Bureaucrat To Odisha Cabinet In 24 Hours: Rise And Rise Of VK Pandian
NDTV
VK Pandian's rise as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's aide drew the Opposition's ire in the state, who accused him of misusing his position for political gains.
VK Pandian, the former private secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has been given a cabinet minister rank in the state government, a day after he took voluntary retirement from government service. Mr Pandian's rise as the Chief Minister's aide drew the Opposition's ire in the state, who accused him of misusing his position for political gains.
A 2000-batch Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer of the Odisha cadre, Mr Pandian started out as the sub-collector of Dharmagarh in the state's Kalahandi district in 2002.
In 2006, he was made the collector of the Mayurbhanj district and the collector of Ganjam two years later in 2007. While serving in the Ganjam, Mr Pandian became close to the Chief Minister, who is also from the district.
