20 Odisha blocks run sans BDOs

— 2,890 block level
posts, 146 at Panchayati Raj Dept lying vacant

Bhubaneswar, August 18:
Out of the total 314 blocks in the State 20 blocks are running sans regular
Block Development Officers (BDOs) while 100 blocks are functioning without Additional
BDOs.

Panchayati Raj Minister
Arun Sahoo on Tuesday informed the Assembly that around 2,890 posts of various
categories against the sanctioned strength of 11,493 starting from BDO, ABDO to
Peon and Sweeper levels are lying vacant in the State.

The Minister replying
to the query of BJP MLA Dilip Ray further informed the House that as many as 146 positions
starting from Additional Secretary to Junior Senior Assistant levels are lying
vacant at the Panchayati Raj Department against sanctioned 384 posts.

Similarly, the Minister
stated that 13 posts at the State Institute of Rural Development and Extension Training
Centre, the nodal institute for training, research, evaluation and consultancy
in the field of rural development under the aegis of Panchayati Raj Department are
lying vacant. The sanctioned strength at the SIRD and ETC is 44.

However, the Minister
stated that efforts are being taken to fill up all the vacant posts as per the
State Government guidelines.