Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has dismissed a PIL challenging the creation of two Deputy Chief Minister posts by the BJP-led Odisha government, holding that the designation is merely descriptive and does not confer any power or constitutional status superior to other members of the Council of Ministers.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Chittaranjan Dash rejected the petition filed by Eleena Dash, a practising legal professional, who had alleged that granting special protocol, precedence and privileges to Deputy Chief Ministers violated Articles 163 and 164 of the Constitution. The petitioner had primarily relied on the Odisha Ministers’ Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposed changes in the salaries and emoluments of the CM and other ministers but was subsequently withdrawn. She contended that the government’s treatment of Deputy Chief Ministers indicated a distinction between them and other members of the Council of Ministers.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily