An official announcement stated that senior IAS officer Pradeep Kumar Jena was appointed as the new chief secretary of Odisha on Sunday.
Jena, an officer from the 1989 batch, most recently served as the state’s development commissioner and special relief commissioner. On March 1, he will assume leadership in place of SC Mohapatra, whose term ends on February 28.
The following development commissioner was named as Anu Garg, an IAS officer from the 1991 batch. She will continue to serve as the supplementary chief secretary for the Water Resources Department.
While Jena waited his turn, Mohapatra, who was set to retire last year, was awarded two extensions, each lasting six months.
Jena is expected to hold the top position until December.
Jena, who was born on January 1st, 1964, started his career in 1991 as the sub-collector of Dharmgarh in the district of Kalahandi. Before being chosen as the district magistrate-cum-collector of Cuttack, he also held the position of collector for the coastal district of Kendrapara.
As the Cuttack collector in 1999, Jena received praise from the state government and the Center for her professional management of the Super Cyclone.
He had an impact on farmers as the director of Agriculture and Watershed Development. When Odisha was experiencing a financial crisis in the early 2000s, he was the youngest person to serve as the head of the two entities that generated money, the State Transport Authority and Commercial Tax Commissionerate.
He also worked with the UNDP, where he assisted the state administration in developing a progressive programme for resettlement and rehabilitation.
The Panchayati Raj, Water Resources, and Energy departments all employed Jena as their principal secretary. He was also the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration’s chief executive officer (SJTA).
Jena dealt with multiple cyclonic storms in her capacity as the special relief commissioner (SRC). Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister, praised him for his contribution during the pandemic.
The government appointed SC Mohapatra to lead the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission in a separate notification (OERC).
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