In a noteworthy development, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has weighed in on the voluntary retirement of IAS officer VK Pandian, who formerly served as the private secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Pandian’s decision to exit the civil service and potentially venture into politics has raised eyebrows, prompting Ramesh to share his perspective on the situation.
Ramesh observed that what was once an unofficial status is now on the brink of becoming official. He went on to describe the current state of affairs in Odisha as “strange,” emphasizing that the Chief Minister appeared to be an “absentee landlord” while his “chief aide functioned as the state’s CEO.”
Taking to the popular social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Jairam Ramesh retweeted a post confirming Pandian’s resignation, where he expressed his views, stating, “He has been a fine civil servant and has greatly assisted Naveen Patnaik. However, it is a positive development that a de facto situation will finally attain a de jure status, and Pandian will emerge as a political figure in his own right.”
Ramesh reiterated, “For over a decade and a half, Odisha witnessed an unusual scenario with the Chief Minister resembling an absentee landlord, and his chief aide effectively functioning as the state’s CEO.”
VK Pandian, a 2000-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, rose to prominence as a close associate of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. However, his role had come under scrutiny from opposition parties, who alleged that he had been leveraging his position for political gains.
In a formal communication addressed to the state’s General Administration Department, the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training disclosed that they had accepted Pandian’s voluntary retirement, “with the waiver of the notice period, as recommended by the State Government.”
Pandian’s bureaucratic career commenced when he assumed the role of sub-collector in Dharmagarh, Kalahandi district, in 2002. Subsequently, he served as the collector of Mayurbhanj district in 2005 and was later appointed as the collector of Ganjam in 2007. It was during his tenure in Ganjam that he forged a close professional relationship with the Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik.
The trajectory of VK Pandian’s career, from a civil servant to the potential realm of politics, remains a topic of interest and discussion in Odisha’s political landscape. The implications of this transition for the state’s governance and political dynamics are yet to be fully understood.