SIR / Odisha CEO RS Gopalan Applies for VRS 18 Months Before Superannuation

Bhubaneswar, Oct 1: Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) RS Gopalan has applied for voluntary retirement from government service, nearly 18 months before his scheduled superannuation, amid scrutiny surrounding the recently completed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

Gopalan, a 2001-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer, submitted his VRS application on Wednesday. However, he said on Thursday that the decision was personal and had no connection with the SIR exercise or the controversy surrounding the revision of electoral rolls in the country.

Gopalan has been serving as Odisha’s CEO since July 2024 and is also holding the additional charge of Secretary of the Excise Department. His superannuation is due in June 2028.

“I have already completed 25 years of service and am now eligible for the pension. I have only about two years of service left. The Odisha administration has taken very good care of me,” Gopalan said.

Referring to the SIR exercise, he said the process had remained smooth in Odisha and that notices had been issued to around 58 lakh voters as part of the exercise. “We have completed the process smoothly in the state. There is nothing behind my decision as is being speculated in the media,” he said.

CEO Gopalan said he may pursue opportunities in the professional field after leaving government service. “In future, I will pursue something in the professional field. I think this is the right time for me. I have done my duty,” he said.

The development comes shortly after 2013-batch Odisha cadre IPS officer Jagmohan Meena, who was serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar, opted for voluntary retirement, citing personal reasons.

Also Read: Burnout in Khaki? Did 13 Relentless Years of High-Pressure Policing Push Odisha IPS Officer Jagmohan Meena to Seek a Different Life?| Special Report

Meanwhile, Odisha Assembly Deputy Leader of Opposition and senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya on Thursday questioned the timing of Chief Electoral Officer RS Gopalan’s decision to seek voluntary retirement.

“The important question is that many bureaucrats in the country are resigning prematurely, and that too in the midst of the SIR work. It is but natural that suspicion is there in the minds of the people as to why so many bureaucrats are resigning, particularly those related to this SIR work,” Acharya said.

(IANS)