With the Central Government stopping funds under the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA), 340 junior engineers appointed under the scheme on contractual basis have been retrenched in Odisha. These junior engineers have been served retrenchment notices informing that their services are no longer required. This has resulted in severe resentment among them as they have lost their jobs within a year of their recruitment. The Centre had started RGPSA in 2013, for which the Central Government contributed 75 per cent of the funds and the State Government 25 per cent. It had been decided to appoint 743 junior engineers in different blocks of the State on contractual basis with the purpose that they would oversee construction of roads and buildings at the panchayat level. The salary of the junior engineers had been fixed at Rs9,300 per month.
A total of 340 junior engineers were appointed in 20 districts in 2014-15 from a panel of unemployed junior engineers maintained by the State Government. They had joined their services in July 2014.
Besides, a notification was published for appointment of data entry operators in each panchayat under the scheme. Thousands of youths had applied for the posts, and applicants were also shortlisted. However, the process of appointments could not be carried through.
Now, the retrenched junior engineers, who met Panchayati Raj Minister Arun Sahu, demand their regular appointment in 517 junior engineer posts lying vacant in the Works Department. They point out that some of them have crossed the age bar hoping to get regularised in Government jobs.
The Minister reportedly told the engineers that steps would be taken in this regard after discussions.