Senior IAS Officer Manoj Ahuja Tipped To Become Odisha Chief Secretary

Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Manoj Ahuja is likely to become the next Chief Secretary of Odisha.

He will succeed Pradeep Kumar Jena, whose term following six-month extension ends on June 30.

Ahuja, a 1990-batch Odisha-cadre officer, is currently serving as Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

On Tuesday, the Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet approved his repatriation to his parent cadre on the request of the state government.

The IAS officer has held several portfolios like Joint Director (Personnel Training/Personnel & General Administration) at the Centre and Commissioner and Secretary, Steel & Mines and Sports & Youth Services in Odisha. He also served as the Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education, Ministry of Education.

Ahuja holds a BE (Mech) degree from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, MBA from Punjab University, Chandigarh and Masters in Public Administration (International Development) from Harvard University, USA.