Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made it clear to mediapersons Saturday, a day after dropping Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout from the council of ministers, that there is no possibility of a reshuffle in his ministry.
“There is no plan for any reshuffle yet,” Patnaik told newsmen while replying to a question on a possible reshuffle in his ministry.
The Chief Minister had sacked Damodar over his alleged derogatory remarks against Brahmins at a public meeting in Malkangiri district.
Following Rout’s sacking, Patnaik has distributed Rout’s departments to other ministers. While Panchayati Raj Minister Pradeep Maharathy has been given additional charge of agriculture and farmer empowerment, fisheries and animal resources development departments, Finance Minister S B Behera is put in charge of public enterprises department.
There were speculations on the corridors of power that Patnaik may redistribute the portfolios in the near future and give those portfolios to others but Patnaik dismissed such a possibility.
Maharathy, who has been given the responsibility of four departments including key departments like Agriculture and Panchayati Raj, admitted that he will be under pressure as ‘agriculture’ is a major portfolio. He, however, said, “The Chief Minister has reposed trust in me and I’ll deliver my best.” He further said.
PNN