Sujata joins duty after Odisha govt rejects leave extension

Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Sujata R Karthikeyan resumed her duties in the Finance department on Wednesday, a day after her request to extend her childcare leave was rejected by the Odisha government. She is married to V K Pandian, a former bureaucrat who later entered politics and became a close aide of former chief minister Naveen Patnaik. Pandian retired voluntarily in 2023 and subsequently joined the Biju Janata Dal.

Sujata had been on childcare leave (CCL) for six months from May 31, just before the last phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Odisha. Her leave period ended on November 26.

In May, the Election Commission had ordered Sujata’s transfer to a non-public dealing department following allegations of misuse of public office. At the time, she was serving as the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the department of Mission Shakti.