5T initiative will create separate power corridor: MP

Stepping up her attack on Odisha government over its 5T initiative, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi on Sunday said the creation of a separate "power corridor" will lead to an anomaly in administration and reduce the powers of ministers and senior officials.

The bureaucrat-turned politician's fresh salvo against 5T initiative has come during her visit to Sambalpur, barely ten days after she slammed the BJD government in the state, dubbing the concept as an old one and not at all an innovative mechanism.

The Naveen Patnaik government recently introduced the 5T (Teamwork, Technology, Transparency, Time leading to Transformation) initiative, saying it was part of its efforts to provide good governance and to bring transformation.

V K Pandian, the private secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has been given the additional charge of the new initiative.

"A separate power corridor is being created through this 5T in Odisha, which is not proper. It reduces the powers of the ministers, the concerned secretaries, and senior officers .. weakens institutions," Sarangi said.

It is also inappropriate for senior officers accompanying their juniors during official visits to different places, the Lok Sabha member from Bhubaneswar said in an apparent reference to officers senior to the 5T Secretary accompanying him during his official tours.

The former IAS officer said in her 25 years of service career, she spent 20 years in Odisha and 5 years in Delhi but has never witnessed such a form of administration.

"A senior officer never accompanies a junior. It is an anomaly in administration," she said. Mentioning that there can be proper ways of bringing reforms in the administration, Sarangi said, adequate time should be given to doctors and others before taking action against them.

Noting that 5T should be an inclusive process, the BJP leader said it should not be restricted to only one or two departments but needs to be implemented in all the departments.

"The concept of 5T should be adopted in the functioning of all departments. Creating a separate power centre to monitor 5T undermines Ministers and department secretaries and ministers," she said.

Hitting back at the BJP leader for her criticism, BJD MP Sasmit Patra said it seems Sarangi has developed an identity crisis and is speaking against 5T simply out of jealousy.

"It seems she (Sarangi) is speaking against the 5T initiative out of jealousy BJP-ruled states and even the Centre will soon start implementing 5T," Patra said.