Bhubaneswar: The State government has appointed retired IAS officer Srikant Prusty as the new Commissioner of the State Co-operative Election Commission, marking a significant administrative move aimed at strengthening cooperative governance in the state.
A 2003 batch IAS officer, Prusty recently retired after a distinguished career in public service. An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, where he earned his M.Tech degree, Prusty is known for his leadership across various departments and initiatives during his tenure.
Before his retirement, he served as the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Northern Division) in Sambalpur, where he played a vital role in regional administration. He also held the post of Special Secretary in the Panchayati Raj Department, where he was credited with effective management of resource allocation among Panchayati Raj Institutions.
His tenure as Special Secretary of the Handloom, Textiles & Handicrafts Department was particularly noteworthy for leading the formulation of the Odisha Textile & Apparel Policy 2022, a major initiative to promote the state’s textile sector.
Prusty’s career also includes roles such as Additional Secretary in the Higher Education Department, Director of Horticulture, and Program Director of the Odisha Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme (OTELP) under the ST & SC Development Department.
His appointment is expected to bring a wealth of administrative experience and policy insight to the Co-operative Election Commission, especially at a time when cooperative institutions are gaining greater importance in the state’s development strategy.
