2 advisors to Odisha CMO, special secretary tender resignation

Following BJD's poll debacle in the recently-concluded 2024 General Elections and the resignation of outgoing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, as many as three retired officials reinstated in different departments of the Odisha Government have resigned.

Two advisors to the CMO - Suresh Mahapatra and R Balakrishnan had resigned from their posts. While Mahapatra has resigned from the post of Chief Advisor to CMO, Balakrishnan tendered his resignation from the post of Special Initiative Advisor to CMO.

Manoj Mishra also tendered his resignation today. He was the Special Secretary of the IT Department. Mishra was reinstated as the Special Secretary of the IT Department after his voluntary retirement from the service.

Meanwhile, as per political analysts, some retired IAS officers were reinstated in different posts after their superannuation. However, they were working for BJD rather than giving justice to the posts and the department in which they were reinstated, opined analysts.

"Manoj Mishra has done some good work for his department However, he was more involved in the party affairs. Though he was not involved with the Information and Public Relations Department of the Odisha government, nothing was being done in the department without Mishra's approval. He was considered as a powerful officer." said senior journalist Akshay Sahu.