Odisha Govt Integrates Directorates With Administrative Depts

Bhubaneswar:  To streamline the functioning of the directorates and expedite the process of decision-making, the Odisha government on Wednesday decided to integrate the different directorates with their respective administrative departments to function as composite departments with immediate effect subject to the following conditions:

1. The integrated department shall function in the premises of the respective administrative departments/directorates as may be decided by the administrative department keeping in view the availability of space and public convenience.

2. There will be a single file system through OSWAS (Odisha Secretariat Workflow Automation System) and every proposal referred by the directorate shall not be required to be re-initiated or re-examined de novo in the departments.

3. Sections such as Office Establishment, Issue and Accounts, Cash etc., common to both the offices shall be appropriately reorganised and officers such as DDO (Drawing and Disbursing Officer) and Establishment Officer and staff may be utilised accordingly in the composite departments to ensure better efficiency avoiding duplication of work and wastage of time.

4. Surplus staff if any, shall be surrendered to the pool being managed by the Administrative Reforms Cell of GA & PG (General Administration & Public Grievance) department for redeployment and vacant posts at the lowest level shall be abolished as per the guidelines of the Finance Department.

5. The concerned staff will continue to remain in their respective cadres and will avail service benefits in their own cadre hierarchy. On account of promotion, death, resignation or otherwise, the base level posts in the heads of department (HoD) will stand abolished and in lieu of that, as per requirement, the same shall be filled up from Secretariat Common Cadre meant for HoD keeping  in view the administrative necessity in due consultation/concurrence with the Finance Department. Recruitment in the level of junior assistants in the HoD cadre will not be held until further order.

6. The administrative department shall take the necessary steps to make budget provisions for the composite department. Necessary budget provisions for the integrated department shall be made from the next financial year in consultation with the Finance Department.

7. The OSWAS system operative in the Secretariat shall be modified to integrate the directorates with the departments immediately and the directorates will submit only electronics files after due scanning of the existing files. This has been concurred in by the Finance Department.

The state government has directed that the resolution is to be published in an extraordinary issue of the Odisha Gazette for general information with copies to be forwarded to all departments, heads of departments and district collectors.