Bhubaneswar, Aug 1 (IANS) The Odisha Cabinet on Friday approved five key proposals put forward by four different departments. The Cabinet okayed the proposals during a meeting of state cabinet held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

In a big boost to the irrigation facilities in the state, the Odisha Cabinet on Friday gave the green light to the proposal for the extension of the “Mukhyamantri Adibandha Tiyari Yojana (MATY)-3.0″ scheme for an additional five financial years.

The government projected to spend Rs 2,738.00 crore between Financial Year 2025-26 to 2029-30 for the implementation of the third phase of the scheme.

As per an official statement, the government has planned to construct 3,313 new check dams and improve 3,529 existing check dams to ensure assured irrigation facilities in areas where farmers traditionally depend on temporary cross-bunds across streams.

The scheme aims to create 57,525 hectares of additional irrigation potential and restore 41,713 hectares of existing irrigation capacity.

“The check dams will also provide drinking water facilities to villages during the post-monsoon period, aid in groundwater recharge, and enhance kharif irrigation in water-stressed blocks,” said the state government.

The Cabinet during its meeting on Friday also okayed Odisha Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 aiming to simplify the provisions and provide certain facilities to the taxpayers and tax authorities.

Addressing the media persons after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja stated that these amendments have been brought as per the decision taken during the recent GST Council meeting.

To streamline the administration and approval of fiscal incentives under the Odisha Food Processing Policy, 2016, the government has proposed certain amendments to align it with the provisions of the updated 2022 policy.

“This would lead to simplification and reducing procedures for administration of financial incentive to MSMEs under the Industrial Promotion Policy leading to increase in pace of promotion of investment in the Food Processing Sector in the State and generation of more number of Employment Opportunities,” informed the state government in an official statement.

This apart, the cabinet in its meeting on Friday also gave its nod to two proposals placed by the state law department.

–IANS

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