Secretary-Level Rejig In Odisha Bureaucracy Soon

Bhubaneswar: With a new Chief Secretary in the saddle, the Odisha government is contemplating to soon reshuffle the bureaucracy at the highest echelons. It is likely to affect at least seven to eight senior IAS officers, official sources said on Monday.

“Apart from certain existing vacancies, the rejig is expected to see changes among secretaries of certain administrative departments,” a source said.

The posts of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and Secretary, Rural Development, which have fallen vacant following P K Jena’s elevation as Development Commissioner, would get new incumbents. Similarly, going by discussions in bureaucratic circles, 1993 batch IAS officer Deoranjan Kumar Singh and 1994 batch IAS officer G Mathivathanan who have served as Secretary, Panchayati Raj, and Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, respectively for long might get new postings. Certain other departments like Women and Child Development and SC, ST Development & Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare might also get new secretaries, sources revealed.

The vacancy created by superannuation of 2004 batch IAS officer Niranjan Sahu as Revenue Divisional Commissioner (North) is also expected to be filled up. Sahu, who was formerly Additional Secretary to Chief Minister, has been appointed Member, Odisha Public Service Commission.

The shake-up is expected to see 2002 IAS officer Debjani Chakraborty, who returned from central deputation recently, get a secretary-rank posting. Going by speculation, she is likely to get posting in a department. Some officers would be stripped of additional charge while vacancies created by certain officers who have proceeded on central deputation would also be filled up, sources said, adding, the government is likely to reward those officers who have performed well in managing the COVID pandemic.