Ten Odisha Ministers resign ahead of ministry reshuffle

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 6:

Ten Odisha ministers — Finance Minister Pradip Amat, Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma and Panchayatiraj & Law Minister Arun Sahoo, Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahi, Housing & Urban Development Minister Pushpendra Singhdeo, MSME Minister Jogendra Behera, Sports Minister Sudam Marndi, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das, ST & SC Development Minister Lal Bihari Himirika and School & Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra — today resigned from their posts ahead of ministry reshuffle.

According to sources close to the development, other key ministers have been asked to tender their resignations today.

Sources said that as many as 10 ministers could step down from the ministry today.

Talking to media, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his gratitude towards the ministers for tendering their resignations.

“I am grateful to a number of ministers who resigned voluntarily to work for the party”, he said.

Yesterday, Odisha Assembly Speaker Niranjan Pujari had resigned from his post citing the reason that he would work for his own constituency. He tendered his resignation to Deputy Speaker Sanand Marandi.

“In order to get associated with my constituency, I have resigned,” the outgoing Speaker Niranjan Pujari told media.

Amid talks of ministry reshuffle, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has restructured the BJD organisation with new appointments and promotions within the party.

The party named nine leaders of the party as observers of 11 districts in the state to further strengthen its base at grassroots level. Of the 11 leaders, five — Debi Mishra, Pradeep Panigrahi, Arun Sahoo, Sanjay Dasburma and Pranab Prakash — were the ministers in the government.

While party vice president Surya Narayan Patro has been given the charge of Bolangir, Prafulla Samal has been assigned the charge of Jagatsinghpur district.

Similarly, Debi Prasad Mishra has been the responsibility of Sambalpur district, Pradeep Panigrahi of Gajapati, Arun Sahoo of Mayurbhanj, Sanjay Dasburma has been given twin charge of Nabarangpur and Rayagada, Pranab Prakash Das has also been given the twin responsibility of Koraput and Malkangiri districts.

In addition to this, Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) Chairman Kishore Mohanty has been assigned Subarnapur and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak has been appointed for Balasore district.