Mohapatra stresses on backward area development

Jugal Kishore Mohaptara, who was appointed as new chief secretary of the state, today assumed office at the state secretariat. He told media persons that his priority as the state's top bureaucrat will be on the effective implementation of the government policies and programmes.

Mohaptara, a 1979 IAS officer, emphasised on expediting the developmental works in tribal and Naxal infested areas.

It is very important to increase the public investment in government infrastructure to four per cent from 2.5 per cent at present, he added.

Maintaining that implementation of programmes largely depended on the field level administration, Mohapatra vowed to make the administration more energetic, innovative and efficient.

He succeeds Bijay Kumar Patnaik, who retired on June 30, as the 40th chief secretary of the state.

Among others, I Srinivas and UN Behera who were also elevated to the rank of chief secretary recently, joined their new post today.