Bhubaneswar, Jan 1 (IANS): Senior bureaucrat Suresh Chandra Mohapatra on Friday assumed charge as the new chief secretary and chief development commissioner of Odisha.

Mohapatra replaced Asit Kumar Tripathy, who retired from service on December 31.

After assuming the charge, Mohapatra said the revival of economy, which has slowed down, would be a big challenge for the government.

He also said that the projects and schemes initiated by the state government would be expedited this year.

Prior to his appointment as the new chief secretary, the 1986-batch IAS officer was serving as the development commissioner.

Meanwhile, additional chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena took charge as the development commissioner.

He was serving as the additional chief secretary to Revenue and Disaster Management Department and the Special Relief Commissioner.

The Odisha government also effected a small bureaucratic rejig on Friday.

It appointed R. Vineel Krishna as special secretary to the Chief Minister. He is also allowed to remain in additional charge as special secretary to the Sports and Youth Services Department.

Balwant Singh is appointed as new MD of Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Odisha Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (OMECL).

Besides, the government transferred several district collectors.