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Bhubaneswar: Opposition parties on Monday lashed out at the Odisha government over re-appointment of retired IAS officers in various departments while banning creation of any new government posts for the next two years.
The State government recently announced a slew of austerity measures for the next two years citing acute financial crunch in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter to the secretaries of all departments, Principal Secretary (Finance), Ashok Meena had said that no new government posts will be created in the State government departments except the Health and Family Welfare Department.
However, several IAS officers have been re-engaged in several government departments in the last couple of months. On the day when the State government announced the austerity measures, it re-appointed retired OAS officer, Sribhusan Shukla in the Home Department. Three days of that announcement, Retired IFS officer, Deepak Mohanty was re-engaged as OSD-cum-special secretary in the State Steel and Mines Department for a period of one year.
Similarly, retired administrator Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra was re-engaged as Officer on Special Duty in the rank of Special Secretary in the residence office of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for one year.
Besides, several other officers have also reportedly got re-appointment in the last couple of months.
Raising question over the re-appointments, BJP leader Bhrugu Baxipatra asked whether the ‘re-engagement of officers who were directly or indirectly accused of irregularities’ is part of its plan to continue rampant corruption in the State.
Senior Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo alleged that the biggest work of the ruling-BJD is to ‘keep tainted officers close to them to facilitate corruption’ in various departments.
Responding to the allegations, BJD leader Debi Mishra said, “In some situations, presence and continuity of an officer is needed. Keeping that in mind, CM Naveen is taking the decisions.”
(Edited By Bikram Keshari Jena)
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