Cabinet approves amendments to Odisha Clinical Establishments Act

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Nov 26:

The Odisha Cabinet today approved a proposal to amend the Odisha Clinical Establishments (Control and Regulation) Act, 1991.

Arti Ahuja

The amendment proposes for simplifying registration procedures for clinical establishments in the state. This apart it proposes for increasing the validity of such registrations from the existing two year period to five years.

Fire safety and life safety standards have been made mandatory for clinical establishments.

Moreover, clinics that have availed government lands for their establishment will have to provide free treatment to patients from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category as per the proportion fixed by the state government.

It will be mandatory for clinical establishments to maintain two separate registers for the purpose. Violations of these by clinical establishments may lead to a fine up to Rs 5 lakh or jail term.

“We have expanded the definition of clinical establishment. Earlier, those having four beds or less were not coming within the scope of this Act. But we have observed that several such establishments are in existence which are admitting in-patients. Standards will be set. Now what are those standards? There are standards relating to fire safety, life safety plus that they will have. Plus we have included emergency stabilization, they will immediately treat patients and not send them away. Further, those who have availed free government land will provide free treatment to BPL patients as per the proportion fixed by the state government,” stated Arti Ahuja, secretary Health speaking to reporters after today’s Cabinet meeting.

Further, the Cabinet approved tenders of three mega irrigation projects of the Water Resources department.

Pradip Jena

“The Cabinet approved the proposal for a lift irrigation project in Cuttack district that targets to irrigate 16, 750 hectares of land. While the project was estimated to cost Rs 390 crore, L&T has been awarded the tender for Rs 382.95 crore. The tender has been approved by the Cabinet. Similarly, a project to irrigate a combined area of 16,200 hectares in the districts of Angul, Deogarh and Sundargarh has been approved by the Cabinet. While the project was estimated to cost Rs 389 crore, L&T has been awarded the tender at Rs 384 crore. This too has been approved by the Cabinet. Besides, the Cabinet has approved a third irrigation project that will irrigate 15,593 hectares in Jajpur and Kendrapara districts. The tender for the project has been awarded to L&T at Rs 325.98 crore. These projects are targeted to be completed within 30 months,” said Pradip Jena, principal secretary Water Resources department briefing newsmen after the Cabinet meeting.

Among the other important proposals that got the Cabinet’s approval is the proposal to allot land free of cost to NIRTAR for setting up its second campus at Balangir. Similarly, 3.55 acres of land will be provided free of cost for setting up of   Software Technology Park and other IT related enterprises at Rourkela. Besides, land will be provided free of cost to IMD for setting up of weather stations at Keonjhar and Chandbali.

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