Odisha: Naveen Patnaik’s aide gets cabinet minister rank, hours after taking voluntary retirement

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik with VK Pandian. Picture Courtesy: @CMO_Odisha

VK Pandian, the previous aide to Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, has been appointed Chairman 5T (Transformational Initiatives) with the rank of a cupboard minister, an official notification stated on Tuesday.

The event comes lower than 24 hours after Pandian took voluntary retirement from authorities service.

“Shri VK Pandian is hereby appointed as Chairman 5T (Transformational Initiatives) and Nabin Odisha in the rank of Cabinet Minister. Pandian shall work directly under the Chief Minister,” the Basic Administration and Public Grievance Division stated.

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Pandian joined the Chief Minister’s Workplace (CMO) in 2011, and since then, he has been Patnaik’s personal secretary.

After Patnaik turned the chief minister for the fifth time in 2019, Pandian was given extra accountability of ‘5T secretary’ to implement some transformational initiatives in authorities departments.