Bhubaneswar, October 24: Former IAS officer VK Pandian has been appointed as Chairman of 5T (Transformational Initiative) and ‘Nabin Odisha’ in the rank of Cabinet Minister. He will work directly under the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, said an official release.
The development came a day after Centre approved voluntary retirement of the IAS officer.
“Shri VK Pandian is hereby appointed as Chairman ST (Transformational Initiatives) and Nabin Odisha in the rank of Cabinet Minister. Shri Pandian shall work directly under the Chief Minister,” said an General and Public Administration Department notification.
Pandian has been serving as Private Secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik since 2011.
Pandian, a 2000-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer, started his career as a civil servant as a sub-collector in Dharmagarh, located in Kalahandi district. Pandian subsequently served as a Collector in Mayurbhanj and Ganjam districts before being appointed in the Chief Minister’s Office.
In the last 10 years since joining, Pandian has played a key role in many crucial decisions of the Patnaik Government.
Prior to seeking VRS, Pandian served as 5T Secretary to the State Government. 5T is a charter of governance which emphasises Transparency, Technology, Teamwork, Time leading to Transformation, which State Government says ensures the speedy completion of many projects.
