Bhubaneswar: Senior Odisha cadre IAS officer Santosh Kumar Sarangi has been given additional responsibility of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
Sarangi, a 1994-batch IAS officer, is currently posted as Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy,
His new appointment follows the abrupt removal of Rameshwar Prasad Gupta from the CMD post on Saturday, a month prior to the completion of his tenure.
A notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training stated that Sarangi will hold the additional charge “till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”
Sarangi had assumed the role of Secretary, MNRE last month as part of a broader bureaucratic reshuffle. Prior to this, he served as the Director General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The Department of Personnel and Training had issued a strongly-worded notification on Saturday announcing the “termination of services” of Gupta, an IAS officer, as the CMD of SECI with immediate effect. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved this decision.
The reasons for Gupta’s premature removal have not been officially disclosed. Sarangi’s appointment to this crucial role in the renewable energy sector signifies the government’s swift action to ensure continued leadership and momentum in India’s solar energy initiatives.