Singhdeo in for shock

Tathya.in, May 21, 2009
Bhubaneswar:21/May/2009

Naveen Patnaik has shocked Ananga Udaya Singhdeo.

Singhdeo, known as the close friend of the Chief Minister found to be the biggest looser in the exercise of distribution of portfolios.

A U got Planning & Co-ordination, and Public Enterprises, this time, while he was handling Works & Housing during 2004-09.

Reacting over the allotment, Singhdeo said “it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister and I am happy with it”.

Raj Bhawan cleared the list of portfoilos late in the evening, in which Raghunath Mohanty is the biggest gainer.

Mohanty has been allocated with Industry, Steel & Mines and Parliamentary Affairs.

Chief Minister has kept Home, Water Resources, Forest & Environment and Works with him.

Prafulla Chandra Ghadei got Finance and Excise, while Damodar Rout has been alloted Agriculture, Co-operation and Animal Resources Development(ARD).

Debi Prasad Mishra is the new Minister Higher Education, Tourism and Culture.

Surjya Narayan Patro is Minister Revenue & Disaster Management.

Bikarm Kesari Arukh got Rural Development and Law.

Prafulla Samal is the new Minister Panchaytiraj and Information & Public Relations.

Prasanna Achrya is Minister Health & Family Welfare.

Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha got ST and SC Development.

Pramila Mallick retained her old portfolio-Women & Child Development.

A 21-member Council of Ministers headed by Naveen Patnaik was sworn-in by the Governor Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare at the Raj Bhawan here on 21 May.

This is Mr Patnaik’s third term in power in a row since 2000.

Nine of the 21 ministers are new faces while others held ministerial portfolios in earlier terms of the Chief Minister.

Out of the Ministers of State(MOS), Sanjib Sahoo got Commerce & Transport.

Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak is the new MOS Energy.

Badri Narayan Patra will be handling Housing & Urban Development.

Sarada Nayak is new Minister for Food, Civil supplies and Consumer Welfare .

Pushpendra Singhdeo will handle Labor & Employment.

Pratap Jena is the MOS School & Mass Education, while Ramesh Majhi has been given Information Technology and Science & Technology.

Anjali Behera is the MOS Handloom & Textiles.

Pravin Chandra Bhanj Deo is MOS Sports & Youth Affairs(Indpendent) and Revenue & Disaster Management(MOS) under S N patra.