IAS-reshuffle in Odisha: Nikunja Bihari Dhal appointed as Chief Electoral Officer 

Senior IAS officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal has been appointed as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha. The General Administration and Public Grievance department informed this through a notification on Friday. 

The 1993-batch Odisha-cadre IAS officer, Dhal will replace Sushil Kumar Lohani. 

“Nikunja Bihari Dhal while functioning as the Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha shall not hold any additional charge whatsoever under the Government of Odisha except that he should be designated Principal Secretary to the Government in charge of Election Department in the State Secretariat,” read the notification. 

Notably, senior IAS officer Dhal was the Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC). He was appointed as the SRC in place of Pradeep Jena in February this year. 

Lohani has been posted as the Principal Secretary, Panchayati Raj Department. He will also hold the additional charge of Principal Secretary of the Excise Department. 

1991-batch IAS officer and Revenue & Disaster Management Department Secretary, Satyabrata Sahu has been appointed as the Special Relief Commissioner. Similarly, I& PR Department Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh has been given the additional charge of Principal Secretary to the Energy Department. 

Likewise, Gyanaranjan Das, executive director of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority, has been appointed as the Managing Director of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority.