Odisha CM Majhi allocates portfolios, retains home, finance

In the recently concluded assembly polls, the BJP won 78 of the 147 assembly seats forming its first-ever government in the state

Published on: Jun 16, 2024, 10:41:24 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneshwar: Three days after being sworn in as the chief minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday allocated portfolios among his ministers, retaining key portfolios, including finance, home, general administration, water resources and information and public relations.

Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday allocated portfolios among his ministers (Twitter/@MohanMOdisha)

Deputy chief minister KV Singh Deo was given agriculture and farmers empowerment and energy while second deputy CM, Pravati Parida, a debutant MLA and the only women minister in the cabinet, was given the charge of women and child development, Mission Shakti and tourism.

Among the cabinet ministers, Suresh Pujari has been assigned revenue and disaster management, while Rabi Naik would look after rural development, panchayati raj and drinking water.

Nityanand Gond, who won from Umerkote in Nabarangpur, was assigned SC/ST development, school and mass education and social security and people with disabilities empowerment ministry.

First-time MLA Prithviraj Harichandan was given the charge of law, excise and public works while former environmental scientist and Dalit politician Mukesh Mahaling was given ministries of health and family welfare, parliamentary affairs and electronic and information technology. First-time MLA Bibhuti Bhushan Jena would be the cabinet minister for steel and mines.

Among the ministers with independent charge, Suryabanshi Suraj, a Dalit MLA, was given the charge of higher education, sports and youth services and Odia language while tribal politician Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia from Mayurbhanj district was assigned forest and environment minister.

Majhi is the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief minister ever to assume the chair in Odisha.

In the recently concluded assembly polls, the BJP won 78 of the 147 assembly seats forming its first-ever government in the state. Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) slumped to 51 seats, its worst-ever performance in Assembly polls. Patnaik, who contested from two seats, lost the election from Kantabanji while he managed to scrape through by 4,600 votes in his pocket borough in Hinjili. 11 of his ministers also lost the assembly election.

In the Lok Sabha election, the BJP won 20 of the 21 seats while one seat of Koraput went to Congress.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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