Bhubaneswar – A large number of key engineering positions remain vacant across Odisha’s Works, Water Resources (WR), and Housing & Urban Development (H&UD) Departments, severely affecting the timely execution of critical infrastructure projects. The Odisha Engineers’ Service Association (OESA) has vehemently opposed the recent trend of hiring retired engineers and has urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to intervene immediately.

580 AEE Posts Remain Unfilled Amid GATE Requirement Controversy

Despite issuing a notification for 580 Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) posts across the three departments, the State Government has not initiated recruitment. The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) made GATE qualification mandatory for applicants, leading to legal challenges in the Orissa High Court. Although the High Court delivered its verdict, no further action has been taken by the government to restart or conclude the recruitment process.

This delay is causing severe administrative and on-ground execution challenges for vital public projects.

Retired Engineers Filling the Void: A Backdoor Entry Alleged

The Works Department recently directed the recruitment of 186 retired engineers, a move that OESA claims violates fair recruitment norms. A letter issued by Works Department Additional Secretary Pradip Kumar Sahu on February 16, 2025, approved the engagement of these retirees under the Odisha Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1956.

OESA alleged that this is not a merit-based recruitment but rather a rehabilitation scheme to benefit a section of retired personnel, risking the efficiency and quality of development work in the State.

OESA’s Charter of Demands Ignored by State Government

In its appeal to the Chief Minister, the OESA demanded:

• Appointment of a Secretary with an engineering background in the Works Department

• Immediate filling of all vacant engineering posts

• No appointment of retired engineers in regular positions

• A 60-70% increase in engineer recruitment across departments

However, the government has neither fulfilled these demands nor taken any steps to address the staffing crisis.

Delays Threaten Development, Engineer Cadre Feels Marginalised

The association also highlighted that while IAS and OAS officers receive continued attention and support from the administration, engineers—who execute development on the ground—face neglect and demoralisation. The increasing reliance on retired personnel over fresh talent also deprives young engineers of employment opportunities and stalls innovation in project implementation.

New Government’s Promises Still Unmet

As the new “people’s government” led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is yet to fulfil several of its pre-election promises, urgent recruitment of regular engineers is essential to prevent further delays in development projects and to restore public trust.

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