Bhubaneswar: Three Odisha-cadre IAS officers have been promoted to the rank of Principal Secretary. The General Administration and Public Grievance Department of the state government issued a notification in this regard.

As per the notification, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Odisha, R. Santhanagopalan, has been promoted to the rank of Principal Secretary.

After the promotion, Santhanagopalan, a 2001-batch IAS officer, will continue working as the CEO, Odisha and ex-officio Principal Secretary to Home (Elections) Department of the state government. He will also continue to hold additional charge of Principal Secretary to the SSEPD Department in the state, said the notification.

Similarly, Shalini Pandit and Dodda Venkata Swamy, both 2001 IAS officers, have been promoted to the rank of Principal Secretary. Pandit and Venkata Swamy are now on central deputation, it added.

It is worth mentioning here that Pandit is now serving as the Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services in the Union Ministry of Finance.

Prior to her central deputation, Pandit was serving as the Commissioner-cum-Secretary in the School and Mass Education Department in Odisha.   

She had earlier worked as the Commissioner-cum Secretary in the health and Family Welfare Department and Director of National Health Mission, Odisha.