Pandian, an IAS officer from the 2000 batch, has been Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary since 2011. On Monday, his VRS was approved by the Center vk pandian

The state’s most powerful bureaucrat for more than a decade, V Karthikeyan Pandian, has taken voluntary retirement (VRS), but his stature has only increased. Pandian, an IAS officer from the 2000 batch, has been Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary since 2011. On Monday, his VRS was approved by the Center.Pandian, who is close to the chief minister and has allegedly been helping him with party matters for years, was appointed the Chairman 5T (Transformational Initiatives) with the rank of Cabinet Minister a day after his VRS was approved. According to sources, Pandian could join the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which is currently in power, and could be given a significant role prior to the upcoming assembly elections early the following year.
VK Pandian, who is he?
Pandian gained notoriety as the chief minister’s close aide due to his involvement in both party and governmental affairs. When Pyarimohan Mohapatra, a former bureaucrat turned politician, and Naveen Patnaik’s relationship started to deteriorate, he was brought into the chief minister’s office. Patnaik heavily relied on Mohapatra, who was regarded as the state’s “Chanakya” in terms of politics. As more MLAs supported Mohapatra for the top position, his influence within the party grew. When Patnaik was traveling abroad in 2012, he learned about the alleged coup attempt by Mohapatra. Mohapatra has been expelled from the party by the chief minister. It was feared that the party might disintegrate, but Pandian was crucial in helping Patnaik handle the crisis. Since then, no one has looked.
He is a Tamil Nadu native who started working in government in 2002 as the sub-collector of Dharmagarh in the Kalahandi district. Later, the President of India gave him the National Award for his work on the Public Works Departments (PWDs). The single window system for the empowerment of PWDs was then adopted as a national model and put into place all across the nation.
Pandian was appointed collector of the Mayurbhanj district in 2005, and his efforts there were used as an example of how the government can work to stop the spread of Naxalism. He was made the collector of Ganjam two years later. He received the National Award for Working for Persons with AIDS from the Ministry while working as a collector in Ganjam of Family and Health Welfare.
IAS VK pandian
had requested him to resign and “officially join the BJD” after he undertook a frenzied tour of the state, holding 190 meetings to hear from the public. Senior Congressman SS Saluja applauded Pandian for choosing to retire voluntarily but felt that he should have done so sooner.
Rather than hiding behind the mask of a bureaucrat, Pandian will now be able to practice politics openly, according to BJP Chief Whip Mohan Majhi. “He will not be accepted by the people of Odisha,” he stated.
Communications Officer for Congress Jairam Ramesh claimed that Pandian had been a fine member of the government who had greatly aided Naveen Patnaik. But it’s good that things will finally move from de facto to de jure, and Pandian will become
to have been invented by Pandian.
As a result of Pandian’s working methods and friendship with Patnaik, the BJP and Congress frequently criticized the bureaucrat’s authority. Recently, Pandian came under fire from the opposition for using the state chopper to tour a number of districts. Pandian was charged with breaking service condition regulations by the opposition parties.
On Patnaik’s direction, Pandian recently reviewed the development of the Srimandir Parikrama project, which aims to enhance the experience of pilgrims. Along with helping the chief minister with the high school transformation project, he also took on the renovation and restoration of historic and revered temples throughout the state. In addition, Pandian is credited with modernizing hospitals all over Odisha.
Previously, the BJP and the Congress
Additionally, Pandian has twice been given the prime minister’s National Award for NREGS for Ganjam, the nation’s best district. Under his direction, the Ganjam district was the first to adopt the bank payment of wages in NREGS, which was later adopted by the Indian government for implementation throughout the entire nation.
Pandian grew close to Patnaik while he was assigned to Ganjam. Pandian was given the additional duty of the “5T secretary” to carry out some transformational initiatives in government departments after Patnaik won a fifth term in office in 2019.
The ‘5T’ (Transparency, Teamwork, Technology, Time and Transformation) program, which was introduced by Odisha, is thought to be intended to increase the effectiveness, accountability, and responsiveness of the state’s administration.an independent political figure,” he claimed in a tweet. “It was a strange situation in Odisha for over a decade and a half with the CM being like an absentee landlord and his chief aide functioning as the state’s CEO.”
A profile of the influential former bureaucrat from Odisha
Former IAS officer VK Pandian served as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary before being given a significant rank in the Odisha cabinet. On October 23, he voluntarily entered retirement.
Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister of Odisha, had VK Pandian as his personal secretary up until Monday. Pandian was named the Chairman 5T (Transformational Initiatives) on Tuesday, one day after he voluntarily retired from the government. He was given the rank of Cabinet Minister.
Sources in the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said Pandian may join the party soon after his voluntary retirement and may be given a significant role before the assembly elections, which are scheduled for early next year.
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