Ten Fresh Faces In Naveen’s New Team

Bhubaneswar: Naveen Patnaik has retained six members of his outgoing ministry while inducting ten fresh faces in the new 21-member council of ministers, which is scheduled to take oath of office and secrecy here on Wednesday.

In the evening, the would-be ministers were informed over telephone and asked them to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

According to a press release issued by Raj Bhawan, on the advise of the Chief Minister Governor Ganeshi Lal has appointed 11 cabinet ministers, namely, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Bikram Keshari Arukha, Prafulla Kumar Mallick, Niranjan Pujari, Padmanabha Behera, Pratap Jena, Arun Kumar Sahoo, Sudam Marandi, Susanta Singh, Naba Kishore Das and Tukuni Sahoo.

Similarly, Ashok Chandra Panda, Samir Ranjan Das, Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Dibya Shankar Mishra, Premananda Nayak, Raghunandan Das, Padmini Dian, Tusharkanti Behera and Jagannath Saraka would be sworn in as ministers of state.

From the outgoing ministry Bhatli MLA Sushant Singh, Mahanga MLA Pratap Jena, Ekamra-Bhubaneswar MLA Ashok Chandra Panda, Sonepur MLA Niranjan Pujari, Bhanjanagar MLA Bikram Keshari Arukh and Kamakhyanagar MLA Prafulla Mallick have been retained in Naveen’s new team.

Senior party leaders Ranendra Pratap Swain (Athagarh), Padmanabha Behera (Biramaharajpur) as well as Arun Sahoo (Nayagarh)   and Sudam Marandi (Bangiriposi) have made comeback as ministers.

Among those who would make their debut as ministers are Titlagarh MLA Tukuni Sahoo, Jharsuguda MLA Nabakishore Das, Junagarh MLA Dibya Shankar Mishra, Kotpad MLA Padmini Dian, Simulia MLA Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Nimapada MLA Samir Das, Balikuda-Erasama MLA Raghunandan Das, Bissam-Cuttack MLA Jagannath Saraka, Telkoi MLA Premananda Nayak and Kakatpur MLA Tusharkanti Behera.

Besides ensuring a mix of youth and experience Naveen and Co. has weighed in different factors like woman, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and geography while deciding on a ‘balanced representation’ in the new ministry, party sources said.

The size of the ministry has been kept at 22 in tune with Sarkaria Commission recommendation to keep it within 15 per cent of the strength of the state legislature.