BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister designate Mohan Charan Majhi will have a new official residence, search for which has already been started by the General Administration department. But for the time being, he is likely to continue in his present government quarters.
Official sources said ever since the election results were out, the GA department had short-listed several quarters to refurbish it as the official residence of the next chief minister. Now that Majhi has been elected as the next CM, his quarters in unit IV area of the city will be renovated and refurbished as a temporary measure before he moves into the permanent official residence.
Odisha never had quarters designated for the CM. Outgoing CM Naveen Patnaik operated from Naveen Nivas for the last 24 years. The quarters situated between AG square to Raj Bhawan square in which two former CMs JB Patnaik and Giridhar Gamang resided and operated from, was used for hearing grievances during the period.
When Biju Patnaik was the CM from 1990 to 1995, he used to operate from a quarters in front of the Forest Park. But he also used to stay in Naveen Nivas. Another CM Hemananda Biswal also used to function from his quarters in front of the Forest Park.
But the quarters which JB and Gamang resided, has all the facilities for the official residence of the CM. Besides the main building, it has two other buildings in the compound. One of the buildings was used for grievance hearing by both JB and Gamang while another building functioned as the CMO.
The main building in the compound has four bedrooms on the first floor and other rooms on the ground floor. Official sources said the quarters can be renovated as the CM’s residence. “But we will have to wait for the choice of the chief minister,” an official said.