Niranjan finds new Odisha PCC team way too large

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 6:

Former Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Niranjan Patnaik today had a word of caution for current incumbent Prasad Harichandan noting that the new PCC  team recently announced by him as too large for comfort.

Quoting the Odia proverb “Bahu Lokare Musa Mareni”, loosely translated to “Too many cooks spoil the broth”, Patnaik advised the large team of Prasad to work cohesively.

“There is this popular saying in Odisha that says ‘Bahu Lokare Musa Mareni’ (“Too many people can’t kill the rat”). I hope that does not turn out to be the case and the new team would do its best to kill the rat,” he added.

“This is the largest committee ever formed. A lot of new faces have been introduced. However, proper emphasis has not been given to verify their background. I hope they would be successful, but only time will tell,” said Patnaik speaking to reporters today.

In a statement that is certain to raise hackles wthin the party, Patnaik also termed the coordination committee as an ‘old-age home’, but then went on to describe it as a ‘good decision’ when the reporters shot back asking if the “old age home” was a place to pacify dissenting senior leaders.

“A new coordination committee has been formed where many senior members have been placed. It is no arrangement to pacify dissenting senior leaders. Senior leaders would advise the PCC president as and when needed. It is not possible to predict the future. Let’s wait and watch,” he said.

It may be noted that seven months after taking charge, the president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Prasad Harichandan on August 1 announced a 96-member PCC team that comprised 10 vice presidents, one Treasurer, 25 general secretaries, five political secretaries and 55 secretaries. It also had five political secretaries, a post created for the first time.

The new PCC team has 80 percent new faces with 11 tribal members, 14 Dalit members and 12 members from minority committee.