The Odisha government has turned down a request by senior IAS officer Sujata R Karthikeyan for an extension of her child care leave (CCL), directing her to rejoin duty immediately, an official confirmed on Wednesday.

Karthikeyan, who is the wife of V K Pandian—a former close aide of ex-chief minister Naveen Patnaik—had sought additional leave for childcare.

However, the General Administration and Public Grievance Department issued a formal communication on Tuesday, notifying her that the leave extension application had been rejected and instructing her to report to work on Wednesday.

The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of administrative decisions following the recent political transition in the state.