Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today effected changes in the portfolio of five ministers and relinquished Works and Water Resources portfolios held by him. The changes in portfolio come days after BJD's win in the Bijepur by-polls. Patnaik allotted additional portfolio to Industries Minister Niranjan Pujari, Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick, Labour Minister Sushant Singh, Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena and Higher Education Minister Ananta Das. While Industries, Housing & Urban Development Minister Niranjan Pujari has been given additional charge of Water Resources, Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick was given additional charge of Works. Both water resources and works departments were held by the chief minister since 2004. Labour and Employment Minister Sushant Singh has been given additional charge of energy department, which was earlier held by Prafulla Mallick. Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Law, Pratap Jena, has been given additional charge of Information and Public Relations (I&PR) while Labour and Employment Minister Susant Singh will hold additional charge of Energy. Rural Development Minister B K Arukha was earlier holding I&PR department. Higher Education minister Ananta Das has been given additional charge of Industry department. Though the reason behind the sudden reshuffle in the ministry is not yet known, sources said Patnaik elevated some ministers on the basis of their performance. "I am committed to work for the people of Odisha.
I thank Chief Minister for posing trust on me," said steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallick, who has been given additional charge of works department. Health Minister Pratap Jena said: "I am grateful to chief minister for giving me I&PR department.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU