TV
In an address to revenue officers across Odisha, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Deoranjan Kumar Singh, on Saturday issued a stern warning stating that promotions will no longer be granted through lobbying or influence.
Instead, officers will now be assessed and rated strictly based on performance and citizen feedback, aided by artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
Speaking at a workshop for registration officers, Singh emphasised that performance-based evaluation is now mandatory.
“Your work will be translated into measurable outcomes using AI, and each officer will be rated on a scale from 1 to 5. This rating will directly impact your career progression,” he stated.
As part of the overhaul, officer performance ratings generated through AI analysis and public feedback will be integrated with the Confidential Character Reports (CCRs) to serve as a key benchmark for promotions in the government service system. Officers who consistently rank low may face stalled career advancement.
Slew Of Feedback, Advice For Officers
Highlighting a growing disconnect between government officers’ self-perception and ground-level realities, “There is a belief among many officers that they are performing well. But the public feedback says otherwise, as people often report unresponsiveness, delay, and negligence,” he said.
In the same address, he took aim at the prevailing malpractices in registrar offices.
“In some registration offices, the notion is that unless someone is chased down or bribed, work won’t happen. People complain that even if they wear out their shoes going from desk to desk,” Singh said.
Singh also asked revenue officers to report to offices on time, address public grievances sincerely, and improve institutional behaviour and ethics.
He further urged officers to shed complacency and reorient themselves as public service providers rather than gatekeepers of files and procedures.
