Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Manoj Ahuja on Sunday took charge as the new Chief Secretary of Odisha.
Ahuja, the 1990-batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, took the charge from outgoing Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena at Lok Seva Bhavan, Bhubaneswar.
The Central Government had earlier this week repatriated Ahuja, who was Secretary in the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, to his parent cadre.
Previously, Ahuja has also held several posts as joint director (Personnel Training/Personnel & General Administration) at the Centre and Commissioner-cum-Secretary in the Steel and Mines and Sports and Youth Services Departments in Odisha.
He has also served as the Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education, Ministry of Education, in the rank of Secretary to Government of India.
Pradeep Kumar Jena relinquished charge of Chief Secretary today at 3.30 pm and welcomed his successor.
On his X handle, Jena wrote, “I relinquished charge of Chief Secretary today at 3.30 pm. I welcome Manoj Ahuja, one of my good friends from the 1990 batch ( from my Kalahandi days), my successor, Subcollector Dharamgarh, & I’m happy to have been succeeded by him today to hold the post of Chief Secretary. Wish him all the best.”