Bhubaneswar, April 20: The Odisha government today shifted additional chief secretary (revenue) Taradatt, who had shot into limelight for his report on misuse of discretionary quota of government land and houses, as the director-general of Gopabandhu Academy of Administration.

The shift coincides with the law department's finalisation of modalities on the actions to be taken against the people, who had allegedly violated the norms and taken land under the quota.

After the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had detected irregularities in the allotment of houses and plots under the quota, the Odisha government had formed a committee under Taradatt to make a detailed examination.

The panel found that the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, Cuttack Development Authority and the Odisha State Housing Board had distributed nearly 6,001 plots under the quota since 1995.

However, the committee did not examine the quota allotment by the general administration department.

On the basis of his report, the government has cancelled a few allotments. Some of the allottees were forced to return their plots. All this, however, had caused acute embarrassment to the state government.

Today, the state government also shifted home secretary C.J. Venugopal and appointed Asit Tripathy in his place on his return from the central deputation. Venugopal was posted in the science and technology department. Planning and co-ordination special secretary D.N. Gupta has been appointed as chief electoral officer.

The present chief electoral officer, Mona Sharma, has been appointed as the revenue secretary.

Senior IAS officer G.V.V. Sharma will be the new principal secretary of the general administration in place of Niten Chandra, who was shifted as commercial tax commissioner. Sharma will also discharge additional duty as the special relief commissioner.

Employment technical education and training secretary Chandrasekhar has been transferred as the transport commissioner. Manoj Ahuja will be the new co-operation secretary.