BHUBANESWAR: Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra on Thursday got a six-month extension of service, putting to rest all speculations about his successor. Mahapatra, who was due to retire on February 28 this year, will now remain as the Chief Secretary of Odisha till August end. The Centre approved the extension of Mahapatra following a request from the Odisha government on December 31, 2021.
In a letter to the principal secretary to the Department of General Administration and Public Grievance, the department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel, Personal Grievances and Pensions, has communicated the decision to the Odisha government.
“I am directed to convey the approval of the Central government for extension of service of Suresh Chandra Mahapatra for a period of six months beyond his normal date of superannuation, which is February 28, 2022 under Rule 16 (1) of AIS (DCRB) Rules, 1958,” stated a letter signed by under secretary, DoPT, Devendra Kumar.
Mahapatra is an Odisha cadre IAS officer of 1986 batch. The development has come following the announcement of the panchayat polls by the state government to be held in five phases from February 16 to 24. On January 1, 2021, Mahapatra succeeded his batchmate Asit Tripathy.
RN Das was the last chief secretary who had got three extensions of six months each. Das served as the chief secretary of Odisha between December 1, 1992, and September 30, 1995, during the tenure of the then Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.