Patna: Bihar has taken another step towards strengthening rural administration with the appointment of 359 newly selected Rural Development Officers (RDOs). The appointments followed the 70th Combined Competitive Examination conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).
Rural Development and Information & Public Relations Minister Shravan Kumar distributed appointment letters to the newly selected officers on Thursday and said their induction would give fresh momentum to development work in rural areas.
New Officers to Strengthen Rural Development
The minister said RDOs have an important role in implementing development and welfare initiatives at the grassroots level.
Their responsibilities include:
- Supporting rural infrastructure development
- Implementing welfare schemes
- Assisting in disaster management
- Supporting administrative and law-and-order responsibilities
Kumar said the new officers should make transparency, accountability and sensitivity the foundation of their work while dealing with people in rural areas.
He also said faster administrative action at the grassroots level would help improve the implementation of development programmes.
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359 Appointments After BPSC Examination
The Bihar Public Service Commission recommended 390 candidates for Rural Development Officer posts through the 70th Combined Competitive Examination. After biometric and certificate verification through BIPARD, the candidates were cleared for appointment. The RDO is the entry-level post in the Bihar Rural Development Service at Level 7, with postings possible in blocks, DRDAs as Assistant Project Officers and JEEViKA Nidhi as Assistant Administrative Officers.
Focus on Stronger Block-Level Administration
The minister stressed the role of block offices in delivering rural development and welfare schemes. A Block Development Officer post has been created in every block, with an additional Rural Development Officer in blocks having over 15 panchayats to strengthen administration and improve scheme implementation.
Bihar’s Wider Employment and Development Push
Kumar said the appointments are part of the government’s wider focus on creating employment opportunities for young people and strengthening development administration. He noted that 960 Rural Development Officers had earlier been appointed in Bihar.
The department also recently distributed appointment letters to 2,446 candidates selected for various JEEViKA positions. Kumar said a stronger rural development workforce would help deliver welfare and development schemes to beneficiaries more efficiently.
Role in Building a Developed Bihar
Kumar said young professionals are vital to the vision of a developed Bihar and India. The newly appointed officers will connect government programmes with people at the grassroots.
Their deployment is expected to strengthen rural governance, speed up administration and support development initiatives across Bihar.
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