Opposition flays ruling BJD over thousands of posts lying vacant in govt depts

The BJD-led government has once again been in the Opposition’s crosshairs for initiating measures to fill only 37,700 posts against 67,000 posts which are lying vacant in several departments of the State government for the last three years. 

After returning to power in 2019, the BJD government took the initiative to fill up only 36,000 vacant posts even though Parliamentary Affairs Minister Niranjan Pujari had informed the Odisha Assembly that 73,000 posts were vacant. 

As per the information available with the State government, 22,57,000 aspirants have registered themselves for jobs.  

“The government is least interested that a youth of the State gets a job. It is well understood,” said general secretary of Odisha BJP Golak Mohapatra. 

Congress spokesperson Nishikant Mishra said, “The party has strongly condemned the BJD government’s attitude towards filling up the vacant posts in government departments.”

Asked, BJD MLA Amar Satpathy said, “Several agencies like Odisha Public Service Commission and Staff Selection Commission are filling up the vacant posts but they follow a certain procedure and it takes time.”

Besides, it is believed that the government officers are the main stumbling blocks in the appointment to the vacant posts.

Since the departments are not regular in furnishing data regarding their vacant posts to the recruitment cell, the posts are lying vacant. So, the Chief Secretary has written to all the departments, asking them to furnish detailed reports on vacant posts, said sources. 

Besides the Chief Secretary, the Special Secretary, General Administration department, has also written letters to all the departments. 
There are many departments that have not furnished complete data about vacancies. And, as per the data furnished by some departments, 67,874 posts are lying vacant and a process to fill up 36,700 posts has already started, an official letter read. 

On the other hand, as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has reportedly directed that all vacant posts should be filled up by the end of 2023, the departments have been asked to submit the reports within seven days. 

Meanwhile, this startling revelation has left job aspirants dejected. They also targeted the State government for allegedly dilly-dallying the recruitment process.
 
“We are highly qualified youths and deserve jobs. But we are unemployed. On the other hand, hundreds of posts are lying vacant,” rued Rakesh Nayak, a job aspirant. 

Echoing the same, another aspirant, Kishan Kumar Sahu said, “There was a time when a Class 10 passed student could easily get a job. Now-a-days, PG students are amongst the most unemployed. Is this development?”

(Reported by Jagdish Das and Soumya Ranjan Sahu)