Samikhsya Bureau
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik who assumed power for a record fifth time consecutively creating a history in the electoral politics, on Wednesday retained home, general administration and public grievance department with him.
Patnaik for the first time during his tenure has created minister of state for home and allotted it to senior cabinet minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick along with steel, mines and works, which he had held in the previous ministry.
Three young cabinet ministers were allotted prize portfolio in the council of ministers.They are Niranjan Pujari, who was given finance and excise, while Pratap Jena was given panchayti raj and drinking water, law, housing and urban development.
Jena was holding the heath and family welfare, law, information and public relation in the outgoing government.
The other young cabinet minister who was also given important portfolio was Arun Kumar Sahu, who has been allotted agriculture and farmer’s empowerment, fisheries and animal resources development and higher education. Sahu was dropped from the cabinet in the last ministry.
Bikram Keshari Arukh was allotted forest and environment, which he held earlier. He also retained the parliamentary affairs department.
Padmanav Behera, who had served the Naveen Patnaik cabinet during the third term but denied any berth in the previous government, was inducted into the cabinet this time and allotted planning and convergence, commerce and transport portfolio.
Sudam Marandi, who had in the past served the Naveen Patnaik government as minister of state for youth and sports affairs was elevated to cabinet berth and allotted revenue and disaster management.
On the other hand, Naba Kishore Das, a new face in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet, was given health and family welfare portfolio. Das was sitting Congress MLA in the 15th state assembly but switched over his loyalty just before the election and won Jharsuguda assembly seat as BJD candidate.
Tukuni Sahu, a two times MLA from Titlagarh, was given the cabinet portfolio for women and child development and mission shakti.
Sushant Singh, a powerful leader from western Odisha, who was a minister of state in the last ministry was elevated to the cabinet rank this time and allotted rural development, labour and employees state insurance.
In the previous ministry, he was holding energy and labour and employees state insurance department.
(With UNI inputs)
