Bhubaneswar: With barely 24 hours left for the new BJP Chief Minister of Odisha to take oath, the state government has started searching for a suitable official residence. The search is underway not only for new CM but also a residence for the new leader.
There is no official residence for Odisha CM at present as Naveen Patnaik operated from his own residence – Naveen Niwas – for the last 24 years. After being sworn-in as chief minister in 2000, Naveen opted to stay at his own residence and operate from there instead of moving into a government-allotted house.
The move set a unique precedent in the state’s political history. For nearly a quarter-century, all official and administrative work was conducted from Naveen Niwas – a house built by his legendary father and former chief minister Biju Patnaik.
With the new BJP Chief Minister set to be sworn-in on Wednesday, the state’s government has stepped up efforts to locate a suitable official residence. A senior government official said that several vacant quarters, including the current Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell, have been shortlisted for consideration.
However, the transition will take some time. Once a quarter is selected, it will undergo necessary renovations and installation of facilities before it is ready for occupation.
While the general administration department has launched an exercise to look for an appropriate and sprawling quarter for the new CM’s residence, the government is planning to get a suite ready in the state guest house for temporary accommodation of the chief minister till a suitable house is found.
Oldtimers recall that former Chief Ministers J B Patnaik and Giridhar Gamang resided and operated from a two-storeyed building which is the current Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell. Both J B Patnaik and Giridhar Gamang used to reside in the government quarter located on the stretch between Raj Bhavan and AG Square. This house was later converted into the CM’s Grievance Cell by Naveen.
During his tenure as CM (1980-89 and 1995-99), J B Patnaik used to stay in the building which is now the CM’s grievance cell. Gamang stayed in the same house when he was the CM from February 1999 to December 1999. The quarter has not been allotted to anyone after Naveen took over in 2000, said a senior official.
However, Biju Patnaik was staying in Naveen Niwas. Similarly, Hemananda Biswal also reportedly operated from a single-storeyed building near Bhubaneswar Club on a road connecting Capital Hospital with AG Square.
Noting that many states have exclusive official residence for their CMs, Giridhar Gamang’s son Shishir said that the house where they lived during his father’s tenure as chief minister was not the official residence of the CM. The house had undergone renovation during J B Patnaik’s tenure, he said.
Notably, Naveen’s 24-year rule came to an end with the defeat of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the recent elections as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed to power by securing 78 seats in the 147-member assembly. While BJD managed to secure 51 seats, Congress got 14 seats, and three went to independent candidates.
