Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik drops Rohit Pujari from council of ministers

BHUBANESWAR: In a surprise move, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday dropped higher education minister Rohit Pujari from his council of ministers.
Food supplies and consumer welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak was given additional charge of higher education.
Rohit, a two-time MLA representing Rairakhol assembly seat, was a minister of state and held the higher education portfolio independently. An engineering degree holder, the 50-year-old was inducted as a minister barely a year ago in June last year.
“The CM was not happy with his performance as a minister,” a senior government officer said.
Naveen had reviewed the performance of various departments over 10 days marking completion of four years in office on May 29.
Sources said Rohit’s dropping has also political reasons. The BJD leadership had expressed its unhappiness with the minister by personally summoning him.
Naveen is unlikely to go for any reshuffle. Naveen had reshuffled his council of ministers on May 21, inducting three new minister.