Bhubaneswar, Jan, 07: Anu Garg, a 1991-batch IAS officer who has been appointed as the state’s first woman Chief Secretary, will assume charge on January 1. With Mrs. Garg taking over, an administrative reshuffle in the state administration is almost certain. Discussions have already begun, particularly regarding relieving secretaries who are currently holding multiple responsibilities and bringing about major changes at the secretary level.
At present, several senior administrative officers in the state are handling multiple departments. These include officers ranging from Additional Chief Secretary level to Commissioner and Secretary-level officials.
Chief Secretary–rank officer Satyabrata Sahu currently holds major departments such as Home as well as Forest and Environment. Similarly, Surendra Kumar is in charge of General Administration, Steel and Mines, along with the Parliamentary Affairs Department. Bishal Dev is handling departments like Energy and Information Technology.
Industries Secretary Hemant Sharma additionally holds charge of the Information and Public Relations Department. Usha Padhee is responsible for Housing and Urban Development as well as Commerce and Transport. Arvind Padhee is handling the Agriculture Department along with the important responsibility of Shrimandir (Jagannath Temple) administration. Sanjay Singh continues to hold key departments such as Food and Supplies and Consumer Welfare.
NBS Rajput is also holding General Administration responsibilities.