Odisha’s first woman Chief Secretary Anu Garg: Journey so far & challenges ahead

Odisha made history with the appointment of its first woman Chief Secretary, Anu Garg, on Wednesday. A 1991-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, Anu Garg, will take over the top administrative post from outgoing Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, whose tenure ends on December 31.

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The official appointment has been issued by the General Administration Department, and her tenure is set to continue till March 2029.

Anu Garg also holds the additional charge of the Department of Water Resources, Planning, and Coordination alongside her role as Chief Secretary. She has previously served in various capacities, including Sub-Collector, ADM, and Collector in multiple districts such as Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Bargarh, and Sambalpur from 1992 to 2003.

From 2008 to 2012, Anu Garg served as Commissioner of Health & Family Welfare, Labour, Women & Child Development, and also held deputation posts in several central government ministries.

A native of Uttar Pradesh, Anu Garg completed her Master’s in Sociology from Lucknow University and a postgraduate degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, USA, in 2007.

As Chief Secretary, she will face critical challenges ahead, including the upcoming panchayat and municipal elections. While the State government has repeatedly emphasised a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against corruption, administrative implementation has often lagged, adding complexity to her role.

Observers note that her appointment represents a step toward women's empowerment in Odisha’s administrative leadership.

“She (Anu Garg) would have to thoroughly look into infrastructure development and roads, etc., and supervise every detail, which she used to do during her (earlier) posting in the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office). Coming from a larger canvas (area of operation), she would now paint her pictures (discharge her duties) in a comparatively smaller canvas. Hence, the official would not face any major difficulties,” political analyst Akshaya Sahu said.