Bhubaneswar: The State government today appointed retired IAS Officer Madhusudan Padhi as State Election Commissioner (SEC).
“In pursuance of clause (1) of Article 243-K of the Constitution of India, the Governor of Odisha today appointed retired IAS officer Madhusudan Padhi as the State Election Commissioner,” State Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department said in a notification.
The 1991-batch officer will replace Aditya Prasad Padhi, also an IAS officer of 1983-batch appointed to the post in August 2019.
Shri Padhi has long experience in serving as administrative head of various departments including IT, Food Supply & Consumer Welfare, Transport & Commerce, I&PR etc.
On joining Indian Administrative Service, he first served as Sub Collector, Baliguda in Kandhamal district followed by Project Director, DRDA, Mayurbhanj.
He then served as Collector and District Magistrate in four districts namely Kandhamal, Bolangir, Koraput and Khordha. Shri Padhi has a distinguished career as an administrator.
In the Government of Odisha, he has worked in a number of Departments such as Principal Secretary, Rural Development, Commissioner-cum-Secretary in Information & Public Relations Department, Information Technology, Food Supply & Consumer Welfare Department and Higher Education Department.
He was also the Chairman of Odisha Civil Supplies Corporation and Special Administrator, Kandhamal.
Shri Padhi had also served as Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) of Northern Division, Director, Elementary Education and State Project Director, OPEPA, Director, Tourism & Managing Director, Odisha Tourism Development Corporation, Managing Director, Konark TV Ltd and Chief Executive, OREDA.
During his tenure as Principal Secretary to the then Governor Dr Ganeshi Lal, he initiated an online system for extending invitation for Governor’s programme and introduced e-despatch in Raj Bhavan. He later served as Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Land Records & Settlement.
During his service in the E&IT Department, he ensured implementation of IT Policy and several IT companies set up their units in the State. The Infovalley was also set up during his tenure.
An alumnus of Sainik School, Bhubaneswar, Shri Padhi is an Engineering graduate in Metallurgy from Regional Engineering College (now NIT), Rourkela. He has also an Advanced Certificate of Studies in Public Administration with Grade A from Syracuse University, New York, USA.