Odisha Fisheries Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2026 gets cabinet nod

Bhubaneswar: The Fisheries and ARD department have placed the Cabinet proposal on Odisha Fisheries Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2026 for approval and accordingly, the State Cabinet has been pleased to approve the “Odisha Fisheries Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2026”.

The Fisheries and ARD Department plays a pivotal role in enhancing fish production and implementing various welfare schemes for fishers across the State while protecting the environment through many regulatory frameworks with focused interventions through Odisha Deep sea fishing Mission, Odisha shrimp mission under the framework of Blue economy initiatives.

The state envisaged for 33 lakh MT fish production and Rs 25000 Cr seafood export from fisheries sector. This sector will ensure huge employment generation along with economic development through aquaculture, processing, value addition, market access as per Odisha Vision by 2036.

To effectively manage the manifold increase in the Department’s workload and to ensure the swift delivery of public services, the Government of Odisha had previously approved the restructuring of the Odisha Fisheries Services (OFS) Cadre, increasing its sanctioned strength from 617 to 835 posts.

To formally implement this restructured cadre and to regulate the method of recruitment and conditions of service for its members, it was necessary to frame a corresponding and comprehensive set of rules.

Key Highlights of the Rules:

• Statutory Framework: The rules provide a solid statutory framework governing the recruitment, seniority, and service conditions of OFS officers.
• Streamlined Recruitment: It clearly outlines and regulates the induction of officers into the service, including the newly created Group ‘A’ posts of Block Fisheries Officer/ Assistant Director of Fisheries at Pay Level-12.
• Transparent Career Progression: The rules establish clear, well-defined guidelines for promotions, ensuring equitable and improved career progression opportunities for officers within the cadre.
• Enhanced Efficiency: By formalizing the restructured cadre legally, the rules will facilitate the timely deployment of technical and administrative personnel at critical field-level posts, thereby strengthening disease control, resource conservation, and overall departmental efficiency.

The “Odisha Fisheries Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2026” will come into force with effect from the date of publication of its Notification in the Odisha Gazette.