TV
In a key bureaucratic development, the Odisha government has appointed IAS officer Debasis Singh (SCS-2015 batch) as Additional Secretary to the Government in the General Administration & Public Grievance Department, while allowing him to continue holding additional charge as Additional Secretary in the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department.
The General Administration Department issued a formal notification confirming Singh’s transfer and retention of dual responsibilities.
His continued presence in the H&UD Department is being viewed as a move to maintain continuity in urban governance, especially given the critical projects underway in infrastructure and municipal services.
Strategic Dual Roles Amid Ongoing Reforms
The 2015-batch officer has played a pivotal role in shaping several housing and urban policy initiatives and is now expected to contribute to broader governance reforms within the General Administration Department.
Sources in the Secretariat noted that such overlapping assignments are increasingly being used as a mechanism to foster policy integration and leadership continuity, particularly at a time when the state is undergoing infrastructure and service-delivery transformation.
Promotions and Planning Realignment
Separately, the state government also recently appointed senior OAS officer Satrughna Kar as Director of Town Planning, in addition to his current post as Additional Secretary in the H&UD Department.
Kar, who belongs to the Superior Administrative Grade (SAG) of the OAS cadre, will hold dual responsibilities. His elevation comes alongside a round of promotions in the OAS cadre, including ad hoc elevation of 15 senior officers to higher administrative ranks, pending OPSC approval.
