Odisha IAS Officer Sujata Karthikeyan Takes Child Care Leave Amid Political Shifts

Odisha IAS officer Sujata R Karthikeyan has taken a six-month child care leave from May 31 to November 26 to support her daughter appearing for class 10 exams. This follows her transfer to a non-public dealing department after allegations of supporting the ruling BJD during elections.

Odisha IAS officer Sujata R Karthikeyan has embarked on a six-month child care leave starting May 31. Official sources confirmed that the 2000-batch officer's leave will extend until November 26, aligning with her daughter's Class 10 exams. This decision comes nearly a month after her reassignment from the role of Secretary, Mission Shakti, to Special Secretary, Finance Department, instigated by Election Commission directives.

The Election Commission's choice to transfer Karthikeyan was propelled by allegations from BJP central leaders, who accused her of endorsing the ruling BJD in the state. An electoral debacle in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections saw the BJD lose significant ground to the BJP, hastening the resignation of two retired IAS officers, R Balakrishnan and Suresh Mohapatra, from the Chief Minister's Office.

Pandian, who entered politics following voluntary retirement from the All India Civil Services in October 2023, now faces a challenging political landscape as the BJD assesses its next steps.

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