Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Manoj Kumar Sahoo has been appointed as the Private Secretary to the Chief Minister of Odisha.

The 2006 batch IAS is currently serving as the Special Secretary to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

“The post of Private Secretary to the Odisha Chief Minister is declared equivalent in status and responsibility to the post of Special Secretary provided in the IAS cadre of the State,” The notification mentioned.

Sahoo has joined the Odisha Government on the lnter-Cadre Deputation. He is an Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT)-cadre IAS officer.

With today’s appointment, it is Sahoo’s first posting in the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). He has served as the Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India.

This appointment of Sahoo has put to rest all the speculations on who will replace Arindam Dakua post his trasfer from the position of the Private Secretary to the Odisha CM on January 2, 2025.

The 2011-batch Odisha cadre IAS was appointed as Director of the Municipal Administartion and Ex-officio Additional Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department.