BJD allots departments to MLAs for close monitoring and Assembly interventions, BJP terms it drama

BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday allotted separate departments to as many as 50 party MLAs for close monitoring, Assembly interventions and other issues relating to various departments of the Odisha government.

While Ranendra Pratap Swain has been allotted the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Pramila Mallik has been given the responsibility of the Panchayatiraj Department. Similarly, Badri Narayan Patra has been allotted the Women and Child Development Department and Pratap Deb has been given the responsibility of the General Administration and Public Grievance Department. Niranjan Pujari and Aswini Kumar Patra have been given the responsibilities of Home and Food Supply and Consumer Welfare; Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Departments respectively.

As per BJD, these leaders will put forth the demands, sorrows, sufferings and inconveniences of the common people before the government.

“We have to keep a vigil on various departments. If the concerned minister is not doing proper work then we have to raise the issue. We have to raise various issues of people in the Assembly and in the concerned Department,” said BJD MLA Goutam Buddha Das.

However, in response, BJP termed it as a drama.

“BJD has done nothing in their 25 years of governance. During BJD’s tenure, the number of migrant workers has increased, corruption has been rampant, the number of tourists from abroad has dwindled, the educational system has gone haywire and the law and order situation has collapsed. So what kind of vigil they will keep now? It’s a full drama by BJD. Naveen Babu is thinking that people of Odisha are fools,” said BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal.