While there are large scale vacancies in the State Government departments, reluctance on part of the bureaucracy is creating desperation among the job aspirants. While more than one lakh jobs are lying vacant in various Government departments, organisations and PSUs, taking the alibi of austerity measures, officials are not taking up steps for filling up the posts. During the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, absence of officials in the field offices is felt very much. If two-three employees are falling sick due to Covid-19, the whole office is  closed down in the district, Sub Division and Block levels.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik used to take review regularly during 2016-19 on filling up vacancies for which over 76,000 posts were filled up with special drives by the State recruitment agencies like OPSC and others. In Covid-19 pandemic, job creation is needed as youths are losing hope and there are more than 1 lakh posts lying vacant in Agriculture, School and Mass Education, Health and Family Welfare, Revenue and Disaster Management, Water Resources, Energy, Works, Urban Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, ST and SC Development, Police and other sectors.

In the meantime, the State Government has decided to waive the interview system in recruitment of Group C and D level. So online recruitment process can be adopted by the recruitment agencies like OPSC. The Government of India is continuing the process of recruitment for filling up the posts and online recruitment is favorued now.

The UPSC will be conducting examination on October 4 for All India Service Examination to fill up the vacancies. A similar process can be organised by the OPSC and other State recruitment agencies with special drives.

Once applications will be invited by the State Government for filling up vacancies, hope will be generated among the youths, who are losing hopes. This is because due to Covid-19.