Bhubaneswar, May 10: Hours before the much-awaited ministry reshuffle in Orissa, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday said that five new members would be inducted into his two-year-old Council of Ministers.
“Five new ministers will be inducted today,” Patnaik told reporters after receiving the resignation of three ministers as part of the exercise for Cabinet reshuffle.
While Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout and Sports Ministers Prabin Kumar Bhanj Deo had resigned yesterday, ST and SC Development Minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha put in his papers today.
Patnaik, however, did not reveal names of the five persons who are going to find a place in the ministry.
The ruling BJD government presently has 19 ministers including the chief minister while two of the posts are vacant. The fresh vacancy was created in February after the then Women and Child Development Minister Pramila Mallik resigned in the wake of the dal scam.
Sources, however, said three senior MLAs from coastal region, one each from southern and western regions could be inducted into the ministry.
Those likely to be inducted include former Speaker Maheswar Mohanty, Pradip Maharathy (both from Puri district) and Usha Devi from Ganjam district.
The Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Lal Behari Himirika from southern region, was also slated to be given a berth in the ministry.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to held at Raj Bhavan at 4.00 pm, they said.
—–PTI—-