BHUBANESWAR: A day after the state cabinet approved changes allowing the Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) to conduct two recruitment drives annually instead of one to fill up the vacant posts, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday handed over appointment letters to 7,293 newly-selected candidates from 12 departments.
One of the largest recruitment drive in recent years, the highest number of 2,365 appointments were made in the Home department followed by 2,154 in Schools and Mass Education and 1,750 in Forest, Environment and Climate Change.
Of the new recruits, 672 got employment in Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, 117 in Agriculture, 74 in Higher Education, 40 in the office of advocate general, 39 in Information and Public Relation, 36 in Water Resources, 17 in Commerce and Transport, 15 in Labour and Employment and 14 in Steel and Mines departments.
Addressing the newly-appointed officials at a state-level Nijukti Mela and orientation programme organised at Kalinga Stadium, the chief minister said the top priority of his government was job creation both in the public and private sectors. “We had promised to fill up 1.5 lakh vacant posts in five years and 65,000 in the first two years. With this appointment, we have filled up more than 38,000 posts and I am confident that we will cross the target by providing jobs to more than 85,000 people in the first two years.”
With budget provisions of the government significantly increasing every year, Majhi said the new manpower will bring in improvement in spending. “A recent review of departments’ spending revealed 20 per cent growth in expenditure compared to last year and this has been possible due to increased manpower,” he said.
Deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo, Forest and Environment minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, Fisheries minister Gokulananda Mallik and School and Mass Education minister Nityananda Gond were present.