Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal, who was Additional Chief Secretary to Odisha Chief Minister, was on Friday relieved from the state government to enable him to join his new assignment at the Centre.
As per a notification issued by the General Administration and Public Grievance department, the 1993-batch IAS officer was relieved to enable him to join as Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
As per official sources, Dhal will hold this position in the rank and pay of a Secretary to the Government of India.
This appointment as serves as a precursor to Dhal taking over the charge of Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, upon the superannuation of the current Secretary, Umang Narula.
Narula, a 1989 batch IAS officer from the AGMUT cadre, is slated to retire from his services on June 30, 2025.
Dhal’s early appointment as OSD will likely facilitate a smooth transition of responsibilities within the crucial Ministry.
Dhal has worked in several responsible positions of the state government. He was the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) before being appointed as ACS to CM.
The simultaneous elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha were peacefully conducted in the state recently under the supervision of Dhal.
