Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has approved amendments to the service rules governing Panchayat Executive Officers (PEOs), paving the way for a major restructuring of the cadre and enhanced promotional opportunities for employees, according to an official statement issued by the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department on Monday.
The proposed Odisha Panchayat Executive Officers Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Amendment Rules, 2026, provide for the creation of a restructured cadre with 3,294 posts in Pay Levels 7 and 9.
Of these, 2,030 posts will be placed in Pay Level-7 and 1,264 in Pay Level-9, significantly expanding career advancement opportunities within the PEO cadre.
Under the existing arrangement, promotion from PEO to Gram Panchayat Development Officer (GPDO) was restricted to just 2.5 per cent of the PEO cadre, limiting prospects for career progression.
The restructuring is expected to address this constraint, improve employee morale and motivation, and strengthen administrative efficiency at the grassroots level.
The state Cabinet had approved the restructuring proposal at its meeting on February 22, 2024. The decision was subsequently notified through a departmental resolution dated March 7, 2024.
The draft amendment rules have since received approval from the General Administration and Public Grievance, Law and Finance departments. Following the latest Cabinet approval, the amendments will be implemented after their publication in the Odisha Gazette, along with district-wise distribution of sanctioned posts under the restructured cadre.
The government has also decided to raise the minimum educational qualification for direct recruitment to PEO posts to graduation or an equivalent qualification from the existing requirement. The move is intended to attract better-qualified candidates into the Panchayati Raj administrative system.
The reforms are expected to promote greater accountability, improve public service delivery and strengthen the functioning of Gram Panchayats across Odisha.
