Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has appointed former IAS officer VK Pandian as the Chairman of 5T (Transformational Initiatives) and Nabin Odisha. This strategic decision of visionary leader Naveen Patnaik has silenced the opposition and all. Even the sceptic critics have now understood the importance of the thing and welcomed the decision. Even the narrow minded opposition leaders who were wary of Pandian’s joining active politics have been shut up and left with no reactions.
The new responsibility for Pandian comes with great opportunities. His new appointment is based on Naveen Patnaik’s development agenda propelled by ongoing transformation in the State. It comes at a time when the State is moving forward to becoming a truly global leader and one of the top economies of the country.
VK Pandian has been with the Odisha Government for the last 23 years and is closely associated with its all round development. When he took voluntary retirement from the Civil Services, many anticipated about his joining politics. But Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made him the Chairman of 5T Initiatives and Nabin Odisha clearly indicating that he wants the growth story to continue. The decision has also silenced all those critics who were wary of Pandian’s changed role. The appointment is a massive masterstroke by CM Naveen Patnaik indicating his trusted man is going to stay there and is going to play a bigger role in the coming days. The critics had thought that Pandian will join the political bandwagon and they will easily target him on various nonissues. But all their equations have now bitten the dust. While this has come as a shock for the opposition parties and critics, people have welcomed it wholeheartedly.
Ever since Pandian became a part of the Chief Minister’s core team at Bhubaneswar, he has been steering the transformative journey of the state. He has been effectively overseeing the execution of the successful programs and policies of the Government on ground. For him, the transformation must go on. And hence, the new appointment is going to be most crucial for the state in the coming days.
The importance of VK Pandian’s elevation lies on the Chief Minister’s faith. Naveen has always been selective with his team for development of the state. Whatever the hurdles, the pace of Odisha’s development must continue. He picked Pandian for steering the transformation of the state due to his impeccable record, integrity and honesty. The exhaustive experience of VK Pandian at the grassroots and as collector of Mayurbhanj and Ganjam contributed to his success stories at the CMO.
Odisha has seen tremendous growth and development in the last two decades and Pandian has been with the Chief Minister for most of the crucial years. As Naveen’s Private Secretary and as the Secretary 5T Initiatives, Pandian has played an important role in the governance system. His whirlwind tours of the districts to get on the hand grievance redressal have been most successful. Recently, he visited all the constituencies and collected grievances of the common man and solved more than 95 percent of them instantly. Many age old issues which were hitherto remained unsolved such as the Jatni Khasmahal land issue, land problems of people displaced by the Hirakud project in Jharsuguda district etc. People across the state welcomed Pandian during his visits and overwhelmingly supported him for his initiatives. Today, they see change in governance. The life of the common man has been changed. They no longer have to go anywhere for grievance redressal, as the CMO comes to the doorsteps.
Pandian’s role in transforming the health sector in the state can never be ignored. As early as in 2018, he started visiting the districts and oversaw the transformation of the health facilities across the state. The transformation came as a blessing in disguise for the people of Odisha during the Covid-19 pandemic. All the Schools have been made future ready under the High School Transformation Program. They are today at par with any private schools. After the historic Heritage Corridor Project for Puri, all major religious places across the state are getting transformed with state of the art facilities. Farmers’ incomes have seen significant increase in the last one decade. Irrigation infrastructure has been doubled in the last decade. The state has been reporting lowest unemployment rate in the country for the last few years consecutively. The economy has been growing at more than the national level and is destined to become a trillion dollar economy in the coming future.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched the Nabin Odisha programme for an inclusive growth of the State. As Chairman of Nabin Odisha, VK Pandian is going to lead this transformation whose objective is to boost rural infrastructure, especially digital connectivity, and promote the Jagannath culture across the State. The ultimate focus will be on Panchayats and rural people. Continuity in development programs will be there when leadership remains unchanged. As Chairman of 5T Transformational Initiatives and Nabin Odisha, VK Pandian will continue to steer the transformation without getting into the political nuances.