Padhi assumes charge as Odisha chief secy

BHUBANESWAR: Aditya Prasad Padhi on Monday took charge as chief secretary of Odisha from his predecessor Gokul Chandra Pati.

Padhi, who was Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister, in his address to media soon after assuming charge, said major thrust areas would be education, health, agriculture, irrigation, drinking water, rural housing, electrification, employment, investment, industrialisation and Centre-State relationship.

“The new government while taking over the charges in 2014 have already specified the priority fields of action. I will follow up all those priority areas,” he said.

He also said that the recent draught like the situation is the immediate issue.

The final reports will be submitted to the union government just after receipt of crop cutting report from different areas of the state, he added.

Padhi said rural housing, education, health irrigation, bringing in more investment to the state, speedy implementation of the infrastructural projects, etc. are also priority areas of the government.

In response to another query on employment to youths, Padhi said that government in 2014 had announced for giving employment to 50,000 persons in the government sector.

“That process is on. So far, around 31,000 youths have been engaged in various departments of government. Another four to eight thousand youths will be employed within next 4 to 5 months. With the expeditious implementation of investment projects more employment opportunities will also be created for the youths,” said the new chief secretary.