Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday effected a minor bureaucratic reshuffle, transferring and reappointing four senior IAS officers to key positions.
In a significant decision ahead of the rural elections scheduled for next year, Roopa Mishra (2004 batch), who returned from central deputation, has been appointed as Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department. Mishra previously served as Director of Special Projects in Panchayati Raj Department and also handled drinking water initiatives as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Her experience in this sector positions her exceptionally well to lead the department.
The notification issued by General Administration & Public Grievance Department further stated that Bishnupada Sethi, an officer of the 1995 batch who serves as Chairman of Odisha Forest Development Corporation alongside additional charge as Chief Administrator of KBK, has been shifted to the General Administration & Public Grievance Department as an Officer on Special Duty.
Sethi has been under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over his alleged link with a senior officer of a central PSU who was arrested in a ₹10-lakh bribery case in December 2024.
Similarly, Girish S N (2002 batch), Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, has been moved to head the Health & Family Welfare Department. He takes over from Aswathy S. (2003 batch), who has been reassigned as the Special Secretary to the Finance Department while retaining her additional charge as the Chief Executive Officer of the State Institute for Transformative Initiatives, Odisha (SITI-Odisha).