Bhubaneswar, June 26: Senior bureaucrats who had played key roles in the Naveen Patnaik government have been rewarded with jobs after retirement.

The latest example of this is chief secretary Bijay Patnaik, who is due to retire by the month-end. He is being tipped for the job of chairman of State Staff Selection Commission.

Officers who worked in the core group of the Naveen Patnaik government were accommodated in independent bodies such as State Election Commission, Human Rights Commission, State Administrative Tribunal, State Information Commission, Odisha Public Service Commission, State Staff Selection Commission and Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Before Patnaik, Debendra Prasad Dhal was made a member of Staff Selection Commission after retirement in 2011. Later, he was made the stand-in chairman of the commission when the body did not have a full-time head.

Before Dhal, former principal chief conservator of forest Suresh Chandra Mohanty used to head the organisation.

Former director of general of police (DGP), Gopal Chandra Nanda had headed the Staff Selection Commission between 2008 and 2010 after his retirement. He said: “It is important that efficient and tested people are appointed to sensitive posts.”

While the chief secretaries were accommodated in various commissions as chairpersons, the junior officers, after retirement, were posted as members of the commission.

Former chief secretary Tarun Kanti Mishra now heads the Information Commission. R.N. Bohidar, who retired as development commissioner, is now the chairman of Odisha Human Rights Commission. Before him, Justice R.K. Patra and Justice D.P. Mohapatra headed the body.

Pramod Kumar Mohanty is currently one of the information commissioners of the state. Besides, former chief secretary Ajit Tripathy holds the post of the chairman of the State Election Commission. Former IAS officer S.P. Nanda was appointed chairman of the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Former additional chief secretary R.N. Senapati heads the newly created State Cooperative Election Commission.

However, advocate Biswa Priya Kanungo, a social activist, doesn’t hold such appointments in high regard.

He said: “Independent organisations such as Information Commission and Human Rights Commission have failed to serve their purpose with the government turning them into post retirement rehabilitation centres. The political masters try to create a set of officers who dance to their tunes. This is a threat to good governance.”