By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha High Court slammed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi led BJP Government in the State in its order dated 08.07.2025 against re-engagement of Sri Chandrasekhar Padhy as OSD-cum-EIC ,Water Resources Department after retirement.
The order of Government in Re-engagement of Sri Chandrasekhar Padhy as OSD-cum-EIC ,Water Resources for six months after retirement has been slammed by High Court in its order dtd 08.07.2025 in WP(C) no 18537/2025 . The High Court reiterated that no retired employee shall get in regular vacant post .
There are 6 EICs in the department of water resources. Out of them the Principal EIC Er Chandrasekhar Padhi mysteriously got an extension today vide Govt order no dtd 3rd July,2025 after he got retired on 30th June 2025. The people got astonished by such acts of the CMO that dooms promotion of the next incumbent in cadre of irrigation engineers. Critics also raise their eye brow at such a mysterious order overnight without open advertisement and selection by 4-member high level committee headed by Chief Secretary. government. The engineering cadre of water resources are grinding axe against this blatant favoritism, corruption and illegality.
The Odisha Engineering Services Rules 2012 recognizes the post of EIC in the engineering service cadre. The post of EIC is a promotional post and a candidate who is a Chief Engineer shall be considered for promotion to the post of EIC by the DPC.The post of EIC,WR happens to State Highest Technical Authority in Water Resources Department the appointment can only be made by way of promotion and by no other means.
Chandrasekhar Padhy, vide Notification No. 17920 dated 03.07.2025 “RE-ENGAGED” after superannuation on 30.06.2025, as OSD-cum- EIC for a period of 6 months as per Govt in GA Department Resolution No. 26993 dated 12.09.2024 which is illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable and contrary to the said resolution itself.
The Resolution dated 12.09.2024 is a comprehensive guideline relating to the engagement of the retired government servants on temporary basis. In the said Resolution, it has been specifically mentioned that vacancies for dealing the routine works SHALL NOT be filled up by the way of RE-ENGAGEMENT of retired employees. Instead, the Department/Office concerned shall take suitable measures to fill up the said vacancies through direct/promotional recruitment as the case may be. That too the said Resolution has specified that if re-engagement is done for any special duty others than routine works like, than the selection must go on open advertisement and a Selection Committee shall be constituted for the said engagement.
In the above context, the re-engagement of Sri Padhy in the post looking after routine works that too at the top most level of EIC WR is illegal and not tenable. Being aggrieved by such a decision in illegal re-engagement of the retired Sri Chandrasekhar Padhy, the senior most Chief Engineers who is due to be promoted to the next higher post of EIC, WR as per recommendation of DPC dtd 02.05.25 approached Hon’ble Odisha High Court in WP(C) No 18537/2025 .
In the above backdrop ,Sri Padhy shall not continue further as EIC WR .If desired by Govt.,he shall function only as OSD looking some special work as allotted by the Department beyond the routine works of the specified EIC posts.
