Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Manoj Ahuja assumed charge as Chief Secretary of Odisha at Lok Seva Bhawan here on Sunday. He took charge from outgoing Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena, whose tenure was extended by six months due to the elections.
A native of Haryana, the 1990-batch IAS officer was on central deputation since 2017. He was recently repatriated to the parent cadre on the request of the state government. He will be first person from outside Odisha to serve as the top administrator of the state in four decades.
Ahuja, who is due for superannuation in December 2024, has vast administrative experience, having last served as the Union agriculture secretary. He earlier held key positions like special director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Admin (LBSNAA) and chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). He also served as secretary of key departments like cooperation, steel and mines, sports and youth affairs and food supplies and consumer welfare and commissioner, commercial tax in Odisha.
He is expected to not only successfully implement BJP’s election promises but also help in picking senior IAS officers to be posted in various department and district collectors in the Mohan Majhi government.