October 17, 2022, New Delhi, Odisha Government Jobs: On October 15, 2022, the Naveen Patnaik-led Government of Odisha resolved to completely abolish the contractual system of recruitment by making 57,000 contractual employees permanent all at once. The move is beneficial for those students who are seeking government jobs in the state of Odisha. The abolishment of contract-based job recruitment will pave the way for more secure employment opportunities for students.
Mr. Patnaik announced this decision in a video message saying, “Today, I am delighted to announce that the state cabinet has decided to abolish the contractual system of recruitment permanently. I was waiting for this moment. Even today, there are no regular recruitments in many states and they are still continuing with the contractual recruitment system. But in Odisha, the era of contractual recruitment has come to an end. The government will spend approximately Rs 1,300 crore more per annum. The decision has brought in early Diwali for their family members.”
Applauding the decision, Bijay Malla, President of the Contractual Employees Association of Odisha said, “The terms and conditions of the contractual employment meant that we were at the whims and mercies of the government’s moods and we could be fired any moment. Many contractual employees lost their jobs after they got married and had kids. The decision to abolish the contractual system is a just step and we thank the Naveen Patnaik Government.”
Odisha Government Jobs – Details
- Students seeking government jobs in Odisha will now be able to apply for and get full-time employment – instead of contract-based jobs.
- More than 57,000 contractual employees will be made permanent.
- Every year, the government will spend about Rs. 1,300 crores on salaries and pensions for recruiting full-time employees through exams like the Odisha Sub Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC).
- The Odisha Sub Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC)-qualified students will now be directly recruited for permanent Group-C jobs.
Odisha Government Jobs – Contractual Recruitment System – Background
- The contractual recruitment system in Odisha started back in 2013.
- The state government announced the Odisha Group-C and Group-D posts (contractual employment) rules in 2013, which set forth the procedures for hiring candidates for open positions in the same manner as they did for regular government workers.
- Those hired as contractual employees, on the other hand, were not regularised in their positions for the next six years, and their consolidated pay consisted only of grade pay and no daily or house rent allowances.
- However, if contractual workers performed satisfactorily, they were qualified for an annual 10% pay increase.
- They were regularised after completing six years of contractual service, but this was once again dependent on “satisfactory completion of six years of contractual service.”
- The Odisha Government had also begun experimenting with the system in the Department of Schools and Mass Education in 2004 before implementing it for Group C and D posts in other departments.
- The government used to hire Swechhasevi Sikhya Sahayaks (Teaching Assistants) for a three-year first term, following which they were employed as Junior Teachers for another three years, and after six years of service, they were regularised as Primary Teachers.
Odisha Government Jobs – Historical Development of the Contractual Recruitment System
- In 1995, Odisha stopped new hiring while reducing the number of base-level employees by 75% due to an expanding bureaucracy and strained finances.
- The state of the economy was so dire that the government had to borrow money from the Reserve Bank of India roughly 278 days out of every year in order to pay for salaries and pensions.
- When the state’s finances began to improve in 2010 as a result of various financial restrictive measures implemented under the Fiscal Responsibility and Management Act, the government began hiring personnel for the police, health, school, and mass education departments.
- It also continued to hire personnel through the contractual system for other government departments.
Odisha Government Jobs – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the benefits of abolishing the contractual recruitment system in Odisha?
Students seeking government jobs will have better job security once the contractual recruitment system is abolished. The Odisha Government has recently decided to abolish the contractual recruitment system, which will benefit more than 57,000 contractual employees by making them permanent at once. Every year, the government will spend about Rs. 1,300 crores on salaries and pensions for recruiting full-time government employees through exams like the Odisha Sub Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC). The OSSSC-qualified students will now be directly recruited for permanent Group-C jobs.
Who is the Chief Minister of Odisha?
Mr. Naveen Patnaik is the Chief Minister of Odisha.
Which is the ruling party in Odisha?
The ruling party in Odisha is the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
