Odisha Chief Secretary assigned additional role as Chief Resident Commissioner

Bhubaneswar, Jan 27: Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has been assigned additional responsibility as the Chief Resident Commissioner of Odisha in New Delhi.

A 1990-batch IAS officer, Ahuja’s service period was recently extended by one year starting January 1, 2025. He also serves as the Chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri.

The General Administration and Public Grievance Department issued a notification on January 24 stating, “Manoj Ahuja, Chief Secretary, Odisha, with the additional charge of Chairman, SJTA, Puri, is allowed to hold the additional charge of Chief Resident Commissioner, Government of Odisha, New Delhi.”

In August, Vishal Gagan, Special Secretary in the Industries Department, was appointed as the Principal Resident Commissioner of Odisha in New Delhi, taking on additional responsibilities after the transfer of Ravi Kant. Kant, a 1998-batch IAS officer, was reassigned to the Home Department as Officer on Special Duty. Notably, Ravi Kant was the first appointee to the Resident Commissioner post at Odisha Bhawan.