Who is VK Pandian? A powerful former bureaucrat from Odisha

A 2000-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, VK Pandian officially tendered his resignation as the private secretary of Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and took voluntary retirement from government service on Monday. A day later, he was appointed the Chairman 5T (Transformational Initiatives) with the rank of Cabinet Minister.

In a letter to the Odisha government's general administration department, the Union Cabinet officially approved his resignation, saying that the said his voluntary retirement has been accepted "with the waiver of the notice period as recommended by the State Government".

Union government's letter to the Odisha administration approving  VK Pandian's resignation as IAS officer | Image: ANI

Who Is VK Pandian?

Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Pandian gained prominence as a trusted associate of the Odisha Chief Minister during his initial days as an IAS officer. He embarked on his civil service career in 2002 when he assumed the role of sub-collector in Dharmagarh, situated in Kalahandi district. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in matters related to farmers' rights and the efficient management of paddy procurement.

Subsequently, Pandian achieved national recognition with a National Award presented by the President of India. The award recognised his outstanding contributions to the rehabilitation of the Public Works Departments (PWDs). His work in this domain led to the establishment of a single window system for the empowerment of PWDs, which was adopted as a national model and subsequently implemented throughout the country, demonstrating his significant impact on public administration and governance.

In 2007, Pandian was appointed the collector of Ganjam. During his tenure as a collector in Ganjam, Pandian received the National Award for his dedicated efforts in working for Persons with AIDS. This recognition was presented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, highlighting his substantial contributions to the field of healthcare and his commitment to supporting individuals affected by AIDS.

He has also received the National Award for NREGS twice for the best district in the country - Ganjam, given by the prime minister. Recently, he came to headlines after he went on a whirlwind tour across the state of Odisha during which he held 190 meetings to hear public grievances.