Aditya Prasad Padhi shakes hands with GC Pati after formally taking charge as chief secretary in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

The 1983-batch IAS officer addressed reporters after assuming charge. He said: "The new government specified its priorities when it took charge in 2014. I will follow up all those priority areas".

He said that he would pay attention to the recent drought-like situation in the state and submit a report to the Centre after he receives the final crop cutting report from different areas of the state. He also highlighted rural housing, education, health, irrigation, investment, speedy implementation of the infrastructure projects as other priority areas of the government.

Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee