Latest news with #OdishaExciseRules
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
HC fixes May 7 to hear petitions on dances in bars
Cuttack: The Orissa high court has fixed May 7 for the final hearing on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of The Odisha Excise (Amendment) Rules, 2024. These amendments to provisions of Rule 44 of the Odisha Excise Rules, 2017, prohibit dance performances in bars . The date was set after a fresh petition challenging the amendment was presented on Wednesday. The court was informed by additional govt advocate Bimbisar Dash that three similar petitions are pending before this court, where pleadings are complete. The two-judge bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman stated: "The aforesaid writ petitions were listed earlier, but the hearing could not be concluded. Since identical issues are involved in the instant writ petition, let this writ petition be tagged with the aforesaid writ petitions." "We do not find any justification in inviting the affidavit in the instant writ petition as the pleadings are complete in other writ petitions and, therefore, filing of the affidavit is dispensed with. Let this writ petition along with the three others be listed on May 7, 2025, to be taken up at 2.00 pm," the bench said. A Bhubaneswar-based hotel, having bar, filed the fresh petition, while similar petitions were also filed earlier by three other bars. The Odisha Excise (Amendment) Rules, 2024, amend the Odisha Excise Rules, 2017, primarily concerning the excise policy for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The amendment, published in the Odisha Gazette on January 31, 2025, includes changes related to licensing, particularly for "ON" shops (bars) and "OFF" shops (liquor stores), and regulates the conduct of musical performances within licensed premises. "No dance performances shall be permitted within any on-shop premises; however, the on-shops may host musical performances or orchestras within their licensed establishments," read the new excise policy. Accordingly, ON shops (bars) can conduct musical performances or orchestras within their licensed premises, provided they obtain permission under Rule 44(5) of the Odisha Excise Rules, 2017.
New Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Odisha Cabinet approves Rs 2,398 crore for emergency ambulance service
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha cabinet on Wednesday approved an allocation of Rs 2,398.45 crore for a period of five years (till 2027-28) for implementation of the second phase of Emergency Medical Ambulance Services (EMAS) scheme in the state. The proposal was approved during a meeting of the state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan here. The second phase of the EMAS scheme is being implemented in the state from 2023-24. Speaking to mediapersons, chief secretary Manoj Ahuja said the initiative, a joint effort between the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the state government, aims to provide comprehensive pre-hospital emergency medical services to the people of the state. 'The second phase of the scheme will cater to around 11-12 lakh emergency patients including pregnant women and children with a response time of 20 minutes. The project will be implemented through a private agency selected via an open tender process, with financing on a reimbursement basis,' he added. Known as the '108 service', the EMAS scheme has been running in Odisha since March 5, 2013. It is managed and monitored through a 24/7 centralised call centre and has a fleet of 866 ambulances, including 411 advanced life support (ALS), 449 basic life support (BLS) and six boat ambulances. On the day, the cabinet also approved a tender worth Rs 108 crore for construction of underground pipelines between left bank and right bank canals of Baitarani river under the Integrated Anandpur Barrage project. Scheduled to be wrapped up in 18 months, the project would irrigate around 3,450 hectare land through underground pipelines post-completion. It will benefit farmers of Anandpur, Hatadihi and Ghasipura blocks of Keonjhar district. Meanwhile, to keep pace with the changing needs and improve delivery mechanism for implementation of various welfare schemes for the Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and minorities, the cabinet approved restructuring of the Odisha Subordinate Welfare Service (OSWS) and Odisha Welfare Service (OWS), the chief secretary said. He stressed the need for presence of more officers of the welfare service at the mid and higher level of the bureaucracy citing the implementation of several welfare schemes by the Centre and state government in the last few years to cover maximum targeted groups including the tribals and PVTGs. On the other hand, to promote ease of doing business in the state and create more employment opportunities, the cabinet decided to exempt extra hour operation fees as specified in rule 79 of the Odisha Excise Rules, 2017 for distilleries, bottling and brewery unites. It also decided to convert the post of excise constable from divisional to district cadre by amending relevant rules. Besides, the Odisha Children's and Women's Welfare Service (Amendment) Rules, 2025 which requires anganwadi workers to possess graduation or any equivalent degree from any recognised university, was also approved. As per the existing provision, the eligibility was HSC or an equivalent degree under the Board of Secondary Education. OTHER APPROVALS Tender worth `108 cr for construction of underground pipelines under Integrated Anandpur Barrage project Restructuring of OSWS and OWS get cabinet nod Exemption on extra hour operation fees as specified in rule 79 of the Odisha Excise Rules, 2017 for distilleries, bottling and brewery unites Minimum qualification of anganwadi workers set to graduation
