Bhubaneswar: State Cabinet has recently approved several significant decisions aimed at restructuring and streamlining the Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Department. Chief Secretary Shrimati Anu Garg briefed Media after the Cabinet Meeting held here today.
A primary highlight of these reforms is the amendment to the Odisha Labour Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2019.
This change grants an exemption from departmental examinations for Assistant Labour Officers and Rural Labour Inspectors who were appointed prior to the 2019 rules. The amendment paves the way for these officers to regularize their positions and enhances their eligibility for future promotions.
In addition to administrative restructuring, the cabinet has updated the legal curriculum within the Odisha Labour Service rules to reflect national legislative changes.
The General Law paper will now include the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, replacing the older colonial-era codes.
The healthcare sector under the ESI scheme is also seeing major policy updates. The cabinet has approved the framing of the Odisha Employees’ State Insurance Scheme Ministerial Service Rules, 2026.
This creates a new dedicated cadre to regulate recruitment and service conditions for personnel working in ESI hospitals and dispensaries across the state.
Simultaneously, the 2014 rules for the ESI Medical Service have been amended to ensure a more fair and streamlined recruitment process that aligns with modern administrative requirements and examination practices.