"Govt will take action, just have some patience": Odisha Minister on chopper rides by VK Pandian
Aug 18, 2024
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], August 18 : Odisha Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena said on Sunday that the state government will take action against the extensive use of helicopters by former bureaucrat VK Pandian, a close aide of former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Bibhuti Bhusan said, "One person is touring Odisha by spending so much money. Is money needed for listening to public grievances? Our CM has heard a lot of public grievances without any expenditure. And then there is someone who is spending so much money. Now, this is what the people of Odisha are thinking. The government will take action on this, just have some patience."
Earlier on August 12, Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said that the state government is investigating the matter.
"Clarity is needed on who was bearing the helicopter expenses. Helipads were constructed using government funds and the matter will be investigated. A probe will also be initiated on who & how permission was given for the use of helicopters by a department secretary, as there is no such provision," said Prithviraj Harichandan.
Notably, VK Pandian in July announced his retirement from active politics following the party's defeat in Odisha assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Pandian, an IAS officer of the 2000 batch, has served as private secretary to Naveen Patnaik for over two decades. In 2023, he joined the BJD after taking voluntary retirement from the bureaucracy.
Pandian, in a self-made video, said that his only intent to help in joining politics was to caretaker CM Naveen Patnaik and it was his shortcomings that he was not able to effectively counter some of the political narratives at the right time.
The Biju Janata Dal suffered a defeat in the Odisha assembly polls at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party, putting an end to the 24-year-old reign of Naveen Patnaik.
The Bharatiya Janata Party secured 78 seats in the 147-seat assembly. The BJD secured 51 seats, way behind the majority mark of 74 and the Indian National Congress secured 14 seats.
