Odisha Cabinet clears new ESI Radiographer Service Rules, approves Rs 105.62 crore irrigation package
Bhubaneswar(By Abhishek Mohanty): The Odisha Cabinet on Saturday approved the framing of the Odisha Employees State Insurance Scheme Radiographer Service (Methods of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2026, aimed at streamlining recruitment and service conditions of radiographers under the state’s ESI framework.
The newly created cadre rules will regulate the method of recruitment, promotion, and overall service conditions of personnel appointed to the Odisha Employees State Insurance Scheme Radiographer Service. The radiographers will serve in ESI hospitals and dispensaries across the state, strengthening healthcare services provided to insured workers and beneficiaries.
In a significant irrigation push, the Cabinet also approved a key tender under the Integrated Anandapur Barrage Project, undertaken by the Department of Water Resources.
The project involves construction of the Anandapur Barrage on the Baitarani River and development of a comprehensive distribution system to provide irrigation to 60,000 hectares of agricultural land in Keonjhar and Balasore districts.
Construction of the barrage, strengthening of the Salandi river system, and irrigation coverage of 3,000 hectares of cultivable command area (CCA) through open canals have already been completed.
To overcome delays in land acquisition, the remaining 57,000 hectares—initially planned through open flow canals—will now be covered under an underground pipeline (gravity flow) irrigation system.
The balance command area has been divided into nine packages. The Cabinet approved one such package involving construction of a distribution system for 4,924.04 hectares of CCA under the Salandi Left Main Canal (SLMC) from RD 49.810 km to 59.970 km through an underground pipeline irrigation system on an EPC-Turnkey basis. The project also includes operation and maintenance for five years.
The execution cost has been approved at Rs 105.62 crore (excluding GST), while Rs 5.31 crore (excluding GST) has been earmarked for five years of operation and maintenance. The project is slated for completion within 24 months.
Once completed, the irrigation system will benefit farmers in Oupada and Bahanaga blocks of Balasore district and is expected to significantly enhance agricultural productivity and improve the socio-economic condition of the region.
