Bhubaneswar: S K Nanda, an IAS officer of 1978-batch of Gujarat cadre and native of Odisha’s Puri, died of a cardiac arrest in the USA on Friday. He was 68.
According to family sources, Nanda had gone to the US with his wife Sanjukta on July 22 to visit his children. He suffered a cardiac arrest while under treatment for pneumonia at a hospital in Ithaca in New York State.
During his stint with the Gujarat government, he served as Additional Chief Secretary, Home, when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister from 2012 to 2014 and also as Director of Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco). He also served in other departments like Tourism, Information & Broadcasting, Finance, Food & Civil Supplies, Youth Services & Culture, Forest & Environment.
He also worked with as Director of Tourism in Odisha government from 1990 to 1992.
As Assistant Collector and Collector in districts of Dangs, Baroda, Panchmahals, Banaskanta, Junagadh, he handled water scarcity in 1984, drought situation in 1985-87, disaster operations in the districts and all programmes relating to health, water, law and order, environment and afforestation, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He last held the post of CMD, Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd.
Nanda bagged several awards, including commendation from PMO for excellent work in health sector.
After retirement from service, he worked for tribal development, girl child, environment, HAM Radio and propagation of art and culture. He was also the president of Jagannath Cultural Research Centre.
Nanda, who specialised in ham radio operations, had first used amateur radio operators as relief commissioner of Gujarat to establish contact with Amreli district after it was completely cut-off due to a cyclone in 1997. He also chaired the Gujarat Institute of Amateur Radio (GIAR) after the Kutch earthquake of 2021.
