Bikram Arukha, Sudam Marndi, Sarada Nayak sworn in as Odisha ministers

Biswajeet Swain Published On : May 22, 2023 at 10:01 AM

Bhubaneswar: Senior MLAs Bikram Keshari Arukha, Sudam Marndi, and Sarada Nayak were today sworn in as ministers in the Odisha Government.

Odisha Governer Prof. Ganeshi Lal administered them the oath of office and secrecy at the swearing-in ceremony at the Convention Center of Lok Seva Bhawan here in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Several ministers, MPs, MLAs, senior government officials were present at the ceremony.

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All three of them had served as ministers in the past.

Arukha held several positions since 2008, including government chief whip, Speaker and minister of Rural Development, Law, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Parliamentary Affairs, Information & Public Relations, Cooperation and Public Enterprises.

Similarly, Marndi had earlier served as Minister of State for Sports & Youth Services, ST & SC Development (tribal welfare) and Revenue & Disaster Management. This time, Marndi has been elevated to cabinet rank.

Nayak served as MoS for Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Housing & Urban Development and Excise in between 2009 to 2012.

Notably, Assembly Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha along with two Ministers Samir Ranjan Dash (School and Mass Education) and Srikanta Sahu (Labour and Employees’ State Insurance) had resigned from their positions on May 12.

The resignations and the murder of Naba Das had created three vacancies in the Cabinet.