Odisha govt to set up Promotion Adalats

As part of efforts to reform and streamline the administration, Odisha Government has decided to set up Promotion Adalats to ensure that its employees get promotions in time.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed additional chief secretaries of various departments to hold promotion adalats in last week of January to resolve cases that are eligible and due but not done, an official statement said.

Employees who are deprived of due promotion can approach the promotion adalat for expediting their cases.

The move has come after the state government launched a special drive on promotions taken up during the last fortnight of December.

"Seeing the success of the special drive, the chief minister has also directed departments to hold such promotion exercise every December," sources said.

In case someone is eligible and due but not promoted, then responsibility will be fixed on the higher authority for lapses.

"By this two-stage process, the government has streamlined and fixed time frame and responsibility in promotion process of government employees," a statement from Chief Ministers Office said.

"This brings transparency, timeliness, leading to transformation in the entire promotion process. Corruption, whims and fancies of senior officials will be a thing of past with this initiative," it said.

It is expected that this transparent timebound promotions will incentivise hardwork and inspire government employees to put their best, leading to better public service delivery which is the hallmark of 5T (Team work, technology, transparency, transformation and time limit) in governance, it said.

The first promotion adalat will be held in the last week of January 2020.

In order to boost the morale and efficiency of the employees, the chief minister had last month directed all department authorities to complete the process of promotion of the eligible employees by December 31 every year to ensure their promotion from January 1.

Following the directive, 3,166 employees were promoted to higher rank with effect from January 1 this year, sources said, adding those left out can now approach the promotion adalats.