Bhubaneswar: The Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India has written to the Odisha Chief Secretary directing the official to take 'appropriate action' against 5T Secretary VK Pandian on the basis of a complaint filed by Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi and Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal.

Sarangi and Samal had earlier written to Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions of India, Government of India alleging that Pandian was involved in political activities, announcing projects and addressing public gatherings with speeches having political overtones.

"VK Pandian is moving around the state using the state plane/ helicopter and attending public reception, addressing public meetings and announcing new projects and as per his own claims, all this 'on the instructions of the Hon'ble CM!' This is being done in clear violation of Rule 5 (1) and Rule 12 (1) of All India Services Conduct Rules, 1968," the two had mentioned in the letter enclosing photographs and videos of the incidents.

"The concerned officer is proclaiming such participation in public gatherings and speech making at the behest of Hon'ble CM whereas there is no such instruction of the Hon'ble CM available everywhere. Even if there was an instruction to go to the field to supervise development works, the activities of the officer, under the garb of supervision of development works, are in clear violation of the Conduct Rules," the two BJP leaders had said in the letter.

"The Secretary level bureaucrat is doing whirlwind tours using the state plane/ chopper, participating in public functions, participating in meetings organized with shamiana and decoration resembling a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Party meeting ambience and organizers being prominent BJD faces of the area, receiving public reception where people are sprinkling flowers and the said officer is announcing projects worth crores is actually very disturbing for the Governance System of Odisha. IAS officers are bound by All India Service Conduct Rules and such spectacle by a serving officer is unheard of in any other part of India," Sarangi and Samal mentioned in the letter.

They had urged Dr. Jitendra Singh for an immediate enquiry and appropriate action by the department.

Also read: Odisha Cong Leader Bijay Patnaik Writes To Centre Over ‘Violation’ Of AIS Conduct Rules By VK Pandian.