BHUBANESWAR: Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare department PK Mohapatra is learnt to have gone on leave.
Though sources claimed he has applied leave on personal ground and would join duty after the leave period, sources said, Mohapatra was under pressure following the High Court dissatisfaction over the affidavit filed by the Health department on Covid deaths in the State. The department was directed to submit a detailed affidavit by October 4. He is also believed to be unhappy over the management of the pandemic being handled at different levels.
A 1988-batch IAS officer, Mohapatra was allowed to remain in-charge of Health department when Additional Chief Secretary PK Jena, a batch junior, was made the Development Commissioner (DC), ranked No 2 in the State bureaucracy, in December last.
Jena superseded nine senior bureaucrats to become the DC. In May last year, Odisha government had shifted the then Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare department Nikunja Bihari Dhal to Energy department days after appointing Mohapatra, who was in additional charge of Revenue and Disaster Management department, to head the Health department.
Dhal was reportedly shifted due to growing discomfort in the government over the management of the pandemic. Mohapatra could not be contacted for comment.