In a surprising move, the government of Odisha has rejected the application of IAS officer Sujata Karthikeyan for an extension of her Child Care Leave (CCL). Karthikeyan, currently serving as the Special Secretary in the finance department of Odisha, had requested an additional six months of leave beyond the expiration of her current CCL on 26.11.2024.
The government’s decision conveyed through an order dated 26.11.2024, stated, “After careful consideration, your leave application for an extension of CCL for a further period of six months w.e.f. 27.11.2024 is not acceded to. You are therefore requested to join on 27.11.2024, after availing of the CCL from 31.05.2024 to 26.11.2024.”
The sudden nature of the order has drawn attention, particularly as Sujata Karthikeyan is married to V K Pandian, a retired IAS officer of the 2000 batch, who was once regarded as the ‘shadow CM’ and the undisputed leader of the Odisha state bureaucracy. Pandian, who served as secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, took voluntary retirement last year and subsequently joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the upcoming Odisha Assembly elections.
