BHUBANESWAR: Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) RS Gopalan has reportedly applied for voluntary retirement from service.
Sources said the 2001 batch IAS officer has opted for the VRS for personal reasons. Gopalan has been serving as the CEO of the state for the past two years. He also holds the additional charge of secretary, Excise department.
The officer has sought VRS nearly 18 months before the completion of his service tenure, which was due to end in June 2028.
The move assumes significance amid scrutiny of the Election Commission of India over the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The SIR process was completed in Odisha with the final publication of the rolls on September 21. The opposition parties have questioned the deletion of around 17 lakh voters from the electoral rolls following the exercise in the state.
The top bureaucrat’s decision to apply for voluntary retirement from government service has set Odisha’s power corridors abuzz. Earlier, Odisha-cadre IPS officer Jagmohan Meena had also resigned from service. His application was accepted by the Centre recently.