Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government, which aims to build a prosperous Odisha by 2036, is facing a severe shortage of officers. Many positions, including IAS, IPS, IFS, OAS, OPS, and OFS, remain vacant. The state government has acknowledged this issue in the legislative assembly.
According to data presented by the Chief Minister in the assembly, Odisha has been allotted 195 IPS posts, but 68 of them are currently vacant.
Out of 195 IPS posts, 68 are vacant.
66 IAS positions remain unfilled.
335 OAS (Odisha Administrative Service) positions are also vacant.
Among the IPS officers serving in Odisha, 22 are currently on deputation to other states and the central government. Over the past five years, four IPS officers have taken voluntary retirement (VRS). The current distribution of IPS officers in Odisha is as follows:
6 at DG level
23 at Additional DG level
24 at IG level
16 at DIG level
37 at SP level
20 at junior positions
Regarding the IAS cadre, Odisha has 248 sanctioned IAS positions, but currently, only 182 officers are in service, leaving 66 positions vacant. Additionally, two IAS officers from other states are serving on inter-state deputation in Odisha, while 22 IAS officers from Odisha are on central deputation. Eight officers have been on central deputation for more than five years. In the last five years, six IAS officers have opted for voluntary retirement.
At the OAS level, out of 1,313 sanctioned posts, only 978 officers are in service, leaving 335 positions vacant. Similarly, in the Odisha Finance Service (OFS), 226 out of 649 sanctioned posts are unfilled, while in the Odisha Forest Service (OFS), 402 out of 606 positions remain vacant.
Regarding the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Odisha cadre, nine officers are currently serving under the central government and in other states.
As government programs and schemes expand each year, the responsibilities of officers are also increasing. Due to the shortage of officers, many officials are handling multiple responsibilities, which is affecting the execution of policies and programs. The excessive workload is leading to higher pressure on officers, and many are opting for voluntary retirement. The direct impact of this shortage is being felt on the efficiency of government administration and policy implementation.