Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Former Odisha Chief Secretary Bijay Patnaik today joined Indian National Congress in New Delhi.
The retired bureaucrat joined the Congress in presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge, Odisha Congress-incharge A. Chellakumar and Odisha Congress President Sarat Pattanayak at party headquarters in New Delhi.
After joining the party, he said, "I made a debut in politics and will move forward with the party's principles and ideology."
Targeting Odisha's ruling party Biju Janata Dal (BJD), he said, "There is an environment of misrule, corruption and violence in Odisha. The administration is yet to reach out to people. The common people do not know who to turn to. I will work for people."
When asked about choosing Congress to begin his political career post retirement from government service, he said that he joined the the party because of its liberal policy terming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra as 'journey of love'.
The 1976-batch IAS Officer Bijay Patnaik, who was considered to be powerful in Naveen Patnaik administration, was the Chief Secretary of Odisha from 2010 to 2013. Prior to his appointment as the Chief Secretary, he had served as the Forest Secretary, Water Resources Secretary and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister.
After his retirement as the Chief Secretary of Odisha, Bijay Patnaik was appointed as the Commissioner of Odisha Staff Selection Commission. Later, he served as the member of Odisha Human Rights Commission. He resigned from the post in April 2015.
The retired bureaucrat was appointed as the president of proposed Vedanta University project for two years since 2015. As the project failed to be executed, he quit in 2017.
In 2021, he had contested the election for the post of president of Bhubaneswar Club, but lost to Asit Tripathy, who was also the Chief Secretary of Odisha.