There has been growing discontentment among the OAS (Odisha Administrative Service) officers over the State Government’s stand on restructuring of the OAS cadre stunting their career growth.
In an emergency State executive body meeting of the OAS officers’ association held here, the members alleged that the top bureaucracy is not in touch with the ground reality and the political leaders fail to raise the issue at the highest level. The members lamented over lack of promotional avenue and upward career mobility in the job of the OAS officers. There are many officers, who have been stagnating at the base level for 15-17 years and are getting restless with no prospect of promotion due to the apathy of the State Government.
Several young officers have ventilated their anger against their seniors for failing to engage the Government in matters of introduction of time scale, cadre restructuring and regular recruitment etc in comparison to IAS officers in the State. The officers slogging in the same post for 15 to 17 years have turned regressive, they said. Though the State Government is busy borrowing best practice in governance from other States, it fails to attach significance to the State administrative service officers. Still worse, the officers of other cadre are getting promotion faster, they alleged.
The OAS officers’ association regretted that a proposal for restructuring the cadre has been gathering dust. The proposal includes a formula to ensure time bound promotion of officers. However, for some inexplicable reasons, the Government is sitting over the file, it said. The association decided to meet the Chief Minister for early settlement of their demand.