In a recent decision, the Odisha government has rejected a request by senior bureaucrat Sujata R Karthikeyan to extend her child care leave. Karthikeyan, who is a 2000-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, had taken the leave starting May 31 to care for her teenage daughter. Her leave, which was scheduled to end on Tuesday, has not been extended, and she has been directed to return to work on Wednesday.
Sources familiar with the matter reported that the General Administration Department did not issue a formal statement regarding the decision. Karthikeyan, who had been serving as the commissioner-cum-secretary of the Department of Mission Shakti, could not be reached for comment.
This decision follows her transfer ordered by the Election Commission of India (ECI) weeks before her leave began. The ECI moved Karthikeyan to a non-public dealing department after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed a complaint alleging that she had used her position to influence women self-help groups to sway voters in favor of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
Karthikeyan’s husband, VK Pandian, had served as the private secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik since 2011 and was seen as one of the most influential figures in the state. After retiring voluntarily from civil service in October 2023, Pandian made a political entry by joining the BJD on November 27, 2023. He quickly rose to prominence within the party, unofficially ranking second after Patnaik.
However, the BJD’s dismal performance in the recent state elections, which saw the party lose its 24-year hold on power, led to Pandian announcing his withdrawal from active politics. Despite his role as a key campaign figure, the BJD suffered a major defeat, winning only 51 seats in the 147-member Odisha assembly, a significant drop from the 113 seats secured in the 2019 elections. In contrast, the BJP surged to power with 78 seats, surpassing the majority mark of 74.
Sources By Agencies
