VK Pandian, a close aide to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed Chairman 5T (Transformational Initiatives) with the rank of a cabinet minister, according to an official notification released on Tuesday.
“VK Pandian is hereby appointed as Chairman 5T [Transformational Initiatives] and Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha in the rank of Cabinet Minister. Pandian shall work directly under the Chief Minister,” said a notification by the general administration and public grievance department.
Pandian’s request for voluntary departure from government employment was approved less than 24 hours ago. From now on, Pandian will report directly to Chief Minister Patnaik.
The Odisha Chief Minister Office (CMO) appointed the 2000 batch IAS official, who had started his career as a Dharmagarh sub-collector in Kalahandi district, in 2011. He soon rose to the position of most trusted lieutenant under Naveen Patnaik.
Originating from Tamil Nadu, VK Pandian started his career as a Punjab cadre IAS officer. But once he married Sujata Rout, an Odia IAS officer, his cadre was altered, and his career took a dramatic turn.
Pandian’s most prominent function as a bureaucrat was as Patnaik’s private secretary, a position he has held for more than a decade. He was able to have significant influence in Odisha’s power structures due to this role.
After the 2019 Assembly elections, Pandian’s reputation increased when he was named the 5T Secretary. The 5T programme seeks to improve cooperation and openness in Odisha’s government agencies. Despite the absence of a formal 5T agency, Pandian took use of his position to meddle in all government initiatives. The chief minister is a crucial middleman in matters of state since ministries and MLAs have flocked to see him throughout the years.
Pandian, who used the state chopper to make a quick visit of all 30 districts in Odisha, has been at the focus of a heated dispute. The opposition parties have expressed concerns about the nature and purpose of these excursions, claiming that they resembled rallies of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
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