Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra got another six months extension in service, with effect from September 1.
Following the request of the state government, the Union government extended the service of the IAS officer and accordingly, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued the notification after approval of the competent authority.
Mahapatra took charge as 44th Chief Secretary of Odisha on January 1, 2021. He was the Development Commissioner prior to his appointment.
Scheduled to retire in February, he got his first extension till August 31. Now, with this second extension, he will retire from the services on February 28, 2023.
Mahapatra is not the only IAS officer to get extension of service as the Odisha Chief Secretary. R.N. Das had got three extensions of six months each during the tenure of Biju Patnaik between 1990 and 1995.
Born at Kansar village in Deogarh district in 1962, Mohapatra, whose family belongs to Keonjhar district, joined the IAS in 1986 after a brief stint in ONGC. After probation in Sambalpur district, he was posted as sub-collector of Nuapada in Kalahandi district for 2 years from 1988.
During the serious Kandhamal riots, then Chief Minister Biju Pattnaik posted him as District Collector and he handled the situation efficiently.
With his earlier experience in handling Kandhamal riots, he was sent to Kandhamal in 2007 and 2008 by present Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. After field visits, his observations counted much in solving the critical impasse in the tribal zone.
An ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath, Mohapatra was again posted Chief Administrator of Puri temple in 2015 for the second time during which he conducted Naba Kalebar of the trinity successfully.
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