Odisha Cabinet reshuffle: 21 new ministers sworn in; three girls legislators inducted

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal on Sunday administered the oath of workplace to 21 new ministers within the Naveen Patnaik authorities. The new ministry was sworn in after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik requested all his ministers to resign to fully overhaul his ministry maintaining a tally of the 2024 elections.

Thirteen ministers had been sworn in with Cabinet rank whereas eight had been inducted as ministers of state. 

For the primary time, the swearing-in ceremony was held within the Lok Seva Bhavan as a substitute of the Raj Bhavan. 

Nine ministers of the earlier cabinet have been retained within the main overhaul due to their good efficiency.

The chief minister distributed portfolios among the many ministers with Niranjan Pujari getting the parliamentary affairs along with finance which he retained.

Similarly, Naba Kishore Das additionally retained the well being and household welfare portfolio whereas Prafulla Mallick with proceed with metal, mines and works.

Former minister Pratap Deb has rewarded with three heavy portfolios industries, micro, small power and medium enterprises whereas portfolios of senior minister Ranendra Pratap Swain has been modified. Swain has now agriculture and farmers’ empowerment, fisheries and animal sources growth.

Similarly, former minister Pradip Amat has additionally been alloted three key portfolios of forest and surroundings, panchayatiraj and ingesting water and knowledge and public relations. While Pramila Mallick would be the new income and catastrophe administration minister, housing and concrete growth portfolio has gone to Usha Devi.

Former minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak has been allotted with the meals and shopper welfare and cooperation portfolios whereas Tukuni Sahu has acquired water useful resource and commerce and transport departments. Ashok Panda has been promoted as a cabinet minister with the identical portfolios of science and expertise, public enterprises, social safety and empowerment of individuals with incapacity. 

Rajendra Dholakia, a brand new face, has acquired planning and convergence portfolio. The key portfolio of legislation together with SC, ST and minority growth has gone to Jagannath Saraka.

Among the ministers of state, Samir Ranjan Das will proceed with college and mass training whereas the important thing portfolio of residence has gone to Tusharkanti Behera together with electronics and IT, sports activities and youth providers which he retained. While tourism, Odia language, literature and tradition, excise has been allotted to Aswini Kumar Patra, Pritiranjan Gharai has acquired key portfolios of rural growth and technical training.

While the important thing portfolio of upper training has been given to new face Rohit Pujari, Srikant Sahu, one other new face has for labour and workers state insurance coverage. While Rita Sahu has been given handlooms, textiles and handicrafts whereas Basanti Hembram has acquired girls and baby growth and Mission Shakti. 

The chief minister has dropped ten ministers of the earlier crew from the brand new cabinet. Ministers who’ve been dropped are Pratap Jena, Dibyashankar Mishra, Arun Kumar Sahoo, Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Premananda Nayak, Sushant Singh, Padmanabha Behera, Sudam Marndi, Raghunandan Das and Padmini Dian. 

Nine ministers who’ve been retained embrace Niranjan Pujari, Prafulla Kumar Mallik, Tukuni Sahu, Naba Kishore Das, Samir Ranjan Dash, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Ashok Chandra Panda, Jagannath Saraka and Tusharkanti Behera. Besides, 5 senior MLAs who weren’t within the final cabinet had been additionally included within the new crew. They are Pramila Mallick, Usha Devi, Pratap Keshari Deb, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Pradip Kumar Amat.