Bhubaneawar, August 8: Senior IAS officer Arabinda Kumar Padhee, who has returned from central deputation recently, assumed charge as the Principal Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department on Monday.
“Privileged to join as Principal Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department, Government of Odisha,” tweeted Padhee.
Padhee, who was the first agricultural science graduate from Odisha to get into the IAS and served in this sector for a long time, assumed charge at a time when crop diversification and doubling farmers’s income are the top priorities of both Union and State Governments.
The 1996-batch IAS officer has also been given additional charge as Principal Secretary of the Fisheries and Animal Resources Department.
After successfully completing his tenure in Central Government and International Organization like ICRISAT as India Head, Padhee joined the State Government recently.
Born in Bargarh, Padhee graduated from the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneawar, pursued his master’s from BHU and completed PhD at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He has also did an MA in public administration from the University of Birmingham, UK, in 2010.
Padhee was also ranked first in the All-India Agricultural Research Service exam conducted by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research.