Majhi keeps Home, Finance

Bhubaneswar : Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday allocated portfolios to his Council of Ministers, keeping Home, Finance and several other departments to himself, according to an order issued by the Raj Bhavan.

Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo, who alone has the experience of working as a minister, was given the charge of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy departments.

The other Deputy Chief Minister Prabhaati Parida, a debutant MLA and the lone female in the 16-member Council of Ministers, has been assigned Women and Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism departments.

Majhi was sworn in as the State’s first BJP chief minister here on June 12.

The other departments which are also held by the Chief Minister are General Administration and Public Grievances, Information and Public Relations, Water Resources and Planning and Convergence.

Veteran BJP leader Suresh Pujari was allocated Revenue and Disaster Management, while Rabi Narayan Naik, a farmer leader, was given Rural Development, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water departments.

Mukesh Mahaling was allocated Health and Family Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs, Electronics & Information Technology departments.

Tribal leader Nityananda Gond got School and Mass Education, ST&SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare, Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities departments, the statement said.

While Krushna Chandra Patra was given Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Science and Technology departments, Prithiviraj Harichandan was allocated portfolios like Law, Works and Excise.

Bibhuti Bhusan Jena got Commerce and Transport departments along with Steel and Mines, while Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra was given Housing & Urban Development and Public Enterprise departments.

From among the Ministers of State (Independent Charge), Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia was given Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Labour & Employees State Insurance while Suryabanshi Suraj, a young engineer, is made the Minister for Higher Education, Sports & Youth Service, Odia Language, Literature & Culture departments.

Pradeep Bal Samanta was made Co-operation, Handloom, Textile & Handicraft Minister while Gokulananda Mallik was given the charge of Fisheries & Animal Resources Development and MSME.

Sampad Chanran Swain was allocated departments like Industries, Skill Development & Technical Education.