Former bureaucrat VK Pandian joins Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal

A close aide to chief minister Naveen Patnaik for over a decade, Pandian took voluntary retirement from the IAS and was given the rank of a Cabinet minister

Published on: Nov 27, 2023, 12:38:18 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Former bureaucrat VK Pandian, 49, on Monday joined Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over a month after resigning as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. A close aide to chief minister Naveen Patnaik for over a decade, Pandian took voluntary retirement from the IAS and was given the rank of a Cabinet minister. He was also made chairman of the state government’s 5T (good governance) initiative.

Pandian joined the BJD in the presence of Patnaik and other top leaders. (HT PHOTO)

The Tamil Nadu-born former bureaucrat joined the BJD in the presence of Patnaik and other top leaders.

BJD member of Parliament Pinaki Mishra said Pandian joined the BJD with the blessings of Patnaik. “Pandian was advised by Patnaik to work for the state and the party as he worked with him for the last 13-14 years. The chief minister hoped that Pandian would bring success to the party as he did for the administration. He also said that Pandian’s administrative and political experience will be a great asset for the party,” said Mishra.

Pandian was felicitated at the BJD office before he left for Ganjam, where he served as district collector before joining the chief minister’s office as the private secretary to Patnaik in 2011.

A Punjab cadre IAS, Pandian opted for the Odisha cadre after marrying his batch mate Sujata Rout. In May 2012, Pandian earned Patnaik’s trust when the chief minister faced political advisor Pyarimohan Mohapatra’s revolt. The rebellion was quelled with Pandian playing his part.

Pandian began the year 2023 by visiting all the 30 districts of the state.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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