Odisha IAS officer Sujata Karthikeyan, VK Pandian’s wife, takes voluntary retirement

Senior Odisha cadre IAS officer Sujata R Karthikeyan, wife of BJD president Naveen Patnaik’s former close aide VK Pandian, was granted permission to take voluntary retirement from government service, news agency PTI reported, citing official sources.

The Centre’s approval to her request for voluntary retirement was informed to the Odisha chief secretary Manoj Ahuja through a letter by Under Secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pensions, Bhupinder Pal Singh.

The letter read, “… It is to convey that Central Government has approved the request of Voluntary Retirement of Smt. Sujata R Karthikeyan, IAS (RR-2000) from IAS with effect from 13.03.2025, in relaxation of three months’ mandatory notice period under Rule 16 (2A) of AIS (DCRB) Rules, 1958. Further, Govt, of Odisha is requested to issue necessary ‘notification’ in this regard.”

Who is Sujata R Karthikeyan?

A 2000-batch Odisha cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer hailing from the Kendrapara district, Sujata R Karthikeyan was serving as the special secretary in Odisha’s finance department.

Karthikeyan’s husband, bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian, had also taken voluntary retirement in October 2023 before joining Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

However, he quit active politics after BJD’s defeat in the assembly elections last year, ending the regional party’s 24-year-long rule.

Karthikeyan, born on May 9, 1975, has been instrumental in several key developmental programmes in the state. She is said to have played a significant role in the introduction of Mamata Yojana, a cash transfer initiative for pregnant women and lactating mothers, and Mission Shakti, aimed at providing interest-free loans to women self-help groups engaged in small-scale industries.

Mamata Yojana also addressed the nutritional needs of pregnant women and lactating mothers, following a self-declaration format to claim benefits with reduced paperwork and escape from red-tapism, a news agency PTI report said.

In 2006, Karthikeyan also introduced eggs in the mid-day meals in all government schools of the Sundergarh district. The initiative later was expanded and implement across Odisha. An official, who had worker with her at the time, said, “Instead of increasing the number of pulses, eggs were added to the meals of the children. This move led to a spike in enrolment.”

While serving as the district collector and district magistrate of the Naxal-hit Sundergarh from 2005 to 2007, she was highly praised for launching the cycle scheme for high school students via bank sponsorship.

“In 2005, when road access to schools was challenging, especially for young girls, and there was a sharp drop-out among tribal girls after class 8, cycles were provided to girls. This intervention helped girls to continue their studies and empowered them. This was later implemented by the Odisha government across the state,” the official said.

Sundergarh also remembers Karthikeyan as the “football collector” as she distributed football among youngsters in remote villages along the inter-state boundaries with Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

Among other sports materials, she also reportedly distributed hockey equipment and encourages boys and girls to take up sports and stay away from any Naxal-related activities or drugs.

In addition, she also set up hostels for female players and astroturf grounds in Sundergarh, resulting in sports becoming a way of life and a mode of empowerment for the youth.

Further, Karthikeyan also brought around 70 lakh women under the Mission Shakti initiative and credit linkages to women-run SHGs increased from ₹500 to ₹15,000 crore in seven years. The provision of interest-free loans for up to ₹10 lakh also saw an increase in women-run businesses across the state.

However, amid allegations of misuse of her office, the Election Commission in May 2024 ordered Karthikeyan’s transfer to a department where she would not deal with the public. It was only then that she began serving as the commissioner-cum-secretary in the Department of Mission Shakti.

Before putting in her request for retirement, Karthikeyan also took a six-month leave after the BJD’s election loss in 2024. While she was granted leave till November 26, 2024, the application for the extension of the same was rejected by the BJP-led government in the state.