Allegations mount against IAS officer VK Pandian

Bhubaneswar: After politicians, government employees have also started raising their voice against VK Pandian, the private secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Agitating school and college staff today expressed their resentment over Pandian's interference in the decision-making of the State government. The teachers who have launched a mass agitation against the State government protesting mandatory submission of affidavits to avail grant-in-aid, shouted slogans against Pandian during their rally.

Convener of the Odisha School College Teachers' and Employees United Forum Prakash Mohanty said "Even though a decision was taken in presence of the Chief Minister, Pandian and two former ministers, the same has not been implemented yet."

Yesterday, BJD leader Hema Gamang lambasted CM Naveen Patnaik for giving a free hand to Pandian.

Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda took to social media and tweeted, "With so many insiders making serious allegations against Pandian, it is high time for an investigation. It would be better for him to resign from IAS so that he can legally be involved in politics, something he is now doing illegally, in gross violation of service rules."

Reacting to such allegations, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said, "Allegations against a bureaucrat are a sponsored act. Leaders who accuse bureaucrats raise questions about their own efficiency."

With allegations pouring in, political experts feel that bureaucrats should abide by service rules and regulations.

Former Chief Secretary, Sahadeb Sahu said, "He (Naveen) is so dependent on Pandian that he cannot live without him. Why he is not being changed? Are there no other loyal officers present in the bureaucratic circle?"

Expressing similar views, senior journalist Sandeep Sahu said, "A government officer getting involved in ruling party affairs and crossing limits laid out by the service rules does not look good on either the ruler or the ruled."