The Odisha Administrative Service Association (OASA), the umbrella body of State Administrative Service officers, has sought a fresh rightsizing of the cadre since the last restructuring, held in 2009, has only compounded the problem of stagnation.
At the extended State executive body meeting held here recently, the association expressed its concern over the cadre’s problems remaining unaddressed and brewing discontentment among the officers.
It has decided to draw the attention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to resolve the issues.
The State Government had undertaken cadre restructuring in 2009, but the pyramid structure has only boosted stagnation with the OAS officers rotting at the base level for 15-17 years. While the IAS officers in the State get five to seven assured time- bound promotions in their career, the OAS officers do not get even three, the association said.
Besides, there is already widespread resentment over the State Government’s failure to conduct regular recruitment through the Odisha Public Service Commission, which is why the OAS officers are forced to remain posted as BDOs and tehsildars. This has led to officers stagnating in the same posts for over a decade and a half.
Besides, till 2009, the OAS officers used to get an additional increment in recognition of their responsibilities associated with their jobs, which is no more available. “The State Government is borrowing best practices of good governance from other States, but has glossed over the significance that OAS cadre badly needs,” the OASA said.
The 1997 batch of Odisha Finance Service officers have been promoted to Deputy Secretary rank while a large chunk of 1993 OAS officers are languishing in the Under Secretary rank, it added.
The emergency meeting of the OAS Association felt that issues of introduction of time scale, cadre restructuring, improvement in HR management and recruitment by OPSC must immediately be brought up before the Chief Minister.
Earlier this year, the then chief secretary B K Patnaik had reviewed the problems and asked Revenue Secretary Taradatt to submit a report basing on which response from 35 administrative departments was elicited.
Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra also reviewed the issue recently, but the Government is yet to take a decision.