Bhubaneswar: As a further step towards strengthening the local governance in Odisha and on the basis of recommendations of the 4th State Finance Commission, the Odisha Government has decided to merge the functions and office of DRDAs with respective Zilla Parishads, the apex body of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system, in all districts.
“The State Government has decided to merge the functions and Office of DRDAs with respective Zilla Parishads in districts and abolish the present structure of DRDAs with effect from the date of publication of Resolution in Extraordinary Issue of the Odisha Gazette, read a resolution issued by the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, Govt. of Odisha.
The State Government have been laying emphasis to strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the State and has taken several steps for empowerment and transformation of the PRIs.
The matter relating to the merger of DRDAs in Districts with respective Zilla Parishads of Odisha was under active consideration of the State Government for some time. DRDAs of Districts are agencies registered under the Societies Act, 1860, the main function of which is to implement and monitor different development schemes in the District. The PRIs being institutions of self Governance must be empowered enough and be directly involved in the implementation, monitoring and supervision of various development schemes as well as execution of different public welfare decisions of the State Government.
Zilla Parishad is the apex tier of the Panchayati Raj System at the district level and needs to be entrusted with all the functions of DRDAs in order to enable it to plan and implement the schemes for poverty alleviation, overall economic development and social justice, reads the Resolution.
Following are the principles and modalities to be followed for the functioning of Zilla Parishads after the merger of functions and Office of DRDAs and abolition of DRDAs in the State of Odisha;
- All the existing officers and employees holding duty posts in the District Rural Development Agency, on regular basis shall be the employees of the Zilla Parishads.
- All the existing posts in DRDAs, excluding the posts, specifically decided to be abolished, shall be deemed to have been created for the Zilia Parishads with effect from the date of the merger.
- The salaries and non-salaried of all the regular employees of Zilla Parishads after the merger of DRDAs will be met by a single Demand Head of Zilla Perished.
- The 30 posts of Asst. PD (Finance), 30 posts of Asst. PD (Skill Development)-cum-Project Executive (CB), 30 posts of Asst. PD (RH), 30 posts of Asst. PD (Livelihoods)-cum-Project Executive (Micro Finance) and 30 posts of Programme Officers in the present DRDA structure will be abolished and 150 posts of Programme Manager, including 30 posts of Programme Manager (Finance) and 30 posts of Programme Manager (IT) are to be created in the Scale of Pay of Rs.9300 — 34,800/-with Grade Pay of Rs.4200/- (as per ORSP Rules, 2008) i.e. in Level-9 of the Pay Matrix under ORSP Rules, 2017 in Zilla Perished.
- The posts of Programme Managers to be created in Zilla Perished after the merger shall constitute a State Cadre for good governance. The vacancies in these posts arising after the merger shall be filled up by direct recruitment through Odisha Staff Selection Commission in accordance with the Cadre rules/ guidelines to be framed by PR&DW Department in this regard.
- Seven posts namely Senior Programme Manager (Finance) having Scale of Pay Rs.9300-34,800/- + G.P. Rs.4600/- (In ORSP Rules, 2008) i.e. in Level-10 of the Pay Matrix under ORSP Rules, 2017 shall be created in Zilla Perished (after the merger) in order to absorb seven number of regular Asst. PD (Finance) presently working in different DRDAs. These posts shall stand automatically abolished with the retirement/ resignation/ death of the incumbents.
- 30 posts of “Personal Assistant” with Scale of Pay of Rs.9300 — 34,800/-with Grade Pay of Rs.4200/- (as per ORSP Ruls, 2008) i.e. in Level-9 of the Pay Matrix under ORSP Rules, 2017 are to be created in the Zilla Perished with effect from the date of the merger.
- The incumbents holding the post of regular Programme Officer in DRDAs shall be absorbed in the post of Programme Manager having Scale of Pay Rs.9300-34,800/- + G.P. Rs.4200/- (In ORS? Rules, 2008) i.e. in Level-9 of the Pay Matrix under ORSP Rates, 2017 in Zilla Perished with effect from the date of the merger.
- The Director, Panchayati Raj, PR&DW Department shall be the Appointing Authority as well as Disciplinary Authority and the Principal Secretary, PR & DW Dept shall be the Appellate Authority in respect of the Programme Managers and Senior Programme Managers of the Zilla Parishads.
