Odisha Revamps Revenue Service Recruitment Rules to Boost Transparency and Efficiency

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Cabinet has approved key amendments to the Odisha Revenue Service (ORS) Recruitment Rules, 2011. The move is aimed at making the recruitment and promotion processes within the ORS cadre more merit-driven, uniform, and transparent.

Under the revised rules, the government has scrapped the ‘selection’ route of recruitment, which earlier allowed 10% of the ORS posts to be filled by officers from non-revenue backgrounds. This reform eliminates lateral entry, thereby ensuring that all ORS officers now enter the service through structured and accountable processes.

The new system mandates that 67% of the ORS posts will be filled through direct recruitment via the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) Combined Competitive Examination. The remaining 33% will be reserved for promotions from within the revenue administration, offering career progression opportunities to eligible field and ministerial staff.

The eligibility norms for promotions have also been revised. Candidates must now have completed at least six years of service in Level-9 positions—such as Revenue Inspectors and Revenue Supervisors—or as ministerial staff in revenue offices governed by the Odisha Revised Scales of Pay Rules, 2017. Furthermore, the maximum age limit for promotion has been reduced from 53 years to 50 years.

According to officials, these reforms will foster a more competent and responsive ORS cadre by rewarding experience and ensuring a more structured career path. The revised rules are also expected to reduce delays in filling key administrative positions and enhance service delivery at the grassroots level.