BHUBANESWAR: From the field of technology to the corridors of power, the journey of two young technocrats, who were sworn in as Ministers in the new Cabinet of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, was arduous yet incredible.
Kakatpur MLA Tusharkanti Behera and Telkoi legislator Premananda Nayak are the two surprise entries in the new Cabinet. While Tusharkanti is a first-timer in the Assembly, this is Premananda’s second term. Both the lawmakers, who are seen as faces of an empowered Odisha, have been made Ministers of State with independent charge.
An MTech in Bio-technology and Bio-chemical engineering from IIT Kharagpur, Tusharkanti has been given the charge of Electronics and Information Technology, Sports and Youth Affairs, the portfolios which have been on the focus of the Naveen Government.
Similarly, Premananda, who is a BTech in Mechanical Engineering, has been allotted the portfolio of Skill Development and Technical Education, another priority department of the Odisha Government.
If late Manohar Parrikar was the first IITian to become the Chief Minister of Goa, Tusharkanti is the first IITian from Odisha to become a Minister. He had left the job of assistant professor at Centurion University in 2014 to join politics.
Failure in his first attempt to get a BJP ticket did not deter him from pursuing his political ambitions. Though he was given a ticket by the saffron party this time, he chose to join BJD at the last moment and emerged victorious.
“When I visited my constituency, people started questioning me about the promises made by BJP during 2014 elections. I felt disheartened as I had no specific answers. I feel privileged that BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reposed faith in me and gave me the opportunity to serve the people,” he said.
The 35-year-old technocrat-turned lawmaker believes that the financial well-being of people can be boosted by use of technology to resolve various problems. “In a regular job, one can serve a limited section of the society. Politics is the only medium which has no limitations if one really intends to serve the society,” he said.
For Premananda, joining politics was a dream which he pursued since his student days. The 44-year-old engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology, Calicut, left the lucrative job of a technocrat to join politics and was elected from Telkoi in 2009 for the first time. Though he was dropped in 2014 election, the party renominated him this time and he proved his worth.
“I think the Chief Minister has given me the right task. Skill Development means making our youth employable. This is a huge responsibility. I hope to bring around a complete transformation in the sector so that the employment crisis can be resolved, “ added Premananda, who has special interest in wildlife.