Bhubaneswar: The State Cabinet has approved the “Odisha Fisheries Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2026” to regulate recruitment and service conditions for officers in the Fisheries and ARD Department.
The new rules were placed before the Cabinet to formally implement the restructured Odisha Fisheries Service Cadre and bring uniformity in recruitment and administration.
The Fisheries and ARD Department plays a pivotal role in enhancing fish production, implementing welfare schemes for fishers, and protecting the environment through regulatory frameworks.
Key initiatives include the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission and Odisha Shrimp Mission under the Blue Economy initiatives.
The state has set an ambitious target of 33 lakh MT fish production and Rs 25,000 Cr seafood export from the fisheries sector by 2036.
The sector is also expected to generate huge employment through aquaculture, processing, value addition, and market access.
To manage the increased workload and ensure swift delivery of public services, the government had earlier approved restructuring of the OFS Cadre, increasing its sanctioned strength from 617 to 835 posts. The 2026 Rules provide the statutory framework needed to operationalize this.
Key Highlights of the Rules: 1. Statutory Framework
The rules govern recruitment, seniority, and service conditions of OFS officers, providing a clear legal basis for administration.2. Streamlined Recruitment
It outlines induction of officers into the service, including newly created Group ‘A’ posts of Block Fisheries Officer/Assistant Director of Fisheries at Pay Level-12.3.
Transparent Career Progression
Clear and well-defined guidelines for promotions have been established to ensure equitable and improved career progression opportunities for officers within the cadre.
By legally formalizing the restructured cadre, the rules will enable timely deployment of technical and administrative personnel at critical field-level posts. This is expected to strengthen disease control, resource conservation, and overall departmental efficiency.
The “Odisha Fisheries Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2026” will come into force from the date of publication of its Notification in the Odisha Gazette.
