Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the second cabinet reshuffle in his third term inducted 9 members into the ministry today. While state finance minister Prafulla Ghadei was asked to resign, Naveen loyalist Damodar Rout got a Ministerian berth by the virtue of his good work done during Pyari's coup.

While Ministers Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Pushpendra Singhdeo, Pratap Jena and Prafulla Samal have been asked to tender resignation along with Ghadei today, Dr. Damodar Rout, Kalpataru Das, Bijayashree Routray, Pratap Deb, Arun Sahu, Rajanikanta Singh, Rabi Narayan Nanda, Sarojini Hembram and Subrat Tarai were inducted into the ministry.

 

Dr. Damodar Rout, Kalpataru Das and Bijayashree Routray were sworn-in as Cabinet Ministers. Others were sworn-in as Ministers of State. The office of oath and secrecy was administered by Governor MC Bhandare in the presence of CM Naveen Patnaik.

 

Prabhat Tripathy was announced as the government Chief Whip. He replaced Rabi Narayan Pani in the recent reshuffle. Sanjay Dasverma was announced as the Deputy Chief Whip.


The BJD members have welcomed Naveen's decision. Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, who was holding energy ministry, said that he will be working for the party. The recent reshuffle showed that Naveen is trying to maintain the peace in the party after the coup attempt by his close aide Pyari Mohan Mohapatra failed.

 

Prsanna Acharya was given the Finance portfolio, while Dr. Damodar Rout will get Health & Family Welfare. Rabi Narayan Nanda got School & Mass Education portfolio. Niranjan Pujari got Excise portfolio. Debi Prasad Mishra was given the Agriculture and Fishery & Animal Husbandry portfolios. Rajanikant Singh got Forest & Environment. Usha Devi became the Women & Child Affairs Ministers.

 

New Ministers with Portfolio:

Cabinet:

Dr. Damodar Rout - Health & Family Welfare and MSME
Kalpataru Das -Panchayati Raj and Parliamentary Affairs
Bijayashree Routray - Forest & Environment, Labour, ESI

MoS:

Pratap Keshari Deb - Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Employment & Technical Education & Training
Subrat Tarai - Commerce & Transport
Sarojini Hembram - Textile, Handloom & Handicrafts
Rabi Narayan Nanda - School & Mass Education
Rajanikant Singh: Mines & Steel
Arun Sahu - Energy and Information & Public Relations

Follow us on Twitter & Be our Fan on Facebook.