• Source:ANI
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Former Bureaucrat VK Pandian on Monday joined Biju Janata Dal at the Naveen Nivas in the presence of party supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Pandian was appointed as chairman of 5T (Transformational Initiative) and 'Nabin Odisha' in the rank of Cabinet Minister under the government led by CM Patnaik.

"Today our party supremo and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik officially inducted VK Pandian into the BJD. Pandian took Naveen Patnaik's blessing after this. Speaking to the senior leaders Naveen Patnaik said that just like Pandian had served the people of Odisha as a bureaucrat he would continue to do the same while in the BJD. He will work towards taking forward Naveen Patnaik's vision for the development of Odisha forward" Debi Mishra senior leader of the BJD told ANI.

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Pandian joined the party a day after the Centre approved the voluntary retirement of the IAS officer, who has been serving as private secretary to the Odisha Chief Minister.

Who Is VK Pandian?

VK Pandian is a 2000-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer. He started his career as a civil servant as a sub-collector in Dharmagarh, located in Kalahandi district. Pandian subsequently served as a collector in the Mayurbhanj and Ganjam districts before transitioning to his role in the Chief Minister's office.

VK Pandian was the State Government's 5T Secretary when he filed for voluntary retirement. 5T is a  governance charter that places a strong emphasis on teamwork, technology, transparency, and time leading to transformation. According to the state government, this guarantees the prompt completion of numerous projects.

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Pandian also played a key part in mega projects such as Sri Jagannath Heritage Corridor. The Srimandir Parikrama project which is likely to be completed this year will create an unobstructed 75-metre corridor around the outer wall of the Shree Jagannath Temple. Upon completion, devotees will get an obstructed view of the temple from a distance. The corridor will also provide amenities for devotees and strengthen security around the complex.

(With ANI inputs)