By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Around 15 Officers including IAS, OAS, Retired IPS and OAS, are now serving at Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Office.
Heading the list of Officers at CMO , Prakash Mishra, a Retired IPS Officer of 1976 batch serving as Advisor to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi with Cabinet Minister rank, followed by 1996 batch IAS Officer Saswat Mishra as Principal Secretary to CM and 2006 batch IAS Officer Manoj Sahoo as Private Secretary to CM Majhi.
While another 2012 batch IAS Officer Anupam Saha serving as Additional Secretary to CM Majhi.
After these above mentioned officers , name of , retired OAS Officer, who positioned himself as OSD-cum Special Secretary to Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi overpowering 3 In-Service IAS Officers, 1 Retired IPS Officer and dozen over OAS officers in Chief Minister’s Office, comes.
Despite being a retired OAS Officer, Sarangi overpowering and taking lead in all most all key decision of CM Majhi and CMO. Even BJP leaders finding it difficult to get things done if Sarangi reluctant to do so in CMO.
The day CM Majhi conducted Puja, soon after BJP named him as CM, at his official chamber in third floor of State secretariat , OSD –cum-Special Secretary Sarangi was seen sitting along with CM Majhi and taking lead in Puja putting all other senior IAS Officers including Chief Secretary and others are at tizzy.
Sarangi’s tenure has also been extended by CM Majhi for another year. As per CMO culture, normally Principal Secretary and Private Secretary to CM considered more powerful but in Odisha CMO, a retired OAS officer calling shots while IAS Officers looking helpless.
During late Nandini Satpathy, to late JB Patnaik to late Biju Patnaik to Naveen Patnaik, IAS officers were calling shots in CMO . Officers like late Ramakanta Rath, Sudhanshu Bhusan Mishra, Pyari Mohan Mohapatra , Bijay Patnaik, VK Pandian were more powerful during their tenure as Principal and Private Secretary to various CMs but after BJP Government took baton of Odisha, retired OAS officer with service extension tag, taking major decisions.
Even CM Majhi is openly asking OSD-cum Special Secretary Sarangi to verify and take decision if some file reaches CMO while bypassing IAS Officer Principal and Private Secretary.
There were other officers serving at CMO Odisha including Mirdha Toppo, OAS (SS) Special Secretary to CM, Dr. Chitrasen Rout, OAS (SAG), Additional Secretary to CM, Umesh Chandra Tripathy, OFS (SAG), Additional Secretary to CM , Trilochan Mohanty, OAS (S), Joint Secretary to CM, Alok Kumar Pradhan, OAS (S)Joint Secretary to CM Antu Murmu, Joint Secretary to CM, Debi Prasad Mishra, Joint Secretary & First Appellate Authority to CM, Subhendu Pattnaik, OAS, PIO-cum-Under Secretary to CM, Chitta Ranjan Pati, Joint Director cum PRO to CM and Debasis Pattnaik Additional PRO to CM but only Sarangi is capable.
Sources said, former IAS officer VK Pandian had taken over CMO as a result of which BJD facing the music now and if Sarangi dominance continues in CMO, BJP leaders will find it difficult to reach to Chief Minister Majhi in near future.
