IAS reshuffle in Odisha: Bishnupada out, Aravind in as Higher Education Secretary

Priya Ranjan Swain Published On : Jun 9, 2023 at 8:24 PM

Bhubaneswar: After the removal of Higher Education Minister Rohit Pujari from Odisha Cabinet, the state government has shifted departmental secretary Bishnupada Sethi in a minor reshuffle in IAS cadre.

Sethi, a 1995-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the department of General Administration and Public Grievance.

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Sethi was earlier holding the additional charge of Odisha Hydro Power Corporation Ltd chairman.

Finance department Principal Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev, a 1996-batch IAS officer, has been asked to hold the additional charge of chairman, Odisha Hydro Power Corporation Ltd, said a notification issued by the General Administration department today.

Aravind Agrawal, a 2007-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Higher Education department, added the notification.

Agrawal will also hold the additional charge of director, Rural Development.

Agrawal was earlier working as the director of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development department with additional charge managing director, Mahila Vikash Samabaya Nigama.

Pujari was removed from the state Cabinet over his poor performance as the Higher Education Minister of Odisha, sources said.