By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: After Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi led BJP Government started giving priority to some IAS Officers, who were prominently and openly worked for Naveen Patnaik and his Party BJD till they voted out of power in 2024, questions are now being raised on credibility of the State Government in dealing with corruption of last Government.
Singh’s reappointment appears driven by mining lobby, corporate lobby and has nothing to do it with Odisha’s mining growth and prosperity. It may reflect the BJP government’s focus on development continuity, but it might invite scrutiny if mining reforms or investigations stall.
The Majhi administration emphasizes industrial revival, but Singh’s reappointment may not accelerate projects like steel plant expansions in Rourkela, Dhenkanal, and Keonjhar.
The 1993 batch IAS Officer DK Singh’s tenure as Principal Secretary of Steel and Mines Department from 2021 to 2024 saw High Premium Odisha Mining Auction, resulted Iron Ore manipulations, revenue loss to State and reappointing an IAS Officer who served prominently under Naveen Patnaik previous regime could raise eyebrows.
Deoranjan Kumar Singh (DK Singh), a 1993-batch IAS officer from the Odisha cadre, association with the Steel and Mines Department began in July 2021, when he was appointed Principal Secretary under the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government led by Naveen Patnaik.
He was later elevated to Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) in the same department and also served as Chairman of the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), a state PSU central to mineral resource management. This tenure lasted until August 2024, when a major IAS reshuffle under the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government shifted him to ACS, Revenue and Disaster Management.
In a recent reshuffle on February 5, 2026 (as per notifications from the General Administration & Public Grievance Department), Singh was given additional charge as ACS, Steel and Mines, while retaining his role as Development Commissioner-cum-ACS in Planning and Convergence.
Sources said, Singh grossly failed as ACS, Revenue and Disaster Management and could not live to the expectation of Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari. Minister Pujari reportedly sought service of Dr Arbinda Padhee in place of DK Singh, highly placed sources said. With some seeing it as merit-based and others speculating on “possible reasons” tied to unresolved land/revenue issues.
DK Singh 2021-2024 tenure has nothing significant outcomes with massive irregularities reported in Odisha Mining Corporation. OMC run Mines in Keonjhar and Sundargarh were looted by then BJD backed mines mafias while DK Singh kept mum till Raja Chakra got arrested by Mohan Charan Majhi Government.
The BJP campaigned against BJD’s alleged mining corruption in the 2024 elections, which helped them unseat Naveen Patnaik after 24 years. Reappointing an officer who served prominently under the previous regime could raise eyebrows, especially if viewed through a partisan lens. Critics might question whether this undermines the BJP’s anti-corruption stance, particularly since the party demanded probes into pre-2014 scams.
Under Majhi’s BJP government, there’s a push for industrial growth, including expansions by Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Jindal Steel, and even POSCO’s potential return.
Reappointing Singh signals the BJP government’s priority on Naveen Patnaik’ ex-good guys over complete bureaucratic overhaul, especially amid Odisha’s “Utkarsh” (progress) narrative promoted by Majhi and PM Narendra Modi.
The Odisha mining scam refers to widespread irregularities in iron ore and manganese mining, primarily between 2000 and 2014, during the BJD’s long rule. Estimates of the scam’s scale vary widely: some reports peg it at Rs 60,000 crore, while the BJP, in opposition at the time, alleged losses up to Rs 9 lakh crore. Key issues included illegal mining without environmental clearances, excess production beyond approved limits, and operations in forest areas.
The scam came under scrutiny from bodies like the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money in 2015, and the Justice MB Shah Commission report in 2013 highlighted violations in mining plans and environmental norms. In 2024, the BJP demanded a CBI probe into these pre-2014 irregularities, framing it as a legacy of corruption under the Patnaik regime.
Odisha is India’s leading mineral producer, with vast reserves of iron ore, bauxite, and chromite. The state aims to become a major steel hub, targeting one-third of national production by 2030 (up from ~20% currently).
