Jugal Kishore Mohapatra. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, July 1: Chief secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra today took charge and lost no time to establish that the state government’s focus would be to increase investment in the infrastructure sector.

He said public investment in infrastructure sector had been between 2 and 2.5 per cent of the gross state domestic product.

“Efforts will be made to increase it to 4 per cent in the next three years,” he said.

Though the state has made strides in development of physical infrastructure, it is lagging behind in terms of social infrastructure as compared to other states.

“We will continue our efforts to bring Odisha at par with the national average in spheres of higher secondary education, higher education and health service,” he said.

Execution of various development projects will be expedited in the backward and tribal-dominated areas, said the chief secretary, while unfolding his vision for development.

The efforts to step up economic growth rate of the state will continue, said Mohapatra, who had been in charge of finance department for the past few years.

The new chief secretary underscored the need for making the field administration effective and people-friendly for successful implementation of various government schemes and programmes.

He asked officials to regularly hear public grievances and redress them at the earliest. Fifty-seven-year-old Mohapatra, known for his polite behaviour, was greeted by all sections of state government employees. Several employees organisations welcomed him with bouquets.

He also called on governor S.C. Jamir and chief minister Naveen Patnaik this afternoon.

Though Mohapatra’s predecessor B.K. Patnaik retired on Sunday, he worked the whole day and left for home in the evening. He was given a warm send off by the officials.

Four other senior officials — Injeti Srinivas, Aditya Prasad Padhi, Upendra Nath Behera and Taradatt — also assumed new responsibilities today.

Srinivas took over as the development commissioner in place of Mohapatra, while Behera assumed charge as additional chief secretary in charge of finance.

Though Padhi was retained in the chief minister’s office, he was elevated as additional chief secretary. Taradatt also took over as additional chief secretary and head of KBK administration.

Mohapatra, who holds a postgraduate degree in economics, has a good track record in his career spanning nearly three-and-a-half decades and enjoys the confidence of chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

He had served as principal secretary to the chief minister from 2000 to 2004. Before assuming his present position, he was development commissioner and additional chief secretary in charge of finance. He is the 40th chief secretary of Odisha.

Apart from his colleagues, friends, well wishers and the who’s who of the state visited him throughout the day with bouquets and good wishes. “He has always been a hard working officer and deserves to be in this position. He will be an able successor to B.K. Patnaik,” said one of his colleagues.