BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Friday appointed former chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena as the chairman of Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC).
According to a notification issued by the Energy Department, Jena’s appointment will come into effect from the day he assumes office. The post of OERC chairperson was vacant since November 2023, when Suresh Mahapatra, also a former chief secretary, resigned from the post after his appointment as the chief advisor to the chief minister’s office.
Jena, a 1989-batch IAS officer, had served as secretary of the Energy department for a period of over six years from 2006 to 2014, during which he played a key role in developing and modernising the energy infrastructure in the state. He had also been chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, bringing reforms in temple management.
He had also served as the development commissioner and special relief commissioner (SRC) during the crucial period of Covid 19 pandemic before his appointment as the chief secretary. He was the collector of Cuttack during the 1999 Super Cyclone and had served with distinction.
Jena was appointed chief secretary of Odisha on February 26, 2023, and continued in the post till June 30, 2024, including a six-month extension in view of the general elections in April-May 2024.