Centre Appoints New Secretaries Across Key Ministries; Nikunja Bihari Dhal Additional Chief Secretary to CM Odisha

By B.Maharana
Bhubaneswar, April 18
The Centre today effected a reshuffle in higher level of administration involving 20 senior IAS officers . The appointment of the Secretaries in different key Ministries and Departments has been done following the approval of the Appointments Committee of Cabinet.

Nikunja Bihari Dhal has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.The Odisha cadre 1993 batch IAS, Dhal is currently serviing as the Additional Chief Secretary to the Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

Dhal will replace Umang Narula upon his superannuation on 30 Julne ,2025.

The 1994 batch Odisha Cadre IAS,Santosh Kumar Sarangi, who is currently serving as Director General of Foreign Trade, has been appointed as Secretary inthe Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. He is the husband of former IAS officer Aparajita Sarangi, who switched over to electoral politics by joining BJP prior to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and elected as Member of Lok Sabha from the prestigious Bhubaneswar constituency for the second time consecutively.

Another Odisha Cadre 1994 batch IAS Ranjana Chopa has been appointed as the Special Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Culture. she is serving as Additonal Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Culture.

Arvind Shrivastava has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Revenue, in the Ministry of Finance.

He is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. Samir Kumar Sinha, who is working as Director General (Acquisitions) inthe Ministry of Defence, has been appointed as Secretary, Civil Aviation.