BHUBANESWAR : In a bid to bring transparency in selection of officers attached to ministers and ensure their integrity, the state government on Monday issued guidelines for appointment of private secretary and officer on special duty (OSD) for them.
The guidelines assume importance as there was no clarity on appointment of private secretaries and OSDs during the previous regime. The BJP government, however, has sought to streamline the process, and focus on performance of the officers who are required to play vital role in ensuring effective functioning of the ministers.
The guidelines have accorded top priority to clean career record and honesty of the officer concerned. As per the norms, while processing appointments of officials as private secretary or OSD, it should be ensured that no disciplinary proceeding is pending against him or her.
Besides, no Vigilance or criminal proceedings should have been registered and pending against the officer nor adverse remarks have been recorded in the confidential character roll (CCR) and performance appraisal report.
The guidelines stipulate that he/she must have been rated “very good” or “outstanding” for at least 36 of the preceding 60 months of CCR/PAR. However, any rating recorded as NRC (no remarks certificate) within the past 60-month assessment period, will be excluded from consideration.
For periods, where an NRC rating has been recorded, the individual’s performance evaluation from the immediately preceding period (prior to the 60-month window) will be considered for assessment purposes, it added.
Appointment to the post of PS to ministers will have to be made from among the officers in the rank of additional secretary or joint secretary. Similarly, OSD will have to be from among the officers in the rank of joint secretary, but at least one rank junior to the private secretary of the minister concerned.
The guidelines stated, an officer who has held the post of PS/OSD in the five years, immediately preceding the current appointment, will not be eligible. There should be a minimum gap of five years between the previous service as PS/OSD and the present appointment.
The ministers will, however, have discretion in the matter of selection of serving officers for appointment as PS/OSD in their office, subject to the conditions of the guidelines.
The Majhi government has, besides the chief minister, two deputy chief ministers, eight cabinet ministers and five ministers of state with independent charge.
