Bhubaneswar: In a major reshuffle among senior bureaucrats Wednesday, the state government has given new responsibilities to 18 senior IAS and IPS officers.
The government has appointed senior IPS officer BK Sharma as the new Director General of Police (DGP) in addition to his present position as DG Fire Services (FS), Home Guard (HG) and Civil Defence (CD).
The Home department has issued a notification in this regard Wednesday, a day after incumbent DGP, RP Sharma, revealed about his appointment as a non-judicial member of the Lokayukta.
“Bijay Kumar Sharma, IPS (1986), Director General, FS, HG &CD, Odisha is allowed to remain in full additional charge of the post of DGP (Head of Police Force) until further order,” the notification said.
Sharma had discharged the duties of DGP in April this year when RP Sharma was on leave for 10 days. Incumbent DGP has applied for voluntary retirement from service, which has also been accepted by the state government, a source in the Home department said.
Sharma, a 1986 batch Odisha Cadre IPS officer, has had a distinguished career in the Indian police spanning over 33 years in both state and the Centre. Sharma belongs to Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, where he did his schooling and college education. He has successfully served as SP of Sundargarh, Phulbani, Sambalpur and Khurda (Bhubaneswar).
The senior IPS officer has also served in the CBI for seven years (1999 to 2006) during his Central deputation. He was the Twin-city Police Commissioner for four years (May 2008 to May 2012). He played a pioneering role in building the entire organisational structure of the Commissionerate System, including creating the new regulatory structure and court systems.
Among other major responsibilities, he served in state crime branch, criminal investigation department and Prison department. During recent cyclone Fani his leadership of the fire services was highly appreciated.
On his new responsibility Sharma said, “Shall try to provide quality policing and better public service to the people of Odisha.”
Similarly, the government has given additional charge of chief administrator, KBK to senior IAS officer and Development Commissioner Asit Kumar Tripathy while SP Thakur has been appointed as new DG
of Gopabandhu Academy of Administration.
Additional Chief Secretary—Electronics & IT—CJ Venugopal has been posted as member, Board of Revenue, Niten Chandra as OSD at General Administration & Public Grievances department, Ranjana Chopra as SC, ST Development secretary, Arun Bothra as CEO of CESU and R Raghu Prasad as new secretary of Fisheries & Animal Resources Development & addition charge of MD of Omfed.
Excise secretary SK Lohani, Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare secretary VV Yadav, Board of Revenue secretary SK Meena and Panchayati Raj secretary DK Singh have been given additional charge of Commercial Tax Commissioner, Cooperation secretary and works deputy secretary and Science & Technology secretary respectively.
Though the state government, usually, appoints a senior engineer for the post Works secretary, this time it has given the responsibility to IAS officer Krishan Kumar. Vishal Gagan has been transferred as special secretary of Water Resources (WR) department, Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma as new SSEPD secretary, Archana Patnaik WR special secretary with additional charge of MD Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation, Sachin Ramchandra Jadav as ST Director and Sadique Alam as Executive Director of CMGI.