Bhubaneswar: Senior bureaucrat Suresh Kumar Mahapatra assumed charge as Chief Secretary of Odisha on Friday. He replaces Asit Kumar Tripathy, who retired on December 31, 2020.
After assuming office, Mahapatra said priority will be to accelerate the projects and schemes that have been started. He also said that along with fighting against COVID-19 stress will be on reviving the economic activities while ensuring livelihood for the common man in the New Year.
Prior to his appointment as Chief Secretary, the 1986-batch IAS officer was serving as Development Commissioner and holding additional charge as Working Chairperson of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri.
Tripathy has been appointed as Chairman of Western Odisha Development Council (WODC). He will also be the Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister on Regional Development, Tourism, Agribusiness and Industry.
Meanwhile, senior IAS officer Pradeep Kumar Jena, who is serving as the Additional Chief Secretary in Revenue & Disaster Management Department and the Special Relief Commissioner, took the charge as the Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary to Odisha Government.
