In a significant development, senior IAS officer and Union Secretary for Agriculture & Farmers Department, Manoj Ahuja (IAS:1990:OR), has been repatriated to his parent cadre in Odisha. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his repatriation on Tuesday, following a request from the Odisha government.
This move has sparked speculation about Ahuja’s potential appointment as the Chief Secretary of Odisha. The current Chief Secretary, Pradeep Kumar Jena (IAS:1989:OR), is set to retire on June 30. Although Jena was initially scheduled to retire on December 31, his tenure was extended for six months by the central government at the request of the previous Naveen Patnaik administration, just three days before his scheduled retirement.
Prior to joining as Secretary of the Agriculture Department, Manoj Ahuja held several portfolios, including Joint Director (Personnel Training / Personnel & General Administration), Commissioner & Secretary (Steel & Mines, Sports & Youth Services). Before his current posting, Ahuja served as the Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education, in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
