Odisha: Govt Announces Minor Bureaucratic Reshuffle, IAS Arindam Dakua Made Director, H&UD Dept

In a minor reshuffle of the state bureaucracy, the Odisha government on Thursday appointed Mr. Arindam Dakua, Private Secretary to the Chief Minister, as Director, Municipal Administration, and Ex-officio Additional Secretary, Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department.

A 2011-batch IAS officer, Mr. Dakua was previously serving as Cuttack Collector before being appointed as the Chief Minister’s Private Secretary in July 2023. He replaces Mr. Debasis Singh, an OAS officer, who has been transferred to the position of Special Secretary, H&UD Department.

Key Transfers and New Assignments:

IAS Officers:

1. Mr. NBS Rajput (1999-batch IAS officer):
   • Current Role: Principal Secretary to the Governor.
   • New Additional Charge: Principal Secretary, Public Enterprise Department.
2. Mr. Temjenwapag Ao (2000-batch IAS officer):
   • Current Role: Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Public Enterprise Department.
   • New Role: Special Secretary, Planning and Convergence Department.
3. Mr. Bhupendra Singh Poonia (2008-batch IAS officer):
   • Current Role: Managing Director, IPICOL; Special Secretary, Industries Department; Managing Director, Idco.
   • New Additional Charge: Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Skill Development and Technical Education Department.
   • Note: The additional charge of Mr. NBS Rajput as Principal Secretary, Skill Development and Technical Education Department, will be terminated once Mr. Poonia assumes the role.
4. Mr. Prem Chaudhary (2010-batch IAS officer):
   • Current Role: Director, Agriculture and Food Production; Managing Director, Odisha Agro Industries Corporation Limited.
   • New Role: Director, Textiles and Handlooms (retaining additional charge as Managing Director, Odisha Agro Industries Corporation Limited).

OAS Officers:

1. Mr. Anuj Kumar Das Pattanaik:
   • Current Role: Additional Secretary, Steel and Mines Department.
   • New Role: Additional Secretary, Women and Child Development (W&CD) Department.
2. Mr. Gauttam Choudhury:
   • Previous Appointment (Cancelled): Additional Secretary, W&CD Department.
   • New Role: Additional Secretary, Steel and Mines Department.

These changes, as notified by the General Administration Department, aim to streamline administrative functions across various departments.