Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet has approved the restructuring of the existing Odisha Soil Conservation Services cadre, an official statement said on Monday.
The restructuring will maintain the overall sanctioned strength at 319 posts while strengthening positions at the senior levels, it said.
As part of the restructuring, two posts of Additional Director, Soil Conservation, will be created by abolishing the existing post of Director (Technical). Six posts in the rank of Joint Director, Soil Conservation, will also be created.
The number of posts of Deputy Director, Soil Conservation, will be increased from 29 to 32, while eight posts of Assistant Director, Soil Conservation, will be abolished.
The sanctioned strength of Assistant Soil Conservation Officers, the entry-level post, will remain unchanged at 204.
The Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department said the restructuring was required in view of the increased workload and responsibilities arising from programmes related to sustainable land management, watershed development, soil and water conservation, agroforestry, plantation development and climate-resilient agriculture.
The department said the revised cadre would strengthen technical and administrative manpower, improve service delivery to farmers, and provide enhanced promotional avenues and career progression for officers.
The restructuring will take effect from the date of notification of the rules framed for the purpose in the Odisha Gazette.
