By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Best wishes and greetings were on Saturday poured in for the 2002 batch IAS officer, Dr Krishan Kumar, presently Chief Administrator of SJTA-Puri and Secretary, Works Department, on his birth Day . Dr Kumar, an MBBS turned IAS officer, hailing from Haryana’s Rohtak , enjoying additional charge of Chairman, IDCO, Puri Konark Development Authority and Odisha Bridge Construction Corporation, was born on September 4, 1976.
Many many happy returns of the day @Krishan_Kumar09 Happy Birthday. May #Jagannatha bless you always. #HappyBirthdayKrishanKumar,” IGP(Operations) Amitabh Thakur tweeted @AMITABHTHAKUR21.
“Namaskar @Krishan_Kumar09 Sir . Many many Happy Returns of the day . May Maharabhu Jagannath bless you with good health and long life. Folded hands,” Padmashri Sudarsan Pattnaik tweeted @sudarsansand.
“Happy Birthday to you Best IAS OFFICER and Chief administrator of@SJTA_Puri@Krishan_Kumar09 Sir.Mahaprbhu Jagannath always bless you.ହୃଦୟ ର ଗଭୀର ତମ ପ୍ରଦେଶ ରୁ @SJTA_Puriର ମୁଖ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଶାସକ @Krishan_Kumar09 ସାର୍ ଙ୍କୁ ଜନ୍ମଦିନ ର ଅନେକ ଅନେକ ଶୁଭେଚ୍ଛା ଓ ଅଭିନନ୍ଦନ।@IASassociation,” ଦେବରାଜ ଦାସ tweeted@DebarajDas10.
Dr Kumar , who started his career after completing his training from LBS National Academy of Administration, as Sub Divisional Magistrate, Gunupur in tribal dominated and left-wing insurgency hit south western districts of Rayagada in September 2004, proved his administrative skills through out his career as ADM Rourkela, Collector of Sundargarh , Ganjam and communal violence hit Kandhamal and later in Bhubaneswar, as BMC Commissioner, followed by present tenure in SJTA , Works Department.
Dr Kumar is one among the most trusted IAS officers of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and he too also shared a very close bonding with 5T Secretary VK Pandian and others in CMO. Chief Minister Patnaik’s strong backing seems visible if some look into the assignments held by Dr Kumar at present in Odisha Government. He is the one and only Chief Administrator of SJTA in recent decades, who ensured smooth Rath Yatra for 2 consecutive years amid a severe pandemic like killer COVID-19. He is the first IAS officer in Odisha’s recent history, who heads Works Department, which was marred by controversy and corruption, when Engineers were at helm of affairs.
“Now things have changed a lot and Chief Minster’s confidence on Dr Kumar’s ability continued to rise over the years and as a result of which most of the big infrastructure projects across the State now under direct supervision of Works Secretary, added a source.
