Odisha Govt Implements Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle; Bishnupada Sethi Appointed Officer on Special Duty

Bhubaneswar, December 17, 2024: In a significant bureaucratic reshuffle, the Odisha Government has appointed senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the General Administration & Public Grievance Department.

Sethi, a 1995-batch IAS officer, is currently serving as Principal Secretary of the Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department, while also holding additional charges as Principal Secretary of the Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department and the ST&SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department.

In a notification issued by the General Administration & Public Grievance Department, the government clarified that “The post of Officer on Special Duty, General Administration & Public Grievance Department is declared equivalent in status and responsibility to the post of Principal Secretary provided in the IAS Cadre of the State.”

Notably, Sethi was recently in the spotlight after being summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a corruption case. His name reportedly surfaced as an alleged beneficiary in the bribery investigation. However, the senior IAS officer has not yet deposed before the agency.

In another significant move, the Odisha Government has appointed 1997-batch IAS officer Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra as the Principal Secretary of the ST&SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department. Mishra will also take on additional responsibilities as Principal Secretary of the Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department and the Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department.

Mishra, who was recently repatriated from Central deputation, is expected to play a crucial role in driving key welfare programs and cultural initiatives in the state.

Further strengthening the administrative setup, the government has appointed 2006-batch IAS officer Manoj Kumar Sahoo as the Special Secretary to the Chief Minister. Sahoo joins the Odisha cadre on inter-cadre deputation and is expected to assist in the effective execution of the Chief Minister’s flagship initiatives.