BHUBANESWAR: With panchayat and urban local body (ULB) elections over, the focus has now shifted to a possible reshuffle in the Naveen Patnaik ministry within the next month.
It is for the first time that there has been no Cabinet reshuffle for nearly three years though there have been occasions during which names of different ministers cropped up for their alleged involvement in corruption and other cases putting the government in very embarrassing situation.
Changes in the Cabinet was held up for nearly three years because of Covid-19 pandemic and then the local elections. As Covid seems to have subsided and political activities resuming, speculation is rife about a reshuffle very soon.
Sources said that the Chief Minister will start reviewing performance of different departments next week basing on implementation of 5T and ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiatives. The performance of Health and Family Welfare, Food Supply and Consumer Welfare, Agriculture, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Urban Development departments will be under scanner during the review.
Though the ruling BJD has swept the panchayat and ULB elections, performance of the party in the areas of several heavyweights have emerged as a cause of concern for the party. The party lost the post of chairperson in Junagarh and Dharamgarh notified area councils (NACs) in Kalahandi district. This has put the spotlight back on Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra who was under the target of the Opposition in the Mamita Meher murder case.
Similarly, the BJD has also lost the chairperson post to BJP in the Balimena NAC which comes under the constituency of Minister of State for Textiles, Handlooms and Handicrafts Padmini Dian. Besides, another heavyweight of the party Rural Development Minister Sushant Singh and Minister of State for Sports and Youth Services Tushar Kanti Behera are also under scanner for the below par performance of BJD in their respective areas.
There have also been several incidents during the last two years including the Pari murder case and Mahanga double murder of BJP leaders which put the government in a spot. Though the Opposition demanded dismissal of Agriculture Minister Arun Sahu and Law Minister Pratap Jena for their alleged involvement in the respective cases, these were ignored by the party supremo.
Sources said that scam in the purchase of masks and medical consumables during the pandemic and the death of ACF Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra will also be taken note of during the reshuffle.