Bhubaneswar, October 1: Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R.S. Gopalan has applied for voluntary retirement from government service (VRS), reportedly citing health issues and personal reasons.

A 2001-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer, Gopalan is originally from Tamil Nadu. He has been serving as Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer for nearly two years and is also holding additional charge as Secretary of the Excise Department.

Gopalan was scheduled to retire from government service in July 2028. With around one-and-a-half years of service still remaining, his decision to seek voluntary retirement has come as a surprise.

Recently, the Special Summary Revision of the electoral rolls in Odisha was completed under his direct supervision. His application for VRS comes shortly after the completion of the voter-list revision exercise in the state.

The government is expected to take a decision on his voluntary retirement application in due course.