Bhubaneswar: Even as government employees associations gathered at Naveen Niwas here to greet V K Pandian, who was given a cabinet minister rank in the state government hours after taking voluntary retirement, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi on Friday dubbed the entire episode as a joke aimed at ensuring a soft landing for the former secretary to Odisha CM in politics.
Speaking to the media, Aparajita said that she had immense respect for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik but rued the fact that he had reduced the governance in Odisha to a joke in his 23-year rule. “We need to understand that the concerned IAS officer was forced to take VSR amid an outcry over violation of service rules. He was not only slammed by leaders cutting across party lines, but also by general public, who expressed resentment over the prevailing babudom in the state,” she said.
The Parliamentarian further said that the CM and Pandian were well aware that the election commission would take strict action against the latter before the polls for indulging in politics while still in service. “He, therefore, resigned to evade the action,” she stressed.
Aparajita also termed his appointment as Chairman 5T (Transformational Initiatives) with the rank of a cabinet minister as ridiculous. “He gave himself the job he wanted. This is called soft landing in politics. An easy route in politics. This appointment has proved the allegation that he has hijacked the entire governance in the state,” she said.
The BJP MP further said that she felt sorry for the BJD leaders and workers, who had put in so many years for the party. “I feel great injustice has been done to them through this self-appointment,” she said.
People are aware of the ongoings and that the CM has no control over his own government, she added.
