V.Okay. Pandian: Odisha’s Chief Minister-in-waiting?
IAS officer V.Okay. Pandian is probably the most talked about political determine in Odisha as of late. His profession took a definitive flip when, on November 27, he formally joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) within the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and senior leaders of the get together. “With the steerage of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, I’ll work for the folks of Odisha in a devoted, humble, and selfless method,” Pandian stated after becoming a member of the BJD.
Pinaki Misra, senior BJD chief and Puri MP, instructed reporters: “The Chief Minister has instructed Pandian to work for the get together and the State similar to he labored with him as his personal secretary for the previous 13-14 years. His administrative and political expertise can be an asset for the get together.” Though Pandian’s function throughout the get together is but to be formally introduced, BJD insiders stated that he’ll play a vital function within the marketing campaign programme and candidate choice for the get together as Odisha gears up for the Legislative Meeting election in 2024.
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Pandian’s newest transfer didn’t come as a shock. On October 23, the 2000-batch IAS officer resigned as a bureaucrat, choosing the Voluntary Retirement Scheme. A day later, he was appointed as Chairman of 5T (Teamwork, Expertise, Transparency, Transformation and Time restrict), Odisha’s flagship initiative, and of Nabin Odisha, a lately launched rural improvement scheme, in a rank equal to that of a Cupboard Minister.
‘True disciple’
Quickly after, a senior BJD chief described Pandian because the “true disciple of Naveen Patnaik”, whereas the get together’s social media handles equated this VK with the opposite VK—India’s star cricketer Virat Kohli—forward of the World Cup last.
Born on Could 29, 1974, in Tamil Nadu, Pandian started his journey within the IAS within the Punjab cadre. In 2002, he was appointed as Sub-collector of Dharmagarh, one of many subdivisional headquarters of Odisha’s Kalahandi district, which was as soon as notorious for its malnutrition-related deaths and poverty. Pandian was among the many youngest Collectors within the nation when, in 2005, he took cost of tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj, the most important district in Odisha.
V.Okay. Pandian (centre) as District Collector of Ganjam interacts with bodily challenged folks at Berhampur stadium on March 12, 2008.
| Picture Credit score:
LINGARAJ PANDA
This was adopted by a stint in Ganjam district, which is Patnaik’s dwelling turf. Between the 2 postings, Pandian was briefly roped in to assist with the computerisation of information on the workplace of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bhubaneswar. His time as Ganjam’s Collector introduced him on to the Chief Minister’s Workplace (CMO), and he joined as Patnaik’s personal secretary in 2011.
“In some instances, working in Ganjam has proved to be the qualifier for necessary portfolios. Pandian proved his mettle together with his decision-making and effectivity,” stated a former bureaucrat on situation of anonymity.
However even earlier than Pandian entered the CMO, Patnaik had a powerful bureaucratic workforce, composed of officers who had proved themselves with their dealing with of the tremendous cyclone of 1999 that triggered mass destruction in Odisha. This workforce, which had been working with Patnaik since 2000 when he was sworn in because the Chief Minister of Odisha for the primary time, was largely impenetrable. However Pandian might make inroads.
Highlights
- On November 27, V.Okay. Pandian formally joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) within the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and senior leaders of the get together
- He’s the Chairman of 5T (Teamwork, Expertise, Transparency, Transformation and Time restrict), Odisha’s flagship initiative, and of Nabin Odisha, a lately launched rural improvement scheme, in a rank equal to that of a Cupboard Minister
- He joined the Chief Minister’s Workplace as Patnaik’s personal secretary in 2011 and gained belief together with his dedication to schemes near Patnaik’s coronary heart
Growing belief
His likelihood to enter the innermost circle got here in 2012, when Patnaik had a falling out together with his then confidante, the IAS officer turned politician, Pyarimohan Mohapatra. As Patnaik’s key adviser, Mohapatra had been the brains behind all his selections and strikes till then. However they parted methods when Mohapatra allegedly tried to stage a coup, benefiting from Patnaik’s absence from Bhubaneswar. In consequence, the BJD confronted a number of inner-party points, and this got here at a time when some veteran leaders had both died or left the get together. However with Pandian taking Mohapatra’s place, a semblance of normalcy was restored within the get together.
“Pandian has a million followers on Instagram: his web page has pictures and reels of him taking inventory of latest tasks, assembly key figures, and greeting them with “Jai Jagannath”, the customary greeting of the Odia folks.”
“Within the preliminary years, as Patnaik’s personal secretary, Pandian developed belief. Since 2014, there was no trying again for him. It additionally helped that the areas of labor by which he confirmed an curiosity—fields like sports activities and temples—are additionally Patnaik’s favourites. His concepts had been at all times projected as pro-people, and there was little or no scope to reject them,” stated the bureaucrat.
With Patnaik’s speedy relations away from Odisha and within the absence of succesful get together leaders, Pandian took cost of many issues regarding Patnaik, together with his well being.
The 5T initiative
In 2019, after Patnaik was elected Chief Minister for the fifth time, the {photograph} that turned the speak of the city had Patnaik sitting on a chair with Pandian standing by his facet, each clad in signature whites. It was stated that Patnaik had discovered his most trusted bureaucrat, whom he might financial institution on for all the pieces.
V.Okay. Pandian joined the Biju Janata Dal in presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and get together leaders at Naveen Niwas, Bhubaneswar, on November 27, 2023.
| Picture Credit score:
ANI
In his fifth time period, Patnaik improved upon his earlier initiative, 3T (Teamwork, Transparency and Expertise, the three components on which the efficiency of presidency officers and tasks had been judged), upgrading it to 5T with the addition of Transformation and Time restrict. The 5T initiative below Pandian and his workforce on the CMO screens and implements all key tasks from all departments. This scheme was adopted by the “Modi Sarkar” in 2019, in an try to take governance to the folks’s doorsteps. Pandian is claimed to have performed a task in making this occur.
On March 2, 2023, Pandian toured Malkangiri district’s Swabhiman Anchal, the primary Maoist bastion to return below the whole management of the State authorities. What was meant to be a routine two-day area tour quickly become a full-fledged all-districts tour. And over the following seven months, Pandian had lined 30 districts of Odisha.
His excursions quickly turned the goal of the opposition’s ire: they had been described as “political in nature”, with a bureaucrat performing the duties of a public consultant. The opposition additionally questioned Pandian’s use of a State helicopter. However Patnaik stood by Pandian, defending his actions. After which he eradicated the probabilities of additional criticism on this account by inducting Pandian into the BJD in November.
Though Pandian is generally seen as Patnaik’s shadow, he’s fairly well-liked in his particular person capability too. He has a million followers on Instagram: his web page has pictures and reels of him strolling and taking inventory of latest tasks, assembly key nationwide and worldwide figures, and greeting them with “Jai Jagannath”, the customary greeting of the Odia folks.
Temple challenge
Observers say that Pandian’s dedication to the reason for the Puri Jagannath temple additionally offers him the sting. By the way, the formidable Srimandir Parikrama challenge meant to beautify the temple at a price of Rs.943 crore can also be being overseen by 5T.
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“Of all of the bureaucrats right here, he appears to be the one who’s most devoted to the reason for the Puri temple, despite the fact that he’s a non-Odia. That’s getting the heartbeat of what the excessive command and the general public need. This could by no means go unsuitable,” stated a former chief of the BJD.
Pandian has designed the BJD’s new workplace named Shank Bhavan: shank (conch) is the get together image. There are strict guidelines throughout the workplace premises, resembling no-entry for meat-based meals.
Predictably, Pandian’s rise has left many within the BJD jittery. On September 10, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, a BJD chief and former editor of one among Odisha’s largest vernacular dailies, scathingly criticised Pandian’s “chopper trip” to districts and accused him of meddling in State politics. A number of days after the piece was printed, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was expelled because the get together’s vice chairman on “disciplinary grounds”. With this Patnaik could nicely have signalled who his successor can be.
Aishwarya Mohanty is an impartial journalist overlaying gender, social justice, and setting points.
