currently operational. CM asserted that Odisha will continue to invest in water resources development for agriculture prosperity and farmer welfare.
Source : @cmoodisha twitter
All public transport from Odisha to Chhattisgarh & vice versa shall be suspended from April 10 to April 30. People coming to Odisha by any public transport have to produce RT-PCR negative report. Without report, 7-day home or institutional quarantine. Effective from April 12.
Click here to view /download.PDF
Chief Secretary Suresh C Mahapatra writes to Railway Board Chairman on mandatory RT-PCR negative test reports of all passengers coming to Odisha maximum 72-hours before journey or a 2nd dose vaccination certificate. The restriction shall come into force from boarding date of April 10.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Centre issues Guidance Note to operationalise COVID Vaccination Centres at Work Places (Govt. and Private)
From 11 April 2021 all Employees of Work Places aged 45 yrs or more to be Vaccinated at Work Place Vaccination centres
With the extension of COVID-19 vaccination to all citizens aged 45 years or more from 1st April 2021, the Central Government has taken a crucial step to extend the cover of vaccination while easing the exercise for this segment of citizens, a substantial proportion of whom are in the organized sector of the economy and are involved in formal occupation in offices (government and private) or manufacturing and services etc.
The Health Ministry has written to all States and UTs that COVID-19 vaccination sessions may now be organized at workplaces (both public & private) which are having about 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries by tagging these workplaces with an existing COVID Vaccination Center (CVC). To support the States in this initiative, guidelines have been prepared and the same have conveyed by the Union Health Secretary to the States and UTs. These guidelines will support the State and District Programme Managers with the requisite information and guide them on organizing vaccination sessions at such workplaces (both public & private). Such work place vaccination centres may be launched across States/UTs from 11th April 2021.
States have been further advised to initiate due consultations with private/public sector employers and management to prepare for launch of workplace vaccination.
The Union Government of India in constant consultation with State Governments/UT administration continues consistently make efforts to ensure that the vaccination drive is more pragmatic and also more acceptable and purposeful to the beneficiaries. Click here to read full article
President appoints Justice N.V. Ramana to be the next Chief Justice of India with effect from 24th April.
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
The Budget Session, 2021 of Parliament, which commenced on Friday, 29January2021, has been adjourned sine die today i.e. Thursday, 25 March 2021.
In between, RajyaSabha and Lok Sabha adjourned for recess on Friday, the 12th February, 2021and Saturday, the 13th February, 2021 respectively and reassembled on Monday, the 8thMarch, 2021 to enable Departmentally related Standing Committees to examine and report on the Demands for Grants relating to various Ministries/Departments.
Speaking about the Budget Session, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shri Prahlad Joshi stated that during the entire Budget Session, 2021 there were 24 sittings of Lok Sabha and 23 sittings of Rajya Sabha. The first part of the Budget Session yielded a total of 12 sittings of Lok Sabha and 11 sittings of Rajya Sabha. There were 12 sittings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively in the second part of the session.
The Session, which was originally scheduled to have sittings till 8 April, 2021, was curtailed due to demand of Leaders of various political parties in both the Houses so that Members could participate in the election process in certain States/UTs.
Motion of Thanks:
This being the first Session of the year, the President addressed both Houses of Parliament assembled together on 29thJanuary, 2021. Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha was moved by Smt. Locket Chatterjee and seconded by Dr.Virendra Kumar. This item engaged the Lok Sabha for 16 Hours 58 minutesagainst allotted 15Hours. In Rajya Sabha, it was moved by Shri Bhubaneswar Kalita and seconded by Shri Vijay Pal Singh Tomar. This item engaged the Rajya Sabha for 15 Hours 41minutes against allotted 15 Hours. Motions of Thanks were discussed and adopted by the two Houses during the first part of the Session.
Presentation of Union Budget:
The Union Budget for 2021- 22 was presented on Monday, the 1st of February, 2021. General Discussion on the Union Budget was held in both Houses in the first part of this Session. This engaged the Lok Sabha for 14Hours 44 minutes against allotted 10Hours and Rajya Sabha for10 Hours 56minutes against allotted 10Hours.
In Lok Sabha, Demands for Grants relating to Ministries of Railways, Education and Health & Family Welfare were discussed and adopted individually. Thereafter, rest of the Demands for Grants of the Ministries/Departments were put to the vote of the House on Wednesday, the 17th March, 2021. The related Appropriation Bill was also introduced, considered and passed by Lok Sabha on 17.03.2021.
Appropriation Bills relating to Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2020-21;Demands for Grants for the year 2021-22 and Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2020-21in respect of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2020-21& Demands for Grants (Vote on Account) for the year 2021-22 for the Union Territory of Puducherry after their adoption were also introduced, considered and passed on 18.03.2021 in the Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, 2021 on 23.03.2021. Rajya Sabha also returned all the Appropriation Bills on 23.03.2021, and the Finance Bill, 2021 on 24.03.2021. The entire Financial Business was completed in the Houses of Parliament before 31st March, 2021.
Bills passes in the session:
During this Session a total of 20 Bills (17 in Lok Sabha and 03 in Rajya Sabha) were introduced. 18 Bills were passed by Lok Sabha and 19Bills were passed by Rajya Sabha. Total number of Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament is 18.A list of Bills introduced in Lok Sabha/Rajya, Bills passed by Lok Sabha, Bills passed by Rajya Sabha, Bills passedby both Houses and withdrawn in Rajya Sabha are attached in Annexure.
Some important Bills, passed by Houses of Parliament are as under:-
Economic sector/ease of doing business measures
The Mines and Minerals (Developments and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021 proposes to develop the mining sector to its full potential for faster economic growth.
The Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2021 aims to achieve the objective of Government's FDI Policy by raising the limit of foreign investment in Indian insurance companies from the existing 49 per cent to 74 per cent and to allow foreign ownership and control with safeguards.
The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 addresses the concerns raised by stakeholders after the enactment of the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019.
The National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill, 2021 proposes to establish the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development to support the development of long-term non-recourse infrastructure financing in India.
The Major Port Authorities Bill, 2021 aims to provide greater autonomy, flexibility to the Major Ports and to professionalise their governance by repealing the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.
Health sector
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2021 increases upper gestational limit for termination of pregnancy and to strengthen access of woman to comprehensive abortion care with compromising the service and quality of safe abortion.
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2021seeks to provide for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by allied and healthcare professionals, assessment of institutions, maintenance of a Central Register and State Register and creation of a system to improve access, research and development and adoption of latest scientific advancement and connected.
Social justice reforms
The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021 amends the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 in respect of the State of Tamil Nadu.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2021 will extend the Act, 2011 for a further period of three years from 01.01.2021 to 31.12.2023.
The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 will promote harmonious relations between the legislature and the executive of National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Short Duration Discussion under Rule 193 in Lok Sabha was held on ‘Empowerment of Women’ which remained inconclusive.
Shri Prahlad Joshi informed that the productivity for the complete Budget Session, 2021 of Lok Sabha was approx.114% and that of Rajya Sabha was 90%.
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YKB/TM (Release ID: 1707544)
The Odisha government imposed night curfew in 10 districts mostly in the western region following a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. The night curfew will come into force from 5th April, 2021.
“In the interest of the general public and to prevent transmission of infection, it is directed that night curfew in the districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri.