Who will be the next chief secretary of Odisha as Manoj Ahuja’s tenure ends on Dec 31?

Speculations are rife about who will be the next Chief Secretary of Odisha as Manoj Ahuja’s tenure is ending on December 31. 

While several names of senior officers doing rounds for the top post, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Sunday said that the decision will be made based on established procedures. 

The government will take the right decision at the appropriate time, he assured.

“Necessary procedures will be followed for the selection of the Chief Secretary. Though many speculations are abuzz in various media platforms, the government will take the right decision at the right time,” the Law Minister said.

Currently, Manoj Ahuja is serving as the Chief Secretary, but his tenure is set to end on the 31st of this month.

Ahuja, a 1990-batch IAS officer, was appointed as the new chief secretary of Odisha on June 29. He succeeded Pradeep Kumar Jena, whose term ended on June 30. After two decades, Odisha appointed a Chief Secretary from outside of the State.

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The General Administration and Public Grievance Department on June 29 issued a notification confirming Ahuja's appointment upon his repatriation from the Government of India. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his return to Odisha on June 25, following the state government's request.

Prior to his appointment as Odisha's Chief Secretary, Ahuja was serving on central deputation, holding the position of secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare since April 1, 2022.