Bhubaneswar, Sept. 5: The higher education department has for the first time introduced counselling for newly recruited lecturers to fill up vacant posts in the government-aided private colleges.

The move is aimed to maintain transparency in the allotment of colleges to selected candidates.

The state selection board will conduct counselling for the 1,625 new lecturers.

A department notification said the candidates were required to bring their identity cards, education certificates, medical certificates and documents related to the occupation of their spouses to the counselling centre.

Candidates selected as lecturers for English and psychology have been asked to report at the Odisha State Bureau of Textbook Preparation and Production in Acharya Vihar on September 7.

Those selected as faulty for economics and mathematics have been directed to reach the Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies for counselling on the same date.

Candidates selected as lecturers for other subjects have been asked to report at the two counselling centres on September 8.

"It is a common practice for teachers to use the influence of political leaders or government officials in order to select their area of transfer. The process of counselling will make the postings transparent," said Paresh Dash, a senior university lecturer.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the department to ensure that the posting of the teachers were in colleges situated in backward areas of the state.

Since these lecturers are not government employees, orders of appointment will be issued by the respective colleges.