IAS Durga Shankar Mishra, chief secretary (CS) of Uttar Pradesh gets another extension of six months. This is a record third extension for Mishra, who was due to retire on December 31. Now Mishra will remain CS till June 2024. Apart from Mishra, the tenure of Odisha CS Pradeep Kumar Jena has also been extended for six months. Now he will also retire on June 30, 2024.
Extension was expected
The extension of Durga Shankar Mishra was expected keeping in mind the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Mishra is considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Recently, Mishra had met Modi when the prime minister had visited Ayodhya.
Mishra, a 1984 batch IAS was made Uttar Pradesh CS on December 29, 2021, barely two days before his retirement due on December 31, 2021. He was repatriated to his home cadre for the centre where he was serving as secretary of the housing and urban affairs department. He was immediately given a one-year extension till December 31, 2022. Later, he was again given a year's extension till December 31, 2022. Now, a six-month extension will further extend his tenure till next year June.
The centre wanted to conduct the 2022 UP elections under his regime. So it had sent Mishra as CS. Now centre wants to conduct general elections under his monitoring. So it has again extended his tenure,” said a senior bureaucrat.
IAS Durga Shankar Mishra has an illustrious career
An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, Mishra has a rich experience of 39 years. Besides being district collector of Agra and Sonbhadra and principal secretary to former chief minister Mayawati, Mishra has worked on important portfolios in the centre. He was joint secretary in home affairs, chief vigilance officer in civil aviation, joint secretary in mines and secretary in housing and urban affairs. His slogan – Clean Agra, Green Agra when he was district collector of Agra in 1996-1999 – became a rallying point for the improvement of the environment of Agra.
Now as a chief secretary, the construction of magnanimous Ram temple in Ayodhya is one of the key highlights of his career.
Odisha CS gets extension
Pradeep Kumar
The Odisha government extended the tenure of Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena for six months till June 30, 2024.
Jena was slated to retire from service on December 31, 2023.
Though no specific reason has been mentioned, official sources said Jena's tenure has been extended keeping in mind the forthcoming general and assembly polls due in April-May next year.
A 1989-batch IAS officer, Jena was appointed as the chief secretary on February 26 this year.
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