Amidst growing unemployment of educated youths in the State, the appointment of retired bureaucrats by the Government in the past few years in various departments has raised eyebrows.
Sycophancy and favouritism are behind the reappointment of superannuated officers as witnessed in the State Secretariat.
Earlier, retired top officials like Chief Secretaries, DGPs and Secretaries of different departments were being rehabilitated in other constitutional bodies. But now, the Government is favouring lower-rank officials with reappointment in various departments after their retirement.
Currently, almost all officers in all the departments are being appointed as Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) with high package, Government accommodation and other facilities after their retirement. They are being appointed for a year and later their jobs are being extended.
Meanwhile, the Government is planning to increase the cadre strengths in the State Administrative Service (OAS) and the State Economic Service (OES).
According to reports, the number of OAS cadres would rise to 1,711 from 1,558 and the Government would create 13 Special Secretary posts, 43 Additional Secretary posts and 67 Joint Secretary posts. Similarly, more posts would be created in the OES cadre.
Recently, three officials in the rank of Additional Secretary have been appointed in the Department of Science and Technology. Out of them, one is yet to be given any assignment. “We wonder the justification of such appointments in the department,” said a senior official.
The Government’s appointment of retired top officials has led to growing resentment among incumbent employees. Six months ago, there were around 300 employees including OSDs in the State Secretariat. Now, the number of OSDs has been increased to over 100, pointed out Odisha Secretariat Service Association’s president Krushna Mohapatra. The employees would oppose this trend of reappointment in the Secretariat, he added.