3 min readBhubaneswarApr 8, 2026 07:00 AM IST
The BJP government in Odisha has tweaked guidelines and relaxed norms to re-engage retired government employees.
The government, in a fresh resolution on April 2, set aside some of the tough conditions set earlier in September 2024 for the re-engagement of retired government officials to Group C posts and above.
Though the ruling BJP had been opposed to the idea of re-engagement of retired officers while it was in Opposition, months after it came to power in Odisha, it set guidelines in September 2024 to avail the services of capable officers even after their superannuation. The move came amid large-scale vacancies in government posts.
The requirement of an “Outstanding” performance appraisal report (PAR) for 60 continuous months before superannuation, selection through open advertisement, ceiling of 1% of the sanctioned strength at the senior level and above, and the vacation of government accommodation by the officers before re-engagement were some of the conditions set by the government in its September 2024 guidelines.
“Strict norms were set by the government in September 2024 to ensure that re-engagement of retired officers is resorted to only in exceptional cases by maintaining a high performance benchmark and restricting the number of such engagements within a prescribed limit,
so as to prevent routine and indiscriminate re-engagement,” said a source.
Justifying the decision to set aside the previous conditions, a senior government officer said the requirement of having “Outstanding” PAR for 60 consecutive months before retirement is hindering the recruitment of otherwise experienced and capable officers, whose services are highly required in the public interest.
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There will also be no open advertisement before re-engagement, and retired officers are also not require to vacate government accommodation for re-engagement.
“Selection through open advertisement, and vacation of government accommodation prior to re-engagement, are found to be restrictive and a hindrance to facilitate optimal utilisation of experienced retired personnel in the public interest,” read the new guidelines.
The retired government officials will be selected through a selection committee headed by the Chief Secretary, said officials.
The BJP government’s decision drew sharp criticism from the Opposition, with the BJD calling it a “double standard”.
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“While the BJP had earlier opposed the re-engagement of retired officials, after coming to power in the state, it is now facilitating and encouraging such reappointments in large numbers, exposing its double standard,” said BJD spokesperson Lelin Mohanty.
Nearly 1 lakh government posts are lying vacant in various departments.
