Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik's aide gets cabinet rank

VK Pandian, close aide of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, was given a Cabinet rank in the state government, a day after after the Centre approved his voluntary retirement.

The Odisha government on Tuesday appointed Pandian as chairman of 5T (transformational initiatives), which he headed previously as secretary. As per the order of the Odisha government, Pandian will directly work under the chief minister.

Many in Odisha government believe Panidan will have a say in almost every ministry of the state government, as this 5T initiative of the Odisha government has a role in every department of the government. The BJP and Congress expressed surprise over the speed at which Pandian's VRS was accepted and his appointment as chairman of 5T (Transformational Initiatives).


After Patnaik became the CM for the fifth time in 2019, Pandian was given the additional responsibility of the '5T secretary' to implement some transformational initiatives in government departments. Pandian, a native of Tamil Nadu, is seen as the most influential figure in Odisha government and BJD after Patnaik and has been with the CM since 2011.

With Patnaik's ailing health, Pandian influence and stature rose so much that he was the only third person in the recent political meetings of BJD supremo with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for possible third front. He applied for voluntary retirement on October 20 and got it within three days on October 23.

Recently, Pandian was in the news for taking a tour of several districts in Odisha to oversee work using the state chopper.
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