Bhubaneswar: Senior Mandarin and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal as Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) to the Chief Minister.
The General Administration and Public Grievance (GA&PG) Department has brought out a notification to this effect.
“Nikunja Bihari Dhal, IAS (RR-1993), Chief Electoral Officer and ex-officio Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home (Election) Department is appointed as Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister, Odisha,” the notification said.
Shri Dhal, a 1993-batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, has been serving as Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), since March, 2023.
An impartial beaucrat and for his robust management on round the clock, the simultaneous elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha were peacefully conducted in the State.
Neither the Opposition nor any candidate has raised questions on his impartiality during the entire election process, which proved him as an impartial and honest Officer.
Shri Dhal, a M Tech, is a native of Odisha and he started his career as Sub-Collector and then served as ADM Sambalpur for a brief period.
The ACS to CM has worked as Collector in Bargarh, Koraput, Sundergarh, and Angul. Later, he became the Director of Industries.
The Senior IAS Officer has worked in various positions in different Departments including Energy, Health & Family Welfare, Excise, Revenue & Disaster Management, Water Resources, Panchayati Raj and Industries.
He also served in crucial positions like Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Special Resident Commissioner New Delhi, Commercial Tax Commissioner, Vice Chairman of BDA, State Project Director of OPEPA and MD of OLIC in the State.
During his successful Central Deputation, Shri Dhal successfully served as Director to Cabinet Secretary, Joint Secretary in Ministry of Mines and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
As he has vast experience in different fields and a son of this soil, the BJP Government has given him the crucial responsibility and is also sure that he will have a smooth tenure in the CMO, officers feel.