Odisha effects major reshuffle in IAS cadre; Arabinda Padhee, Shubha Sarma transferred

Bhubaneswar: The state government today effected a major reshuffle in the IAS cadre in Odisha by transferring several officers and giving additional responsibilities to a few others.

The General Administration and Public Grievance Department of the state government issued a notification in this regard.

As per the notification, Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) to Planning and Convergence Department, Deoranjan Kumar Singh, has been given the additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary to Steel and Mines Department.

 Surendra Kumar, a 1993-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the ACS to General Administration and Public Grievance Department. He was earlier working as the ACS to Steel and Mines Department.

Kumar has been allowed to remain in additional charge of ACS to the Parliamentary Department.

Bishnupada Sethi, a 1995 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the Chairman of Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC). He will hold the additional charge of Chief Administrator KBK.

Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department ACS Arabinda Kumar Padhee (1996 batch) has been transferred and posted as ACS to Revenue and Disaster Management Department. He will remain in additional charge of Chief Administrator Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri.

The state government has transferred Fisheries and Animal Resources Department Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar Vashishth (1997 batch) and appointed him as the Principal Secretary to Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department.    

Rashmita Panda is the new Vice Chairperson of Bhubaneswar Development Authority

Women and Child Development Department Principal Secretary Shubha Sarma (1999 batch) has been shifted and posted as the Principal Secretary to Water Resources Department, said the notification.

The government has appointed NBS Rajput (1999 batch) as the Principal Secretary to the Commerce and Transport Department. He was earlier working as the Principal Secretary to Public Enterprise Department.

Mrinalini Darswal, a 2002 batch officer, has been posted as the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Women and Child Development Department. Darswal was earlier serving as the Special Resident Commissioner, New Delhi.

As per the notification, IAS officer Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav has been appointed Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department. He was earlier serving as the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Sports and Youth Services Department.   

As part of the IAS reshuffle, Rashmita Panda (2010 batch) has been appointed as the Vice Chairperson of Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA). She will also hold the additional charge of Managing Director of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) and Special Secretary to the Housing and Urban Development Department.

Similarly, Sadique Alam, a 2010 batch officer, has been posted as Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Public Enterprises Department.

Mansi Nimbhal (2010 batch) is the new Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Mission Shakti Department while Prem Chandra Chaudhury (also 2010 batch) has been posted as the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department.

Labour and ESI Department ACS Chithra Arumugam has been given the additional charge of Director General of Gopabandhu Academy of Administration in Bhubaneswar.

Similarly, Housing and Urban Development Department ACS Usha Padhee has been assigned the additional responsibility of Chairperson, Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), said the notification.