1,31,518 Government Posts remain vacant in Odisha

ONI Bureau: Unemployment continues to rise in Odisha despite the fact we have vast resources. Educated Odia youth are migrating to other States and even Gulf countries in quest of jobs. However, over one lakh government posts are lying vacant with no efforts being made to fill those up on a priority basis.

While responding to a query of Rourkela MLA Dilip Ray in Odisha Assembly, Odisha Finance Minister Sashi Bhushan Behera admitted that 1,31,518 government posts are lying vacant. And, School & Mass Education Department is worst-affected with 30,299 vacant posts.

Other departments that have large number of vacant posts, include Home (16,731), Health (16,071), Revenue (7,390), Higher Education (7,351), Water Resources 6,158), Agriculture (5,462), Panchayatiraj (3,965), Urban Development (3,514), Finance (2,392), Works (3,480), SC/ST (2,293), Forests and Environment (3,590), Rural Development (2,862), Fisheries & Animal Resources (3,965) and Planning & Convergence, Skill Development (1,978). In addition, posts are vacant in many other government departments too.

According to Mr. Behera, 6,622 posts in Group A, 25,231 posts in Group B, 63,733 posts in Group C and 22,926 posts in Group D are vacant. Also, 11,006 posts are vacant in Grant-in-Aid segment.

Things have not changed much in the last 7 years. At the end of March 2011, 1,41.484 government posts were vacant in Odisha. And, 7 years later, situation remains more or less the same.