The 1990-batch IAS officer, with extensive administrative experience, was most recently posted as the Union Agriculture Secretary.
On Friday, the newly formed BJP government in Odisha appointed Manoj Ahuja, a 1990-batch cadre officer, as the new chief secretary following the retirement of incumbent Pradeep Kumar Jena on June 30. Additionally, Ahuja has been appointed as the secretary of the general administration department.
A native of Haryana, Ahuja has been on central deputation since 2017 and has now been repatriated to his parent cadre, Odisha, at the request of the state government. He will be the first person from outside Odisha to serve as the state’s top administrator in two decades.
Ahuja, who has extensive administrative experience, was most recently posted as the Union agriculture secretary. He has previously held significant positions such as the special director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) and chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
During his tenure with the state government, Ahuja held positions as secretary of several key departments, including cooperation, steel and mines, sports and youth affairs, and food supplies and consumer welfare. He also served as commissioner of commercial tax.
Ahuja’s repatriation from the Centre and subsequent appointment as chief secretary is particularly noteworthy given that many of the ministers in the new BJP government lack experience in managing portfolios.
Ahuja’s role will be crucial not only for the successful implementation of the BJP’s election promises but also in selecting senior IAS officers for various departments and district collectors in the Mohan Majhi government. As the chief minister has yet to choose his team, these appointments are expected to take place after Ahuja assumes his position as chief secretary.
Sources indicate that the Odisha government, following the advice of the BJP central leadership, requested Ahuja’s repatriation from the Centre.
“The new government has yet to begin functioning fully. It remains unclear whether all the schemes run by the previous BJD government will continue. Ahuja’s advice on these matters will be significant,” said a senior bureaucrat.
According to his profile on NABARD, Ahuja holds a B.E. (Mechanical) degree from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala; an MBA from Punjab University, Chandigarh; and a Master’s in Public Administration (International Development) from Harvard University, USA.
