Cabinet clears block grants for 662 non-government colleges

Bhubaneswar, Aug 4 (UNI) The Orissa cabinet today decided to extend block grants to 662 non-government junior colleges and degree colleges across the state.

A decision in this regard was taken at the cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.

Briefing newspersons after the cabinet meeting, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy said the decision to extend the block grant, not exceeding 40 per cent, to 662 colleges-- 457 plus 2 and 205 plus 3 colleges-- was taken on the basis of the recommendations made by the cabinet sub-committee on higher education.

The cabinet also decided to regularise the services of uncovered teaching and non-teaching employees of 488 non-government aided colleges who have been appointed against yard stick posts in between July 1993 and December 1998.

The beneficiaries included 224 science demonstrators, nine education demonstrators and the eligible employees appointed in ten- aided Sanskrit Colleges and 22-unaided Sanskrit colleges.

The cabinet also agreed to extend block grant to 18 non-government colleges eligible for grant-in-aid by June 1994 and 53 lecturers appointed against the state selection board sponsored candidates.

The block grants would cost approximately Rs 40 crore to the state exchequer per annum, the chief secretary said.

In addition to it block grant would also be extended to 252 high schools eligible for grant-in-aid by June 2002 but left out.

After the announcement each of these schools would get Rs 3,65,628 per annum and it would cost the state exchequer around Rs 9.21 crore per annum.

As many as 2016 teachers and 756 non-teaching staff would be benfitted by the grant which would be implemented from April one.

Earlier, the government had announced to extend Block Grant to schools eligible for grant-in -aid till June 2004. The schools left out would be taken up for consideration in the next phase, the Chief Secretary said.

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