Bhubaneswar, July 22 (IANS) The Odisha government on Tuesday announced a major reshuffle in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre as part of a broader administrative overhaul, impacting several senior bureaucrats across departments.

In the wake of mounting challenges from opposition parties on multiple fronts over the past few months, the state government hopes the reshuffle will enhance governance and improve administrative efficiency.

According to the notification issued by the Odisha GA and PG department on Tuesday, the Additional Chief Secretary, Industries Department and Chairman, IPICOL, Hemant Sharma, has been given the additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary of the Information & Public Relations Department.

The notification further informed that the additional appointment of Sanjay Kumar Singh, as Principal Secretary to the Information & Public Relations Department, has been terminated.

The 1997-batch IAS officer Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra, who currently holds the post of Principal Secretary of Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department with additional charge of Principal Secretary to ST & SC Development, M&BCW Department, has been appointed as Principal Secretary of the Finance Department.

He is allowed to remain in additional charge of Chairman, Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO).

Similarly, 1999-batch officer N.B.S. Rajput has been appointed as Principal Secretary, Public Enterprises Department.

The government has allowed Rajput to retain his position as CMD, OSRTC, the state-owned road transport corporation.

Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, the Principal Secretary to the Sports & Youth Services Department with additional charge of CMD, OPTCL, has been appointed as Principal Secretary of the Excise Department. He will continue to hold the post of CMD, OPTCL.

Senior IAS officer Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar’s additional charge of Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Excise department has been withdrawn.

The 2006-batch IAS officer Roopa Roshan Sahoo, RDC(SD), Berhampur, has been named as the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Governor of Odisha.

Sachin R. Jadhav is appointed as Secretary, Sports & Youth Services Department. He will continue as RDC (Northern Division), Sambalpur and CEO, Western Odisha Development Council (WODC).

The 2008-batch IAS Bhupendra Singh Poonia will now hold the post of Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Skill Development & Technical Education Department. He will remain in charge as MD, IPICOL.

–IANS

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