Bhubaneswar, Feb 5( Odisha.in) Drawing curtain on all speculations finally Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expanded his council of on Tuesday. He inducted three Ministers of State and prpmoted two to the rank of Cabinet Ministers.
While Pradipta Nayak of BJP who had resigned follwoing his disqualification for swearing in false affidavit during the last elections , was re-inducted as Minister of State for Labour and Employment,Sanatan Bisi and Pradeep Amat were newly inducted as State Ministers.
Debiprasad Mishra and Duryodhan Majhi were elevated as Cabinet Ministers. Mishra continued with this old departments of exise and tourism while Majhi has been allocated with Planning and Coordination , Science & Technology Departments, Sanatan Bisi has been given Health and Family Planning ( Independent Charge ) and Pradeep Amat got the most covoted Steel and Mines Departments.
Minister of State Sanjiv Sahu has been shifted to School and Mass Education departments.
Though earlier there were specuations that Dr. Damodar Rout would be inducted in the Council of Ministers to resolve the stalemate relating to acquisition of land by POSCO and many of Dr. Rout’s supporters were publicly claiming , ” if the C.M. would induct only one minister in his cabinet, it would be none other than Dr. Rout “, Naveen Patnaik’s decision in not inducting him in the Government has raised many eye brows.
Many fear that Dr. Rout’s staying outside the Government may creat hurdles in resolving the POSCO issue, as he may not work with the same spirit as he was showing since past few months.
Odisha.in