Odisha: Manoranjan Mallik posted as Dhenkanal Collector; Saroj Sethi likely to join politics

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government effected a brief IAS reshuffle yesterday afternoon and accordingly the Chief General Manager (Land) of IDCO Manoranjan Mallik has been transferred, a notification issued by the General Administration & Public Grievance (GA&PG) department in this regard mentioned.

As per the official notification, senior bureaucrat Mallik was posted as Dhenkanal Collector.

Similarly, former Dhenkanal Collector Saroj Kumar Sethi has been transferred and posted at Loka Seba Bhawan in Bhubaneswar. Media is abuzz that Sethi is to join politics and contest from Remuna.

According to a private source, the former Collector has applied for his voluntary retirement.

When contacted for his views, Sethi said, “I do not know anything about my voluntary retirement (VRS) or about me joining politics in Odisha. However, I have been transferred to Loka Seba Bhawan.”

Worth mentioning, on Tuesday, the State government also transferred at least 53 OAS officials vide a communiqué issued by the Revenue & Disaster Management (R&DM) department. They have been posted as Deputy Collectors, tehsildars, and block development officers and are required to join their respective workplaces on or before October 27. All of them were centrally relieved at a time. It is being said that the massive transfer was carried out keeping in mind the upcoming 2024 General Elections.