Bhubaneswar, December 5: As many 100 Block Education Officer (BEO) posts are lying vacant in the State, said School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond on Friday.

Out of the 100 vacancies, Mayurbhanj district registered highest nine vacant BEO posts followed by seven each in Jagatsinghpur, Koraput and Rayagada districts, six in Balasore, five each in Angul, Kandhamal, Ganjam and Sambalpur, four each in Jajpur, Kendrapara, Puri and Bhadrak, three each in Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Sonepur and two each in Bolagir, Cuttack, Khurda, Malkangiri and Sundergarh districts.

The Minister said that Headmaster of Barabati High School has been given additional charge of the BEO of Simulia block while Oupada BEO was given additional charge of Khaira block.

The Minister said that steps are being take to fill up the posts with regular BEOs in Simulia and Khaira blocks.

This information was given by School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond in a written reply in response to a query of MLA Padmalochan Panda on Friday.

The BEOs monitor elementary schools, release salary bills and do other coordinating jobs. The Block Education Officer mainly deals with the elementary, secondary & mass education under the School and Mass Education Department.

As per the provision, the main functions of Block Education Officer is to make supervision and administration of all types of schools of block under S&ME Department.