Odisha deploys senior IAS officers to accelerate Cyclone Arnab relief work
The state government has ordered the immediate movement of several administrative officers to critical districts to manage rescue and restoration efforts.
The Government of Odisha has issued an urgent mobilisation order for key administrative personnel to manage relief and restoration following Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab and subsequent floods, according to Pragativadi.
The Office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) issued the order on November 3, 2026, invoking the Odisha Relief Code and Section 63 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Several Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers have been deputed to specific districts to lead ground-level operations. Pawan Kumar, Sub-Collector of Redhakhol, Sambalpur, has been sent to Gajapati, while Ajit Kumar, ADM of Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj, and Tejaswini Behera, Sub-Collector of Sundaragada, have been assigned to Ganjam.
Shiv Malviya, the Sub-Collector of Baleshwar, has been designated for Kandhamal district. These officers will serve as Additional Special Relief Commissioners and must report to their respective District Collectors.
The officers are tasked with coordinating field relief, assessing public needs, managing essential supply distribution, and speeding up the restoration of critical services and infrastructure.
The state government has directed controlling authorities to release these officers immediately. Additionally, the officers are prohibited from leaving their designated headquarters without permission from their Collector until further notice.