Odisha transfers 21 IAS officers; Bishnupada Sethi appointed OFDC Chairman

The Odisha government on Thursday (February 6, 2026) issued transfer and posting orders for 21 IAS officers across the state. Senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi has been appointed as Chairman of the Odisha Forest Development Corporation and given additional charge as Chief Administrator of KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput). Notably, the posting comes months after he was moved as Officer on Special Duty in the General Administration Department following a CBI summons in a bribery case.

The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;

1. Deoranjan Kumar Singh (IAS:1993:OR), currently DC-cum-ACS and Secretary, Planning & Convergence Department, will continue in additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) to the Steel & Mines Department.
2. Surendra Kumar (IAS:1993:OR), ACS in Steel & Mines with additional responsibilities in General Administration & Public Grievance (GA&PG) and Parliamentary Affairs, has been appointed as ACS to the GA&PG Department, retaining his Parliamentary Affairs role.
3. Bishnupada Sethi (IAS:1995:OR), Officer on Special Duty in GA&PG, has been transferred as Chairman of the Odisha Forest Development Corporation, with additional charge as Chief Administrator of KBK.
4. Chithra Arumugam (IAS:1995:OR), ACS in Labour & ESI with additional Science & Technology duties, has been given additional charge of Director General of Training Coordination at Gopabandhu Academy of Administration, Bhubaneswar.
5. Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee (IAS:1996:OR), ACS, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment has been transferred as ACS in Revenue & Disaster Management, while keeping his role as Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration in Puri.
6. Usha Padhee (IAS:1996:OR), ACS in Housing & Urban Development, is allowed to remain in additional charge of Chairperson of the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO).
7. Suresh Kumar Vashishth (IAS:1997:OR), Principal Secretary in Fisheries & Animal Resources Development, has been transferred as Principal Secretary in Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
8. Shubha Sarma (IAS:1999:OR), Principal Secretary, Women & Child Development, has been transferred as Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department.
9. NBS Rajput (IAS:1999:OR), Principal Secretary, Public Enterprises Department with additional charge of CMD, Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), has been appointed as Principal Secretary in Commerce & Transport Department, with additional charge of Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC).
10. Girish SN (IAS:2002:OR), Commissioner-cum-Secretary in Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, is allowed to remain in additional charge of Chairman of Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC).
11. Dr. Mrinalini Darswal (IAS:2002:OR), Special Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner-cum-Secretary in Women & Child Development.
12. Rajesh Prabhakar Patil (IAS:2005:OR), Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Co-operative Department, has been given additional charge of Special Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department. He is allowed to continue in additional charge of the posts of Chairman, Odisha State Housing Corporation (OSWC), Special Relief Commissioner, Odisha, and Managing Director, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA).
13. Balwant Singh (IAS:2007:OR), Commissioner-cum-Secretary in Tourism Department, will continue to hold additional charge of Managing Director of Odisha State Highway Authority.
14. Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav (IAS:2007:OR), Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Sports & Youth Services Department with additional charge of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Northern Division), Sambhalpur, has been transferred as Commissioner-cum-Secretary in Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department.
15. Sudhansu Mohan Samal (IAS:2010:OR), Managing Director of Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) Limited, has been given additional charge of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central Division), Cuttack.
16. Rashmita Panda (IAS:2010:OR), Director, Employment-cum-CEO, Odisha Skill Development Authority with additional charge of CEO, ORSAC and CEO, Startup Odisha, has been appointed as VC, Bhubaneswar Development Authority, with additional charges as Managing Director of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited and Special Secretary in Housing & Urban Development.
17. Md. Sadique Alam (IAS:2010:OR), Director of Fisheries, Odisha, has been appointed as Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Public Eneterprises Department with additional charge of Managing Director of Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT).
18. Mansi Nimbhal (IAS:2010:OR), Managing Director of Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation with additional charge of Special Secretary, Water Rerources Department is appointed Commissioner-cum-Secretary in Department of Mission Shakti.
19. Prem Chandra Chaudhary (IAS:2010:OR), Director of Textiles & Handlooms, Bhubaneswar, has been transferred as Commissioner-cum-Secretary in Fisheries & Animal Resources Development.
20. Anupam Saha (IAS:2012:OR), Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister, has been given additional charge of Managing Director of Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation.
21. Sangram Keshari Mohapatra (IAS-SCS:2012), Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Southern Division), Berhampur, has been given additional charge of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Northern Division) and Chairman of Western Odisha Development Council (WODC).