BHUBANESHWAR: Former bureaucrat V K Pandian officially became a member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today, marking his entrance into the party in a ceremony held at Naveen Nivas, in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who leads the party.

Earlier this year, VK Pandian was appointed as the chairman of the 5T (Transformational Initiative) and 'Nabin Odisha' at the rank of a Cabinet Minister within the government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. His decision to join the BJD came right after receiving approval for voluntary retirement from the IAS (Indian Administrative Service).

Having started his civil service journey as a sub-collector in Dharmagarh, situated in Kalahandi district, Pandian's trajectory in the administrative realm included roles as a collector in Mayurbhanj and Ganjam districts before his tenure in the Chief Minister's office.

Over the past decade, Pandian has been instrumental in steering various pivotal decisions within the Patnaik government. Notably, he served as the 5T Secretary, overseeing a governance charter focused on Transparency, Technology, Teamwork, Time, and Transformation, aimed at expediting project completions.

His contributions extended to significant projects such as the Sri Jagannath Heritage Corridor, including the ongoing Srimandir Parikrama project set to finalize this year. This initiative aims to create an unobstructed 75-meter pathway around the outer wall of the revered Shree Jagannath Temple, offering devotees an unimpeded view and bolstering security measures.

In addition to this endeavor, Pandian supervised the state government's initiative to refurbish and conserve ancient temples across Odisha. His extensive engagement included a comprehensive tour of all 147 assembly constituencies in the state, culminating after six months of assessing local issues and inspecting heritage tourism sites to gauge their infrastructure's development under the 5T program.

He is also credited as a key figure behind the implementation of Odisha government's flagship program, Mo Sarkar. This initiative aims to bring professionalism and sustained behavioral changes in public offices through direct feedback mechanisms connecting the government with citizens. The program has enhanced scrutiny over government services provided to the citizens, per the Odisha government.

Pandian's decision to join the BJD marks a significant transition in his career trajectory, aligning with his extensive contributions and pivotal roles within the Odisha government's initiatives and administrative reforms.

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