Cabinet reshuffle in Odisha tomorrow

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Cabinet led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is poised for a reshuffle on Monday with new ministers likely to get ministerial berths, officials said.

The oath-taking ceremony of the new ministers will be held at 9.50 am at the Convention Centre of Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.

However, as per the sources, it will be a minor reshuffle in CM Patnaik’s Council of Ministers before next year’s Assembly and General Election.

The Cabinet reshuffle has been necessitated following the resignation of the two ministers. Apart from that one more position is laying vacant after the assassination of Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das in January.

Earlier in the month, Odisha Assembly Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha and two cabinet ministers resigned from their respective posts citing personal reasons, said official sources.

Soon after the Speaker sent his resignation, two Cabinet Ministers namely Samir Ranjan Sash and Srikant Sahu also resigned.

Samir Ranjan Sash was the Minister of State in the Ministry of School and Mass Education while Srikant Sahu handled the Ministry of Labour in the state.

The sources added that the resigned leaders will be given organizational responsibility in Biju Janta Dal (BJD) ahead of General Election next year.

It is worth mentioning that the newly elected MLA of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and daughter of slain Odisha Minister Naba Kishore Das, Deepali Das, took oath on May 15, the day of her late father’s birthday. She won the Jharsuguda by-election after defeating BJP candidate Tankadhar Tripathy Biju Janata Dal (BJD) fielded Deepali in the constituency of her father.