Quit & Join Politics If You So Want, Aparajita Dares Odisha IAS Officers

Published by

Sandeep Mishra

Aparajita Sarangi

Bhubaneswar: Taking a strong swipe at Naveen Patnaik’s governance model, Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi said IAS officers should not violate their service and conduct rules by engaging in political activities.

“Bureaucrats becoming partisan is not acceptable. In Odisha such a thing is happening. IAS officers can join politics but before doing so they should quit their jobs. They should not remain in their job and do political work,” Aparajita, who quit the IAS in 2018, told Odisha Bytes in an exclusive interview recently.

Aparajita said in Odisha the bureaucracy was not running the government. “Rather it is one bureaucrat who is running the government,” she noted, stopping short of naming the officer. “This was never the situation. I have served the state government for long with Naveen Patnaik as CM. He used to meet us, guide us and advise us. It is no more the case. Hardly anyone can meet him now,” she maintained.

Aparajita further expressed her displeasure at the private secretary to Chief Minister being seen in photographs featuring Naveen. “Why should the private secretary (IAS officer V Kartikeyan Pandian) be seen in all photos with the CM? What is the message that is being given?” she asked, adding, “When I was serving the state government we were asked to stay away when the CM was being photographed. If any officer then it should be the Chief Secretary who should be seen in photos with the CM. Ministers, MPs and MLAs can remain in the frame with the CM. But obviously not the private secretary.”

Watch the full interview: