The Odisha Cabinet approved 13 proposals spanning power, education, recruitment and agriculture. The measures expand infrastructure, student connectivity and access to civil services.The Odisha Cabinet approved 13 proposals spanning power, education, recruitment and agriculture.
Bhubaneswar,Nov 10, 2026 06:44 ISTThe Odisha Cabinet on Monday approved 13 proposals, including a Rs 4,708-crore pumped storage power project, free Wi-Fi for college students and unlimited attempts at the state civil services examination until candidates reach the prescribed upper age limit, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar.Chief Secretary Anu Garg told reporters, as quoted by PTI, "The Cabinet has approved the 600 MW Upper Indravati Pumped Storage Project at Ranibahal, Kalahandi district. The state will spend a total of Rs 4,708.64 crore, including Rs 3,371.88 crore for construction of the project."Garg said it would be Odisha's first project of its kind and was expected to be commissioned in the 2030-31 financial year.
Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd has been selected as the project developer. Officials told PTI that the facility would generate about 1,040 million units of electricity annually during peak demand.
Garg said the project would store surplus electricity during off-peak hours and generate power when demand rises.The Cabinet also approved three Water Resources Department proposals worth Rs 450 crore for in-stream storage projects and mega-lift irrigation units. It cleared a General Administration and Public Grievance Department proposal to amend the Odisha Civil Services (Combined Competitive Recruitment Examination) Rules, 1991."The key change eliminates all restrictions on the number of attempts for the Odisha Civil Services Examination.
A candidate can appear for the examination until his or her upper age limit," Garg said.The Cabinet approved the Rs 393.62-crore Odisha Shikshanet project to provide free campus Wi-Fi across 601 colleges, with a daily data limit of 1 GB. The project is expected to benefit around six lakh students.It also cleared the Paddy Procurement Policy for the Kharif Marketing Season 2026-27.
The government will procure at least 78 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from farmers at Rs 3,100 per quintal. Payments will be transferred directly to farmers' bank accounts within 24 to 48 hours.Another proposal approved by the Cabinet extends the tenure of around 5,000 private fair price shop dealers under the public distribution system by one year, until September 30, 2027.Overall, the 13 approved proposals cover power storage, water resources, civil services recruitment, college internet access, paddy procurement and the tenure of fair-price shop dealers.- Ends