Cuttack, Sept. 14 (UDN): Cuttack district administration has ordered a review of employee tenures in the District Education Officer (DEO) and Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) offices after allegations surfaced that some staff members have continued in the same posts for as long as a decade, raising questions over adherence to Odisha’s transfer policy.

The scrutiny comes amid claims that while some employees have remained in the same office for nearly five years, others have reportedly continued in identical posts for eight to 10 years.

Transfer policy under scrutiny

Under the state’s transfer guidelines, employees are generally not expected to remain in the same seat for more than three years or continue in the same district beyond six years. The allegations have prompted concerns over whether these norms have been consistently followed in the two offices.

The review has also extended to the Public Health Officer (PHO) office as the administration seeks details of employee postings across the departments.

Collector seeks tenure details

Cuttack Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde said reports have been sought on the duration of service of individual employees in the DEO, CDMO and PHO offices. He said the administration will examine the records and initiate transfers wherever employees are found to have exceeded the permissible tenure under government rules.

According to the Collector, the state follows a strict policy that discourages employees from remaining in the same seat for more than three years, even if they continue in the same office.

Exceptions and fresh allegations

Shinde said the CDMO office faces a practical limitation because certain responsibilities are tied to a single sanctioned post, making transfers difficult in some cases.

He also referred to allegations involving the DEO office, where some employees are accused of leaving for a brief period before returning to the same positions. The administration will verify these claims during the review.

The Collector assured that before the current transfer season concludes, efforts will be made to ensure that employees do not continue in seats that violate the prescribed transfer norms, reinforcing the district administration’s focus on transparency and compliance with government policy.