Centre asks Odisha Chief Secy to take action against an IAS officer

The Government of India on Tuesday asked the Chief Secretary of Odisha to take appropriate action against an IAS officer of Odisha cadre.

The Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Government of India, in its letter to the Chief Secretary, cited a complaint filed by Lok Sabha MP Aparajita Sarangi and Odisha BJP Chief, Manmohan Samal on June 24, 2023.

Sarangi too took a dig at the State government. Taking to Twitter, she wrote, “Government has taken cognizance of the violation of service conduct rule by an officer in Odisha. Based on clear evidence of violation, DoPT has asked Chief Secy to take action as State is the cadre controlling authority. Hope law will be allowed to take its course.”

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The letter bears importance as the Opposition including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have been launching repeated attacks on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and 5T Secretary VK Pandian over the latter’s visit to several districts and public meetings.

Asked about her complaint and the subsequent letter from the Centre, Sarangi said, “We had submitted a written complaint with the DoPT on June 24. We, in person, submitted the complaint and made the department understand our grievance. We told them that not only public meetings but he (VK Pandian) has been featuring in all the political posters of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) alongside the picture of CM Naveen Patnaik.”

“I have already told many times that this is a blatant violation of All India Service (Conduct) Rules. People have already understood that a bureaucrat is bypassing public representatives to do such things, which is illegal. The Chief Minister has always been an advocate of law and I hope he will allow the law to take its own course in this matter too. The State is the cadre controlling authority. That is why the Centre has let the State take appropriate action against the 5T Secretary,” she said.

Speaking about the course of action for the State government, Sarangi said, “The Chief Secretary is a very senior bureaucrat and an efficient officer. I am sure he will take appropriate action after considering all the proofs I have provided against the erring officer.”

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Following Sarangi’s attacks on VK Pandian, the BJD opened its front against the Parliamentarian and called a press conference to pose questions about her Constituency.

Addressing a presser, BJD spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra said, “We want to know what steps have been taken to drain rain water from in front of the ISKCON temple in Bhubaneswar.”

To which, the BJP too retaliated saying the BJD fears Aparajita Sarangi, that is why they are asking her questions when she is not in the town.

“Sarangi never minces her words while answering questions of her political opponents. The BJD should have questioned it when she was in the town, not when she is abroad on another assignment. I think the spokespersons of the BJD fear her that is why throwing questions at her when she is not here,” said, president of Bhubaneswar District BJP, Babu Singh.

Meanwhile, the state unit of Congress on Tuesday too moved the Centre alleging blatant violation of All India Service (Conduct) Rules by 5T Secretary VK Pandian, a serving officer in the state. In a letter to the Department of Personnel and Training, senior Congress leader Bijay Patnaik has sought an inquiry against the officer and appropriate action.

Patnaik, in his letter, claimed that the name of VK Pandian appears in hoardings bearing the symbol of BJD at Hatibadi Road in Paralakhemundi of Gajapati district. The hoarding proclaims that Rs 20 lakh has been sanctioned for a Church during the visit of 5T Secretary, VK Pandian which is a clear violation of Rule 5 of All India Service (Conduct) Rules, he added.