Senior IAS Officer Nikunja Dhal has been shifted to the Centre, and this fuels speculation over the Chief Minister’s Officer reshuffle.
In a significant bureaucratic move, senior 1993-batch IAS officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal, previously serving as Additional Chief Secretary to Odisha’s Chief Minister, has been sent on central deputation. He has now been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs at the Centre.
The abrupt transfer, along with that of Works Secretary Vir Vikram Yadav (now Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment), has triggered speculation about potential restructuring within the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) under the nine-month-old Mohan Charan Majhi-led BJP government.
Why the Sudden Move
While whispers about Dhal’s possible exit had been circulating, the swift decision has raised eyebrows—especially amid reports of discontent within sections of the BJP legislature party, which allegedly flagged concerns to central leadership.
Who Will Fill the Vacancy
With Dhal’s departure, the race for his replacement has intensified. Names in contention include senior bureaucrats Satyabrata Sahu and Arabinda Padhee. However, sources suggest Manoj Sahu, the CM’s Private Secretary, may emerge as the new “all-in-one” key officer in the CMO—a pivotal role overseeing top-level governance.
Odisha’s Growing Bureaucratic Crisis
The state is grappling with a severe shortage of senior officers:
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IAS Cadre Strength: 248
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Working Officers: 181
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Vacant Posts: 67 (IAS), 69 (IPS)
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Officers on Central Deputation: 22
This crunch has already forced officers like Sanjay Singh, Deo Ranjan Singh, Vishal Dev, and Satyabrata Sahu to handle multiple departments. The latest exits could worsen the strain.
To bridge the gap, the Odisha government recently promoted 30 OAS officers to the IAS cadre and is considering recalling officers nearing the end of their central deputation.
As the bureaucratic reshuffle unfolds, the big question remains—who will step into key roles, and how will the state manage its deepening administrative challenges?
