Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has initiated significant changes in the state bureaucracy nearly a month after taking office. Two high-ranking officials from the previous BJD government have been reassigned to new roles.
G Mathivathanan, who held the position of Housing and Urban Development Secretary for over 11 years, has been appointed as the Director General of Gopabandhu Academy of Administration. This institution is responsible for training Odisha Administrative Service officers. Meanwhile, Sports Secretary R Vineel Krishna, who also served as Special Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, has been transferred to the role of Commissioner, Land Records and Settlement.
Mathivathanan and Vineel Krishna were both influential figures during the tenure of the previous administration led by Naveen Patnaik, especially due to their close association with VK Pandian, Patnaik’s former private secretary. Vineel Krishna played a pivotal role in executing major sports projects, including the construction of the hockey stadium in Rourkela.
In the reshuffle, Usha Padhee has replaced Mathivathanan, and Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma has taken over as the new Sports Secretary. Ahead of the BJP government’s first budget presentation on July 25, Finance Secretary Vishal Dev has been transferred to the Electronics and IT Department. Senior bureaucrat Saswat Mishra, who has been serving as Secretary to the Governor, will now also handle the Finance Department and the Energy Department, alongside his existing responsibilities as Chairman of the Odisha Staff Selection Commission.
Additionally, Nikunja Bihari Dhal, recently appointed as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, has been assigned the role of Chairman of the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, responsible for land allotment to industries. Hemant Sharma, the previous Industries Secretary, will continue in his role and also take on the additional charge of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Department. Senior bureaucrat Surendra Kumar has been given the additional responsibility of the Parliamentary Affairs Department, a position previously held by Mathivathanan.
