The Naveen Patnaik government on Thursday approved the restructuring proposal of the Orissa Maritime Board. The board, which was constituted a few months ago with 12 eminent personalities as members, will now have 15 representatives.
Speaking to reporters after the state Cabinet meeting, chief secretary Bijay Patnaik said apart from the experts, three representatives from the Union ministry of defence, ministry of shipping and state fisheries and animal resources will be taken in the board.
The Cabinet also cleared the proposal for direct recruitment of additional superintendents of police and deputy superintendents of police through the Orissa Public Service Commission.
“The Cabinet accepted the amendment proposal of the Orissa Police Service Rule. ASP and DSPs can now be recruited by the OPSC. Every year, at least 50 per cent of the vacant posts will be filled in through direct recruitment process,” Mr Patnaik said.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to fill up 65 per cent of vacant posts through promotions. Earlier, only 50 per cent vacant posts were being filled up by departmental promotion. It increased the qualifying age for the district judge from 21 to 23. The age limit for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and socio-economically backward classes for appearing judicial examinations was increased from 32 to 35.
In a yet another significant decision, the Cabinet accepted a judicial commission’s several recommendations to avoid unnecessary harassments of the accused in police stations.
Some of the recommendations that were accepted by the Cabinet that hazats (custody cells) in the police stations would be constructed in such a way that the accused in confinement could be seen properly by the police station staff and hence cannot commit suicide, inspectors have to inform the local superintendent of police on daily basis about the people interrogated by them and police officers wanting to interrogate accused in another police station has to seek prior permission of the local superintendent of police.