Senior OAS Debaprasad Dash promoted to Special Secretary, appointed Director of I&PR

Bhubaneswar, April 22: Senior Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer Debaprasad Dash has been promoted to the rank of Special Secretary and assigned additional charge as Director of the Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Department, according to a notification issued by the General Administration & Public Grievance Department on Tuesday.

The Director I&PR post had remained vacant since the superannuation of Saroj Samal on February 28, 2025. Dash, who was previously serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, will now assume the role of Special Secretary in the same department while also overseeing state communication efforts through the I&PR department.

Dash has held various important roles throughout his career in the Odisha government. However, his professional journey also saw a controversial phase when he was suspended on May 28, 2018, during the previous BJD government. At that time, he was serving in the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD). The suspension was widely speculated to be linked to his role in anchoring events organized by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

With this new appointment, Dash returns to a prominent position, signaling the current government’s renewed confidence in his administrative abilities.