Nabarangpur,24th July 2025: Despite having been neglected for years, Nabarangpur district contributed significantly to the Indravati Hydro Power Project, but the district has received neither water nor electricity in return. In 1999, the chief engineer’s office was moved from Indravati, effectively stripping it of its operational power. It was downgraded to a purely administrative office with no financial authority, despite still bearing the title of “Additional Chief Engineer, Indravati Dam Circle.”
Despite the power vacuum, annual expenses related to staff, education institutions, roads, quarters, and medical facilities within the Indravati Dam Circle continue to be jointly borne by the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) and the Water Resources Department.
The latest controversy: OHPC is now reappointing retired officers at Indravati while educated and unemployed youth remain sidelined.
It has come to light that retired officers who receive monthly pensions of ₹50,000 or more are being given contractual reappointments, raising questions about the corporation’s recruitment policy. The salary and health benefits of these reappointed individuals are being split 50-50 between OHPC and the Water Resources Department, though no clear breakdown of this financial responsibility is available.
For instance:
Gopal Krishna Panda, who served as a section officer under the General Manager’s office at Indravati, has been reappointed after retirement. His wife is employed as a supervisor in the same office.
Simanchal Mishra, who retired as a section officer from the chief construction engineer’s office, also draws a government pension. His wife is a Level-4 school teacher under the School and Mass Education Department.
Both these retired individuals are still working in OHPC’s Indravati division. In fact, Mr. Mishra is reportedly receiving a monthly remuneration of ₹35,000. Shockingly, when questioned, Mr. Panda claimed ignorance about what Mr. Mishra’s job responsibilities are, despite working in the same office.
The glaring question remains: Why are educated, unemployed youth not being appointed, while those already drawing pensions upwards of ₹50,000 are being re-engaged? It seems no one is ready to answer this pressing concern.
Further adding to the woes, Indravati High School, which once had three to four science teachers from the NEE (Non-Engineering Executive) pool of OHPC, has now been left without a science teacher. Although some of the NEE personnel had retired and applied for reappointment, OHPC did not renew their contracts, thereby affecting science education in the region.
Also, Ramesh Pani, another NEE-3 officer, has not yet been officially reappointed, even though he hasn’t taken retirement yet.
While OHPC continues to post annual profits in the crores, it has failed to fulfill its social responsibility toward Nabarangpur district. The corporation has not provided any notable financial support to the area under its operation, especially not to its schools or health centers.
The critical question now being asked is:
Why is OHPC reappointing retired officers instead of recruiting fresh talent for its vacant positions in schools, health centers, and technical offices? Whose interest is truly being served by this policy of reappointment?