TNI Bureau: About 169 Odisha Administrative Services (OAS) posts are vacant in the state, while a few retired officers are being appointed to execute office works in various departments. The state where unemployment is still a challenge for the government, candidates are being hired on contractual basis.

Replying to a question from Congress member Ramchandra Kadam, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Surjya Narayan Patro on Wednesday said in the House that there is a shortage of 169 OAS posts in the state. The posts were vacant and the number is also increasing as no examination for the recruitment has been conducted since 2007.

Due to shortage of the posts in the cadre, everything has been in mess. The posts including Tahasildar, BDO, two posts in the secretariat of the revenue divisional commissioner, two posts in the collectorate and two posts in the sub-collector’s office are vacant.

The number of vacancies has also increased as many OAS officers are on the deputation to State undertakings, corporations, municipalities and other organisations.

The government has now decided to bring those officers back to fill up the vacancies for which common people are facing problems when they are approaching the officials in various departments over some matters.

In order to fill up the posts partly, 69 retired OAS officers have been re-appointed in non-cadre posts.