Odisha’s New Ministers: Naveen Strikes Balance Between Region, Caste, Experience, Women Representation

Bhubaneswar: In his new team of ministers, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has struck a balance between region, caste and experience with due representation given to women, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

There are five women in the new ministry — Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallik, Housing & Urban Development Minister Usha Devi, Water Resources, Commerce & Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu, Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Minister Rita Sahu and Women & Child Development and Mission Shakti Minister Basanti Hembram.

The new ministry has two members each from the SC and ST communities. The ministry has more than 40 per cent OBC members, according to a report.

Naveen has done a good balancing act when it comes to regional representation. The Speaker’s post is likely to remain with Ganjam, the Chief Minister’s home district, with Bhanjanagar legislator Bikram Keshari Arukha likely to succeed Surjya Narayan Patro, who has resigned as the Speaker. The region is also represented in the ministry by Usha Devi and Labour & Employees’ State Insurance Minister Srikanta Sahu.

Kendrapara district is represented by Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Cooperation Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Industries, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Energy Minister Pratap Keshari Deb. While Jagatsinghpur district is represented by Prashant Muduli, who has been appointed as the government chief whip, Jajpur district is represented by Rural Development, Skill Development & Technical Education Minister Pritiranjan Gharai.

There are five ministers from Western Odisha districts. Higher Education Minister Rohit Pujari from Rairakhol, Rita Sahu from Bijepur, Health & Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das from Jharsuguda, Tukuni Sahu from Titlagarh and Planning & Convergence Minister Rajendra Dholakia from Kalahandi.

The undivided Koraput district is represented by SC & ST Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Minister Jagannath Saraka, who represents Bissamkatak constituency in Rayagada district.

Balasore and Mayurbhanj are represented by Tourism, Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Excise Minister Aswini Patra and Basanti Hembram.

While Puri district is represented by School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Das and Home Minister Tusharkanti Behera, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain is representing Cuttack district.

In his first meeting with his newly inducted ministers, Naveen advised them to undertake extensive tours to different parts of the state to address the issues of people.

Naveen met his team of new ministers at his residence Naveen Nivas in Bhubaneswar on Sunday evening.

“The only way to lead the people is to serve the people,” he said, while sharing a picture of all the new ministers on his Twitter handle later.

Thirteen Cabinet Ministers and eight Ministers of State (MoS) were sworn in on Sunday as part of Naveen’s new ministry, a day after the Chief Minister asked all in his old ministry to resign to pave the way for the revamp.