Bhubaneswar: Call him the Man Friday or the most trusted man of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, VK Pandian is regarded as the person responsible for the great transformation Odisha is undergoing today. CM Naveen Patnaik’s Secretary of 5T Initiatives, VK Pandian is an Odisha Cadre IAS Officer of the 2000 batch and is also heading the Government’s 5T Initiatives that are responsible for the State’s turnaround in the new millennium. Today, Odisha is on a growth trajectory that is never seen before and very few States of the country could achieve. All socio-economic indicators of the State have witnessed a remarkable improvement in the last two decades, especially in the last ten years, owing to the proactive people-oriented initiatives of the Government and their effective implementation. One of the most important aspects that is responsible for the transformation of the State is the overhauling of the governance system with the help of the 5T Initiatives. And the credit for this transformation can be attributed to one of the most efficient and able bureaucrats of the Naveen government – VK Pandian.
Today, as the Odisha Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik completes its third year of the fifth term, it also coincides with the birthday of the man who has been spearheading Odisha’s growth and development. With an impeccable record as an efficient bureaucrat throughout his career, Pandian has left indelible mark wherever he has worked. From the beginning days of his career he has been an upright officer whose sole aim has been the welfare of the common man. As a young Sub-Collector in Dharamgarh, Kalahandi, his tough stance with millers ensured full payment of MSP to the farmers and profits to cooperative societies. This also helped the Government to get highest ever revenue collections. This initiative got him the appreciation and felicitation from the Chief Minister. In a brief stint as the ADM in Rourkela, Pandian was instrumental in the Chend market eviction leading to people getting back their hard earned money after 15 years. Pandian was one of the youngest Collectors of the country when he took charge of Odisha’s largest district – Mayurbhanj. His daily visits to the remote villages of the district helped accelerating the development process. Mayurbhanj received the National Award for the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities. He set in place a system whereby PWDs could be identified and rehabilitated at the village and block levels. This was later adopted as State policy. VK Pandian was the recipient of the Helen Keller Award for his work for the PWDs – a rare distinction for a bureaucrat.
The most promising actions of the young IAS officer were articulated when he became the Collector of Ganjam. Pandian’s innovative and ‘Out of Box’ interventions continued and the district got the National Award for being the best district in NREGA implementation. He was instrumental in bring in groundbreaking innovations by undertaking payment of wages through bank accounts – well before it was adopted by the State or at the national level. A record Rs 100 crore was transferred in this manner into the bank accounts of thousands of laborers in the State. His successful approach resulted in Ganjam getting the Presidents’ Award twice for leading changes. The people friendly approach helped maximize the mandays under NREGA and minimize the incidents of labor migration to other states. The innovations implemented in Ganjam such as transfer of wages to bank accounts, putting up of Citizen Information Boards were later adopted nationally. These steps showed a deep sensitivity and understanding of people and an intent to root out corruption in government functioning.
Under his leadership, the Ganjam District administration undertook massive improvements in the lives of HIV infected people. As Collector, Pandian also received the national award for his rehabilitation efforts towards HIV-positive people in Ganjam. He was instrumental in setting up of the publicly funded shelter home for AIDS orphans, which was established on a priority basis within a short period of time. With his penchant towards the orphans, Pandian has become their guardian and savior. Every year Pandian visits the Sraddha Sanjeevani Child Care Home to meet the children and spend some time with them despite his busy schedule. Pandian also spends time with the students at rehabilitation centers, tribal hostels, and other orphanages which speak volumes about his love and affection for the children in need.
Pandian’s style of work and the intentions to uplift the poor people and bringing in smiles in the faces of common man has worked wonders. His work ethics, dutifulness, integrity of character, punctuality and the swift decision-making skills have helped the Government to achieve many milestones of development. With his capabilities and competence, Pandian could win the confidence of Chief Minister Naveen and in 2011, he was transferred to the CMO to be a part of the Chief Minister’s team that was ushering a new dawn for the State. The responsibility obviously paid off and the State is today at the frontline of development.
Today Odisha is on the path of all round development propelled by the 5T Initiatives as envisioned by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Naveen’s 5-T Mantra has been the mainstay of the Government’s all developmental programs and transformation. Governance in the State is also getting overhauled with the common man becoming the focal point. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s choice of VK Pandian to lead the 5T Initiatives is obvious looking at his overwhelming career.
Under the 5T Initiatives all the sectors are being transformed in the state. Healthcare, education, economy, agriculture, development of places of religious and cultural importance, modernization etc have got a thrust. As Secretary 5T Initiatives, Pandian has been actively pursuing all the efforts.
The High School Transformation Program undertaken by the Government of Odisha is an example of the result of the implementation of the 5T Initiatives. Now Odisha has the best of infrastructure in the government hospitals thanks to the Government’s efforts in the last few years to augment resources for public health. SCB Medical College, Cuttack is being developed into an AIIMS plus category institution which will cater to the people the state in the next few years. The readiness of the state to fight the Covid-19 Pandemic is a bright example of Odisha’s transformation under the 5T Initiatives.
Coming under the framework of the 5T Initiatives, Mo Sarkar has been instrumental in transforming the governance in the State. The Government services have become easy to be accessible by the common man with the use of technology and bringing in a change in the working culture in the offices. Common man has become the foundation of governance today. Citizen centric services of the Government of Odisha are being provided at the doorsteps of the people thanks to the implementation of the 5T Initiatives.
Pandian’s love for sports can be tracked to the development of Odisha into the hub of sports activities in the country. He has been instrumental in developing sports infrastructure in all the districts. Odisha today is being recognized as the best place for sports activities because of the Government’s proactive steps taken to strengthen sports infrastructure and commitments made to sportspersons from the State. Kalinga Stadium has hosted many international sporting events in the last few years including the Hockey World Cup and the Asian Athletics Championships. Odisha is again going to host the 2023 Hockey World Cup, which is a testimony to its efforts. For this, Odisha is building country’s largest hockey stadium ‘Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium’ in Rourkela. For his contribution towards the development and promotion of hockey, VK Pandian was conferred with the prestigious President’s award by International Hockey Federation.
VK Pandian is also giving his best for the conservation and development of the places of religious and cultural importance in Odisha for the future generations. The development of the Heritage Corridor at Puri will transform the city into a World Heritage City. The Ekamra Kshetra Project in Bhubaneswar will reinvent the religious significance of Bhubaneswar as an important place of Shaivite worshiping. The Samalei project in Sambalpur, Chandi Temple in Cuttack, Nilamadhav Temple in Kantilo, Sarala Temple in Jagatsinghpur district and many other projects are being directly overseen by Pandian. While these will preserve and conserve the culture and traditions of the state, tourism in Odisha will also get a boost. The best example of this is Maa Taratarini Temple in Ganjam district. The transformation of Maa Taratarini temple has glorified the historical and cultural significance of this ancient shrine.
The focus on common man and farmers of the State can clearly be seen in the efforts being made for them by the Government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The thrust for VK Pandian has been on improving infrastructure that will help the farmers who are the backbone of the society. A large number of irrigation facilities are being developed in the State that will provide required water for irrigation and help them the best farm output. Under his supervision, about fifteen irrigation projects are underway which will be completed by 2024. Some of the major irrigation projects being undertaken include the Deo Irrigation, the Lower Suktel Project, Chheligad project, Rengali South Canal, Rengali Left Canal projectetc.
5T Secretary VK Pandian played an important role in Odisha’s fight against Covid-19 pandemic. From the initial days of Covid in February 2020 till the end of the third wave, he was the man who stood as the Sarathi for the Odisha Government. His foresight and swift actions helped the State for setting up the first and the biggest Covid Hospital in the country at Bhubaneswar. He made regular review visits to the Covid hospitals of the State and ensured all required infrastructure and facilities are available for best treatment of the infected. The efforts were responsible for saving many lives in the state.
The emergence of Odisha as a state of opportunities is solely credited to the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. And the responsibility to make it a leading state in the country has been bestowed upon a bureaucrat who has proved himself many a times.