Nabin Odisha and 5T chairman V. K. Pandian highlighted the development activities of the Naveen Patnaik government while refraining from attacking the opposition during his visit to Mayurbhanj on Tuesday. By addressing the public Pandian said the confidence of people in BJD and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has grown. “The chief minister always works for the people”. Addressing a public meeting at Baripada’s he said This is People’s Government Not Bjd Government.
V.K Pandian , The Man of Minutes
The 2000 batch IAS officer, who started his career as Dharmagarh sub-collector in Kalahandi district, joined the Odisha CMO in 2011 and became the most trusted lieutenant of Naveen Patnaik. VK Pandian hails from Tamil Nadu and began his career as an Indian Administrative Service in the Punjab cadre. However, his career took a significant turn when got Odisha cadre by virtue of his marriage to Odia IAS officer, Sujata Rout.
Pandian’s most prominent role as a bureaucrat was serving as the private secretary to Navin Patnaik, a position he has held for over a decade. This role granted him substantial influence within the power corridors of Odisha.
After the 2019 Assembly polls, Pandian’s stature grew as he was appointed the 5T Secretary. The 5T initiative aims to bring transparency and teamwork to government departments in Odisha. Although there is no official 5T department, Pandian used this position to intervene in all government projects. Over the years, ministers and MLAs have queued up to seek an audience with the chief minister, making him a key intermediary in government matters.
Subhransu Satpathy, Odisha