Five IAS officers get new assignments as Arindam Dakua removed as Odisha CM's Private Secretary

Bhubaneswar, Jan 2: In a recent bureaucratic reshuffle, the Odisha government announced on Thursday the appointment of Arindam Dakua, who previously served as Private Secretary to the Chief Minister, as the new Director of Municipal Administration and Ex-officio Additional Secretary in the Housing and Urban Development Department.

Dakua was appointed as the Chief Minister's Private Secretary in July of the previous year while he was the Collector in Cuttack.

Additionally, several other IAS officers have been assigned new roles. As per a notification from the General Administration Department, NBS Rajput, currently the Principal Secretary to the Governor, has been entrusted with the additional responsibilities of Principal Secretary for the Public Enterprise Department.

Temjenwapang Ao, the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Public Enterprise Department, has been appointed as Special Secretary in the Planning and Convergence Department.

Moreover, Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Managing Director of IPICOL, has received the additional role of Commissioner-cum-Secretary for the Skill Development and Technical Education Department. His current responsibilities include serving as Special Secretary in the Industries Department and Managing Director of IDCO.

It was noted that Rajput’s additional role as Principal Secretary for Skill Development and Technical Education will be discontinued once Poonia officially assumes the position.

Lastly, Prem Chaudhary, who is the Director of Agriculture and Food Production, has been named Director of Textiles and Handlooms while also maintaining his position as Managing Director of the Odisha Agro Industries Corporation Limited.