Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Saturday hiked the salary of college and university teachers in the state.

The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the report of the Fitment Committee for Revision of pay scales of teachers in colleges and universities who are in receipt of the UGC Scale.

The move will benefit around 5203 teachers working in different State Universities, Government Colleges and Non-Government Aided Colleges across the State, said Chief Secretary AP Padhi after the Cabinet meeting at State Secretariat here this evening.

The cabinet approved a total of 12 proposals.

It decided to enhance the corpus of the Odisha Contingency Fund Act, 1967 from Rs 400 crore to Rs 1600 crore. The fund will be spend for Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (Kalia), which is going to benefit over 92% cultivators in the state. The Act will be amended with an ordinance for the purpose.

The government decided to allot land at Banki River Mouth to eminent sand artists Sudarsan Pattnaik to set up a Sand Art Park. Similarly, government land in mouza-Tangi under Tangi Tehsil in favour AIIMS,Bhubaneswar for a training and residential facilities for students of the medical institution.

The Cabinet also approved the appointment of Dr. (Ms.) Namita Mohanty and Puma Chandra Pathy as members in Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).