Bhubaneswar: Senior Odisha cadre IAS officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal, who is currently on Central deputation, has been assigned additional charge.
Dhal, a 1993-batch IAS officer, is currently serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. He has been entrusted with the additional charge of Secretary, Department of Justice, according to sources.
It may be recalled that Dhal had proceeded on Central deputation in mid-2025 when he was the additional chief secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Earlier, he had worked in several responsible positions of the state government earlier.
He was the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Odisha during the 2024 general elections. The simultaneous elections to the Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha were conducted peacefully during his tenure.
Before his appointment as the CEO, Dhal was the additional chief secretary in the Energy Department and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC).
