Odisha CM Mohan Majhi allots portfolios; keeps Home, Finance

Bhubaneswar; Four days after the formation of the first BJP government in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday allocated portfolios to his Council of Ministers.

Apart from his chief ministerial duties, CM Majhi will also be in charge of Home, Finance, General Administration & Public Grievance, Information & Public Relations, Water Resources, and Planning & Convergence departments.

Veteran BJP leader and Deputy CM K.V. Singh Deo has been given Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, and Energy portfolios.

Another Deputy CM, Pravati Parida, will handle Women and Child Development, Mission Shakti, and Tourism departments, while Brajarajnagar MLA Suresh Pujari will be in charge of the Revenue & Disaster Management department.

CM Majhi has allotted Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and Drinking Water departments to Kuchinda MLA Rabi Narayan Naik.

Nityananda Gond has got School & Mass Education, ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare, and Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities departments.

Dhenkanal MLA Krushna Chandra Patra will be the Minister for Food Supply & Consumer Welfare, and Science & Technology.

Prithiviraj Harichandan, the son of Chhattisgarh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, will be in charge of Law, and Excise departments, while Mukesh Mahaling will handle Health and Family Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs, and Electronics & Information Technology portfolios.

Bibhuti Bhushan Jena will be the Minister for Commerce & Transport, and Steel & Mines.

Krushna Chandra Mahapatra will be in charge of Housing & Urban Development, and Public Enterprises departments.

List of Ministers of State (Independent Charge):

* Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia: Forest, Environment and Climate Change; Labour & Employees State Insurance

* Suryabanshi Suraj: Higher Education; Sports & Youth Services; Odia Language; Literature & Culture

* Pradeep Bal Samanta: Co-operation; Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts

Gokulananda Mallik: Fisheries & Animal Resources Developments; Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises

Sampad Chandra Swain: Industries & Skill Development; Technical Education

CM Majhi along with his Council of Ministers took the oath in a grand swearing-in ceremony at the Janata Maidan here on June 12 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.