Pitambar Acharya Appointed Advocate General of Odisha
The Odisha government appointed Senior Advocate Pitambar Acharya as the new Advocate General of Odisha. An official notification from the Law Department stated, “In pursuance of Clause (1) of the Article 165 of the Constitution of India, the Governor of Odisha is pleased to appoint Pitambar Acharya, Senior Advocate, High Court of Orissa, to be the Advocate General of the State of Odisha with immediate effect.”
As the Advocate General, Acharya will serve as the principal legal advisor to the state government, providing guidance on legal matters referred by the Governor. This appointment makes him the highest law officer in Odisha.
Acharya’s appointment follows the resignation of the previous Advocate General, Ashok Kumar Parija, on June 6, after the fall of the BJD government. Since Parija’s resignation, Jyoti Prakash Pattnaik had been serving as the in-charge Advocate General.
Pitambar Acharya brings a wealth of experience in both law and politics to his new role. A former vice-president and spokesperson for Odisha BJP, Acharya contested against Naveen Patnaik in the 2019 Hinjli assembly elections. He has a background in student politics, having served as the president of the students’ union at BJB College in the 90s.
Acharya holds an LLB from University Law College, Utkal University, and a Master’s degree in Political Science. He began his professional career as a journalist before transitioning to law, where he has practiced at the Orissa High Court for over three decades. His extensive legal career includes roles as senior standing counsel for the State Election Commission, Odisha Legislative Assembly, and central government. He has also served as a legal retainer for various state organizations, including the Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, and Odisha Mining Corporation Limited. Notably, he represented former state BJP president Samir Mohanty in a PIL seeking the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple.
Acharya’s extensive legal expertise and political background position him as a significant appointment to the role of Advocate General in Odisha.
